Lawn advice

[imported_spooled180]

I went on and got some fertilizer for my lawn, I didn`t get the usual this time but another highly recomended by my trusty go-to guy.

Long story short, instead of reading the bag as I always do, I just remembered my trusty go-to guy that a 50 lb bag would cover 1,000 sq ft. When I was done, I glanced at the bag to realize that a full bag would cover 10,000 sq/ft!!! , so basically aplied 10 times more than I should have.

Right now I am soaking the heck out the lawn, but I am afraid that I just killed my grass. Any insights?

:(

[LouisanaJeeper]

i dunno man, what type of grass and what type of fertilizer did you use?



last time i did it i used like 25lbs over 3,000 sq ft then did a second "coat" two weeks later with the extra 25lbs just cause i dont like putting it all down at once





it was scotts summer fertilizer on bermuda grass 27-3-4 btw



if it was those big generic bags of fertilizer they sell in 50lb bags. those are like only 9-1-1 or 9-0-0 at most so you are probably still fine

[TW85 HHI]

I can tell you right now that the coverage on the bag is almost always greatly overestimated. The stuff my parents buy claims to cover 5,000 sq. ft. which would mean three bags to cover all of our grass. Actual coverage is about 2,000 sq. ft. And yes, the correct setting is being used on the spreader.



My experience is that problems arise when you do not water enough after using a fertilizer.



BTW, when using a spreader, just set the dial to the correct number and walk. Once you pass over an area, it is sufficiently covered and you do not need to go over it again just to use the remaining fertilizer.

[medic159]

You guys should do what I do... grow crab grass, clover, and God knows what else. Stays green in August when everyone else`s lawn is brown!

[imported_themightytimmah]

What kind of fertilizer? It`ll come up with 3 numbers (like 26-0-4 or 3-3-3). If its a large first number (like a 26-X-X) then you might be in pretty rough shape. If its a 9-9-9 or so, you might survive. Soaking the hell out of it is a good way to go, try to see if you can get the water to run off, rather than soak in. The local water nazis might not like it (if the local creek turns green, don`t mention my name :)), but it`ll probably save your lawn.

[Spilchy]

Originally posted by DFTowel

You guys should do what I do... grow crab grass, clover, and God knows what else. Stays green in August when everyone else`s lawn is brown!



:rofl My parent`s backyard!



We had our front lawn re-done with sod from Kentucky. They came and rolled it out like a blanket after prepping the soil. Water twice a day for 1 hour and the lawn is thick, dark green and lush. It`s cool how it adhered to the soil and filled in.



We had a 1000 gallon oil tank removed from the front lawn. It leaked over the years so the lawn was characterized as an envirnomental hazard by the State and ALL the soil was dug up (including the front sidewalk) going down 13 feet! They backfilled with new fresh soil. Then they dug a well to test the ground water every three months by flushing out 3000 gallons into a tanker truck.



We had no front lawn or sidewalk for almost 2 years until the State ruled our site as clean.



$52,000 later after all expenses, we have a clean lawn, freshly sodded and a new sidewalk. THANK GOD for homeonwer`s insurance :up (They then dropped us)



But it was very cool to watch the progress while work was going on.

[Prometheus]

Just out of curiousity Splichy, why did you have a 1000 gal oil tank in your front yard? 50`s leftover? I was always under the impression that oil tanks were put in basements (or maybe that`s just the case in Michigan). Sounds like a ..... ah fun ... ordeal

[Spilchy]

Originally posted by Prometheus

Just out of curiousity Splichy, why did you have a 1000 gal oil tank in your front yard? 50`s leftover? I was always under the impression that oil tanks were put in basements (or maybe that`s just the case in Michigan). Sounds like a ..... ah fun ... ordeal



All the homes in my area have oil tanks buried in their front lawns or under their driveways. Some are 500 and some are 1000 gallons with a line that feeds into the house. My home was built in the 1910`s so I don`t know if that tank is original to the home.



There was a little cap in the middle of the lwan and the oil truck would hook up the hose and pump away. I would LOVE when he came when I was a kid.



