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What's the weather where you are?

Louie_T07

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Sep 19, 2008
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Sarnia, ON
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Canada Canada
Would send you a little moisture if we could! My lawn needs mowed at least twice/week, now.

The streak of triple digit heat indexes ended today. Temps dropped to 65, overnight. Only in the 70's this morning. What a beautiful morning for golf!!!!
The amount of people out watering their lawns right now is getting crazy. I just shake my head. Mow it a little longer (3”+) all year long and it does much better. Mine is still fairly green, showing some drought stress but nothing to worry about.
 

limpalong

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Oct 18, 2006
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We had our lawn redone about 3 years ago. Landscaper came in and killed the entire lawn with Roundup. Let it sit for a couple days until the grass got really brown and "crisp". He, then, broadcast new seed, verticutting it in two directions. It came back really lush!!

My mower only goes to 4" in height. Works best on this grass having it at 3 1/2". I always bag the cut grass and haul to the landfill. Rather large lawn that takes me right at an hour... or a tad more... to mow with my self-propelled push mower.

When I was working, I was only home on weekends. So, I would cut it way short hoping it would be fine until the following week. Ended up burning most of it out. Pretty well turned the lawn over to all kinds of weeds and non-grass vegetation. Now, I have one of the best looking yards in the neighborhood. But, this time of year, it may need mowed twice/week!!!

I always believed leaving the grass longer kept the roots protected from the direct heat. Seems to work.
 

eclark53520

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Dec 24, 2007
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We had our lawn redone about 3 years ago. Landscaper came in and killed the entire lawn with Roundup. Let it sit for a couple days until the grass got really brown and "crisp". He, then, broadcast new seed, verticutting it in two directions. It came back really lush!!

My mower only goes to 4" in height. Works best on this grass having it at 3 1/2". I always bag the cut grass and haul to the landfill. Rather large lawn that takes me right at an hour... or a tad more... to mow with my self-propelled push mower.

When I was working, I was only home on weekends. So, I would cut it way short hoping it would be fine until the following week. Ended up burning most of it out. Pretty well turned the lawn over to all kinds of weeds and non-grass vegetation. Now, I have one of the best looking yards in the neighborhood. But, this time of year, it may need mowed twice/week!!!

I always believed leaving the grass longer kept the roots protected from the direct heat. Seems to work.
I don't know what kind of grass you have, but our cool season grasses definitely need to be longer during times of extreme heat or drought.

My lawn is mostly Kentucky bluegrass. I love this grass, it's beautiful. However, I have a few areas that are full sun and KB takes way too much watering in those areas to keep nice over summer, so I've over seeded those areas with fescue mixes that tolerate heat and lack of water better.

In the spring/fall when temps are cool, we can cut our bluegrass type lawns pretty short and they love it. There are some lawn nuts up here that cut them to 3/4" while the growing season is perfect. But when the temps are up and rain is sparse, I cut mine 3" and it helps it get through those tough times and stay green longer.
 

limpalong

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Oct 18, 2006
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I don't know what kind of grass you have, but our cool season grasses definitely need to be longer during times of extreme heat or drought.

My lawn is mostly Kentucky bluegrass. I love this grass, it's beautiful. However, I have a few areas that are full sun and KB takes way too much watering in those areas to keep nice over summer, so I've over seeded those areas with fescue mixes that tolerate heat and lack of water better.

In the spring/fall when temps are cool, we can cut our bluegrass type lawns pretty short and they love it. There are some lawn nuts up here that cut them to 3/4" while the growing season is perfect. But when the temps are up and rain is sparse, I cut mine 3" and it helps it get through those tough times and stay green longer.
Bluegrass when we moved here in 1999. Required time and care. Didn't have the time and it didn't fare well. Neighbors don't take care of their yards and mine would be overrun with dandelions, no matter how much preemergence I would apply. When we killed out the yard and replanted, I had them go with fescue. Love it!!! It's thick. It's hardy. One application of preemergence in the Spring and I don't believe I've ever had a dandelion since the species change. Neighbors always complimenting on how nice the yard looks. And, other than mowing... and a local landscaping firm doing the necessary annual chemical applications... it's great for a lazy guy who would rather play golf than work in the yard.
 

Louie_T07

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Sep 19, 2008
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Sarnia, ON
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Canada Canada
I could go on and on about lawn care, so I will do my best to keep it short and sweet. The “Big Three” when it comes to cool season grasses are Bluegrasses, Ryegrasses and Fescues. I overseed my lawn twice a year (spring & fall) with a blend of all three, with multiple cultivars of each variety. The idea is diversity throughout my lawn. Thanks to genetics and breeding programs all these grasses make a thick stand of turf suitable for home lawns. And they really aren’t distinguishable as different grasses unless viewed under a micro scope or hand lense. Most people look at my lawn and assume its 100% Kentucky Bluegrass, because its the most commonly known.

Mowing at a higher height of cut (HOC) serves many benefits. Turf grows proportionally above the soil as well as below. 1” of leaf tissue 1” of roots. So having your lawn at a HOC above 3” encourages the roots to grow that deep into the soil. Increasing the plants ability to uptake water, even in cases of drought. Limp was on the right track about longer turf shading the soil, it also increases leaf blade numbers and thickness. Which all help in the battle against weeds. And of course the photosynthetic potential of the plant itself.

