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eBay determines this price through a machine learned model of the product's sale prices within the last 90 days.

eBay determines trending price through a machine learned model of the products sale prices within the last 90 days. "New" refers to a brand-new, unused, unopened, undamaged item, and "Used" refers to an item that has been used previously.

Originally posted here:
sod grass | eBay

Slowing down and watching the grass grow sounds good. In theory. But the reality is that if your lawn needs renewing, you'll be looking at a big patch of dirt for weeks. And why wait, when summer can begin right now with a lush green carpet underfoot?

When it comes to getting a thick, healthy lawn, nothing beats sod for instant gratification. Sure, it costs a bit more: about $400 to cover a 1,000-square-foot backyard (double that installed). But lay it right and in a couple of weeks you've got a dense, well-established lawn that's naturally resistant to weeds, diseases, and pest infestations.

"You're basically buying time," says This Old House landscape contractor Roger Cook. "You're paying for turf that someone else has coddled for 14 to 18 months."

You're also buying convenience. Sod can be installed spring through fall (and even in winter in mild climates). In areas of the country that favor cool-season grasses, like the Northeast, it avoids the problem of sprouting a nice crop of weeds when seeding a lawn in spring. And in southern states, which favor warm-season grasses like Bermudagrass, zoysiagrass, and centipedegrass, sod is the best way to cover the yard at any time of year, since these turf types cannot be grown from seed.

"Sometimes sod gets a bad rap, but that's usually because of mistakes people make while laying it," says Roger. "Put down on properly prepared soil, it will thrive." Turf likes a well-aerated base that's slightly acidic (with a pH between 6 and 7.5) and nutrient-rich. And the only way to know what kind of soil you've got is to test it. For about $15, your local extension service will send a soil sample to a lab for analysis; results will come back within a week or two and indicate precisely what amendments you should add and in what quantity.

Then it's time to buy your sod. Depending on where you live, you can order it from a garden center or directly from a sod farm. It will generally be a mix of two or three turf grasses, chosen for optimal color, texture, and heartiness (be sure to tell your supplier if your yard's in partial or full shade). Ideally, sod should be delivered within 24 hours of being cut and be laid the same day. Measure your yard carefully so you can order the right amount, with some overage (about 5 percent) to account for cutting around curves.

Count on one weekend to prepare the soil and another to lay the turf. If your yard is covered with patchy grass, you'll need to remove it first. This is best done with a sod cutter (available from your local rental yard for about $70 per day), which slices it off below the roots. While you're at it, you'll want to rent a rototiller (about $55 per day). You'll also need a sod-cutting knife with a 2-inch blade, a spreader, an iron rake, compost, and other soil amendments, including fertilizer and lime, depending on what your soil analysis dictates. Two people should be able to cover 1,000 square feet in a day; get extra hands if you plan to lay more than that.

Read on for our step-by-step instructions for rolling out a lasting carpet of green.

Slowing down and watching the grass grow sounds good. In theory. But the reality is that if your lawn needs renewing, you'll be looking at a big patch of dirt for weeks. And why wait, when summer can begin right now with a lush green carpet underfoot?

When it comes to getting a thick, healthy lawn, nothing beats sod for instant gratification. Sure, it costs a bit more: about $400 to cover a 1,000-square-foot backyard (double that installed). But lay it right and in a couple of weeks you've got a dense, well-established lawn that's naturally resistant to weeds, diseases, and pest infestations.

"You're basically buying time," says This Old House landscape contractor Roger Cook. "You're paying for turf that someone else has coddled for 14 to 18 months."

You're also buying convenience. Sod can be installed spring through fall (and even in winter in mild climates). In areas of the country that favor cool-season grasses, like the Northeast, it avoids the problem of sprouting a nice crop of weeds when seeding a lawn in spring. And in southern states, which favor warm-season grasses like Bermudagrass, zoysiagrass, and centipedegrass, sod is the best way to cover the yard at any time of year, since these turf types cannot be grown from seed.

