Lawn Care 2020 Calendar + 2019 Lookback
The post I created about Wild Onion removal a few days ago made me realize that I have to get my thoughts together on a 2020 lawn care plan. In order to do that, I thought it would be valuable (for me) to collect what I did last year so I can determine what I want to do this year.
For reference, I have a cool season lawn made up of Kentucky Bluegrass. I cut the front long all season and the back is done shorter with my Husqvarna Automower.
If last year was my *first* year of digging in and working the turf on my own, this year, I'm going to try to learn from my mistakes (burning with fertilizer) and successes (not pushing the lawn too much with food) and continue on my path towards 100% non-synthetic applications. Because of the Creeping Charlie, I'm not certain that I'm going to get there this year, but we'll see.
April: Bought as much Milorganite as I could find: 8 bags. 32# bags.
April: Began my battle against Wild Onions with removal of clumps.
Mid-April: Timing the pre-emergent weed preventer - no food. 10# bag.
Late-April: First application of pelletized Lawn Lime. Back yard 4 40# bags. 160#s.
Late-May: Memorial Day: First application of Milorganite. 5 32# bags. 2 in front. 3 in back.
Late-May: Spraying for Creeping Charlie, Wild Violet and Wild Onion with blue spray pattern
Summer:
June: Applied 40# of granular Humic Acid to front and close part of rear yard.
July: Soil Test on front and back.
July: "Spoon fed" Milorganite on lawn. 1 bag front. 2 bags in back. 3 32#s.
Late-July: 1st application of Ironite (to the front yard). 10#s.
Early August: Put down the second application of pelletized Lawn Lime. 4 40# bags. 160#s
Mid-August: Application #2 of Ironite (to the front). 1 10# bag.
September: Labor Day: Applied Mag-i-Cal Plus (soil conditioner + pH boost) to front/back. 54#s.
September: Labor Day: "Spoon fed" Milorganite on lawn. Application #3 of the season. 1 bag front. 2 bags in back. 3 32#s.
Fall:
Mid-September: Overseeded lawn and patched with KBG seed.
Late-September: Another round of spraying Creeping Charlie and Wild Violet
October: Applied "Sunday" granular. Didn't love it. Would think about replacing with a spoon feeding of Milorganite.
Mid-November: Borrowed my neighbor's tractor and plugged/aerated the backyard.
Mid-November: Put down 4th Lawn Lime application. 4 40# bags. 160#s total.
Late-November: After Thanksgiving, put down 1 32# bag on the front yard before the Winter hit.
Winter:
Late December: I posted about some Winter burn damage from shoveling snow off part of the grass.
January: I posted about my new thatch rake that I received at Christmas.
My count of those activities:
4 Milorganite feedings. Memorial Day, 4th of July, Labor Day, Thanksgiving. 14 bags.
1 "Sunday" feeding. Won't repeat this year
1 soil test.
1 application of pre-emergent.
3 Lawn Lime applications. 12 bags.
1 Mag-i-Cal application. 1 bag
1 Humic Acid application. 1 bag
2 Ironite applications
2 sprayings of herbicide.
What I think next year should look like from a volume perspective
4 Milorganite feedings. 18 bags total.
1 soil test. Will do this earlier.
1 application of pre-emergent. 1 bag.
3 Lawn Lime applications (pending Wild Onions + Soil Testing results) 12 bags.
2 Mag-i-Cal applications. 2 bags.
2 Humic Acid application to front and back. 2 bags.
4 Ironite applications. 4 bags.
1 gypsum applications. 8 bags.
And from a timing perspective, I'm thinking this is what I'd like to do this year in terms of 'moments' of lawn application/work.
Blue = both front and back.
Orange = front only
Green = back only.
Mid-April: Use my new thatch rake and de-thatch most of the front yard.
Mid-April: 1 bag of Humic Acid, 1 bag of Ironite, 4 bags of lime for backyard.
For reference, I have a cool season lawn made up of Kentucky Bluegrass. I cut the front long all season and the back is done shorter with my Husqvarna Automower.
If last year was my *first* year of digging in and working the turf on my own, this year, I'm going to try to learn from my mistakes (burning with fertilizer) and successes (not pushing the lawn too much with food) and continue on my path towards 100% non-synthetic applications. Because of the Creeping Charlie, I'm not certain that I'm going to get there this year, but we'll see.
2019 Lawn applications/treatments by Season
Spring:April: Bought as much Milorganite as I could find: 8 bags. 32# bags.
April: Began my battle against Wild Onions with removal of clumps.
Mid-April: Timing the pre-emergent weed preventer - no food. 10# bag.
