Magic lawn elixer

[VNTS]

Soda, for the sugar but you could buy molasses much cheaper.
Beer I guess the enzymes, yeast
Soap surfactant
mouthwash?? alcohol which will then kil the yeast and good guys in the soil
Ammonia, nitrogen

A gallon of ammonia will not have near enough nitrogen to feed a lawn. Most will take 2 lb per 1000 sq ft. of nitrogen per year or more.

So your looking at 5 lb per 1000 of a 20-4-8 twice a year.
As I said there are much better means of treating your lawn.

 

[SteveSRT8]

Just contact your local carpet cleaner and get him to dump his waste water on your lawn.

Just enough soaps ti kill the bugs and tons of healthy organics and dirt for fertilizer!

 

[Shannow]

Originally Posted By: javacontour
Interesting about weeds and clay. If you are trying to break down the clay, then weeds are your friend. They typically can grow roots through the clay better than grass and other desirable plants.

Eventually the weeds have to go, but short term, a few weeds are your friend when it comes to breaking up clay soil.


When the soil's mature, the weeds just go, and the grass thrives.

My front yard has dandelioned up ATM, after 7-8 years of grass.

Something's gone awry.

 

[tonycarguy]

I have clay soil and a few years ago I started using gypsum and liquid soil aerator 2-4 times per year. This year I have not used either product and my lawn is probably the greenest on the street. You have to be patient as these products take a few years to really work. Now all I do is mow every 5 days (mulch), water 3-4 times per week, and use ammonium sulfate 2x per year.

Another thing I did last year was to add iron. You don't need to buy iron fertilizer. I just went through the garage to find iron stuff that I don't need, then toss it into a bucket of water and let it sit until it rusts out. Then mix a little of that iron solution with regular water and pour it onto the lawn. Cost = $0.00

 

[tonycarguy]

Originally Posted By: SteveSRT8
Just contact your local carpet cleaner and get him to dump his waste water on your lawn.

Just enough soaps ti kill the bugs and tons of healthy organics and dirt for fertilizer!


Too much waste detergent will make your soil alkaline. The "dirt" in dirty carpet waste water has little organic fertilizer value. It's mainly dirt that blew into the house or was tracked into the house under your shoes. It doesn't decompose into anything useful for the lawn.

Another tip: If you have a freshwater aquarium, dump the waste water on your plants/grass. It is very high in nitrogen

 

[crinkles]

i wish my lawn would die ever so slightly. our soil is TOO fertile and the rain is to good for it. makes my summers [censored].

 

[Shannow]

Originally Posted By: tonycarguy
Another thing I did last year was to add iron. You don't need to buy iron fertilizer. I just went through the garage to find iron stuff that I don't need, then toss it into a bucket of water and let it sit until it rusts out. Then mix a little of that iron solution with regular water and pour it onto the lawn. Cost = $0.00


Better still, find some rusty stuff that you want to keep, soak it in a mollases water mix, and only use the rust bit.

 

[demarpaint]

I have Zoysia grass, which is the best looking lawn on the block until late fall when it turns brown. All the seeded and sod lawns die and this thrives. I'm in direct sunlight all day long, and would not be able to keep a lawn. I wonder how the mix mentioned would work on my grass? It still looks great inspite of the lack of rain and hot spell we've had.

 

[Drew99GT]

After looking at some of the lawn forums, seems most of the experts use some form of sugar such as molasses, and even beer, mixed with dishwashing soap, to combat severe thatch problems. So this mix Jerry Baker came up with, while being maligned by the "elite" grass snobs, is essentially the same thing they use!

 

[SteveSRT8]

Originally Posted By: tonycarguy
Too much waste detergent will make your soil alkaline. The "dirt" in dirty carpet waste water has little organic fertilizer value. It's mainly dirt that blew into the house or was tracked into the house under your shoes. It doesn't decompose into anything useful for the lawn.


Common misconceptions. You may wish to note that in 210 gallons of our waste water there is about 24 ounces of detergent! Not really a problem at all. It's all USDA food grade stuff that is as 'green' as it gets!

And most of the stuff we take from the average job is proteins... the insolubles are dealt with PRIOR to any water by expensive commercial pile lifter/vacs. That simply gets discarded.

This waste water makes a 60 foot circle of rich green grass on my property year round. Many of my neighbors have asked to purchase it.

 

[Pablo]

So I started doing this juice. It takes a few applications, but it does cut down on watering. Beats paying the Lawn Chem dudes - my lawn must be screaming for chemicals, those dirtbags are pounding on my door at least once a week.

I adjust the formula for certain areas. The dry hard sloping areas, I add a bit more soap. Faster growing areas I adjust the ammonia. Near the patio, more beer. Near the neighbor, more mouthwash.

 

[Johnny]

I used to do the beer thing, but every time I would pee off the deck it would create a brown spot on the lawn.

 

[Drew99GT]

After reviewing these lawn tonics, the ammonia part for nitrogen is essentially useless - household ammonia has hardly any nitrogen. So I've substituted that with Miracle Gro liquid lawn food. I've also added ground up jalapeno/garlic clove juice (blend 10 cloves of garlic and a jalapeno or 2, let the juice sit for a day, and strain it), along with a couple teaspoons of vinegar, to the mix. The peppers/garlic get rid of bugs; the vinegar helps with fungus. My lawn looks better then when I had the idiots from Trugreen out every month.

Oh, a also do 3 ounces/1000 sq. ft. of liquid molasses in place of a can of pop for thatch - helps feed soil microbes.

I also finally found a place that makes a pure 100% certified organic fertilizer, with chicken manure, bone and feather meal. Going that route for 1 more fertilization this year and all of next year, along with my custom lawn tonic.

 

[Bill in Utah]

Originally Posted By: Drew99GT
I think the one thing in this formula that helps my lawn is the dishwashing soap - the soil in my yard is beyond clay - it's cement. The soap seems to act as a surfactant and helps water penetrate into the soil.

That's why I use granulated revive instead of fertilizer.

I can aerate my lawn 10 times a year and it still won't break up the soil enough - just leaves hols in the clay.



My soil is the same. Clay is the rule out here.

I just understand that during the hot months my lawn will have a few dry spots. I don't over water so my neighbor who waters every day (we are to water 3 times a week max) and his lawn is perfect gets fined more when the inspector comes driving by.

I think his last ticket was $250. Next one is $1000!

Just started a lawn service guy who comes by every 4-6 weeks and sprays stuff. I've had such a year with weeds and never able to spray without burning the lawn due to temps.

I'll see how it works. First time for me trying a service like this.

Bill

 

[dwcopple]

sprayed mine last night with:
8oz beer
8oz mountain dew throwback
1/2 cup mouthwash
1/2 cup epsom salt
1/2 cup woolite
1/2 cup ammonia

set hose end sprayer at 4oz per gallon and saturated the front lawn. I'll let you know if there is any changes.

 

[mcrn]

Originally Posted By: mrsilv04
I happen to have a "6 gallon" hose end sprayer in the garage.... how does that compare to a "10 gallon" sprayer, and how do I compensate for the difference in the 6 to 10?


How does it compare? Your 6 gallon is 6/10th's the size of the 10 gallon.

How do you compensate? You put in 6/10th of the ingredients.

And to do that you would just multiply the recipe by 0.6.