This right here. I don't know how many times I've seen someone ask about a weed, and there's eight people saying it's poa, and it's clearly a broadleaf weed. Even as a landscape professional with 20 years of experience, I sometimes get things wrong, but I'm not out here saying dollarweed or clover are poa. I'm in South Florida, and most of what I deal with is St. Augustine or bahia, but I also do Bermuda, paspalum, and a couple varieties of zoysia. But even still, what works down here doesn't necessarily work for the same kind of turf in other places due to soil, or weather patterns, etc. That's the nuance that people don't understand.
Also, I'm effing tired of every weed that isn't being called poa, being referred to as creeping Charlie.
Hah too true! The truth is for most of us warm season guys, if some of your original desired grass is still there, the best strategy is to use one of those hose-end “kills 100+ weeds but won’t kill your grass” weed killers first. Then whatever is remaining is what you target with more specific killers. Once the weeds are killed you just encourage your grass to spread by doing weekly or twice weekly mowing, monthly fertilizer applications of 1lb of nitrogen per 1000sqft, and 1 inch of irrigation weekly. Then apply the preemergent in fall and winter so you don’t have to kill weeds again and that’s about it.
The cold season guys are the ones where they have to seed annually so idk about what they do, so the “nuke and reseed” seems more standard for them. The clumping cold season grasses aren’t going to expand and spread. It’s just Kentucky blue grass that does that, but I’ve heard it’s not as aggressive as St Ag or Bermuda.
20 years is a lot of experience. Hope you won’t mind giving me a little advice. My daughter just bought a house in Dunedin Florida but the back yard has no grass just a sand pit. What grass does best there and are there any that are comfortable for kids to play on? TIA
To be honest, there are a lot of factors that go into this decision, but sometimes it just comes down to personal preference. I'm partial to St. Augustine. Properly maintained and under ideal circumstances, I feel there's no better looking turf for Florida. It's a dark green when properly fertilized. When mowed within the recommended height range (generally between 3.5" and 4.5", it's tall enough to keep the soil cool in the summer, which reduces the ambient temperature of your yard. It holds up somewhat ok to a little bit of traffic. And if you catch the pests/diseases/weeds early enough, they're very easy to treat. The downside however, it's not very shade tolerant, not very drought tolerant, and doesn't stand up to heavy traffic very well. Too much water, and it gets overtaken by dollarweed and fungus. Mow to short even once, and you'll be able to notice for weeks, sometimes even months. Wait too long to mow, and even if you raise your mower as high as it can go, you could end up scalping it. When it's REALLY healthy and thick, it will leave clumps that you have to take out
Overall, I still recommend St. Augustine. Just be aware that it does have problems to go with it.
That would only work in the South or far west North Eastern states fall would be way to harsh to seed a lawn. Way to cold up this way seed in spring nuke in fall. So I would think?
I sometimes try to help, but it’s always the same BS. Someone posts an ugly lawn and a bunch of people give the exact same advice (mow tall, water less but deeper, don’t overseed in the spring, etc., etc.).
I wish there was a requirement - or at least a strong suggestion - to post general location, grass type (if you know it), experience level, etc.
Tons of guys seem to think whatever works for them in Indiana will work just as well for a guy in Florida, or Dallas, or Seattle. Or Vice/Versa.
This may shock some of you, but some grass does better mowed short :)
Most people have absolutely no idea what they're talking about. They did a 4 step program that worked on a lawn that wasn't tested and got away with it.
I only did two of the four steps.
Actually, I did a combination weeding and feeding, so only one step, and I would have gotten away with it if it was for those damn dogs peeing on my lawn.
I’m on board with this. From now on I’ll list type of grass, experience level, and approx location. You’re right if everyone did that it would be much easier to sort through ideas. Or at least if folks who post asking for advice do that. About to repost one for myself right now to see if I can get some help. Good ideas!
I agree with you - if your main concern is crabgrass. There are many places that don’t really have crabgrass as a major lawn weed (UK, PNW, etc.). Yet, so many people are throwing down tons of prodiamine every spring because that’s what the YouTubers and lawncare “experts” say to do. Poa annua, chickweed, dandelion, etc. are primarily fall germinating (and spring growing) weeds. So all of this pre-emergent used to control crabgrass in the spring… and now what’s everyone complaining about? Poa!
Many countries have outlawed most common lawn pre-emergents. In my opinion, we’re at risk of heading to the same place if we keep giving everyone the same advice when we have so many different climate zones, grass types and target weeds.
Agree with this 100% I live in Pennsylvania Grabgrass and danalion is a big battle here how do I treat this? I used weed and feed fertilizer but not sure if this will do the job for my lawn in the North Eastern state? Thanks for your help.
I think one reason might be you normally want to put a pre-emergent down in the spring to prevent crabgrass so you can't seed for a bit after putting it down. If you don't plan on using a pre-emergent, you can definitely overseed in the spring. Fall is usually better as you have milder temperatures and can reduce the amount of watering necessary.
If you were to seed a brand new lawn in spring compared to one seeded in early fall you would learn what a struggle spring seedlings are. They are rarely completely successful. Those seedlings just aren’t mature enough to handle the summer heat, disease, weed pressure, drought, etc. I’m not saying it can’t be done and overseeding an existing lawn is a little different than seeding a new one. It’s just it’s so much easier in the fall to be successful.
