Pretty Yards

[Stacy]

I am curious if anyone has a beautiful yard and either has their yard treated by one of the big companies or does it themselves. My yard looks okay, but it could be better. My brother is a grass guy and he says it's time to pretreat, but I've always been afraid to put any sort of chemicals on the grass because of the potential toxic effects to the dogs. I haven't really looked into it, but I just thought I would ask what everyone else does. 

Thanks! Stacy

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

I don't have a pretty yard, but I do try, lol. Grass is not important to me except that the alternative, mud, is disastrous when combined with doodle feet. However, absolutely no weed killers (some have been proven to cause lymphoma in dogs) and organic fertilizer only. I also limit the fertilizer to the front yard and to my flower beds, nothing on the grass in the backyard for Jack's sake. 

Weed killer and cancer in dogs

[Stacy]

That's kind of what I thought. I could do the front - the dogs don't ever go out there, but the back is where I would like to create my lush grassy oasis. But the dogs are more important. At least this house has some grass! The other house had nothing but weeds. I mean, weeds sort of look like grass when the yard is freshly mowed! I just thought maybe someone had some secret magical completely non toxic yard product that I didn't know about.

[DonMarie and Picco]

We have a front lawn trimmed with rock & bushes where I'll use weed killers in the rock area.  We don't spend time in the front but my backyard is my oasis and our play area.  I have a small organic veg garden, flowers in pots and grass which NEVER gets any chemicals!  Sometimes I get on my hands and knees and pry out what little weeds I have and keep popping off the dandelion heads so they don't go to seed. And yeah, once you mow you can't tell the weeds are there!

If you keep your grass healthy and thick it will keep weeds out naturally - no place for them to grow. I do fertilize the lawns but not often. Most people over fertilize anyway. If you check to see if your state university has an extension service or master gardeners, they can give you great advise and all for free!

[Stacy]

I do use weed killer in the cracks of the sidewalk and in the mulched area in the front where the dogs don't go. But it's a spot application. I've never treated the whole yard.

I can't ever see myself pulling out weeds! Kudos to you, but while I care a little I definitely don't care that much! 

That's a great idea about getting some information from the school! I like the idea of fertilizing and then over seeding. I think the people who lived here before me had at least a little lawn service done. It really does look pretty good. If I can maintain it this well I would be happy.

Funny story, at my last house I had moles. And everyone said I needed to put down grub killer. But again, I was afraid for the dogs so I didn't do anything. By the time I moved I could have seriously broken an ankle in a mole hole. Or a thousand mole tunnels! The moles definitely won. I'm so glad I don't live there anymore, for so many reasons!

[Nancy & Echo]

I don't feel TOOO bad about using household vinegar on my weeds in the pavement cracks, keeping Echo away until it dries.  Sometimes it takes several applications, and  the weeds don't  turn brown instantaneously.  I get the vinegar in gallon sizes. Good for getting soap scum in the bathroom too.

[DonMarie and Picco]

I've tried vinegar without success but I probably wasn't patient enough.  It wouldn't hurt dogs at all and most likely they wouldn't like the smell or taste.

[F, Calla & Luca]

We have some discussions on this in the Garden Group. But all the herbicides are bad for people and dogs. Corn gluten will help somewhat I'm told to keep seeds from germinating but you need to wait until you reseed the grass if you do. I mainly just keep seeding and seeding. A perfect lawn is not earth and animal friendly.

[Stacy]

I think corn gluten is what I read about years ago (and didn't do anything with!) I was thinking corn meal, but that didn't sound right. I don't mind the idea of just putting more seed down. And I definitely don't need a perfect lawn! But I feel like every time I want to put more seed down someone says it's the wrong time of year. Can't I put seed down now? It's spring. It should be time to put it down to grow for spring. (I am not a gardner, can you tell?)

[F, Calla & Luca]

Ignore them and do what works for you. Yes fall is ideal planting time but not often for me so I plant to seed as soon as our weather settles a bit.

[DonMarie and Picco]

Spring and early summer is the best time for seeding lawns.  It's good to check the best type of seed for your area but I think in MO, anything grows!  A perfect lawn is expensive and toxic, just look at a golf course. 

I just finished a Master Gardener course for my county so I think I know everything now!  Ha!  Well it's fun giving advise on stuff I do know.  Our last class was 2 weeks ago and it was on lawn care.

I've never heard about corn gluten so I'll have to check into it.  We have many organic farms and gardeners around here.

[F, Calla & Luca]

Actually the best time to seed depends on many factors including of course where you live. I never took the Master Gardener course but I have been gardening for many, many years : )

[Nancy, Ned, Clancy, and Charlie]

Due to the drought, we have weeds and only weeds.  Because of that we now have fox tails so for the first time, we are using weed killer on our hill area.  The dogs don't go up there but I really worry about the spray drifting down as well as the cut weeds.  But it is that or more foxtails.  What a mess - dirt, crummy weeds AND fox tails.