"Sometimes sod gets a bad rap, but that's usually because of mistakes people make while laying it," says Roger. "Put down on properly prepared soil, it will thrive." Turf likes a well-aerated base that's slightly acidic (with a pH between 6 and 7.5) and nutrient-rich. And the only way to know what kind of soil you've got is to test it. For about $15, your local extension service will send a soil sample to a lab for analysis; results will come back within a week or two and indicate precisely what amendments you should add and in what quantity.

Then it's time to buy your sod. Depending on where you live, you can order it from a garden center or directly from a sod farm. It will generally be a mix of two or three turf grasses, chosen for optimal color, texture, and heartiness (be sure to tell your supplier if your yard's in partial or full shade). Ideally, sod should be delivered within 24 hours of being cut and be laid the same day. Measure your yard carefully so you can order the right amount, with some overage (about 5 percent) to account for cutting around curves.

Count on one weekend to prepare the soil and another to lay the turf. If your yard is covered with patchy grass, you'll need to remove it first. This is best done with a sod cutter (available from your local rental yard for about $70 per day), which slices it off below the roots. While you're at it, you'll want to rent a rototiller (about $55 per day). You'll also need a sod-cutting knife with a 2-inch blade, a spreader, an iron rake, compost, and other soil amendments, including fertilizer and lime, depending on what your soil analysis dictates. Two people should be able to cover 1,000 square feet in a day; get extra hands if you plan to lay more than that.

Read on for our step-by-step instructions for rolling out a lasting carpet of green.

View post:
How to Lay Sod | This Old House

Renovation projects giving West Feliciana High's stadium a facelift

Summer is generally a time for maintenance and work on facilities before high school football practice gets underway at the beginning of August. This summer, Lee Hammer, West Feliciana Parish school system director of facilities and maintenance, has been busy overseeing some much-needed renovations to West Feliciana High School's stadium and field.

One of the projects is a nearly complete makeover of the press box. The extensive work includes larger windows, flooring and countertops and glass partitions. The seating will be improved, and the exterior of the box will be repainted.

Were reusing any materials they can, but the whole thing basically needed upgrading, said Hammer, who is beginning his second year in his position. The windows are taller for better viewing and will provide a full view of the field. It was claustrophobic. Anywhere you go now in there, youll have a better view.

The stadiums sound system will be completely overhauled to improve the audio for announcing, music, entertainment and graduation ceremonies.

All the stuff was old, Hammer said. Weve hired a company and given them a fresh canvas. The main speakers will be mounted on the press box, and there will be a couple more off the side.

Hammer said the revamped press box work will cost roughly $40,000, but it wont include adding space.

Well be able to accommodate what we need currently, Hammer said. Its more cost effective to do what weve done now. It would be nice to have more space up top, but this work will give us a modern, efficient press box.

The second major summer project on Hammers to do list is recrowning the Saints football field which includes some drainage improvements and new grass. Catch basins were improved for excess runoff rainwater.

We removed the old sod and crowned it twice, Hammer said. We added some new sprinkler heads for full water coverage of the whole field. We also were required to install a backflow valve.

In addition, the field has a new more resilient grass called Celebration Bermuda Grass, which is specifically designed for the rigors of heavy usage, such as a normal football season. Celebration Bermuda Grass also is used in other sporting venues like soccer fields and golf courses. To expedite growth, instead of laying new sod, the field was planted with sprigs of grass.

Will it be ready for the Saints first game of 2017 on Sept. 15?

Absolutely, Hammer said. Were going to let it grow, and itll be a great field. Its very durable and has more of a sand base, which is also good for drainage. It comes back quickly from divots and ruts.

Hammer said the total cost of the work to the football field is $42,000.

The final major summer project is the replacement of the stadiums running track. Hammer said work on it will begin as soon as the field is released. Ideally, hed like to see it completed for the first home game, but if that doesnt happen, contingencies will be in place so inconveniences will be kept at a minimum. The color will be royal blue, and it will be a similar rubbery surface texture to the current track.

It all depends on the weather, Hammer said. Were going to do our best to have it ready, and it should definitely be finished by the end of September.