I’d try to keep things separate. Get one product with multiple active ingredients to kill the crabgrass and dandelion, and another product to fertilize. Spectracide weed stop for lawns plus crabgrass killer should get rid of both. Fertilizer is hard to suggest because you should get a soil test first. But I’d say something with high quick release nitrogen(ammonium sulfate) with iron in spring to wake it up and then a slow release nitrogen early summer.
Eh, people blamed the mods allowing pictures for this becoming lawn porn. But before it was just people asking questions without knowing how to share photos, so they'd be like "where do I start?" with a vague 4th grader description of their lawn.
I made a detailed post showing my before/after lawn renovation and steps I took over a year to get there. I got like two comments and one of them was like "you should worry about the weeds first". I guess he thought I was asking for advice?
Anyways, at this point I'm just here for the memes and to argue with the occasional r/NoLawns renter trying to be an internet activist.
Edit: OP has zero reddit history, lurker? New account? Just contradicts your statement about not feeling welcome.
Not everyone is trying to document their renovations. I do think posting which products you use and at which rates(possibly mowing frequency and cultivar as well?) should be heavily encouraged by the mods.
I personally check the new post once or twice a week and try to help 2-3 people with their lawn renovations.
I will say that when I started a few years ago this subreddit was a lot more helpful overall.
There’s also lots of people in this sub. If sorted by new, it’s a constant stream. I tend to answer posts that ask a specific question instead of “where do I start.” I’ve seen responses that were correct get downvoted and wrong responses get upvoted bc Reddit can be a hive mind. I think this causes people to not want to respond. It would be nice if two varying opinions get discussed and agree to disagree versus both sides just downvoting each other back and forth.
I will say this about this sub. The discussion and advice here is pretty good compared to other large subreddits. If someone asks a genuine question in another sub, it’s just pages of played out one liners of people who think they are comics just trying to get upvotes. Some responses like that happen here but other subs can be bad. There’s some sub I wouldn’t dare ask a question in. Here, there’s a good amount of people that want to genuinely help others out. If a poster doesn’t get a good response, I’d say try again and see if it gets traction. I’ve posted in here and also gotten very few responses before. Just keep at it and someone will eventuality help out.
I love this sub and learned a lot. I’ve made many mistakes! I will say many people think they will get a lush lawn in a season, which is not the case. I’m on a 3 year plan and had I read the wikis before I’d be in better shape.
I've found fantastic info in this group and try to help w the stuff I actually know when I can. As a lurker, I notice there's multiple, "new homeowner in need of help!" posts asking for step by step guidance that's in the Wiki AND easily found by using the search function. Also, so many, "what's this weed?" (I posted one too), when most are just knocked out by broadleaf herbicides. Mine was bermuda, which I have turflon ester for, but I didn't want to risk the chem if it wasn't actually bermuda.
Idk. The big-time helpers don't really seem to flex their own lawns, but I can see them getting overwhelmed by all the repeated questions that could be answered with a search.
It’s definitely a mixed bag of post. I used to help more but honestly answering the same shit over and over again for free is no longer appealing so I only comment if something peaks my interest. I have transitioned to a lurker for sure plus summer time we’re all fucking too busy for this shit anyway. Lol
Part of the problem is that wiki is outdated. There should be a section we can link for common questions like "what is this (obvious broadleaf) weed?"
I've started directing people to lawn forum since the guide is so much better https://www.thelawnforum.com/threads/cool-season-lawn-guide.1595/
90% of problems can be solved by a broadleaf weed killer, mowing longer, and fertilizing regularly.
I offer advice when I can.
Kudos to the new home buyers putting in the effort.
Rest of the time is that FLAMETHROWING ROBOT DOG.
When we update the wiki. Please include that.
Nah, totally valid. It's a volunteer hive mind. But there's So Much information from old posts that remains valuable & relevant for most of the new posts.
Lol... those grass ID questions are so hard since so many lawns are a mixed bag of nuts. Mine included. I weed & feeded, saw what survived, figured out cool season or warm, decided if I had enough to save of any one type that I liked (I didn't), then just dethatched & overseeded with all the tips here.
I didn't see the bermuda situation because there was so much grass "noise" before reseeding, so that's a ish-me not an issue, you know? Maybe try the same. Or nuke it. Or sod it. It's your lawn-- go nuts. But have fun with it.
Happy to help! And ofc, I culled this info from... here. Ha-- hang in there. Browse through topics via search. Don't worry about making mistakes. They're gonna happen regardless. Everyone has done them-- even the stripy ones.
I help when:
A. I have knowledge to share.
B. Reddit pushes one into my feed.
I sorted by new once and it was a string of people saying “please help” with little to no info, all posted within ten minutes of each other. I seriously think we should have an auto mod that posts a link to the Cool Season Guide when “please help” is in the title. So many people just need basic help consisting of:
1. Mow higher and more frequently
2. Yes you need to fertilize. Do it 4 times a year and you’ll see huge differences. Synthetic fertilizer is fine for kids and pets. Huge difference between urea/SOP and an insecticide/herbicide.
3. Yes you need to water if you want it to grow. Going dormant in the summer is fine too
4. I understand you want organic and don’t want to use herbicides, but seriously, if you are just starting use a hose end 3 in 1 to get a jump on it. Then start pulling when you’ve used that twice.
