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!

See the original post:
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

Sod or turf is grass and the part of the soil beneath it held together by the roots, or a piece of thin material.

In British English such material is more usually known as turf, and the word "sod" is limited mainly to agricultural senses (for example for turf when ploughed).

Sod is typically used for lawns, golf courses, and sports stadiums around the world. In residential construction, it is sold to landscapers, home builders or home owners who use it to establish a lawn quickly and avoid soil erosion. Sod can be used to repair a small area of lawn,[1] golf course, or athletic field that has died. Sod is also effective in increasing cooling, improving air and water quality, and assisting in flood prevention by draining water.[2]

Scandinavia has a long history of employing sod roofing and a traditional house type is the Icelandic turf house.

Following passage of the Homestead Act by the US Congress in 1862, settlers in the Great Plains used sod bricks to build entire sod houses.[3] While it might be hard for some to imagine sod as a suitable primary building material, the prairie sod of the Great Plains was so dense and difficult to cut it earned the nickname Nebraska marble. Blacksmith John Deere made his fortune when he became the first to make a plow that could reliably cut the prairie sod.[4]

Sod is grown on specialist farms. For 2009, the United States Department of Agriculture reported 1,412 farms had 368,188 acres (149,000.4ha) of sod in production.[5]

It is usually grown locally (within 100 miles of the target market)[6] to minimize both the cost of transport and also the risk of damage to the product. The farms that produce this grass may have many varieties of grass grown in one location to best suit the consumer's use and preference of appearance.

It is usually harvested 10 to 18 months after planting, depending on the growing climate. On the farm it undergoes fertilization, frequent watering, frequent mowing and subsequent vacuuming to remove the clippings. It is harvested using specialized equipment, precision cut to standardized sizes. Sod is typically harvested in small square or rectangular slabs, or large 4-foot-wide (1.2m) rolls.

Mississippi State University has developed a hydroponic method of cultivating sod. For the very few sod farms that export turf internationally, this soil-less sod may travel both lighter and better than traditional sod. Additionally, since the sod is not grown in soil, it does not need to be washed clean of soil down to the bare roots (or sprigs), so time to export is shortened.[7]

In many applications, such as erosion control and athletic fields, immediacy is a key factor. Seed may be blown about by the wind, eaten by birds, or fail because of drought. It takes some weeks to form a visually appealing lawn and further time before it is robust enough for use. Turf largely avoids these problems, and with proper care, newly laid sod is usually fully functional within 30 days of installation and its root system is comparable to that of a seeding lawn two or three years older.[8] Sod reduces erosion by stabilizing the soil.[9]

Many prized cultivars (such as Bella Bluegrass) only reproduce vegetatively,[10] not sexually (via seed). Sod cultivation is the only means of producing additional plants. To grow these varieties for sale, turf farms use a technique called sprigging, where recently harvested sod mats are cut into slender rows and replanted in the field.

Bermudagrass is quite commonly used for golf courses and sports fields across the southern portions of the United States. It tolerates a range of climates in the US, from hot and humid in the Gulf Coast to arid in the southwest and lower Midwest. "Established bermudagrass is a network of shoots, rhizomes, stolons, and crown tissue together that usually form a dense plant canopy. This dense plant canopy can be used to propagate clonal varieties by sod, sprigs, or plugs.[11] The aggressive and resilient nature of Bermudagrass make it not only an excellent turfgrass, but also unfortunately a challenging invasive weed in land cultivated for other purposes. Its one noted weakness is shade tolerance. Given the economic importance of Bermudagrass (as a sod product, agricultural forage and, at times, an invasive weed), it has been the subject of numerous studies.

St. Augustine Grass (Stenotaphrum secundatum) (also known as Charleston grass in South Carolina and Buffalo Turf in Australia) is warm season, perennial grass that is a widely used. A native grass of tropical origin that extends from water marshes (salty & fresh), lagoon fringes, and sandy beach ridges.

Saint Augustine lawns are a popular wide bladed (coarse) lawn planted throughout many areas of the Southeastern USA. This grass is found in Mexico, Australia, and in tropical parts of Africa. It is a warm season grass that does not handle cold weather very well. The majority of this grass is planted vegetatively (PLUGS, SOD) as seeds are not usually available commercially each season due to production difficulties.