Another project on the football practice field, a sand pit for athletes to train, is being completed by the Saints Quarterback Club.

Read more:
Xtra Sports for July 13, 2017 - The Advocate

Bridget Fonseca and her dog Henry on the farm. photo by Carly Matthew

Early morning is Bridget Fonsecas favorite time of day even if she and her partner Jake Kundert dont get their coffee until after all the chores are done.

At 6:45 a.m., the usually quiet flock of Suffolk sheep bleats loudly into the cool June morning. The sheep spot Fonseca and Kundert and immediately anticipate breakfast. The lambs follow their mothers to the feeders, trying to nurse along the way.

Fonseca and Kunderts dog, Henry, gazes at the sheep skeptically from outside the fence as if, after all his visits, he still has not decided whether or not to fear the flock especially as the budding rams grow to reach more than 60 pounds.

Fonseca met Kundert two and a half years ago in a non-profit management class at the University of Iowa. As part of the first class exercise, students were asked to introduce themselves and share their dream job. Both said they dreamed of becoming farmers.

Although their grandparents were Iowa farmers, Fonseca and Kundert said their parents are part of a lapsed generation that moved into town, abandoning farming. Fonseca said her parents came from a nouveau hippie era and were very conscious about food, but not its production.

Before they knew each other, Fonseca and Kundert worked as farmhands outside the U.S. Fonseca worked on farms throughout Europe during a gap year after high school and Kundert worked on a farm in South America after finishing his undergraduate studies.

It was only inevitable that we would move out to a farm eventually, Fonseca said.

In fact, Kundert said, it wasnt even a conversation.

They discovered the land they now rent in The Mount Vernon Sun. Just one mile north of Solon, a right hand turn and one mile more down the road, lies their white, two-story farmhouse. There in the state of Iowa where they had lived all of their lives they experienced a fresh wave of culture shock. Still, they never questioned their decision.

Jake Kundert tends to some of the crops the couple planted this year. photo by Carly Matthew

When they moved out of their one-bedroom Iowa City apartment with its postage-stamp yard in December last year, Fonseca still had one fully-loaded semester left before she would finish her degree in interdepartmental studies with a focus in social work. Kundert was about to start a full-time position helping small-scale vegetable farmers connect with local businesses at Iowa Valley Resource Conservation & Development.

The couple had a long way to go to transform the property into their ideal farm.

This spring, on a 76-degree Easter Sunday, they set about breaking ground on two strips of earth to plant their onions by hand, without the help of their friends overbooked sod-cutting machine. As Kundert cut into the soil with a drain spade barefoot, Fonseca followed behind, pulling up patches of grass. Luckily, the sod-cutter made it there in time for the remainder of the 1,500 square-foot plot that now contains artichokes, watermelon, kale, potatoes, peppers, zucchini and half a dozen varieties of tomatoes.

In early spring, when their land began coming to life, the large fields around them were still barren and grey. Now planted, those fields will easily produce thousands of bushels of corn and soybeans by fall.

The way conventional farming so sharply contrasts with their methods fascinates the couple. Fonseca said she sometimes worries chemicals from other fields, including those distributed by crop dusting planes, could wipe out their vegetable plot. They joke that other farmers machinery is bigger than their house.

To them, our style of farming is gardening, Fonseca said, although Kundert was quick to add that the methods they use are also far from perfect.

Even after Fonseca graduated and transitioned into a full-time position organizing mobile food pantries for the Crisis Center of Johnson County, the couple continued their work on the farm. Despite obstacles, the two have complete faith in their endeavor. And theyve had help.

At around 7 a.m., after feeding their sheep, Fonseca, Kundert and Henry hop in their SUV and drive to a nearby farm to tend to their second-ever group of broilers: 200 Freedom Ranger chickens, specially bred for their foraging abilities. They pay the landowner to use the space, not with money but with chickens and, often, with their time.

When it came time to process the first group of birds, other local farmers volunteered to help during the nine-hour-long chicken butchering process in exchange for meat. Some didnt want to be paid at all.

I dont know what I would do without a village to help out, Fonseca said.