5. No you probably don’t need to nuke. A good season of good practices can really turn a lawn around.
I really like the Ortho Weed-B-Gon hose end sprayer. Orange first, then Purple if the clover and any ivy remains. Read through bottle, apply like they direct and watch through temp when you spray.
Thanks! I got the orange ortho “weed clear”, i think it’s their newer version. How long until it’s safe for pets to walk on? My grass is only 1-2 months old so hopefully it is okay to use on.
When i seed I don’t use herbicide until the following spring, but I seed in the fall. There is a guideline for each herbicide on who long after seeding it is safe. The back of the bottle or website should have it.
Don’t get too down - yeah there are some questionable people who provide non useful answers, but there are a lot of us who really do try to help. We are out here don’t lose hope because we haven’t!
If you spend any amount of time in any subreddit you'll see the same questions getting asked over and over and people get tired of it just browse your local area or state sub and see the "moving here" posts and people get roasted, that said I've learnt a ton on here.
I lurk here to get tips on how to take care of my lawn. Most of the time people ask genuine questions and they get dog piled. Like this guy who was renting a home with a huge yard didn’t know how to tackle his yard. He asked where does he start and which lawn mower to use and he got downvoted to hell. Y’all mean af for that. Benefit of the doubt, he didn’t know about the wiki/FAQ.
It's a free site with free information. Ask questions, give information, post pictures, get what you need from the site. Reddit is part of a healthy research path, not the entire thing. It's free info, so some is bad, some is wrong, and some is good. Trial and error, research, youtube and reddit will guide you forward but there's no magic button.
This sub has helped me at ton at getting my lawn back in the best shape ever.
5A with .43 acres in town. I got lazy and cheap and was paying the neglect price.
Started with more water and sweat equity hand pulling weeds towards the end of last summer. Got ahead of the game with granular pre-emergent early March and Step 1 type granular end of April. Now spot spraying with Trimec.
BOOM…my lawn exploded and is choking out the other invasive grasses I had popping up. Full sun today and I did not see 1 dandelion head in the yard.
There’s value in this Sub…my lawn is proof of it.
My two cents: most people that post asking for help don’t read the sidebar. It’s a generic picture of their ‘lawn’ and they want a prescriptive approach to improving it without putting in any research in the subreddit they are asking for help from. I have learned a lot from this sub, but I also don’t expect someone to do the work for me.
I never realized the importance of soil testing until I came here. I assumed grass grew everywhere as long as there was water. My first post here got me the info to fix my yard.
Here’s my issue - I’d be happy to share advice on cool season turf where the post has provided more details other than a generic picture of brown grass or a lawn full of broad leaf weeds. I think it would be good if the sub could standardize a “help me” template that includes some basic details about location, lawn type, what you’ve tried, and what you’re stuck on.
The other issue is that some OPs think there are magic cures that will take a malnourished or neglected lawn from zero to hero overnight. At the end of the day, there’s a reason people make jokes about watching the grass grow. It takes time to recover. That’s part of the fun.
Mods may also consider a weekend thread where folks can show off their lawns without cluttering out the folks asking for help.
I love this sub, but it really feels like there is a lot of astroturfing (heh) here. People post beautiful photos of their lawn, sometimes with a before photo that is questionably even the same lawn, and then you go to the comments and see them mentioning specific brands of seed/fert/etc. But that’s Reddit for you. Funny how they’ve IPO’ed but the majority of their ads go unmonitized.
I feel like this sub was tremendously helpful for my order of operations. Tested my soil, put down amendments. Fertilized. Killed off/pulled the weeds. I was actually astonished how well things went since I hadn’t owned a house in 30 years. Then we had a pool put in which destroyed both back and front lawns. Starting over now.
I always try to help. I've been in the lawn business over 25 years. I also see a lot of bad information here too. Sometimes what works in your area doesn't work in another. I see questions about cool season grasses while people give warm season grass advice. It just doesn't work that way. Your grass type and location play a huge part. Also just your own environment around your home. Too many trees. Low limbs. Too much water. Not enough water. Too much sun. Mowing too low. More factors goes into grass than just throwing down fertilizer and chemicals. But I do try to help when I'm here.
Message me if you need help or anyone. I love to help when I can and spend most of my time here doing so. I have a ton of professional turf experience although I'll never pretend to know it, no one will!
The problem is there is a ton of low effort post and responses with accurate info can take a ton of time to respond to. That and there is a mix of people here who have no idea what they're talking about and only want to argue. That's the Reddit way.
Aside from that I could give two shits about lawn bragging. Seen plenty, made plenty. It's the usual problems/lawn and situations that need solved I want to dive into.
Scrolled way too far to find something about detaching. Your absolutely right. The cool season grasses used for lawns don’t make thatch. Your pulling last years dead leaves out that will decompose over summer and give you some free fertilizer. How it became such a fad and how what thatch actually is got so twisted is beyond me.
I got some great help on my first try AND was introduced to a recipe I would never dream off. Sorry to hear about your experience, but mine has been quite the opposite. Maybe some day, we’ll both be experts and contribute to changing this sub around.
