Yard freaks

[bosstones]

Originally Posted by CTinline-six

It should be fine for that. I would change the fluid to a 15w50 synthetic (Tuff Torq now recommends this) at around 100 hours or so and you should be fine from there. It isn't a bad transmission, but many people use them for ground engaging attachments like plows to push dirt and tow heavy things and wonder they they don't last. I think especially because of the price the Deere brand carries, many end up buying a smaller machine than they actually need.

Thnx for the SA. I've been trying to get over to the local dealer since Tuesday but no joy so far. Settled on the X350. Not sure if is worth the extra few hundred bucks for the 4-wheel steering of the X354.

[lsturbointeg]

Originally Posted by TXSTYLE

And thanks to my sister & bro in law for bringing us some beautiful and vibrant Mexican Talavera Pots and Wall Art to brighten up our Patio.

Very colorful!

[CTinline-six]

Originally Posted by bosstones

Thnx for the SA. I've been trying to get over to the local dealer since Tuesday but no joy so far. Settled on the X350. Not sure if is worth the extra few hundred bucks for the 4-wheel steering of the X354.

It makes mowing around trees easier but in my opinion it isn't worth the added complexity. X350 is a nice machine for sure, are you going with the 42" or 48" deck? Both give a great cut.

[Savageenterprise]

Some stuff starting to bloom finally

[UncleWede]

I can't post any more pictures of my lawn. While you guys are all celebrating the new birth/greening, mine is already turning brown. I'm on the BoD for our water company, so I have a very difficult time watering my lawn to get a green one while simultaneously telling people we need to conserve water to meet our allocation.

The vegetable garden, though, WILL get water. Even if I have to tote 5-gallon buckets from the shower.

Cali is so nerdy/petrified of "grey water" I'd have to get permits, annual inspections, ridiculous other amounts of government intrusion if I wanted to send my washing machine and shower to a tank to water my garden and trees.

[lsturbointeg]

just ordered 2 bags of CarbonX from "The Lawn Care Nut!

[///3dkn]

Me every week..

[bosstones]

Originally Posted by CTinline-six

It makes mowing around trees easier but in my opinion it isn't worth the added complexity. X350 is a nice machine for sure, are you going with the 42" or 48" deck? Both give a great cut.

Was thinking the same thing (re: complexity) and the money saved could get me halfway to the bagger attachment or cover a core aerator.

I was thinking the 42" deck since I'll have to squeeze it into my garage until I can build my deck w/ underdeck storage (I can't have sheds in my town). I also try to rationalize that the 48" gains me a single pass savings for every 5-ish passes. I'm going to head over to the dealer this morning and make the purchase. I'll measure the space in the garage before flipping a coin on the deck, though. As it is, I'll have to move one of my rolling cabinets and squeeze the LT in between the Moupe and X1.

Thnx for all the feedback, too!

Originally Posted by webmeezer

You won't regret it, the Deere is a beast, especially their cutting decks. I abuse mine terribly over our 6 acres. Not sure about 4 wheel steering, but I'd love to see an Xdrive model
Depending on your use, storage and how long you keep it, you can get any part you want online (you will need them for longterm use, including tires (I just tube them up the first year and get over it)).

I do find that their cutting decks don't always do well if you're cutting with the deck tilted left or right, so I do the hills either diagonally or better, straight up and down. I have one hill that's probably got a 30% slope and the Deere just crawls up it no problem.

To be fair, we do a fair amount of "wood chipping" with the mower (far too satisfying) as the property has a couple of acres of wooded area (including several Willows, which lose limbs faster than I do hair ) so tree limbs are always an issue. Never had a blade bearing fail on a Deere though, but the blades do need sharpening (and beating back into shape) yearly.

This is our 2nd Deere in 15 years, and we probably put around 50 hours a year on them.

Thnx for the SA! The lady I spoke w/ at the dealer last week mentioned people putting tubes in. They'll do it for pretty cheap so maybe I'll just go that route.

