Bare Spots in Spring Lawns

[Smallaxe]

If you are given a lawn in the SpringTime and asked to switch over to "Organic Lawncare",,, What do you do???

Obviously the most intense pressure for CrabGrass is going to be these bare spots and the thin grasses around it...
What should an LCO do before the season starts?
What does the H.O. need to expect??

[Exact Rototilling]

[Smallaxe]

I always sow grass seed FIRST, even if it only AR...

[Exact Rototilling]

AR stands for....?
Posted via Mobile Device

[Snyder's Lawn Inc]

[QUOTE=Smallaxe;4707082]If you are given a lawn in the SpringTime and asked to switch over to "Organic Lawncare",,, What do you do???

QUOTE]

My self I would pass on the job

[ReddensLawnCare]

Originally Posted by Exact Rototilling

Wanna share?
Posted via Mobile Device

[Smallaxe]

Originally Posted by Exact Rototilling

AR stands for....?
Posted via Mobile Device

Annual Ryegrass...
It grows faster and taller than our regular grasses at first, but then as summer goes on it is not quite so noticeable, except for the lighter color...

The things I like best about the stuff, is the it is far superior to mud/dust spots all over the lawn... thin lawns are thickened up to the point of no more weed pressure... and they'll put down a lot of organic material in the form of clippings to protect the soil rather than having the 'cides trying to keep the soil barren...

By Fall, their ecosystem has created a much more friendly environment for the PERENNIAL seed to start... bare spots all Summer long are not the favorite home for seeds in the Fall and aeration does not correct the situation, in that,, the spaces between the holes are no better off than they were before the aeration...

So Annual Ryegrass is a great first step,,, especially for organic/natural lawncare...

[Exact Rototilling]

How much faster is annual rye vs perennial rye and how does it handle herbicides...?

The tough gig here for Autumn and Fall over seeding and spot repair is dry conditions and sprinkler blow outs.

And clients loose interest, want to forget about, could care less about the lawn 9 out of 10 times.

[32vld]

Organic means no herbicides too many people.

Corn gluten as a pre emerge has been shown to not be that effective.

Google organic herbicides and the first thing that pops up is that organic herbicides are non selective.

So after the corn gluten is put down I would scrape up the bare areas and put down a quality an all KBG mixture. It will take time to come in though when it does the new grass will match the old grass. And the area would not have to be reseeded and reworked to ensure soil to seed contact by having to do another reseeding because I wont use an annual rye seed the first time.

Yes some weeds may prop up in the seeded areas.

Customer wants organic then he has to accept that weeds will get in from time to time.

If customer wants no weeds, wants organic, then customer has to pay to have sod put down in the bare spots.

Can't have it both ways.

Reminds me of the customer that complains their lawn is weak.
You point out that too many trees to close together and or trees need some branches removed but they then refuse to have any tree work done.

[Smallaxe]

Originally Posted by Exact Rototilling

How much faster is annual rye vs perennial rye and how does it handle herbicides...?

The tough gig here for Autumn and Fall over seeding and spot repair is dry conditions and sprinkler blow outs.

And clients loose interest, want to forget about, could care less about the lawn 9 out of 10 times.

When it is late in the Spring re-seeding season and soil temps are likely in the 60s by then; that is the time that AR is going to be the ONLY likely candidate for survival into the Heat Of Summer... in those conditions, I've seen germination in 3or 4 days, but almost always less than 1 week... and it grows like 'gangbusters'...

Right now the snow is STILL on the ground and once barespots appear, I'll be dropping seed into those spot AFTER I've gone over with the backpack blower... (no working up of soil necessary)

My Fall overseeding program, begins about the same time as the Start of Fertilizer Program...

That time is:
as soon as you say to yourself, that this brutal Summer is over and things may come back to life soon...
the Fall rains should startup anytime now...

that is when you resume Fertilizng,,, after nothing was applied during the heat spell,,, it is safe to apply once more...

Some Summers I've gone 7 weeks w/out mowing and I certainly did not apply any ferts or 'cides...