Submitted by AppointmentNo3240 t3_122w4kd in Maine

Hey all -

When do you get started on spring yard care activities (dethatch, fertilize, crabgrass, bugs)? I'm getting antsy as the snow melts away and you can spend more than 15 minutes outside, and I feel like I always start too late...

Located south of Portland.

Looking for your tips and tricks. Thanks!

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ShawneeMcGrutt t1_jds3gbb wrote

I start as soon as sections of the yard is free of snow and dries. Usually begin by raking and getting rid all the junk left from over the winter. I lime and fertilize when it will readily absorb into the soil. Crabgrass treatment is a preamergant (sp?) check on the bag for the timing. On the bug treatment, use caution as that stuff will kill most every insect known to mankind, including bees and other pollinators.

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LIdirtfarmer t1_jds901j wrote

You can (probably shouldn't yet depending on your level of frost) do any type of thatching now, but wait on your premergent weed product until May. Grub products should go out around July.

This is still early for thatching IMO, as there's still a lot of frost in the ground (at least in downeast there is). Working frozen/semi frozen turf can and will shear off your roots at the frost line when the top inch or so is soft. Then you're negating anything you do.

Any and all seeding and aeration NEED to be done before you get your premergent down, as seed won't establish in the early weeks after pre-em. Aeration creates passages for weeds to grow through the "blanket" that pre-em creates.

Be careful following what the landscapers do, as some are looking to do pre-em early so they get to come around and charge you to attempt to kill 7 tiller crabgrass with the pea shooter arsenal they have.

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guethlema t1_jds95x6 wrote

Most yard care along the coast really begins mid-late April.

Some communities in greater Portland have substantial muni laws around pesticides

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raggedtoad t1_jdsbtq1 wrote

Lawns are easy as shit to maintain in Maine, especially if you use a water-retaining clover mix. Maine gets plenty of natural rain and even irrigation is easily supported by the plentiful ground and surface water resources.

Go bring your boring Reddit hivemind nonsense back where you found it.

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ppitm t1_jdsc62d wrote

> dethatch, fertilize, crabgrass, bugs

The who the what now? You do realize this shit just grows itself, right?

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LIdirtfarmer t1_jdsfe9w wrote

They kind of are, but not in the way we consider the term. Broad spectrum or non-selective on a label means kills/has effect on everything or many of that type (insects or grasses). Most insecticides, especially residentially labeled products, are selective. Spectracide kills ants, Acelepryn (which we can't get in Maine but should be able to), kills weevils, grubs/the beetles they grow into, and cutworms/sodwebworms. Insecticides and fungicides all have specialties

Most products are also only effective in certain life cycles. If you water down a grub treatment, it's not going to work on surface feeding insects. Depending on what you can get, it also likely isn't going to kill beetles anyway. Products like Provaunt that inhibit the growth of eggs only work on egg laying periods.

Insecticides may have other things written on the table as effective, but that usually a low bar. University of Kentucky has good trials of herbicides and Penn State has been doing some good stuff with White Grub trials.

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jamilynnfitz t1_jdsh5rn wrote

It's recommend to avoid clearing away last year's leaf clutter until temps are regularly above 50* because lots of beneficial insects and invertebrates over winter in those places.

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opuntina t1_jdsihqk wrote

That's Northern Mass FYI. Also, lawns are the devil.

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AnxiousWillingness t1_jdsjl25 wrote

You can thatch and put out your spring fertilizer anytime after dormancy ends. So south of Portland, probably no later than early April this year. Just make sure it's firm enough that you don't rip up everything.

Bugs is pretty broad, and varies widely on the product you're using too. We use a lot of acelepryn for grub control and hump that out anytime between mid April and late early June depending on where in Maine we are that day. Down south, should probably be done by the end of April. Or you can make a fall app, after 8/15.

Crabgrass preemergent needs to go out by mid may, maybe sooner this year because it's been so warm.

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wallonien t1_jdslswr wrote

You’ll get friendlier responses in r/lawncare

From a planting zone 5A lawncare enthusiast. Good luck with your lawn my friend

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Beasagdeux t1_jdsmszn wrote

don't be that way dude.

You be you.. but not everyone like mowing. My husband has hated it for as long as I have known him... our 30 yo son hates it as well.. though tbf he has horrible grass allergies.

I am also not a fan of gas powered chores. And even less of a fan of paying to water the damned lawn. The lawn is mostly clover... never had any issues with it for decades.. until the last 2 or 3 years.

So between the weather and the lawnmower... I'll be happy as heck to turn my yard into something other than grass.

I don't much care what it looks like as long as the neighbors don't complain and I don't have to mow.

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Twerks4Jesus t1_jdsmuxu wrote

Nah, fuck lawns. Put some bee friendly seed down. You'll save on water and have beautiful flowers.

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raggedtoad t1_jdsncno wrote

I don't give a shit if you don't have a lawn. Everyone is free to do what they want. If your front yard is just moss and pine needles, that's awesome. Low maintenance. I get it.

What I really don't like is the people like those in /r/fucklawns who make it their mission to shame other people for doing what they want with their own property.