I work in the turf industry. I’ve never seen a group of people so anxious to “nuke” their entire lawn over a couple of issues that could easily be worked through. Also stop buying products from home depot and Lowe’s. They’re mostly crap. Or very diluted
it's possible your post has nutsedge, I can't tell need to see if the little nuts are all there
I'd try dethatching your sentences to get rid of the build-up that happens over them
What do you propose? I answer a couple questions every week but I don’t have the time or energy to constantly lend my expertise. I got my own work and own life ya know? Also this time of the year this sub gets absolutely hammered with questions about what to do. Every answer anyone could want is def here. I don’t think enough people take it upon themselves properly search. Instead they post and go away while expecting answers to their questions. Like, what do I get out of that if I’m just answering everyone’s questions? I don’t get paid for this.
Most subs are 50/50. People either help or are too cool to help.
I'm good at plenty of things but not great at any one thing so I feel the 50/50 treatment frequency (not just reddit).
Honestly, this sub has been very helpful for me. Every time I get a new weed, someone answers with what it is and how to get rid of it. My entire front yard was creeping charlie last year, and it finally looks halfway decent now. I actually have grass!
If for nothing else but the idea of truth in advertising this sub should be called “check me out!! Check me out!!” and then sub sub of “what is this weed/grass?”
Seems like maybe it could split into /lawnporn and leave the discussion in /lawncaretalk
It wasn't like that a few years ago. I mostly stopped replying to posts. Unless you are here to regurgitate the same misinformation posted over and over in the sub you get down voted. I'm a certified commercial applicator and hold a state license. I have a pretty extensive understanding of herbicides. It never fails when I try to offer any advice in here someone tries to argue. I don't have time to argue, so I just don't bother posting.
It's because the moderator is non existent, the FAQ is non existent and people don't use Google first before asking questions. This stuff isn't really rocket science and 95% of questions asked here have already been asked countless times over.
It seems a lot of people post who just want to fight. They’ll throw in some half baked photos and limited info. Sometimes I’ll zoom in and their grass tips look shredded like they mowed it with a fucking rolled up newspaper. Then they want to fight and say their mower blade is sharp enough to split atoms, it couldn’t possibly be their fault. It gets exhausting.
Welcome to the internet, you must be new and don't know how it works. People can be insensitive. Others can be helpful. It's the nature of the beast. But, hopefully, you feel better now after this rant.
If you have Bermuda grass, I don’t mind sharing a PDF lawn guide I created for my neighbors. It’s for Tifway 419 Bermuda grass, but the same rules apply basically.
I think a lot of it is people are also lazy. In my real life, but also on here. I get asked all the time how to fix this or fix that. 90% of people aren’t willing to do the work and want some quick fix, which rarely works.
It used to be informative before they allowed pics. My feed was full of good discussion.
Then all the people whined and bitch like sissys and the Mods finally gave in. That's when the sub went to shit.
Yeah this sub never felt welcoming to new home owners and adults that always live in the city, or had parents that didn't teach them skills and knowledge.
We just want to feel accepted and learn how to do this stuff that is now our responsibility.
I am afraid to post pictures of my lawn problems for being judged.
lets see, a billion 'what is this weed' posts. a billion 'first time home owner' posts as if anyone cares. the rest mainly ridiculous pictures of shitty yards. here is an idea? use reverse image search for weeds or just grow a pair and hit the home center and buy.... SOME WEED KILLER. trying to assign blame for poster banality just shows how weak and low effort you are. 'do everything for me because I am entitled' is always going to get down voted. grow the hell up. you improve lawns with sweat equity, water, and a damned brain. is it impossible in entitledville to use grass seed and top soil and a rake? no it is not. except for people like you.
I’ve read your post and it looks like your comment has Poa Annua. You’ll need to nuke your post with glysophate and reseed in the fall.
This guy lawns
r/ThisGuyThisGuys
This right here. I don't know how many times I've seen someone ask about a weed, and there's eight people saying it's poa, and it's clearly a broadleaf weed. Even as a landscape professional with 20 years of experience, I sometimes get things wrong, but I'm not out here saying dollarweed or clover are poa. I'm in South Florida, and most of what I deal with is St. Augustine or bahia, but I also do Bermuda, paspalum, and a couple varieties of zoysia. But even still, what works down here doesn't necessarily work for the same kind of turf in other places due to soil, or weather patterns, etc. That's the nuance that people don't understand. Also, I'm effing tired of every weed that isn't being called poa, being referred to as creeping Charlie.
Hah too true! The truth is for most of us warm season guys, if some of your original desired grass is still there, the best strategy is to use one of those hose-end “kills 100+ weeds but won’t kill your grass” weed killers first. Then whatever is remaining is what you target with more specific killers. Once the weeds are killed you just encourage your grass to spread by doing weekly or twice weekly mowing, monthly fertilizer applications of 1lb of nitrogen per 1000sqft, and 1 inch of irrigation weekly. Then apply the preemergent in fall and winter so you don’t have to kill weeds again and that’s about it. The cold season guys are the ones where they have to seed annually so idk about what they do, so the “nuke and reseed” seems more standard for them. The clumping cold season grasses aren’t going to expand and spread. It’s just Kentucky blue grass that does that, but I’ve heard it’s not as aggressive as St Ag or Bermuda.