Both have dreams for the future. Kundert aspires to experiment with raising other kinds of livestock, beyond sheep and chickens. Fonseca envisions raising an alpaca on the land to the east of her landlords grain bins and adding a flower patch alongside their vegetable plot. She hopes that one day visitors, maybe kids, will stop by to learn about food production and she can share all she and Kundert have learned.

The empty lawn, to her, is a blank slate.

Carly Matthew recently graduated from the University of Iowas journalism program. She resides in Iowa City. This article was originally published in Little Village issue 224.

See the rest here:
Solon couple follows their dream of a sustainable farm life - Little Village

Herman the German still stands defiantly atop his domed pedestal in New Ulm, Minn.

The legendary German hero, whose actual history is somewhat obscure, is the mascot of New Ulm, a German settlement since before Minnesota was a state.

Were here this week because my 84-year-old brother-in-law has been diagnosed with cancer.

So what could I do but tell her that if she wanted to come up and see him, Id bring her?

Actually, were in the small town of Hanska, about nine miles out in the county, where the Nelson family settled.

Hanksa is a Norwegian settlement. Although the sign at the city limit says the population is 402, Im told that it actually consists of 449 Norwegians and one Swede.

The Swede is master of ceremonies at the annual celebration of Norwegian Independence Day on May 17.

Whats he doing in Hanska? Well, he married a Norwegian. Unlike me, he stayed and assimilated.

And from whom, youre sure to ask, did Norway win its independence? The answer is Sweden.

In the upper Midwest, you catch glimpses of the glorious history of this nation that were largely missing in the almost uniformly Scots-Irish South where I was born and reared.

When I lived in North Dakota, we had people of both German and Scandinavian descent, along with other groups.

There is a state park there which commemorates the coming of people from Iceland. Before I went there, I never knew that Icelanders migrated to America.

These people from northern Europe were a sturdy breed, who had learned to face bitter winters in the old countries.

In America, they were the first to break the sod of the prairie grass and discover the deep, rich, alluvial soil of the Red River Valley (yes, the one in the song).

There were miles of open grassland with scarcely any trees, definitely not enough to provide lumber for building barns or homes.

They used blocks of sod as bricks for raising small houses that lacked any of the comforts we have come to expect, but which served as homes for the first generation of children reared on the seemingly endless expanse of open space.

They were quite at home with the deadly temperatures of the northern winters and the long summer days that brought forth crops abundantly.

They prospered, and realized the American dream.

When the railroads came, towns were planted, territories became states, crops could be moved to market quickly and cultural institutions were founded.

No sod houses remain, except the few on exhibit in museums.

Exhausting hand labor was replaced by big old iron steam machines, which have now been replaced by diesel-powered ones and have also become museum displays.

This progress has not been without continuing difficulties, and changing times have brought global markets, corporate land ownership, unheard-of government regulation and other factors that have squeezed many a small farmer off the prairie.

There is nothing like travel or, better still, taking up continuing residence in different parts of the country to develop a real appreciation for all the different national groups that have come to America and become part of our nation, e pluribus unum.

Currently, we have many problems with illegal entry into our boundaries, conflict over border policies and even basic law enforcement.

Battle lines are drawn between political parties, and we have reached the point at which disagreements become personal hatred, which makes civil debate impossible.

I believe it would help greatly if more people traveled and took time to listen to the stories of the many different kinds of folks who make up this great nation.

Our present debates could be conducted far more successfully if we entered them, remembering the long, glorious history behind us.

Getting acquainted with Herman the German would be a good place to start.

THE REV. C. ERNEST WILLIAMS is a Paris native and retired Presbyterian pastor now living in Washington State. He can be reached by email at erniewil@msn.com.

Read more:
Herman the German, a legendary hero, could help us get along better as Americans - Paris Post Intelligencer

Welcome

Fulton Grass Co.is a family-run farm on the banks of the Red River in southwest Arkansas. We have been in the sod grass business since 1985, starting with just 40 acres of sod. In the past 20 years, we have grown to just over 1,000 acres, split about equally between Celebration Bermuda, Certified Tifway 419 Bermuda, and Certified Crowne Zoysia, which we have exclusive rights to grow inArkansas and Louisiana.We pride ourselves in producing top quality, sandy-backed sod, ideally suited for climate conditions in this region.