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Imnotapoolman t1_jdsp3x1 wrote

Agree with what most people are saying. I dont do an initial mow for quite some time. I let it get shaggy and buzz it high first. Nothing special, some people go way overboard but my lawn comes in amazing and stays.

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guethlema t1_jdspbkh wrote

And like you mentioned, clover mixes don't require hardly any maintenance lol.

Yeah any subreddit that begins "fuck" is just awful. Like I agree with the tenants of that sub but i had to unsubscribe because it's just thousands of own-fart wafting and finger wagging posts.

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T00LJUNKIE t1_jdsr5h0 wrote

I started burning everything yesterday. Burn it all.

I have a massive overgrown yard that was neglected for years. Every year I pick away at it and beat it back more. At this point I'm so overwhelmed I'm literally going to burn everything I can and start over.

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PencillCat t1_jdsrdqd wrote

I've read anytime between late winter to early fall will work, early spring being a good time due to it being cool/wet and because seedlings are slow to start. I think it probably depends on the kind of clover too?

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siebzy t1_jdsrtm5 wrote

When the air temps are consistently above 50 degrees. We seeded micro clover in early September only to have it get totally washed out in a series of heavy thunderstorms. Will be trying again probably late April.

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AppointmentNo3240 OP t1_jdsrwbz wrote

We had to redo our yard a couple years back. The issue was that there was about 2 inches of topsoil and then construction stone. Nothing could grow. I have a neighbor who is clearing and burning and it’s starting to look nice.

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AnxiousWillingness t1_jdsxu61 wrote

Im going to throw a little more at you.

First, I'm a state licensed applicator, with qualifications in turf, biting fly and tick, and outdoor ornamental, among 3 or 4 others that aren't relevant.

That all said my experience and recommendations are largely limited to the products I use. I buy product by the pallet, not by the bag from Skillins or Ace.

Some quick notes on grub control chemicals:

Acelepryn is a lot less dangerous to pollinators than neonicotinoids (Merit, a Bayer product, is the most common of those products, but there are 4 or 5 common ones.) Acelepryn is still on patent, so only Syngenta makes it, and it's more expensive, so most DIY weed and feeds are still using neonics.

As has been explained to me by various groups in the trade, this is the last year for neonics in Maine, because they are so hard on bees. But the state let them go this year, because Acelepryn is set to come off patent the end of the year, so the price should fall after this season as other manufacturers begin to produce off brand versions.

Personally, we still sell Merit, because it's cheaper its what a lot of people want, but we've swapped almost all the applications we make over to acelepryn over the last few years, because it has a better PR image, and frankly it works better, is less dangerous to us and has a larger application window making it easier to get out across a varied client base.

So my advice is for an Acelepryn based product based on an average year, because that's where I'm most versed.

With Merit, off the top of my head, anytime in late May through maybe the 3rd week in June, earlier if it's a warm spring. You want to get the stuff down a couple weeks before you start to see a lot of Japanese beetles.

Most grub control applications work better if you water them in. Most of the commercial labels I work with specify watering in. So ideally, on anunirrigated lawn, you'd make your application right before a light rain.

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SagesseBleue t1_jdt4ij6 wrote

Came in hoping for some lawn work tidbits.

Left memorializing loss of social discourse.

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SadExtension524 t1_jdtc2vs wrote

I'm pursuing elimination of my lawn but it costs a lot so really that's what's holding me back. I think in the next week if it doesn't rain much I will start raking and doing some tidying up.

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International-Pen940 t1_jdtctef wrote

I tend to live with whatever is growing in the yard and only mow when it starts to look too scraggly. And I have the mower at the highest setting.

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fattius_maximus t1_jdtgie1 wrote

I always let my yard go to seed before I mow the first time. I’m not talking about 2 feet of grass by any means, but when the shorter local grasses have their seed stalks up and they have seeded it’s usually time. In my neck of the woods it’s usually around no more than a foot. But then again what do I know I only went to school for horticulture. The “No Mow May” is great on so many levels for the environment and wildlife. Kudos to you! Also not raking is awesome too! Not only do not have to rake leaves, you also can leave it for the critters that use them for shelter over the winter! Plus it breaks down into a nice natural fertilizer for your lawn and yard on that first mowing!

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kittymeowmeowffs t1_jdtoy4u wrote

New home owner here…I was actually in Home Depot today looking to buy a mower and get a rake to start clean up and the woman who helped me said wait until the grass is growing and it’s somewhat longer than you want before you cut it for the first time in the spring. Also, mulch the leaves (depending on coverage) in the first cut. Otherwise you risk drying out the grass before it’s ready to grow and thrive in its own. Sounds reasonable, but I’m a noob.

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Grmmff t1_jdtpe4b wrote

Please forgive me I'm new here. I would prefer to hold off mowing as long as possible for economic and ecological reasons, but what about ticks?
Someone told me that leaf litter and tall grass would increase ticks.