My father converted to natural gas in the 70`s and abandoned the oil tank. When you sell the home, it needs to be removed if unused. I remember when we had the new furnace put in and the old one (caked in asbestos) was sledge hammered to pieces and I watched with my Dad as we breathed in all the dust. Little did we know back then. We later had all the pipes wrapped in a cast-like covering to hide all the asbestos and the basement professionally cleaned.



On a side note, my friend (who comes from a wealthy family) lived in the home that was once owned by the guy who designed the Empire State Building and later owned by a beer company baron. The home had it`s own filling station in the driveway with old school pumps. You didn`t have to go to the gas station, rather it was delivered and you could fill up at home! Very cool. I have never seen that anywhere else.

[Prometheus]

Cool. My parents basement used to have an oil tank in it, but it was removed long before we ever moved in. Only eveidence we had it was there was the big cast iron footings placed in the concrete and the oil residue still left there. Near as I can tell, there was a hole in the wall that the truck rigged up to, which looks like it was replaced with a window (theres now a window right above where the tank would have been, im assuming thats what they did with the hole). Somebody convereted my parents house to natural gas too, but still used the old oil furnace. The thing is gigantic, probably six foot square and as tall as the basement, but the thing could go through a small nuclear explosion and come out fine I think. I dont know if we *could* get it out if we had to. That thing will outlast the house, that`s for sure.



Wish I had a gas station in my driveway, somehow though I think the neighbors would start complaining unless I gave them free gas :D

[Spilchy]

Currently, here is the only evidence indicating we have (now had) an oil tank. This is from my boiler room about 5 foot below ground level. The pipe that fed from the oil tank passed through the foundation to the pipe on the left, went through the filter and out down that pipe which goes under the floor and up into the old furnace.



http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y150/spilchy/tn_IMG_0215.jpg



Here is the "new" furnace from the late 70`s. Outside of the a little rust and rot on the front it performs great. We service it once a year and I flush it every other day during heating season to keep fresh, clean water in it. The public service guys tell me this one is better than the new ones because it doens`t run off of electricity. So if there is a black out during the winter, we still get heat. The little trap door up against the back wall is where the ashes from the fire place fall to.



Don`t mind the paint job. I bought new industrial paint and will tackle it this summer!



Sorry to hijack the thread guys! :o



http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y150/spilchy/tn_IMG_0216.jpg

[ntoddalbert]

One of those news stories we here on the east coat get to see once or twice a winter that might be unheard of elsewhere. Some poor homeowner who had the gas conversion done and left the outside piping in place but removed the basement tank. The delivery guy comes and hooks up and pumps 500 gallons into the basement. I cant even imagine how somthing like that would ruin your day.



Having been in real estate I know many people just remove the evidence of the tank and leave the tank in place burried underground. A good buddy found one this past winter 15 days past closing on his 100 year old house in Boonton NJ, the old owner was forced to pay for removal. It was actually pretty cheap, less than a grand since it was a small tank. Worth looking into if your house hunting.

[imported_spooled180]

Hey, sorry for the late reply, thanks so far.



I have a mix of Perinneal ryegrass, hard fescue and chewing fescue, the fertilizer I used is Turf Royale 21-7-14, I get my stuff at at landscaping pro store. I called but they had the weekend off, I waterer again the next day. I have about 1200 sq ft of grass so, it would be a pain to seed it again.



thanks so far for the replies

[Spilchy]

Originally posted by FalconGuy

Having been in real estate I know many people just remove the evidence of the tank and leave the tank in place burried underground. A good buddy found one this past winter 15 days past closing on his 100 year old house in Boonton NJ, the old owner was forced to pay for removal. It was actually pretty cheap, less than a grand since it was a small tank. Worth looking into if your house hunting.



A plumber while doing other work in our home, offered to do that for my Dad but he refused. Talk about unethical. Especially since ours leaked and was polluting the ground water.



In your case, the old owner got "lucky" as well as your buddy since it didn`t leak. It was a NIGHTMARE for us.

[ntoddalbert]

I can only imagine, at least your folks did the right thing, what you do when no one is looking, says a lot about a person.