Author Topic: Mustachian Lawncare  (Read 3181 times)

patchyfacialhair

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Mustachian Lawncare
« on: March 27, 2017, 01:14:54 PM »
I've never had a lawn of my own before (my parents paid a landscaper; in-laws also pay a landscaper), and in the Mustachian spirit I'd love to DIY my lawncare.

I know that this stuff is geographic so for reference, we're in the front range of Colorado, which is basically a high desert.

What are some good resources to read up on? How do I keep my grass green? What's a good timeframe to start fertilizing/aerating/starting up sprinklers?

Thanks in advance!

AMandM

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Re: Mustachian Lawncare
« Reply #1 on: March 27, 2017, 03:12:49 PM »
I would get in touch with the U of CO extension.  They can recommend plants that are local, and will thus need minimal extra (=$$) care to grow well in your climate.
http://csuturf.colostate.edu/Pages/homelawncare.htm

patchyfacialhair

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Re: Mustachian Lawncare
« Reply #2 on: March 27, 2017, 03:26:33 PM »
That info is fantastic. Lots of reading material and a great starting point!

Fudge102

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Re: Mustachian Lawncare
« Reply #3 on: March 27, 2017, 04:10:06 PM »
My girlfriend would recommend looking into permaculture.  Green grass and plants are nice, but if you're going to spend money on them, why not get plants that provide vegetables and fruits?  Then you at least get something back.  There are ways to make it look good too.  Not all are wild creations some people make.

HipGnosis

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Re: Mustachian Lawncare
« Reply #4 on: March 27, 2017, 08:32:12 PM »
see  http://www.richsoil.com/lawn-care.jsp 
Organic Lawn Care For the Cheap and Lazy     
LOTS of GREAT info!!

MarioMario

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Re: Mustachian Lawncare
« Reply #5 on: March 27, 2017, 10:06:18 PM »
Don't water your grass green.  If you can get it brown (dormant) it won't grow.

Bales9er

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Re: Mustachian Lawncare
« Reply #6 on: March 29, 2017, 10:19:39 AM »
https://aroundtheyard.com/forums2/     best lawn site out there...a plethora of knowledge all in one place.

Best place to start with any lawn care program is with the soil. Get a soil test done and post the results to the website above in the Soil Management forum. The experts there will give you the best recommendations on what to apply and when. Lastly, Milorganite should be your best friend.   Good Luck!

plog

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Re: Mustachian Lawncare
« Reply #7 on: March 29, 2017, 11:18:17 AM »
I question the assumption of having a lawn at all.  Embrace the high desert and landscape appropriately.  Failing that,  astro-turf.   

Heroes821

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Re: Mustachian Lawncare
« Reply #8 on: March 29, 2017, 12:02:29 PM »
Where in Colorado is important, but here's my 2 cents from having a suburban yard in Aurora right next to E-470 for about 3-4 years.

The yard was medium sized whole lot was maybe 1 acre.  From May - October I ran sprinklers 3-4 times a week for 20 minutes total (like 5 minutes a sector was my programmer) Around 9 pm and 4 am.  Watering during the day is not a good idea the heat evaporates most of it before it helps the grass. 

The default Colorado grass in my neighborhood grew just fast enough with this watering schedule to need mowed 1 time per month. That's it. I mowed maybe 6 times a year in Colorado.

The biggest issue was weeds in landscaping, rocks, along the house and driveway etc.  Handling those is upto you, I wasn't environmentally conscious about it so I used round up in the spring and fall and a "weed flame thrower" from home depot in between, but mostly because burning the dead weeds was longer lasting than the chemicals.

With a small enough yard you can get an electric mower from Home depot for $100 or less. Or a motorless for more exercise.

letired

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Re: Mustachian Lawncare
« Reply #9 on: March 29, 2017, 01:09:03 PM »
+1 to richsoil.com if you absolutely cannot live without green 'weed-free' grass.

But even before that, stop caring about things like 'green grass', 'weeds', or 'what your lawn looks like', and now spend all the time you've freed up on an actual hobby! Better yet, dig up your lawn and go for a wildflower meadow or something and you won't even have to mow!

bacchi

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Re: Mustachian Lawncare
« Reply #10 on: March 29, 2017, 01:52:03 PM »
Xeriscape and forget mowing.

 

Wow, a phone plan for fifteen bucks!