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anisleateher t1_jdtqa4m wrote

Friday was gorgeous and I was off. I cleaned up some of the yard that was bare and tended my indoor seedlings. Onions will go out in the garden soon once some more snow banks clear. In the forest, I thinned trees to select larger dominant trunks. I'm selecting maples in anticipation of tapping them in the future and prioritizing the mature oaks. Maybe timber in 40 years? I also stomped down fallen branches to get them in contact with the ground so they decompose faster. No mushrooms fruiting other than the jelly fungi on deadfall. They're edible, but mostly a culinary element for their texture.

It's way too early to mow but since people mentioned it, I don't mow till late in the season so the early flowers can do their thing and nourish pollinators. I am moving towards a no-mow lawn which actually does get mowed, but only once or twice a year. Lots of wild flowers.

Ramps! I cleared a few patches and spread seed. The established patches arent coming up yet, it's too early (although I did see some cultivated alliums popping up) .

I'm plotting where to put the fruit and nut trees that will be delivered next month. Maybe I ordered too many?

I spent a lot of time just slowly walking and observing the property. It's my second summer here, so I am still learning the land. It's only 3 acres but there is a lot going on if you stop and observe.

Can't wait to get outside more!

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PencillCat t1_jdtrxdd wrote

depends on your lawn I would imagine. Lawns generally don't get that tall during May to be tick infested, and I mow over any leaf litter to mulch. My backyard is surrounded by woods, so I'm going to have ticks around regardless. Lawns in more suburban/urban areas are less likely to have a problem.

but yes the taller the grass the more ticks it will attract.

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rectumish t1_jdtv2cz wrote

tear up the lawn and plant creeping thyme.

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Grmmff t1_jdtybsf wrote

Thank you! I'm mostly concerned with keeping ticks of my 7 month old. I want to spend as much time outside as possible. But I also worry that finding ticks on my baby will break my poor sleep deprived mind.

Our backyard is also surrounded by woods...

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PencillCat t1_jdtzg4s wrote

Understandable. Generally ticks like to hang out on shrubs and tall grasses (where they can jump onto people/animals that walk by). I've only encountered ticks on my property when dealing with the tall weeds that grow along the edges of the woods, never just hanging out on my lawn. They kind of like wet/shaded areas the most. So as long as long as you take precautions in areas like that you'll be fine. But it's also a good idea to get in the habit of doing a "tick check" everytime you come inside. It takes a little while for the buggers to really latch on, so routine checks are a good habit.

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fattius_maximus t1_jduvzdi wrote

Honestly, that’s never a concern for me. I have just 4 chickens. They provide more than enough protection from ticks for my 2 acres of a bit of woods and almost 1.5 acres of grass. Ticks suck, before I had those lovely ladies on my side property we had a lot. However we never sprayed pesticides because it doesn’t do anything but harm your land. I’m not on the up and up on how to destroy those little demons. But they are great feed for my chickens!

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Grmmff t1_jduyvdp wrote

Honestly, I'm so tempted, but the thought of MORE living creatures to be responsible for right now is too much. Maybe next year.
Yea, no pesticides. Need bugs for baby to catch when he's older.

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MonsterByDay t1_jduyvyi wrote

I don't do anything until memorial day weekend for environmental reasons. A lot of beneficial bugs make use of the grass in the sealy spring.

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hagak t1_jdvjpup wrote

This I am interested in. I am trying to reduce my mowing as much as possible. Currently just have to mow a small backyard area and a larger but still not that big leach field area. I have been putting wildflower mixes down in areas that I have no need to walk in (some of the wildflowers get thick and TALL). If switching from very unmaintained grass (I just mow, nothing else) what is involved to go to clover? Will the clover overtake most of the existing grass or will have still have really tall grass coming up. Reason is both areas require some foot traffic and it is not fun walking through tall grass.

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hagak t1_jdvkdap wrote

oh i do, i barely mow every other week and I dont start until June. Cause I hate mowing and we do have some clover and dandelions and like I said I have a nice amount of wildflowers, butterflies and humming birds love it. I see a few bees but not much.

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fattius_maximus t1_jdw8xij wrote

Yeah, I get the MORE part. I have a household of dogs, birds and even Guinea pig or two or 3. I was sure glad to have the ladies when egg prices went up. I had to buy eggs once in the last 2 years. Just not the same.

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piratecheese13 t1_jdwaulo wrote

Step 1: plant clover

Step 2: clear leaves and branches mid May

Step 3: nothing. Clover doesn’t grow high enough to mow, promotes pollination with low height flowers, drinks less water and is perfect for all sports but golf short game

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ComplexLeather986 t1_jdxcouw wrote

I’ve heard that Guinea hens eat the hell out of tick populations but also know their “scream” is um.. obnoxious, and that everything startles them. Husband and I just bought my aunts house with a great coop and definitely want to get some birds in there so I’d love some info on types.

Also - ticks give me anxiety. I had late disseminated Lyme in 2018 and it took years for the symptoms to go away. Also have a toddler so spraying is out.

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LIdirtfarmer t1_je2c8fm wrote

I'm sorry dude, but this is so wrong. Dealing in absolutes, you will always be wrong. There are A FEW products that do move through the food chain like that, but any new chemistry and most old ones that are still registered do not do this.

I appreciate that you're looking out for the environment, but these are half truths.

Sincerely, Golf Course Superintendent and licensed Master Applicator.

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