Fulton Grass Co.is a member of Turfgrass Producers International, a professional organization committed to

We are alsomembers of

With our sod quality and customer service, we strive to reach and exceed the expectations of

Fulton Grass Co.has installed turf for many area golf courses and ball fields (football, baseball, softball, and soccer). We have the ability to harvest and install grass from sprigs to big rolls. We will work with you to determine the best and most economical grass applications for whatever your needs may be.

Directions We are located in Fulton, Arkansas just4 miles from I-30, only22 miles from Texarkana and 16 miles from Hope, Arkansas.

From I-30, take the Fulton Exit #18. Turn south and follow the gravel road4 miles to Fulton Grass Farm. The office will be on your right with a sign in front.

791 Hempstead 1 Fulton, AR 71838

Phone: 870-896-2407 Fax: 870-896-2497

If you cannot reach us on the phone, please Email us:

Continue reading here:
sod | Fulton, Arkansas | Fulton Grass Co.

Question: We sprayed weeds in our lawn with weed killer and killed them, but a lot of grass died, too. We used a product that was not supposed to kill grass. This is not the best time of year to plant grass, so what can we do to fix this?

Answer: I have seen several lawns in my neighborhood with stripes and spots of dead grass due to improper use of weed killers. First, let's make sure you do not do this again. There are chemicals that kill all plants on contact, and some even sterilize the soil so no new plants can grow for a while. Even though it may seem obvious, these plant killers will kill the good plants in flowerbeds and on the lawn. Sometimes they kill lawn grass even with very low doses.

Be very careful when using them. Do not use them on windy days, and be sure to spray close to the plant so mist will not spread and hit other plants. It is best to use a separate spray bottle or spreader for this type of chemical. Washing the sprayer out several times very thoroughly with soap and water will reduce the risk of problems but not eliminate them. If they are not washed out very well, the next use of the sprayer may kill lots of plants.

You may need three sprayers: one for plant killers, one for broadleaf weed killers and one for other pesticides. I label mine with permanent marker, so the plant killer spray is never used for anything else.

Lawn chemicals intended to kill weeds but not grass can still kill grass when applied incorrectly: in the wrong dosage, at the wrong time of day, during the wrong season or at the wrong time in the grass's life cycle.

Too much of a good thing can be a problem. Never add more chemical than what is recommended in the directions. If the grass is newly planted and has not become established, it is very likely to have problems with weed killers. Grass under stress from hot weather or drought conditions is more sensitive to herbicides.

Sometimes the grass plant is not entirely killed; the top leaf blades might be chemically burned, but the crown of the plant is still alive. In this case, the plants will recover quickly. Water and fertilize the lawn, and it should respond favorably.

If thin strips of grass or areas smaller than the size of a saucer are dead, it can grow in from the sides. Again, water and fertilizer will help the grass along the edge of the dead areas to fill in the areas. Leave the dead grass in place as protective mulch, and watch for weeds that may sprout.

One of the problem weeds that may sprout is grass that does not match the existing lawn. Watch the color, shape and size of any new grass that sprouts in the dead areas. Weed grass will not look the same and should be pulled when it is noticed. It is often a lighter green color, and the leaf blade is usually much wider than that of lawn grass.

If the dead areas are large, you will have to re-seed or sod the lawn. Matching the type of grass will help the new lawn not look like a patchwork quilt. If you can find out what kind of grass plants were used and buy more of that seed or sod, you will be very lucky. Very few people know what they have in the lawn, let alone their landscaper.

Planting sod to fill in the dead areas is generally difficult due to the size and shape of the dead spots. Digging each spot out so the soil levels of the sod and the existing soil match is difficult. Cutting out sections of the lawn to match the size of the large sod rolls is costly.