Read more from the original source:
Sod - Wikipedia

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 | Lawn Care | Yard & Garden | This Old House

HI I HAVE SEVERAL PROBLEMS THAT NEED TREATMENT AND I WOULD CHERISH YOUR RECOMMENDATIONS THE SUBJECT IS A CENTIPEDE LAWN IN HIGH PH SOIL AND ATTENDANT FUNGUS PROBLEMS THAT COME WITH HIGH PH HERE ARE SOME INTRO FACTS

LOCATION EAST TEXAS SIMILAR TO YOUR GEORGIA SOIL SUGAR SAND IN PLACES RED IRON BASED SOIL IN OTHERS

OUR GRASS AREA IS 4000 SQ FEET SOME 8 YEARS IN PLACE

ON AVERAGE THE PH IN FUNGUS TROUBLE SPOTS IS 8.0 + AND OF COURSE FUNGUS LIKES HIGH PH WHILE CENTIPEDE LIKES PH 6.0 SO NEED TO REDUCE PH 1.5 TO 2.0 POINTS OVER 4000 SQ FEET FOR HEALTHY CENTIPEDE AND EQUALLY IMPORTANT REDUCE FUNGUS FRIENDLY SOIL

WE WERE GONE FOR 2 MONTHS THIS SUMMER JUST GOT BACK AND FOUND 1500 TO 2000 SQ FEET OF LAWN WAS TOTALLY DEAD FROM FUNGUS [WILL NEED TO RESEED OR RE SOD] REMAINDER IS DOING FINE SO I HAVE AN IMMEDIATE SEVERE FUNGUS PROBLEM IN 2000 SQ FEET AND A LONGER TERM FUNGUS MAINTENANCE PROBLEM IN THE OVERALL 4000 SQ FEET

I AM SURE I COULD BLUNDER THROUGH ALL YOUR PRODUCTS AND FINALLY FIND A HELPFUL COMBINATION JUST TIME AND MONEY! FOR SOMEONE LIKE ME WHO IS JUST SMART ENOUGH TO GET IN TROUBLE YOU OFFER TOO MANY OPTIONS!!! I HAD A LOCAL SOURCE OF

WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO DO IS PLACE AN ORDER THAT GIVES ME A 12 MONTH SUPPLY OF CHEMICALS TO ADDRESS [1] FUNGUS AND [2] PH REDUCTION BOTH PROBLEMS ARE LONG TERM SO 12 MONTHS IS SORT OF A STARTER KIT

FINALLY HAVE WEEDS AND GRASS IN ASIAN JASMINE AND FESCUE/MONKEY GRASS ANY RECOMMENDATIONS? AND OUR FALLS ARE RATHER MILD LIKE YOURS STILL 70S AND LOW 80S SHOULD FUNGUS TREATMENT START NOW OR IN SPRING?

THANKS W.W.

If you review our SOIL PH CONTROL ARTICLE, you'll learn keeping the PH in balance is key for insect, weed and fungus control with most any kind of turf. Centipede is no different and in fact more susceptible than others to the impact of an improperly balanced PH. So for now, you need to address the high PH first and one of the best way to get it adjusted is with some SULFUR GRANULES. If you don't yet have a SOIL PH PROBE, get one and start applying the Sulfur with the goal being to get your PH down close to 6.0. More importantly, you'll need to monitor the PH to make sure it doesn't creep back up on you again. For some yards, this means taking readings every 2-3 months and in some instances, applying Sulfur as frequently as once a quarter.

Originally posted here:
How to control the soil ph in the lawn, garden and flower beds

Hello everyone! Here is a little recap of our June Inspiration Week products, and, of course, we have our winners below! All of these products are now available! Wooohooo! 🙂 We will have lots of fun posts and videos through out this month and CHA Sneak Peeks later this month!!!!! You can find our new productshere at our siteand in your favorite local store, too! Check thelist out here, and if you don't see your favorite store make sure to let them know about us! And now for our winners ..... parrrrrrummmmmmm ...... (that's a drum roll 🙂 ) ........

The winner of all 5 of our featured stamp sets is ...Jeri!

The winner of Sweet Smiles is ...Melissa denny!

The winner of Treat Yourself and Color My World is ...Teresa Godines #6857!

Please email us at kellymarie(at)lawnfawn(dot)com with your name, mailing address and which prize you won!

Erica, Mike and I wanted to thank you all for all of your enthusiasm this week! It has been amazing, and it means more than we could ever say! We loved reading all of your comments and getting to learn a little bit more about you! Thank you so much for being so amazing!!!!

You guys arethebest!!!! BIG BIG hugs and lots of love to you all! We can't wait to see what you create!

Thank you so much for visiting!

Have an amazing day,

Read more from the original source:
the Lawn Fawn blog