Best Lawn Mower Lift

This is the fertilizer, with pre-/post-emergents, you guys want for fescue.

https://www.lebanonturf.com/products/2153580

 

Standard Handy M/C lift, without front wheel clamp accessory, with optional ATV side wings and winch lift added. Handy lifts are just plain, well..
https://www.handyindustries.com/

 

What is the cost of a 40 pound bag, roughly? I've already used the "find a distributor near me" feature but haven't made my way over there yet.

 

@ducnut What are your thoughts on using a lawn roller? I have one I can use behind a garden tractor I have. 36" wide x 18" diameter, water filled. Ok / not ok? How often? When/what conditions? (wet or waterlogged lawn or dryer etc) How long does it take to make a noticeable difference in smoothing a lawn.

Thanks

 

~$55 range. But, remember, spread rate is low, so you won’t need a lot.

Totally believe in them.

In the upper-central parts of the country, right now is perfect timing. I figure to get on it, as soon as things thaw and the first heavy rains roll through. That gets the ground soft enough to be malleable. I do mine a couple times, until the ground starts to firm up.

You’ll notice right away, because all the heaves and mounds will be mashed flat.

If you see mud stripes forming, wait a couple days for things to dry out a bit. The striping is muddy water being purged to the surface.

 

What does a lawn roller do? Since you’ve killed my dreams of hooking up either an aerator or a spreader to the back of my mower, I’m desperate for something and a lawn roller sounds like it may be the ticket

Btw, figured out where the valve is for my irrigation system and opened that up and then turned all systems on - got some large puddles forming out there but it’s outside of my skill set to troubleshoot much further. Will just have a pro come out and take a look.

 

The thaw/freeze process creates heaves and birds searching for worms dig up soil and create mounds. In the spring, you want to roll your lawn flat again. As mentioned above, the ground has to be malleable so it can be moved around like putty.

Where are the puddles? If they’re next to heads, more than likely the heads have been run over and it’s broken the PVC right there. If they’re forming in random places, then get an idea of the general lay of the system and start digging. If the system wasn’t properly purged in the fall, the water will freeze in the lines and break them. Still, it’s an easy fix. You should be able to run a string-line from head-to-head and put yourself right on top of the PVC pipe. I’m hoping you have a schematic of your system?

If you’re going to use a lawn roller, buy marking flags and mark every head, before rolling. DO NOT run over sprinkler heads with anything.

 

Pretty sure the system was closed correctly because there was no water in the lines (took them a while to fill) and the valve was in the off position (I'd never touched it since I moved in 7 years ago).

Regarding the roller - I can't tell if I'm better off applying the 19-0-6 right now (which precludes me from seeding) or seeding based on my general lawn as well as some specialty areas that are bare and really need seed ASAP (where I had a shed installed and the area was ripped up, also where some piles of old deck boards were, where a couple of trees just got cut down, etc.). It seems like there's three main options:

1) 19-0-6 everything, save the seeding for July 1st
2) 19-0-6 the majority, and just give plenty of room around the areas that need seed dropped down (and obviously seed those areas - FYI, I don't have a roller and that ground is freshly tilled so rather soft)
3) Seed everything, skip the 19-0-6

What sayeth you? Here's a ton of pics - sorry for the shitty resolution but had to compress them to fit).

 

As I mentioned before, timing is everything.

If you seed now, the majority will be lost this summer. I’ve tried spring seeding a few times and most doesn’t survive. At ~$2/lb, it doesn’t make financial sense. If you seed first/second week of August, you have 10-11 months before it’s subjected to the next summer inferno. Keep in mind, tall fescue is a cool season grass, so it does much better the rest of the year.

I’d say 19-0-6 now and get the weeds cleared out. Spread over the barren areas, too. That’ll keep weed seeds from germinating there. You’ll have a lot less weeds to spot-spray, this way. When you seed, you’ll be applying straight fertilizer over the top, so the grass will be nourished for fall. No 19-0-6 in the fall, because you’ll be having grass seed germinating the rest of the year. Next year, you can start with a plan.

