2022 Lawn and Landscape

[cactusflinthead 27601]

2 hours ago, swraith said:

Will there be any lawn left to mow with this kind of heat in TX? My lawn has already said fuck off.  Shriveled blades of grass going brown. I just want to keep my trees alive at this point.

How often are you watering? I hit mine once a week and soak the hell out of it. Thick and aggressive so far. It's ready after a week of the blast furnace but it's doing well.

[Ten Bears 2483]

https://otolawn.com/pages/lawn

 

Anyone try this sprinkler doodad?  Looks like it has potential.

[Ten Bears 2483]

So this thread died? 

Just like my lawn.

[texasdago 7577]

Anyone using anything like Azomite or MicroLife products to try to keep their plants semi-healthy in this miserable heat?  

[Post Oak 20256]

I've been using alfalfa pellets.  Just because that's what I always use.  They don't have to be watered in and they help build soil.

[hookemATL 11830]

My unshaded St. Augustine looks to be commiting slow suicide.  Fuck the blastfurnace.  

[Ten Bears 2483]

So is the play to water just enough so that my St. Augustine and Bermuda don't completely die or will it come back if I just stop watering altogether? 

[BillyBadAss 189]

I put in a lot of new St Augustine in May after a pool build ruined half the lawn. Just in time for this mess..  

Most of it is doing okay, but starting to die back in the no-shade areas now as you might expect. 

I'm torn between whether I should mostly stop mowing, let it grow longer to shade itself and retain what little moisture it's getting - vs - continue mowing weekly to encourage the roots to grow deeper. 

Any thoughts? 

[cactusflinthead 27601]

9 hours ago, Ten Bears said:

So is the play to water just enough so that my St. Augustine and Bermuda don't completely die or will it come back if I just stop watering altogether? 

Pretty much. The yard is doing better than the flower pots. It's a wonder they are still kicking.

[Gourmand 7774]

This has been a tough summer for my lawn and it's doing okay overall, but two of my neighbors are kicking my ass in the lawn domination game and it pisses me off. 

I've been watering twice a week but my watering regimen in my front lawn is affected negatively by two sprinkler zones that won't reliably pop up so I have to hand water those areas and it's a hassle. I've been told by an irrigation specialist that I need to replace the pressure regulator valve coming off the main water line which involves hiring a plumber to replace it. 

I have some growing yellow areas in my front yard that I suspect are caused by soil compaction. I don't think it's fungus because I don't typically water at night and I've thrown down fungicide earlier this season. Soil maintenance is my main battle right now and it seems almost inevitable that a portion of my bermuda is headed for dormancy with this unrelenting heat. I try to give those areas a deep soaking when I water but the soil won't soften up to allow for the water to penetrate efficiently and get water to those roots. I guess I need to rent an aerator in  late summer/ early fall and get that soil loosened up and also throw down some more topsoil and sand. 

[Gourmand 7774]

On 7/13/2022 at 11:48 AM, Ten Bears said:

https://otolawn.com/pages/lawn

 

Anyone try this sprinkler doodad?  Looks like it has potential.

Eh, save your money, that looks goofy af to me. You can DIY an above ground sprinkler setup with pvc pipe and cheap pop up sprinklers. Al the other stuff is just normal fertilizer/fungicide/insecticides that you can apply with a hose end sprayer or rotary spreader.

[Anastasis 23481]

29 minutes ago, Gourmand said:

I've been watering twice a week but my watering regimen in my front lawn is affected negatively by two sprinkler zones that won't reliably pop up so I have to hand water those areas and it's a hassle. I've been told by an irrigation specialist that I need to replace the pressure regulator valve coming off the main water line which involves hiring a plumber to replace it. 

 

Check for a pressure regulator on your backflow build out as well.  I had a couple irrigation guys tell me the exact same thing and the fucking adjustable pressure regulator was above group in line with my backflow prevent.  This is probably an atypical set up, but worth a good look. 

[BonzoMontreaux 1071]

So do you gents pay attention to watering restrictions?  I am about to cut down to 1 day.  The city I live in wants to restrict watering from 8am-10am one day a week.

I have a lawn service for grass, trees and shrubs.  All of which look good still(front lawn with regard to grass).  Looks like I am about to sacrifice most of the back yard to keep the front looking as good as possible.

 

[NoName 16369]

any recs for buying decent st aug plugs from somewhere here in Texas? or am i better off buying some sod off of someone's job locally (or from local place that happens to sell fri to sunday lol) and cutting plugs myself

alternatively, is it worth it to try and move some st aug runners to some of my bare spots or areas where i am looking to recover from TARR? know a guy who swears by basically removing the runners, sitting them in water to root for ~2 weeks then planting them

[cactusflinthead 27601]

1 hour ago, NoName said:

any recs for buying decent st aug plugs from somewhere here in Texas? or am i better off buying some sod off of someone's job locally (or from local place that happens to sell fri to sunday lol) and cutting plugs myself

alternatively, is it worth it to try and move some st aug runners to some of my bare spots or areas where i am looking to recover from TARR? know a guy who swears by basically removing the runners, sitting them in water to root for ~2 weeks then planting them

Shipped plugs are dry as toast. Would not recommend.

Piece of sod placed on chunk of scrap lumber and cut to size with a machete is a better option. 