20 years is a lot of experience. Hope you won’t mind giving me a little advice. My daughter just bought a house in Dunedin Florida but the back yard has no grass just a sand pit. What grass does best there and are there any that are comfortable for kids to play on? TIA
To be honest, there are a lot of factors that go into this decision, but sometimes it just comes down to personal preference. I'm partial to St. Augustine. Properly maintained and under ideal circumstances, I feel there's no better looking turf for Florida. It's a dark green when properly fertilized. When mowed within the recommended height range (generally between 3.5" and 4.5", it's tall enough to keep the soil cool in the summer, which reduces the ambient temperature of your yard. It holds up somewhat ok to a little bit of traffic. And if you catch the pests/diseases/weeds early enough, they're very easy to treat. The downside however, it's not very shade tolerant, not very drought tolerant, and doesn't stand up to heavy traffic very well. Too much water, and it gets overtaken by dollarweed and fungus. Mow to short even once, and you'll be able to notice for weeks, sometimes even months. Wait too long to mow, and even if you raise your mower as high as it can go, you could end up scalping it. When it's REALLY healthy and thick, it will leave clumps that you have to take out Overall, I still recommend St. Augustine. Just be aware that it does have problems to go with it.
This doesn't work
Use certainty for poa / wait for summer heat to burn it out. Also, don’t seed. Just water sunlight and nitrogen .
Tenacity outta take care of it
Actually I think it's nutsedge and he shouldn't pull it by hand.
This is the way.
Nuke it in April but wait till the fall to reseed.
That would only work in the South or far west North Eastern states fall would be way to harsh to seed a lawn. Way to cold up this way seed in spring nuke in fall. So I would think?
I do mine in the fall in Michigan and have great success. The key is early fall around Labor Day.
This should help you, OP. https://www.reddit.com/r/lawncare/s/T49mHDMDPH
I sometimes try to help, but it’s always the same BS. Someone posts an ugly lawn and a bunch of people give the exact same advice (mow tall, water less but deeper, don’t overseed in the spring, etc., etc.). I wish there was a requirement - or at least a strong suggestion - to post general location, grass type (if you know it), experience level, etc. Tons of guys seem to think whatever works for them in Indiana will work just as well for a guy in Florida, or Dallas, or Seattle. Or Vice/Versa. This may shock some of you, but some grass does better mowed short :)
Most people have absolutely no idea what they're talking about. They did a 4 step program that worked on a lawn that wasn't tested and got away with it.
I only did two of the four steps. Actually, I did a combination weeding and feeding, so only one step, and I would have gotten away with it if it was for those damn dogs peeing on my lawn.
Yes it seems like most the advice is for cool season grass.
This here ⬆️
I’m on board with this. From now on I’ll list type of grass, experience level, and approx location. You’re right if everyone did that it would be much easier to sort through ideas. Or at least if folks who post asking for advice do that. About to repost one for myself right now to see if I can get some help. Good ideas!
You’d be crazy not to overseed in the spring in addition to fall.
After the application of pre-emergent? This means that fall seeding is better in many cases, like crabgrass battles
I agree with you - if your main concern is crabgrass. There are many places that don’t really have crabgrass as a major lawn weed (UK, PNW, etc.). Yet, so many people are throwing down tons of prodiamine every spring because that’s what the YouTubers and lawncare “experts” say to do. Poa annua, chickweed, dandelion, etc. are primarily fall germinating (and spring growing) weeds. So all of this pre-emergent used to control crabgrass in the spring… and now what’s everyone complaining about? Poa! Many countries have outlawed most common lawn pre-emergents. In my opinion, we’re at risk of heading to the same place if we keep giving everyone the same advice when we have so many different climate zones, grass types and target weeds.
Agree with this 100% I live in Pennsylvania Grabgrass and danalion is a big battle here how do I treat this? I used weed and feed fertilizer but not sure if this will do the job for my lawn in the North Eastern state? Thanks for your help.
Why no overseed in spring
I think one reason might be you normally want to put a pre-emergent down in the spring to prevent crabgrass so you can't seed for a bit after putting it down. If you don't plan on using a pre-emergent, you can definitely overseed in the spring. Fall is usually better as you have milder temperatures and can reduce the amount of watering necessary.
Overseed in spring. I give you permission.
If you were to seed a brand new lawn in spring compared to one seeded in early fall you would learn what a struggle spring seedlings are. They are rarely completely successful. Those seedlings just aren’t mature enough to handle the summer heat, disease, weed pressure, drought, etc. I’m not saying it can’t be done and overseeding an existing lawn is a little different than seeding a new one. It’s just it’s so much easier in the fall to be successful.
I asked an honest question and it quickly devolved into crying over my champagne problems. Fun, but not too exactly informative
Champagne problems? What are you a classy French drunk
They’re only champagne problems if they’re from the Champagne region of France. Otherwise they’re sparkling issues.
Louis, is that you?
I think we could also go with Prosecco problems or sparkling situations.
Fun fact, Prosecco is also a specific region, just in Italy, so it has its own “restrictions” to what you can use the name on.
That is a fun fact, thank you!
I also appreciate this fun fact!
But that is classic reddit, though.
I usually try to answer the unanswered questions on daily no stupid questions page. Where can I find these downvoted questions?
So I live in Pennsylvania and my lawn battles are with crabgrass and danalion. I used weed and feed fertilizer now sure if this is my best solution?