If you want to seed the dead areas, get as good of a match to the species and varieties as you can. Planting new seed in large areas during the summer is hard, even without watering restrictions that exist in many towns. Spread the seed into the live grass areas around each dead area. It is often best to re-seed the entire lawn so the new and old grass varieties will visually blend together.

Excerpt from:
Be careful when applying weed killers - Sioux City Journal

As TinCaps fans tentatively find their wet seats amid the raindrops before a recent Thursday night game, head groundskeeper Keith Winter can be found in his usual spot alongside Parkview Field's third base line.

Standing less than five feet from the team's tarp, which weighs close to a ton, Winter prepareshimself and the rest of his crew for their latest battle against inclement weather.

We lead the world in 6:30 p.m. tarp pulls, Winter says to an array of familiar faces, including Winter's assistants, Jake Sperry and Ryan Lehrman, TinCaps president Mike Nutter and the Bad Apple Dancers, each of whom falls to Winter's side when duty calls.

Winter's team can do little more than repeatedly check smartphones for weather updates, the fate of first pitch hanging in the darkening skies, a narrative all too familiar in a wild season that has seen at least 12 inches of rain more than the usual year.

Only a few days before, without a cloud in the morning sky, it was a different story for Winter and his assistants, who cover more ground than TinCaps outfielders Jorge Oa and Jack Suwinski do during games.

It's hurry hurry hurry, wait, hurry hurry hurry, wait. That's baseball, Winter shouts over the roar of a mower before returning to trimming grass by the foul line.

When Winter's day isn't dictated by weather, he's making sure his team comes home to a tidy office.

It's June 27 and the TinCaps have an early batting practice at 2 p.m., which means Winter and his grounds crew have been out beautifying the field since 10 a.m., hardly the earliest start of the season for a trio that's battled firework debris, egg-laying moths and Mother Nature.

It all feels worth it when the gates open and the fans arrive.

When somebody walks through any of these gates, what's the first thing they're looking at? The field, says Winter, who has been with the TinCaps since 2010.

While the groundskeepers pour their blood, sweat and tears into what was named Best Ballpark in America by Stadium Journey in 2015, Winter, 58, is worried the younger generation may not want to be a part of what can be an unforgiving business.

It's a dying breed. Most young guys don't want to work and put in the time outdoors, says Winter, who has to endure menial tasks like dragging the batting cage across the field and painting the clubhouse in the offseason.

See that thing rolled up? Winter asks, pointing toward the third base side at the tarp, almost an afterthought as the sun beats down on itspolyethylene surface. When you're playing with that thing all day, it beats you up. It chases men who are good at this job out of the business because they get tired.

Nutter may run the team, but he rolls up his sleeves like many staff members to tackle the tarp, a beastly task when it's heavied by rain.

It's the days when you're taking it on and pulling it off three times. It's more mental than physical, Nutter says. You're just like, 'What in the world are we doing?'

Nutter, whose time with the organization stretches almost 20 years to now-razed Memorial Stadium, believes Winter is a rarity.

(There's always) that little voice that says, 'We can do this tomorrow,' and (Winter) will not cave, Nutter says. He does an amazing, amazing job. Winter is a machine.

Under Winter's guidance, the TinCaps have won six Turf Manager/Grounds Crew of the Year awards in the Midwest League, no small feat.

You get physically drained, but if you recharge your battery with a strong work ethic and desire to do things right, you just keep going, Winter explains.

And it's clear Winter, Sperry and Lehrman are more than a crew; they are a family.

For us to grow within the industry it's seeing the bigger picture of not just certain duties but taking what we learn on the field and transferring it to life as well, said Sperry, who's worked with the grounds crews of MLB's Detroit Tigers and Baltimore Orioles. If we have a good looking baseball field, then we've killed two birds with one stone.

There are reasons to be optimistic about the rigors of grounds keeping at places like Parkview Field, which contains engineered soil with a compound of sand, silt and clay that didn't exist 10 years ago and is intended to holds up under rainy or dry conditions throughout the season.