I'll admit....even though the X350 has an option, paltry brush guard.....I kinda want to get it so I can put a light bar on it.

[roastbeef]

The praying mantises are hatched and on duty. I was on vacation and they must have hatched a day or so ago. Only the strongest survived, but they were thirsty. They quickly found some dew on the leaves and got a drink. They are now guarding the lime tree.

[lsturbointeg]

Originally Posted by roastbeef

The praying mantises are hatched and on duty. I was on vacation and they must have hatched a day or so ago. Only the strongest survived, but they were thirsty. They quickly found some dew on the leaves and got a drink. They are now guarding the lime tree.

[Yapakanichi]

ok I now want praying mantises. I had to research the benefits and YES they are so useful. Good for you. How'd you get them or attract them?

[roastbeef]

Originally Posted by knowthebattle

ok I now want praying mantises. I had to research the benefits and YES they are so useful. Good for you. How'd you get them or attract them?

This is the brand I've used twice now and they hatched both times. You'll probably get around 150ish. I didn't get to these guys for a day or two so they ate each other. lol viscous little bastards.

Just know that not all of them stick around... they have to figure out how to get food and it isn't efficient for them to compete. You'll see one on a wall or something every few days or so as they get bigger.

[lsturbointeg]

Originally Posted by ///3dkn

Me every week..

i'm pretty built so sometimes i'll mow with my shirt off when it's freakin' hot as ef. i'm sure the ladies in the neighborhood appreciate that. the husbands...not so much i'm waiting for my HOA to knock on my door and tell me to knock it off or fine $ me

[bosstones]

Well...it is done...delivery next Saturday. Ended up w/ a X354 (4 wheel steering) but only because there was still a couple of 2018 model year units still in inventory. Same specs as a 2019 but discounted additionally beyond the current Deere promotion. Simple, beefy mechanical linkages and zerks to grease them so we'll see how it goes. In the end, the cost differential wasn't bad at all over a 2019 X350.

Also picked up the core aerator and de-thatching attachments both pull-behind). Oh...and the brush guard, too.....even though I don't have much brush or landscaping. Tbh...I feel compelled to put a light bar on it for some reason.

[lsturbointeg]

got some mowing done today!

[lsturbointeg]

Originally Posted by bosstones

Also picked up the core aerator and de-thatching attachments both pull-behind). Oh...and the brush guard, too.....even though I don't have much brush or landscaping. Tbh...I feel compelled to put a light bar on it for some reason.

you'll appreciate those attachments!

[///3dkn]

I'm still kind of new to this whole yard thing and I'm definitely dominating my neighbors at the moment.

Can anyone tell me what kind of grass I have? Im thinking Zoysia. Also I'm in Hawaii.

Thanks

[RickFLM4]

Is it soft or coarse? It looks like Zoysia, but if coarse perhaps St. Augustine, although it doesn't really look like St. Augustine to me. What is typical in Hawaii? Is there a cooperative extension that can help?

[bosstones]

Originally Posted by webmeezer

Congrats. It IS a 12vdc system

Get to mowing (wife doing first half of the front yard)

Thnx. Indeed it is! I also kinda want to vinyl wrap some of it, too.

Originally Posted by lsturbointeg

you'll appreciate those attachments!

Having raked most of the backyard manually...you bet! I need to go calculate the intersect where the lawn & mowing company costs would cross what I just forked out. Still, it'll be good to have more direct control over the lawn.

Originally Posted by lsturbointeg

the RGS in the CarbonX to me is just a bonus. not only that but it also has all your necessary micronutrients as well. this in the long run is actually much cheaper than Milorganite. I usually need 10 bags of Milo for my yard whereas I only need 1 bag of CarbonX. I ordered 2 bags since this should take care of my fertilizer needs for the rest of the year

I have a 4 gallon backpack sprayer so I combine both RGS/Humic12. apply mid Spring and that another Mid summer and that's it. I try to keep it simple and not over do it.

my regimen every year is early spring I would pretty much cut the dormant grass down to an inch to get rid of all the brown, dead grass.
Than dethatch/aerate. wait a week or 2 for the plugs to break down than throw down my pre emergent for crabgrass. the following week is when I apply my first app of RGS/Humic12. about May is when you'll start to see the broadleafs coming in like dandylions and clover. I usually spot spray for those.