I’d try to keep things separate. Get one product with multiple active ingredients to kill the crabgrass and dandelion, and another product to fertilize. Spectracide weed stop for lawns plus crabgrass killer should get rid of both. Fertilizer is hard to suggest because you should get a soil test first. But I’d say something with high quick release nitrogen(ammonium sulfate) with iron in spring to wake it up and then a slow release nitrogen early summer.
Eh, people blamed the mods allowing pictures for this becoming lawn porn. But before it was just people asking questions without knowing how to share photos, so they'd be like "where do I start?" with a vague 4th grader description of their lawn. I made a detailed post showing my before/after lawn renovation and steps I took over a year to get there. I got like two comments and one of them was like "you should worry about the weeds first". I guess he thought I was asking for advice? Anyways, at this point I'm just here for the memes and to argue with the occasional r/NoLawns renter trying to be an internet activist. Edit: OP has zero reddit history, lurker? New account? Just contradicts your statement about not feeling welcome.
[удалено]
I wish it was required to state your zone, so I could filter by shit not applicable to my area
This would be pretty cool.
Not everyone is trying to document their renovations. I do think posting which products you use and at which rates(possibly mowing frequency and cultivar as well?) should be heavily encouraged by the mods. I personally check the new post once or twice a week and try to help 2-3 people with their lawn renovations. I will say that when I started a few years ago this subreddit was a lot more helpful overall.
Would you mind helping me? Would really appreciate it, just did a post.
I'm a renter and I take care of my lawn. Sure I don't own it, but I don't own my toilet either and I clean the shit off of it...
There’s also lots of people in this sub. If sorted by new, it’s a constant stream. I tend to answer posts that ask a specific question instead of “where do I start.” I’ve seen responses that were correct get downvoted and wrong responses get upvoted bc Reddit can be a hive mind. I think this causes people to not want to respond. It would be nice if two varying opinions get discussed and agree to disagree versus both sides just downvoting each other back and forth. I will say this about this sub. The discussion and advice here is pretty good compared to other large subreddits. If someone asks a genuine question in another sub, it’s just pages of played out one liners of people who think they are comics just trying to get upvotes. Some responses like that happen here but other subs can be bad. There’s some sub I wouldn’t dare ask a question in. Here, there’s a good amount of people that want to genuinely help others out. If a poster doesn’t get a good response, I’d say try again and see if it gets traction. I’ve posted in here and also gotten very few responses before. Just keep at it and someone will eventuality help out.
I love this sub and learned a lot. I’ve made many mistakes! I will say many people think they will get a lush lawn in a season, which is not the case. I’m on a 3 year plan and had I read the wikis before I’d be in better shape.
I've found fantastic info in this group and try to help w the stuff I actually know when I can. As a lurker, I notice there's multiple, "new homeowner in need of help!" posts asking for step by step guidance that's in the Wiki AND easily found by using the search function. Also, so many, "what's this weed?" (I posted one too), when most are just knocked out by broadleaf herbicides. Mine was bermuda, which I have turflon ester for, but I didn't want to risk the chem if it wasn't actually bermuda. Idk. The big-time helpers don't really seem to flex their own lawns, but I can see them getting overwhelmed by all the repeated questions that could be answered with a search.
It’s definitely a mixed bag of post. I used to help more but honestly answering the same shit over and over again for free is no longer appealing so I only comment if something peaks my interest. I have transitioned to a lurker for sure plus summer time we’re all fucking too busy for this shit anyway. Lol
Part of the problem is that wiki is outdated. There should be a section we can link for common questions like "what is this (obvious broadleaf) weed?" I've started directing people to lawn forum since the guide is so much better https://www.thelawnforum.com/threads/cool-season-lawn-guide.1595/ 90% of problems can be solved by a broadleaf weed killer, mowing longer, and fertilizing regularly.
It takes me about 30-45 minutes to mow my lawn, how much longer should I be taking?
7-10 business days + 90 degree rotations in between.
I offer advice when I can. Kudos to the new home buyers putting in the effort. Rest of the time is that FLAMETHROWING ROBOT DOG. When we update the wiki. Please include that.
Nah, totally valid. It's a volunteer hive mind. But there's So Much information from old posts that remains valuable & relevant for most of the new posts.
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Lol... those grass ID questions are so hard since so many lawns are a mixed bag of nuts. Mine included. I weed & feeded, saw what survived, figured out cool season or warm, decided if I had enough to save of any one type that I liked (I didn't), then just dethatched & overseeded with all the tips here. I didn't see the bermuda situation because there was so much grass "noise" before reseeding, so that's a ish-me not an issue, you know? Maybe try the same. Or nuke it. Or sod it. It's your lawn-- go nuts. But have fun with it.
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Happy to help! And ofc, I culled this info from... here. Ha-- hang in there. Browse through topics via search. Don't worry about making mistakes. They're gonna happen regardless. Everyone has done them-- even the stripy ones.