If your lawn is still soft enough to roll, you can still do it. But, if it doesn’t feel soft under foot, you’re probably wasting your time, this year. No big deal, as it’s a process. You can start next year.

You’re assuming, on the irrigation system. The PO could’ve just shut it off, it froze over the winter, and in the 7yrs you’ve been there the water in the system has evaporated or leaked out of the cracked pipes. Getting it straightened out is just time consuming. That’s all. The best thing is you have something workable already in place. Next year, you’ll have a lawn the neighbors will be envious of.

As far as seeding, I’d plan to broadcast seed the entire yard. On those barren areas, heavily spread seed over them and work the seed into the soil with, either, a garden rake or garden weasel. Make sure that soil has been lightly tilled with a Mantis or some other means of breaking it up. After summer, it’ll be hard. Otherwise, your yard looks really good; you have something to work with. Again, it’s a process.

 

I think I’ve posted these pics before. But, the first pic is May 7 and the second pic is Sep 18. This is a second year yard, where I slit-seed the previous fall. The grass is thick, so there are a lot of plants per square foot. As such, it’s going to needs watering through the summer (2X/wk is fine). I begged them to set a sprinkler out twice a week, but, they chose to ignore me. This was a huge loss of investment for the homeowners and crushing to me for all my hard work. Having an irrigation system is an investment in one's yard and having it already in place is a bonus.




I DO NOT understand this forum format, when I can’t get certain pics to post upright. Argh!!!

 

I completely killed this yard in July, using glyphosate. I slit-seed in August. This is October of the same year. It doesn’t take much; just the right timing and products.

 

FFS, I just went and bought a 48” lawn roller, hate the hassle of renting plus I may need to pack down a dead body at the rate people are pissing me off

 

just called our local site one... due to Michigan AG dept, cannot be sold to residential users. MUST BE SOLD TO A GOLFCOURSE ACCOUNT ONLY! i was REALLY LOOKING FORWARD to using your system ducnut, and trying to re-establish our lawn. what can i do now?
Ski

 

They probably meant “commercial account with applicator license”. I’ve bought it from my local hardware store, here in IL. Once he stopped carrying it, I started buying from SiteOne. And, this stuff would never be used on a golf course, because it’d be a hazard to golfers picking up their golf balls, then, touching their person. It’s nasty stuff.

I don’t really know how to get around that, up there. It’s not cost effective for me to buy it and send it up there, from here (SPI). Maybe, keep your eyes open for a local lawn applicator who can get it for you. Have a look on your state ag department website to see what is required for an applicator license. In IL, it’s an evening applicator course and a cheap fee. Maybe, go into SiteOne and talk to them about buying it as a “cash customer”, in your small amount.

What gets me is all these application companies, with multiple trucks and applicators running around, spraying properties. I guarantee, they haven’t all been through this state’s course, because the course is only given twice a year, in the winter. Otherwise, one isn’t getting license, here.

 

Irony.. this is my home town and one of the primary places I deliver product to by Tri-axle...

 

So one thing that baffled me... not lawn related but mower. So I have guess what’s considered a cheap mower. A 24hp 48” Husqvarna with the upgraded “commercial deck” which doesn’t mean a whole lot. Being the bit OCD person I am when it comes to maintenance and having all my equipment in tip top shape notice a bit of play in front wheels. They use bushings and not bearings. WTF? Yesterday my new spindles and bearings (which I just measured and sourced direct with skf) came in and I installed them, used a die and threaded end of spindle to put a nut on it the just a shallow m4 hole in the center to put a “lock” plate on the end as there wasn’t much room to get a nut more than a thread or two beyond fully seated. I get the cost save thing but sealed bearings, even the overkill ones I put in are not that much $$!

 

where in illinois? road trip might be in the plan. wonder if i could buy it in ohio, or indiana? Ski

 

How about buying a commercial ZTR, only to find out it has Chinese bearings. They’re lucky to make it a season, before replacement. And, to save others effort, all the chain auto parts stores sell only Chinese bearings, in common spindle sizes. I had to go through Motion Industries, for quality bearings, and they keep them on the shelf. And, nearly every bearing in every American-made ZTR is Chinese.