Turf grass also prevents soil erosion, filters water, cools the air around us and produces more oxygen than a tree.
 

limpalong

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Oct 18, 2006
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I could go on and on about lawn care, so I will do my best to keep it short and sweet. The “Big Three” when it comes to cool season grasses are Bluegrasses, Ryegrasses and Fescues. I overseed my lawn twice a year (spring & fall) with a blend of all three, with multiple cultivars of each variety. The idea is diversity throughout my lawn. Thanks to genetics and breeding programs all these grasses make a thick stand of turf suitable for home lawns. And they really aren’t distinguishable as different grasses unless viewed under a micro scope or hand lense. Most people look at my lawn and assume its 100% Kentucky Bluegrass, because its the most commonly known.

Mowing at a higher height of cut (HOC) serves many benefits. Turf grows proportionally above the soil as well as below. 1” of leaf tissue 1” of roots. So having your lawn at a HOC above 3” encourages the roots to grow that deep into the soil. Increasing the plants ability to uptake water, even in cases of drought. Limp was on the right track about longer turf shading the soil, it also increases leaf blade numbers and thickness. Which all help in the battle against weeds. And of course the photosynthetic potential of the plant itself.

Turf grass also prevents soil erosion, filters water, cools the air around us and produces more oxygen than a tree.
Our fairways at the course are Zoysia. It's a cool weather grass and we are about as far north as it survives. Two coursed in our area have Zoysia and the fairways are awesome. Ours... Our last superintendent argued the shorter you cut grass, the better the root system. "You want the plant to expend it's energy growing a root system, not the blades of grass you cut off." Well, with our hot summer weather, he succeeded in killing two of our fairways and damaging some more. The tow other courses in our area have the Zoysia so the ball sets up. Ours... like hitting off hardpan! The new superintendent seems to be turning around the damage. Of course, it takes time. And, there are other problems with the new superintendent and I don't believe he's going to be around much longer.
I am not an agronomist. I just know I leave my lawn long and it is beautiful. Neighbors cut theirs really short and they grow more dandelions than grass.
 

Louie_T07

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Sep 19, 2008
1,648
1,204
Sarnia, ON
Country
Canada Canada
Our fairways at the course are Zoysia. It's a cool weather grass and we are about as far north as it survives. Two coursed in our area have Zoysia and the fairways are awesome. Ours... Our last superintendent argued the shorter you cut grass, the better the root system. "You want the plant to expend it's energy growing a root system, not the blades of grass you cut off." Well, with our hot summer weather, he succeeded in killing two of our fairways and damaging some more. The tow other courses in our area have the Zoysia so the ball sets up. Ours... like hitting off hardpan! The new superintendent seems to be turning around the damage. Of course, it takes time. And, there are other problems with the new superintendent and I don't believe he's going to be around much longer.
I am not an agronomist. I just know I leave my lawn long and it is beautiful. Neighbors cut theirs really short and they grow more dandelions than grass.
Zoysia is a really cool grass, and I mean cool as in its growth habits and propagation methods. This map is pretty self explanatory, in layman’s terms it shows climates best suited for turf grass types. For the most part Canada falls into cool season grasses. Within the transition zone conditions are suitable for both warm and cool season. That being said there are many cases of cool season turf growing in warm season climates. It is a very common practice to over seed a cool season grasses into warm season turf during the cooler winter months. There are also a few cases, although much smaller numbers, of warm season grasses growing even here in Canada!! There’s a course in Maple, ON that has an awesome patch of bermuda in only one fairway on the property. Just one patch and no one really can figure out where it came from?!?!?!
 

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Pa Jayhawk

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Nov 15, 2005
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I think you guys are smoking grass. :p
I am right there with you. For 17 years I joked the only reason my lawn was green was because of Crabgrass and Clover. Which I cut it shorter because it allowed me to golf more.

Two years ago we completely redid our front lawn, and I have been cutting more frequently and longer, and it now looks really nice. Although my handicap went up about 8 strokes in that time frame.

Starting to think of going back to Crabgrass and Clover. lol
 

Louie_T07

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Sep 19, 2008
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Sarnia, ON
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Canada Canada
I think you guys are smoking grass. :p
I do have a little patch in the garden for specialty turf of that variety... Right now I’m trying to cross some Chewings Fescue with Acapulco Gold. Unlike my buddy Carl though, I wouldn’t play 36 on this one!! 🤣
 
OP
MCDavis

MCDavis

The Plaid Duffer
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Oct 19, 2006
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I do have a little patch in the garden for specialty turf of that variety... Right now I’m trying to cross some Chewings Fescue with Acapulco Gold. Unlike my buddy Carl though, I wouldn’t play 36 on this one!! 🤣
Road Trip!!
 

Louie_T07

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Sep 19, 2008
1,648
1,204
Sarnia, ON
Country
Canada Canada
Had a fantastic thunderstorm roll through the other night at around 2am. I’m a pretty sound sleeper and the wind is what woke me up! We have some really large maples in the backyard. They always get my attention in storms. The lightning was worth getting up for, but the amount of actual rain that fell was disappointing to say the least.
 

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