Sounds like I generally had the right order (save the differing steps of seeding). Why mix the Humic-12 w/ the RGS when the RGS has at least some humic in it already?

I've got some weeds coming up now...a few dandelions but mostly some tall thing that I can't identify.

I was thinking of ordering seed from GCI but man that is pricey. At a 6 lbs/1,000 sq ft rate, I'd need 3 bags which is $360+s/h. I might wait until next Saturday to see what Russo has available in bulk. I'll admit that I'm a bit unsure what grass type to seed with. Russo has mostly ryegrass but it seems that a mixture of other grass would be wise for Chicago.

Yeah, the Carbon-X is more cost effective. I added it to my little Excel calculator to figure out how many fert bags and approx cost I'd need. I just select which parts of the yard from a drop down and the formulas do the rest. I can also adjust the coverage/application rate as needed.

[lsturbointeg]

Originally Posted by bosstones

Thnx. Indeed it is! I also kinda want to vinyl wrap some of it, too.



Having raked most of the backyard manually...you bet! I need to go calculate the intersect where the lawn & mowing company costs would cross what I just forked out. Still, it'll be good to have more direct control over the lawn.



Sounds like I generally had the right order (save the differing steps of seeding). Why mix the Humic-12 w/ the RGS when the RGS has at least some humic in it already?

I've got some weeds coming up now...a few dandelions but mostly some tall thing that I can't identify.

I was thinking of ordering seed from GCI but man that is pricey. At a 6 lbs/1,000 sq ft rate, I'd need 3 bags which is $360+s/h. I might wait until next Saturday to see what Russo has available in bulk. I'll admit that I'm a bit unsure what grass type to seed with. Russo has mostly ryegrass but it seems that a mixture of other grass would be wise for Chicago.

Yeah, the Carbon-X is more cost effective. I added it to my little Excel calculator to figure out how many fert bags and approx cost I'd need. I just select which parts of the yard from a drop down and the formulas do the rest. I can also adjust the coverage/application rate as needed.

there's only 6% Humic in the RGS which as you know the RGS is for Root Growth stimulant whereas with conjunction with Humic12 which has 12% which helps with your soil amendment as well as increased nutrient uptake for the grass. really in a nutshell from what I learned with Humic Acid is it's all part of allowing the grass to survive hot summers and less water because of the Humic. The RGS helps allow the roots to grow deeper into the soil to access the micro nutrients and water to also survive the hot summers.

Pete from GCI does have some nice grass seed which i'll be using here in the fall for overseeding. I like his tall fescue and his grass seems to do very well. tho pretty pricey it's not too bad compared to where Ryan Knorr, Jake and Allyn Hayne buys some of there seed from "The Super Seed Store" they are really pricey on their fescues. I had a smaller lot out from that I wiped out due to some tall clumping fescues which really got annoying when mowing but I ended up going to my local nursery and picking up their variety of tall fescue. i'm not a fan of rye grass.

I would just spot spray those dandelions or if it's really bad do a blanket treatment. I use Spectrecide from Menards. does the job and I buy the concentrated bottle which gives me more product for the season.

[///3dkn]

Originally Posted by RickFLM4

Is it soft or coarse? It looks like Zoysia, but if coarse perhaps St. Augustine, although it doesn't really look like St. Augustine to me. What is typical in Hawaii? Is there a cooperative extension that can help?

It is soft-ish and feels good to walk on. Hawaii has warm season grass.. so Bermuda, Centipede, St. Augustine, and Zoysia? :

I'm currently cutting it 3" twice a week (Wed and Sat). I'm also watering it only 3x week as water in Hawaii is expensive. I'll take a better picture after my next cut.

[Yapakanichi]

I think it's centipede grass