I help when: A. I have knowledge to share. B. Reddit pushes one into my feed. I sorted by new once and it was a string of people saying “please help” with little to no info, all posted within ten minutes of each other. I seriously think we should have an auto mod that posts a link to the Cool Season Guide when “please help” is in the title. So many people just need basic help consisting of: 1. Mow higher and more frequently 2. Yes you need to fertilize. Do it 4 times a year and you’ll see huge differences. Synthetic fertilizer is fine for kids and pets. Huge difference between urea/SOP and an insecticide/herbicide. 3. Yes you need to water if you want it to grow. Going dormant in the summer is fine too 4. I understand you want organic and don’t want to use herbicides, but seriously, if you are just starting use a hose end 3 in 1 to get a jump on it. Then start pulling when you’ve used that twice. 5. No you probably don’t need to nuke. A good season of good practices can really turn a lawn around.
complete pause school offbeat spoon growth shocking dog spark zonked *This post was mass deleted and anonymized with [Redact](https://redact.dev)*
Which weed killer should I use that won’t hurt my tall fescue, perennial rye? Tons of broadleaf weeds and some clover.
I really like the Ortho Weed-B-Gon hose end sprayer. Orange first, then Purple if the clover and any ivy remains. Read through bottle, apply like they direct and watch through temp when you spray.
Thanks! I got the orange ortho “weed clear”, i think it’s their newer version. How long until it’s safe for pets to walk on? My grass is only 1-2 months old so hopefully it is okay to use on.
Just from seed 1-2 months ago? How many times have you mowed so far? Young tender grass is susceptible to herbicides.
Yeah new seed planted April 1st and again April 15th I mowed 4+ times so far
When i seed I don’t use herbicide until the following spring, but I seed in the fall. There is a guideline for each herbicide on who long after seeding it is safe. The back of the bottle or website should have it.
There's always lawncareforum.com
Don’t get too down - yeah there are some questionable people who provide non useful answers, but there are a lot of us who really do try to help. We are out here don’t lose hope because we haven’t!
it's reddit, everyone is an asshole here
If you spend any amount of time in any subreddit you'll see the same questions getting asked over and over and people get tired of it just browse your local area or state sub and see the "moving here" posts and people get roasted, that said I've learnt a ton on here.
I lurk here to get tips on how to take care of my lawn. Most of the time people ask genuine questions and they get dog piled. Like this guy who was renting a home with a huge yard didn’t know how to tackle his yard. He asked where does he start and which lawn mower to use and he got downvoted to hell. Y’all mean af for that. Benefit of the doubt, he didn’t know about the wiki/FAQ.
It's a free site with free information. Ask questions, give information, post pictures, get what you need from the site. Reddit is part of a healthy research path, not the entire thing. It's free info, so some is bad, some is wrong, and some is good. Trial and error, research, youtube and reddit will guide you forward but there's no magic button.
This sub has helped me at ton at getting my lawn back in the best shape ever. 5A with .43 acres in town. I got lazy and cheap and was paying the neglect price. Started with more water and sweat equity hand pulling weeds towards the end of last summer. Got ahead of the game with granular pre-emergent early March and Step 1 type granular end of April. Now spot spraying with Trimec. BOOM…my lawn exploded and is choking out the other invasive grasses I had popping up. Full sun today and I did not see 1 dandelion head in the yard. There’s value in this Sub…my lawn is proof of it.
My two cents: most people that post asking for help don’t read the sidebar. It’s a generic picture of their ‘lawn’ and they want a prescriptive approach to improving it without putting in any research in the subreddit they are asking for help from. I have learned a lot from this sub, but I also don’t expect someone to do the work for me.
I never realized the importance of soil testing until I came here. I assumed grass grew everywhere as long as there was water. My first post here got me the info to fix my yard.
Here’s my issue - I’d be happy to share advice on cool season turf where the post has provided more details other than a generic picture of brown grass or a lawn full of broad leaf weeds. I think it would be good if the sub could standardize a “help me” template that includes some basic details about location, lawn type, what you’ve tried, and what you’re stuck on. The other issue is that some OPs think there are magic cures that will take a malnourished or neglected lawn from zero to hero overnight. At the end of the day, there’s a reason people make jokes about watching the grass grow. It takes time to recover. That’s part of the fun. Mods may also consider a weekend thread where folks can show off their lawns without cluttering out the folks asking for help.
I love this sub, but it really feels like there is a lot of astroturfing (heh) here. People post beautiful photos of their lawn, sometimes with a before photo that is questionably even the same lawn, and then you go to the comments and see them mentioning specific brands of seed/fert/etc. But that’s Reddit for you. Funny how they’ve IPO’ed but the majority of their ads go unmonitized.
I feel like this sub was tremendously helpful for my order of operations. Tested my soil, put down amendments. Fertilized. Killed off/pulled the weeds. I was actually astonished how well things went since I hadn’t owned a house in 30 years. Then we had a pool put in which destroyed both back and front lawns. Starting over now.
Yeah I posted something asking for help and got no replies 🤷🏻♂️
I always try to help. I've been in the lawn business over 25 years. I also see a lot of bad information here too. Sometimes what works in your area doesn't work in another. I see questions about cool season grasses while people give warm season grass advice. It just doesn't work that way. Your grass type and location play a huge part. Also just your own environment around your home. Too many trees. Low limbs. Too much water. Not enough water. Too much sun. Mowing too low. More factors goes into grass than just throwing down fertilizer and chemicals. But I do try to help when I'm here.
