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Nevin Morgan

Lawn Care

Nevin Morgan
Nevin Morgan
··2 min read
Cover Image for Lawn Care

A thick lawn comes down to three things: overseeding at the right time, controlling weeds before they establish, and building good soil structure with top dressing. This is my personal approach, tuned over several years of trial and error in my own yard.

Grass Type

I use Barenbrug Turf Star RPR, ordered from Todd Valley Farms. RPR is a self-repairing perennial ryegrass that fills in bare spots aggressively, which makes it forgiving if your overseeding coverage isn't perfect.

Overseeding

When to Overseed

  • Primary window: August 15th through September 15th (fall is best)
  • Secondary window: Early spring through May, if the yard looks especially thin. Watch soil temps.

Process

  1. Test soil to determine pH and fertilizer needs. Target pH between 6.0 and 7.0.
  2. Mow to 1.5" with the bagger on. Don't leave clippings.
  3. Dethatch with a groundskeeper rake or powered dethatcher.
  4. Clean thatch off the lawn with mower and bagger, or manually with a rake.
  5. Aerate with a powered plug aerator.
  6. Fertilize with a high-phosphorus fertilizer (if the soil test calls for it).
  7. Overseed using a powered slit overseeder.
  8. Water on a tapering schedule:

| Week | Frequency | Duration | |------|-----------|----------| | 1 | 3x daily | 10-15 min | | 2-3 | 2x daily | 10-15 min | | 4 | Every other day | 30 min | | 5+ (established) | 1-2x weekly | 30 min |

Weed Control

Tenacity Turf Herbicide

Tenacity is a selective herbicide that kills most common lawn weeds in 1-3 weeks. Grass where sprayed may turn white temporarily, even if it's compatible. If the grass isn't listed as a target weed, it will recover in 2-3 weeks.

What You Need

  • Tenacity Turf Herbicide
  • Southern Ag Surfactant for Herbicides
  • Liquid Harvest Lazer Blue (dye marker so you can see where you've sprayed)

Mixing Ratios (per 1 gallon of water)

| Product | Amount | |---------|--------| | Tenacity | 1/2 teaspoon | | Southern Ag Surfactant | 1.5 teaspoons | | Liquid Harvest Lazer Blue | 2 teaspoons |

Application

Always wear gloves.

Mix all three products according to labels in a sprayer. Spray as a fine mist directly on the weeds. Spray each weed once. Do not go back and forth over the same area. One pass is enough; a second pass increases the risk of damaging the surrounding grass.

What It Treats

Tenacity controls a wide range of broadleaf and grassy weeds including crabgrass, dandelion, clover, chickweed, nutsedge, ground ivy, henbit, and many others. Check the Tenacity product label for the full list of controlled species.