Everything that we use here is a specialized type of thing, and technology, and being able to research those materials, and understanding what they do and how they work, yeah, that's all played a big part in how things are changing for grounds keepers, Winter says.

The biggest commitment toParkview Field's future may have come in2012, when Kentucky Blue Grass was ordered from a turf company inColorado for the 3-year-old field.

I love that part of designing a field and putting the right materials and the right drainage and the right irrigation because that plays a huge role in how that field's going to maintain itself for the rest of its life, Winter says.

We paid more money to get (the grass) here than we did for the sod, but I felt this grass was the best grass in America and I still do.

For the thousands of people Boy Scouts, high school teams and TinCaps fans who have roamed the outfield and run the bases, it truly feels like the big leagues. Keeping it as nice as PNC Park, Busch Stadium or Camden Yards in the MLB is the goal for Winter, who previously worked with the Great Lakes Loons and has gotten to rub shoulders with the likes ofClayton Kershaw, Dee Gordon and Carlos Santana before they were big-league stars.

Because he aspires to help assistants move up from Single-A baseball, Winter has pledged that if any of them gets to run an major league grounds crew, he will finish his career working for them. Two of his former assistants work for the Cincinnati Reds and Pittsburgh Pirates, so it could happen.

For now, though, Parkview Field is home.

I mean, look at this day. What's bad about that? Winter says, stretching his arms out to figuratively embrace the stadium. There's no better place to work than this.

acandor@jg.net

Read more from the original source:
More than keeping grass green - Fort Wayne Journal Gazette

Photo: istockphoto.com

Q: I started seeing brown patches on my lawn at the end of spring. They seem to have grown in size and number since then. Whats causing this, and how can I correct it before it takes over my turf?

A: Brown patches of dormant, dead, or dying turf is hardly unusual, as they plague grasses of all varieties and can be caused by a number of factors ranging from extreme weather and poor soil conditions to pests and fungus. Whatever the culprit, brown grass should be assessed and addressed ASAP: If the underlying problem is severe enough, the pesky patches could eventually destroy your lawn. So find out the cause early and treat your turf accordingly to restore it to its former green glory.

Wait out droughtor water properly. If brown grass appears or worsens with scorching temperatures, and fallen tree leaves on the surrounding lawn have shriveled, this can be a sign that the problem is drought. Its natural for grass to go dormant to conserve water during periods of limited rainfall, and drought-induced brown grass should turn green on its own as the weather cools and rainfall increases. You can also restore your lawn by giving it an inch of water on a weekly basis with your lawn sprinkler. You may need to adjust a sprinkler head to ensure that there are no spots on the lawn that the sprinkler isnt reaching. Remember to water early in the day, before the suns heat burns off the water.

Restore your soils pH balance. When soil pH is too alkaline or acidic, iron chlorosis, a type of iron deficiency affecting plants, can take root in your lawn and lead to yellowor in severe cases, brownpatches. Check your soil pH is with a home soil testing pH kit available at your local home center or nursery for about $10. If the pH is higher than 7.2, apply sulfur to your lawn as a short-term solution for lowering soil pH and improving the color of grass. Generally, the higher the starting soil pH and the loamier or more clay-based the soil, the more sulfur it needs. Sandy soil with a starting pH of 7.5, for example, only needs 10 to 15 pounds of sulfur per 1,000 square feet to reach an optimal soil pH of 6.5, while a loamy soil of the same pH needs 20 to 25 pounds of sulfur per 1,000 square feet. As a long-term solution, reduce the frequency with which you water the lawn, as over-watering reduces iron uptake in grass and can lead to repeat cases of yellowing or browning.

Photo: istockphoto.com

Lay off the fertilizer. Excess salt from fertilizer can build up in grass, scorching it and turning it brown. Your lawn might have this fertilizer burn if brown spots appear one to two days after fertilizing the lawn and the spots follow the pattern of where you applied the fertilizer. Act fast to beat the burn, watering until the ground is thoroughly saturated to help leach excess fertilizer out of the grass root zone. Then apply an inch of water to the lawn each day for the next seven days to flush out the fertilizer salts from the grass roots. If grass fails to re-grow completely, you can either sow new grass seeds or lay sod over dead turf spots. In the future, avoid over-feeding the lawn by applying fertilizer only in the manufacturer-recommended amount and frequency. Choose slow-release fertilizers to improve absorption and reduce the risk of fertilizer burn.