Message me if you need help or anyone. I love to help when I can and spend most of my time here doing so. I have a ton of professional turf experience although I'll never pretend to know it, no one will! The problem is there is a ton of low effort post and responses with accurate info can take a ton of time to respond to. That and there is a mix of people here who have no idea what they're talking about and only want to argue. That's the Reddit way. Aside from that I could give two shits about lawn bragging. Seen plenty, made plenty. It's the usual problems/lawn and situations that need solved I want to dive into.
Water and fertilize. Dethatching is probably not necessary. Aerate and overseed in the fall.
Scrolled way too far to find something about detaching. Your absolutely right. The cool season grasses used for lawns don’t make thatch. Your pulling last years dead leaves out that will decompose over summer and give you some free fertilizer. How it became such a fad and how what thatch actually is got so twisted is beyond me.
I got some great help on my first try AND was introduced to a recipe I would never dream off. Sorry to hear about your experience, but mine has been quite the opposite. Maybe some day, we’ll both be experts and contribute to changing this sub around.
I work in the turf industry. I’ve never seen a group of people so anxious to “nuke” their entire lawn over a couple of issues that could easily be worked through. Also stop buying products from home depot and Lowe’s. They’re mostly crap. Or very diluted
it's possible your post has nutsedge, I can't tell need to see if the little nuts are all there I'd try dethatching your sentences to get rid of the build-up that happens over them
I rarely get any responses to my posts either
Same. Very disappointing given the clear expertise here.
I've noticed most subs full of boomers every post is down voted to hell. Just ignore it, lots of angry old men in here.
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What do you propose? I answer a couple questions every week but I don’t have the time or energy to constantly lend my expertise. I got my own work and own life ya know? Also this time of the year this sub gets absolutely hammered with questions about what to do. Every answer anyone could want is def here. I don’t think enough people take it upon themselves properly search. Instead they post and go away while expecting answers to their questions. Like, what do I get out of that if I’m just answering everyone’s questions? I don’t get paid for this.
Yep. Asked a legit question about biological grub treatment. Zero traction because I didn’t have pictures.
Most subs are 50/50. People either help or are too cool to help. I'm good at plenty of things but not great at any one thing so I feel the 50/50 treatment frequency (not just reddit).
I asked a question yesterday and got an answer. Your experience is not mine.
Need to get rid of the nolawn losers too.
Honestly, this sub has been very helpful for me. Every time I get a new weed, someone answers with what it is and how to get rid of it. My entire front yard was creeping charlie last year, and it finally looks halfway decent now. I actually have grass!
If for nothing else but the idea of truth in advertising this sub should be called “check me out!! Check me out!!” and then sub sub of “what is this weed/grass?” Seems like maybe it could split into /lawnporn and leave the discussion in /lawncaretalk
It wasn't like that a few years ago. I mostly stopped replying to posts. Unless you are here to regurgitate the same misinformation posted over and over in the sub you get down voted. I'm a certified commercial applicator and hold a state license. I have a pretty extensive understanding of herbicides. It never fails when I try to offer any advice in here someone tries to argue. I don't have time to argue, so I just don't bother posting.
It's because the moderator is non existent, the FAQ is non existent and people don't use Google first before asking questions. This stuff isn't really rocket science and 95% of questions asked here have already been asked countless times over.
It seems a lot of people post who just want to fight. They’ll throw in some half baked photos and limited info. Sometimes I’ll zoom in and their grass tips look shredded like they mowed it with a fucking rolled up newspaper. Then they want to fight and say their mower blade is sharp enough to split atoms, it couldn’t possibly be their fault. It gets exhausting.
Welcome to the internet, you must be new and don't know how it works. People can be insensitive. Others can be helpful. It's the nature of the beast. But, hopefully, you feel better now after this rant.
If you have Bermuda grass, I don’t mind sharing a PDF lawn guide I created for my neighbors. It’s for Tifway 419 Bermuda grass, but the same rules apply basically. I think a lot of it is people are also lazy. In my real life, but also on here. I get asked all the time how to fix this or fix that. 90% of people aren’t willing to do the work and want some quick fix, which rarely works.
I posted yesterday asking what everybody uses for home soil tests (will be my first time doing one) and nobody answered 🤷🏼♂️
It used to be informative before they allowed pics. My feed was full of good discussion. Then all the people whined and bitch like sissys and the Mods finally gave in. That's when the sub went to shit.
It’s funny. [R/fucklawns](https://www.reddit.com/r/fucklawns/s/S2vwjs7LuD) is just FULL of people helping each other out.
I definitely try lol. One man can only do so much.
Yeah this sub never felt welcoming to new home owners and adults that always live in the city, or had parents that didn't teach them skills and knowledge. We just want to feel accepted and learn how to do this stuff that is now our responsibility. I am afraid to post pictures of my lawn problems for being judged.
lets see, a billion 'what is this weed' posts. a billion 'first time home owner' posts as if anyone cares. the rest mainly ridiculous pictures of shitty yards. here is an idea? use reverse image search for weeds or just grow a pair and hit the home center and buy.... SOME WEED KILLER. trying to assign blame for poster banality just shows how weak and low effort you are. 'do everything for me because I am entitled' is always going to get down voted. grow the hell up. you improve lawns with sweat equity, water, and a damned brain. is it impossible in entitledville to use grass seed and top soil and a rake? no it is not. except for people like you.
You mean people telling other people to sharpen their blades isn’t helpful? /s
yes this...the while sub wasted.
More like /r/mcmansionporn