A few aerial shots from Feb 24.



Can anyone spot the Northern Mix/area to be renovated in my yard? I am very shocked how well the yard held its color through the winter.




A few areas of damage picture above. A few chunks of sod on the sidewalk that were plowed off the hell strip (one of the downfalls of living at the end of a cul-de-sac). Some footprints between the tree and lightpost, including a very well defined set to and away from the water meter.

Next few weeks will be spent getting the mowers tuned up before the pre-emergent goes down in mid-March. Excited to get things going in 2022!

 

Exciting times starting this year's journal. Your color through winter was awesome and the aerial shots really prove it.

I was lucky enough not to get any plow damage, however some of my neighbors' strips got smoked. The footprints are so frustrating. I've got plenty of those and I'm curious how they will recover this spring.

 

Love the aerial shots. Bewitched must have crushed the NTEP scores for Spring Green up because yours doesn't even look like it skipped a beat all Winter.

 

Man that looks good.... I still have many, many inches of snow.. I'm afraid of what will be exposed in the next few weeks...

 

Love the aerial shots. Bewitched must have crushed the NTEP scores for Spring Green up because yours doesn't even look like it skipped a beat all Winter.

From the 2011 NTEP report it had a mean score of 4.8 (range 4.1-6.4). It seemed to score well, relative to other cultivars, in transition zone areas and score poorly in northern areas. Basically indicating that it does not fair well under prolonged snow cover. Where I am is probably 50 or so miles north of what would be considered the transition zone. We did not have any long periods of snow cover this winter, so it may be variable from year to year. But definitely no complaints with the color. I have some of my thinner reno areas that look pretty rough from the constant freeze/thaw, but nothing a little consistency in weather and feeding won't rectify.

 

Performed my year beginning engine maintenance today. Changed oil, spark plugs, and air filters on all 3 mowers. All 3 fired up nicely and are running in the pic below.


Couldn't resist taking them for a quick pass in the lawn. First clippings! Still a few weeks away from the first mow.


Next up is blade/reel maintenance. Sharpening blades on the timemaster, giving the GM a backlap, cleaning up bedknives, and doing reel to bedknife adjustments.

Prodiamine will probably go down in about 2 weeks pending the upcoming forecast.

 

So excited for your journal this year man!

 

Prodiamine down today at 5 grams per k (3 month rate). Just about to slip into the "optimum" window on MSU GDD tracker, so I figured I'd get it done on a beautiful day. Topped out around 70 degrees today.

A few aerial shots, including showing the massive distribution center fire that is about 5 miles from my house.




Lillies starting to sprout, spring is on the brink!


A few triv spots to dig up. Luckily they are confined to my drainage area, so I don't mind some unsightly bare spots there until it fills in.

 

Love that second aerial photo. That fire must have been huge. We had an Amazon distribution center catch fire recently and it was a big one too.

You gonna dig up the triv or hit it with gly?

 

It was a big fire. It showed up in sat images.

https://www.wthr.com/article/news/local/firefighters-working-to-put-out-fire-at-avon-walmart-distribution-center/531-2f16d5ad-580f-4ad7-84ba-f24e9371f2e5

https://mobile.twitter.com/NWSIndianapolis/status/1504177711559761921?cxt=HHwWgoCjiZjq9N8pAAAA

 

Those sky views from February...OH my goodness. Turf Merchants called and they want this as the new Bewitched logo.

I'll be curious how the spring reno goes. I don't think it's as bad as some people make it out to be.

 

I'll be curious how the spring reno goes. I don't think it's as bad as some people make it out to be.

I agree. It's just more of a roll of the dice with mother nature during the spring and the ability to keep the grass healthy through the stress of summer. My reno is confined to one zone of my irrigation, so I'll be able to monitor and irrigate appropriately.

You gonna dig up the triv or hit it with gly?

Most likely both. First app is probably about a week away once we get a few warmer days.

 

I could not resist! Backlapped the GM1600 this morning and had to give it a test. Probably not the best for the grass, as temps are near freezing (pretty sure it was flurrying during the mow), but I had to give it a spin. HOC? Who knows, didn't even check. Cut was a bit uneven, probably due to substantial rainfall over the last week softening up the ground. Or maybe I wasn't cutting the same on both sides. Possibly both. Felt great to be out there though!









Cleaned up the edges and kept the mowing just to one section of lawn. Grass is growing noticeably faster near the walkways where it has heated up faster.

 

Dude, your lawn thinks it's October.

Love the DGF attitude on the HOC. Grip it and rip it!

 

😲 GREEN AF

 

Nice to follow another reel mower.

What is the goal with the two different reels? Different HOC? Or using the swordman for the attachments?

 

It's only March and already beautiful.
Well done and good luck this season!!

 

Nice to follow another reel mower.

What is the goal with the two different reels? Different HOC? Or using the swordman for the attachments?

I purchased the GM1600 once I decided to reno my backyard. It's about 10k sq ft, so I figured the wider swath would help maximize efficiency in mowing. I use the Swardman mostly in my front yard, which has a few more undulations, obstacles, and uneven terrain. I will probably continue using it there simply for the maneuverability. I do like the attachments and the ease in changing HOC, but once I get things leveled out I may consider getting rid of the Swardman. It is nice to have a back-up though just in case.

 

Gave the 2021 reno area a cleanup mow. Still a bit thin around the edges, but that should fill in in a few months. Can still see some areas of washout/erosion from the pop-up emitter in the yard. Planning on doing some sand topdressing and smoothing out later this spring.

 

Nice to follow another reel mower.

What is the goal with the two different reels? Different HOC? Or using the swordman for the attachments?

I purchased the GM1600 once I decided to reno my backyard. It's about 10k sq ft, so I figured the wider swath would help maximize efficiency in mowing. I use the Swardman mostly in my front yard, which has a few more undulations, obstacles, and uneven terrain. I will probably continue using it there simply for the maneuverability. I do like the attachments and the ease in changing HOC, but once I get things leveled out I may consider getting rid of the Swardman. It is nice to have a back-up though just in case.

Makes complete sense. Always good having a back up. Crazy how reliable the commercial grade stuff i so though. Barely ever have issues with my stuff

 

Man I'm jealous I haven't had time to get anything cleaned up yet. Can we talk about your neighbor's backyard? Where did you find him!?

 

Got a full mow in today and it was glorious. Showed all 3 mowers some love.


Swardman:


GM1600:


GM1600:


Now for the ugly:

Triv really standing out in the drainage area. Gonna let it grow a bit, then nuking probably next week. May gly, then dig, then transplant some edging from around the landscaping beds.


Small patch of clover, should be easy to eradicate.


What's left of the Northern Mix. Deteriorating every day, knows its' destiny...


Pulled half a bucket of weeds from last fall's reno. Wasn't able to get a pre-emergent down due to early washouts and re-seeding and it shows. Going to blanket spray with a 3-way sometime in mid-April.


Edges of the reno where it got the least sun in the fall a bit thin. Should fill in with some feeding though.

 

Glorious is an understatement my dude.

So many patterns, so many mowers, it's a piece of art.

 

Man, this is looking amazing this early in the season. It's going to look 🔥 in a few weeks.

I haven't even gotten my first mow in 😫

 

Damn looking so great early! I've been mowing, but I'm still super thin. Going to be seeding again this week to fill in bare spots in my reno.