Lawn Improvement Spotlight: Sports Radio 950 KJR’s “You Can Only Have One” Contest Winner
Lawn Improvement Spotlight
2020 Sports Radio Contest in Partnership with 950 KJR FM
In Spring of 2020, Dave “Softy” Mahler of Seattle sports station 950 KJR held an exciting radio contest dubbed, “Sports Radio 950 KJR’s You Can Only Have One” NCAA-Style Bracket Contest in which listeners got to cast their votes for who they thought was the better player between two present or past sports icons. The winner of the contest would get to choose from several prize packages, including a complete lawn makeover courtesy of our Turf Experts at Hendrikus Organics!
2020 Winner Selected
Nathan Duncan, a Technical Sergeant with the United States Airforce currently serving at Altus AFB in Oklahoma, was the grand prize winner! Nathan seized the opportunity to give his Mom the gift of a new lawn for Mother’s Day and selected the Hendrikus Organics Lawn Renovation prize package!
Here is a look at how the complete lawn renovation played out!
The Initial Meeting with Nathan’s Mom, Sue:
To “kick-off” the lawn renovation project, our Turf Expert Michael Schafer met with Sue at her home to check out the condition of her lawn. And it sure did need some help! Michael took several core samples from various sections of Sue’s lawn and sent the soil sample (approximately two cups worth) to A & L Labs in Portland to have the soil’s nutrients analyzed. The lab results indicated that the soil had a good pH, and was overall in decent shape, but that it was severely low in nitrogen.
Michael determined that the soil could sustain healthy lawn growth with proper amending. Since the lawn space was not that big, Michael decided to tear out all the existing grass and start from scratch giving Sue a brand-new lawn!
A Step-By-Step Guide to the Lawn Renovation Project
Here is a look at how we transformed Sue’s lawn:
Step 1:
Michael and Turf Specialist Chris Seibel removed all the existing lawn and weeds from the yard using a straight-spade and some muscle-power.
Step 2:
Next, six – 25lb bags of Axis Diatomaceous Earth was applied to the surface of the soil and was raked in evenly to the top 3-4 inches of soil. The application of Axis will help hold moisture in the soil during Summer and will reduce the need for watering. Additionally, the Axis will absorb and contain excess moisture (like a sponge) during Winter to keep the soil dryer. Axis also helps to increase the number of soil microbes by increasing the air pore spaces and by keeping the soil moist enough for them to flourish.
Step 3:
50lbs of HuMagic – Humic Acid granular was then raked evenly through the top 3-4 inches of soil to increase the nutrient uptake of the new lawn through organic chelation, added carbon, beneficial soil microbes, and trace nutrients.
Step 4:
The lawn was then given a healthy fertilization using Hendrikus Organics Complete 6-4-4 to start building the organic nutrients in the soil and ensure the soil has everything that the new lawn seed would need for proper development and dense growth.
Step 5:
The prepped and amended soil was then seeded with Hendrikus Organics Sun & Shade Turf Seed mix at a rate of approximately 11lbs per 1,000 square feet. This organic seed blend forms an aggressively thick green grass covering that does equally well in sunny or shady areas. As an added bonus, our Organic Sun & Shade mix also reduces unwanted grass varieties and weeds from forming in the future and is disease resistant.
Step 6:
To further nurture the turf seed and aid in its initial growth, Michael and Chris applied a light top dressing of approximately ¼ inch thick peat moss on top of the seed. The peat moss held in the moisture which promoted seed germination.
Michael and Chris then left to let nature do what it does best for a while and start growing the grass.
Step 7:
Approximately three weeks later, once the lawn had grown to about two inches, Michael applied Hendrikus Organics Nitrogen Plus 10-0-2 to the new growth lawn. The organic nitrate in Nitrogen Plus 10-0-2 gave the grass an instant boost of nutrients needed to grow in thick and luscious. Nitrogen Plus 10-0-2 also contains slow releasing nitrogen that provides ongoing nutrients to the grass once broken down by soil microbes.
Step 8:
To finish the lawn renovation project, Michael used a straight spade to cut a nice edge around the lawn to make it easier to maintain.
Sue was delightfully pleased with the results of her lawn makeover and now has the greenest grass in her neighborhood! You do not need to be a sports fanatic or a contest winner to have your own luscious green lawn. Follow the steps in our Turf Renovation Programs and enjoy a lawn that is green, healthy, and free of any harmful chemicals!