Weed wisely. Weeds and tree roots siphon vital nutrients from fertilizer and water that would otherwise go to grass, leaving you with a dry brown lawn. To treat, dig up the weeds or spray the lawn with a selective herbicide that targets weeds but leaves the grass undamaged. Follow up weed removal by spraying pre-emergent herbicide over the lawn to prevent new weed seeds from sprouting.

Fight the threat of fungus. Fungus thrives in hot, humid, moisture-rich environments, and stagnant water on your lawn helps it fester. Once conditions like Brown Patch Disease take root, you might notice thinned-out brown grass in a ring-like pattern, possibly affecting a large area of turf. If you spot these symptoms, apply fungicide to smaller affected areas, or call in a lawn care specialist if the problem is widespread. Avoid over-dousing your lawn, and stick to a morning watering schedule, to keep fungus at bay. To reduce the risk of fungal disease, mow the lawn weekly, aerate it twice a year, and clear thatch (shoots, stems, and roots that accumulate on the soil surface) when it rises to about an inch in height.

Dont let your lawn be grub for grubs. Grubs, the larvae of beetles, spend their summers feeding on the roots of turf grassand as the grass decays, brown areas emerge. To determine if this is a problem, simply dig into one of the brown patches and look for milk-white creatures curled up into a C-shape. If you spot 10 or more of these grubs per square foot of sod, a grub infestation is the likely culprit of your lawns brown patches. To be rid of the pests, apply either a chemical like carbaryl or natural grub control like nematodes (roundworms) over the lawn. In two to three weeks, new green shoots should start to emerge.

Have pets do their business elsewhere. You love your furry friends, but canine and feline urine contains salts that can kill grass and leave behind round, brown dead patches that arent likely to go green on their own. Revive dead turf by covering it with a layer of ground limestone (2 to 5 pounds per 100 square feet) to restore the soils pH balance, then let the limestone sit for a week before covering it with topsoil and planting new grass seeds. In the future, you can replace an area of your lawn with mulch and let your pets go thereor better yet take them for walks!

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Solved! What to Do About Brown Grass - BobVila.com

The community will soon be seeing green at the site of the South Lake Tahoe Community Playfields on Al Tahoe Blvd.

Thomas Haen Company of South Lake Tahoe, a long-time local General Engineering contractor and two local subcontractors, Ron Fuller Construction and Earth and Stone Landscape were awarded the contract by the City of South Lake Tahoe to create two fields adjacent to the Lake Tahoe Community College (LTCC) soccer field.

Last year, Burdick Excavation Company and Ed Cook Tree Service cleared the area and prepared it for this next phase.

On July 11 there will be a pre-construction meeting, with the actual construction to start soon after. The contracts will amend the soil and then start installing real grass in large sod rolls according to Chuck Taylor, the City's Associate Civil Engineer. He said it will take about two months to get the grass in and another month and a half to establish the root system of the natural sod.

Automated irrigation will also be installed.

The fields are configured side by side and are FIFA (Federation Internationale de Football Association) standard natural grass soccer fields to meet the requirements for competitive college soccer and to serve multi-sports and play activities for the community.

Recognizing the value of recreation in South Lake Tahoe, along with the need for trails, fields and parks, Measure S passed by voters in 2000. It brought in $6,500,000 to be used to maintain new bike trails, acquire, construct, and equip athletic fields, upgrade of Paradise Park facilities and construction of an ice rink. The measure promised three new fields in South Lake Tahoe, they got one. Now, this new project gives the community the other two through a joint effort between the City and LTCC. The increase in popularity of soccer at the college has resulted in their needing more play time on the one soccer field on their property, leaving the community to need the other fields.

Excerpt from:
Work on new South Lake Tahoe play fields to start mid-July | South ... - South Tahoe Now