Question
Hi, I live in NJ and my water is supplied by a well in the middle of my lawn. I am really limited on the amount of water I use so I don't really water my lawn to often. This summer has been extremly hot and most of my law has turned brown or has died.  All that seems to be thriving is crab grass and weeds.  I do not like to use any fertilizers on my lawn.  What would your recomendations be for re-seeding and weed prevention.
Thanks

Answer
Hi Craig.
I just happened to look at my ratings. I don't usually do that often, so if you ask me a follow-up question in there, I may not see it for a couple of weeks. Better to post a follow-up in here, or as a new question.
you can put the sugar on anytime.
Unlike chemical lawn products, the organic things don't burn if the weather is too hot etc, so you can put sugar or any of the other things on your lawm, anytime.
You might try looking on The Gardener's supply site at their rain barrels, or look at this site and check out these water wells.
You can drill them yourself, the rig and enough of what you need to drill a well, for a couple of thousand dollars.
I plan to get one for my son's place, because he is very limited to what he can water out there. Their water supply lake is so low, they are restricted to NL watering outside at all, except for livestock.
He has a couple of sun flooded acres I want to put an orchard on, and it needs lots of water.
I plan to lease the rig to others who want to drill themselves, for a nominal amount, to pay me back for my well, and them some.

For rain barrels check out
   
http://nga-gardenshop.stores.yahoo.net/
  and

www.gardeners.com
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For the wells. check out

http://www.hydratek2000.com/
This is the one I am buying.
It is about half the price of nother brand, just like it.
This one is advertised in Mother Earth News website.
Since you already have a well, you may be aboe to just put in new pipes etc.
Bet you could rent it out to other people around there to drill themselves a well, or make a part time business of drilling them. You don;'t have to take down a fence or plow up the yard with a truch. this goes through a standard gate.
Charlotte






Hi Craig;
Well. watering is essential if you are going to have a good lawn.with a well, I would think you would have a lot of water for your lawn.
Do you also have city water in your house?
If you do, you could use that water to suppliment if your well doesn't produce that much water.
Organics and deep watering is all I have done to my lawn for the past 8 years.
I water to a depth of at least 6 inches.
I don't use sprinklers because in intense heat, 50% or more will evaporate and never reach the ground. The soaker joses oput it ALL on my soil. I lay them out and let the water run till it starts to run off the lawn, then i turn it off and wau=it an hour or so, and turn them on again. I keep doing that till it has soaked down at least 6 inches.
I live in North Texas, and we are on our 34th day of over 100 te,p.
I water once a week. I cut my grass at the highesdt setting on my mower. The taller blads help shade the soil some, and with the deep watering, when the top few inches are dry, there is still moisture down where the roots are.
Sugar is all I have put on my lawn each spring and fall,for 8 years, and watered it in well, and all my crabgrass and other weeds are long gone.
The started disappearing the second week after I applied it the first time, and the next spring, only about half as many came up. the third year there were very few, and the fourth year, there were none at all. They start to disappear after a coule of weeks. Weeds love poor soil and won't thrive in rich soil.
Organics also attracts the beneficial critters that eat all th harmful insects, so you have no need to buy pesticides.
What the sugar does is nourish the beneficial microbes that work round the clock, enriching the soil.
I apply 1 pound per 250 sq.ft of lawn and gardens