Late-April: First application of pelletized Lawn Lime. Back yard 4 40# bags. 160#s.
Late-May: Memorial Day: First application of Milorganite. 5 32# bags. 2 in front. 3 in back.
Late-May: Spraying for Creeping Charlie, Wild Violet and Wild Onion with blue spray pattern
Summer:
June: Applied 40# of granular Humic Acid to front and close part of rear yard.
July: Soil Test on front and back.
July: "Spoon fed" Milorganite on lawn. 1 bag front. 2 bags in back. 3 32#s.
Late-July: 1st application of Ironite (to the front yard). 10#s.
Early August: Put down the second application of pelletized Lawn Lime. 4 40# bags. 160#s
Mid-August: Application #2 of Ironite (to the front). 1 10# bag.
September: Labor Day: Applied Mag-i-Cal Plus (soil conditioner + pH boost) to front/back. 54#s.
September: Labor Day: "Spoon fed" Milorganite on lawn. Application #3 of the season. 1 bag front. 2 bags in back. 3 32#s.
Fall:
Mid-September: Overseeded lawn and patched with KBG seed.
Late-September: Another round of spraying Creeping Charlie and Wild Violet
October: Applied "Sunday" granular. Didn't love it. Would think about replacing with a spoon feeding of Milorganite.
Mid-November: Borrowed my neighbor's tractor and plugged/aerated the backyard.
Mid-November: Put down 4th Lawn Lime application. 4 40# bags. 160#s total.
Late-November: After Thanksgiving, put down 1 32# bag on the front yard before the Winter hit.
Winter:
Late December: I posted about some Winter burn damage from shoveling snow off part of the grass.
January: I posted about my new thatch rake that I received at Christmas.
My count of those activities:
4 Milorganite feedings. Memorial Day, 4th of July, Labor Day, Thanksgiving. 14 bags.
1 "Sunday" feeding. Won't repeat this year
1 soil test.
1 application of pre-emergent.
3 Lawn Lime applications. 12 bags.
1 Mag-i-Cal application. 1 bag
1 Humic Acid application. 1 bag
2 Ironite applications
2 sprayings of herbicide.
What I think next year should look like from a volume perspective
4 Milorganite feedings. 18 bags total.
1 soil test. Will do this earlier.
1 application of pre-emergent. 1 bag.
3 Lawn Lime applications (pending Wild Onions + Soil Testing results) 12 bags.
2 Mag-i-Cal applications. 2 bags.
2 Humic Acid application to front and back. 2 bags.
4 Ironite applications. 4 bags.
1 gypsum applications. 8 bags.
And from a timing perspective, I'm thinking this is what I'd like to do this year in terms of 'moments' of lawn application/work.
Blue = both front and back.
Orange = front only
Green = back only.
2020 (Planned) Lawn applications/treatments by Season
Spring 2020:Mid-April: Use my new thatch rake and de-thatch most of the front yard.
Mid-April: 1 bag of Humic Acid, 1 bag of Ironite, 4 bags of lime for backyard.
April: Deal with Wild Onion removal in backyard.
April: Apply pre-emergent without food.
Late May: Full Milorganite (5 bags). Feeding #1. Wait until Memorial Day to feed the turf.
April: Apply pre-emergent without food.
Late May: Full Milorganite (5 bags). Feeding #1. Wait until Memorial Day to feed the turf.
Late May: Spray for Wild Onion, Creeping Charlie, Wild Violet. Or when they emerge.
Summer 2020:
Early July: 4th of July: 1 bag of Ironite on front. (2nd application) Spoon fed Milorganite (3 bags). Feeding #2.
Early August: 1 bag of ironite on front (3rd application), 1 on back. Lime application #2. 4 bags to back.
September: Labor Day. 5 bags Milorganite (Feeding #3), 1 bag ironite, 1 application (2 bags?) of
Early August: 1 bag of ironite on front (3rd application), 1 on back. Lime application #2. 4 bags to back.
September: Labor Day. 5 bags Milorganite (Feeding #3), 1 bag ironite, 1 application (2 bags?) of
Mag-i-Cal Plus (Humic + lime) + 8 bags of Gypsum
Fall 2020:
Late September: Round #2 of spraying for Creeping Charlie and Wild Onion and Wild Violet.
Fall 2020:
Late September: Round #2 of spraying for Creeping Charlie and Wild Onion and Wild Violet.
Thanksgiving: 5 bags Milorganite (Feeding #4), 4 bags of lime
I'll want to revisit this post a couple of times this year to see if I'm keeping up with my planned activities. More to come on this, I'm certain.
I'll want to revisit this post a couple of times this year to see if I'm keeping up with my planned activities. More to come on this, I'm certain.
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