[cactusflinthead 27601]

3 hours ago, BonzoMontreaux said:

So do you gents pay attention to watering restrictions?  I am about to cut down to 1 day.  The city I live in wants to restrict watering from 8am-10am one day a week.

I have a lawn service for grass, trees and shrubs.  All of which look good still(front lawn with regard to grass).  Looks like I am about to sacrifice most of the back yard to keep the front looking as good as possible.

 

Those hours are insane. I water one day a week voluntarily. Soak the hell out of it after the weekly mow and it's fine. 

There are a lot of people that skirt the rules though. 

[cactusflinthead 27601]

6 hours ago, BonzoMontreaux said:

So do you gents pay attention to watering restrictions?  I am about to cut down to 1 day.  The city I live in wants to restrict watering from 8am-10am one day a week.

I have a lawn service for grass, trees and shrubs.  All of which look good still(front lawn with regard to grass).  Looks like I am about to sacrifice most of the back yard to keep the front looking as good as possible.

 

I have thought about your watering hours at least half a dozen times today. 

Here's my game plan. Run it the full 2 hours. Watch the system run if you haven't already. Limit the zones that are marginally effective. Shrubs can be watered with a hose even under some strict regulations. 

It's easy to figure out your current run time. Adjust accordingly. I'd be interested to learn what it is.

[BonzoMontreaux 1071]

5 hours ago, cactusflinthead said:

Those hours are insane. I water one day a week voluntarily. Soak the hell out of it after the weekly mow and it's fine. 

There are a lot of people that skirt the rules though. 

I try not to skirt the rules.  I have been trying to keep up with the restrictions but we had an expected death in the family and I am having to deal with estate stuff.  So, I am still watering 2x's a week.  I will adjust before my next watering time.

Regard to watering as you mentioned in the second reply, that is pretty much what I decided on doing.  I have a Rachio controller so this should be pretty easy to plan out.

[texasdago 7577]

We get to water 1x a week with an irrigation system... 2x a week with a hose end sprinkler.  Right now, the grass is looking mostly OK.  Its shaded by the afternoon sun and most of our property is xeriscaped.  As for what St. Augustine we do have, honestly, I haven't cut it in about 6 weeks and it looks fine... its not growing much right now.  Just trying to hang on.  It looks like it hasn't been mowed in 2 weeks, not 6 weeks.  I figure keeping it long and shaded is better.

[Post Oak 20256]

We get to water 2x a week.  Although we only water 1x.  It seems like such a waste of water..  We're gonna rip out a lot of our underused lawn and make bigger beds.  

[Mrs Whiggins 13050]

Water twice a week with hose end sprinklers. Lawn mostly looks good, save one spot that is not easily turned into a bedding area. Any other problem areas we put in edging and suitable plants for shade/sun and then mulched. Laid down drip irrigation hoses pinned in place in the spring that get removed in the fall when any annuals get ripped out. Most of our plants are perennials and fairly drought tolerant (salvia, verbena, bee balm, etc). We have a lot of volunteer annuals such as larkspur, wild petunia, and zinnias and I let them reseed and just pull out any that I don't like. The bees and butterflies and lizards are having a blast, but I will be so happy when this heat breaks. The annual sections of the garden will become tougher tolerant perennial based if this drought and heat are long term because dealing with tender plants in these conditions is not worth the extra time.

[Chico_SA 521]

Big section of an old tree fell down last week. Brother and I have been working on it. Got lucky that brush pick up is this week. Already have the limbs out by the curb




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[kmac30 416]

Need opinions on couple plants. Wife wants cherry laurels along my back fence. Landscaper wants to use eagleston holly. Any thoughts on either of these?

Thanks

[BabaYaga 15304]

On 7/24/2022 at 4:49 PM, Chico_SA said:

Big section of an old tree fell down last week. Brother and I have been working on it. Got lucky that brush pick up is this week. Already have the limbs out by the curb




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Man, have any friends with a smoker?  That's a lot of good wood that I'd bet they'd happily take off your hands.

[Mrs Whiggins 13050]

If I recall, a disadvantage of the laurels is that birds contribute to laurel sprouts popping up in undesirable locations. We had typical basic hollies but never had that happen with them before we removed them. Note: we removed them due to the previous owners planting too close to the foundation. Another disadvantage is that the cherry laurel fares poorly in extreme heat and drought conditions. You don't mention your location, but we live in central Texas and I'd select the holly over the cherry laurel were I to invest in a fence shrub. There is a holly that doesn't have prickly leaves that my neighbor has but darned if I can recall the name of it. She has it pruned like a tree and every year the waxwings come and get drunk off the pretty red berries but we've never had any sprouts show up on our property.

Cherry laurels do get rather thick though, if allowed, so if you don't mind those earlier caveats then I believe they can make a decent privacy hedge but again, I'd likely go with a holly type in my specific environment (keep in mind I don't have an irrigation system). Yours may be different.

 

[Viper 12111]

I'd been watering 3 times a week 3 runs at a time and the yard is looking great. We have a "mild voluntary" water restriction now so I moved to only twice a week and it's still looking ok but not growing as much as before.

[kmac30 416]

Good points on the climate. I’m in north Houston and these will get blasted with full sun.

My FIL called the cherry laurel trash trees. Is he right?

I want the eagleston but I need to get my wife on board.

[Mrs Whiggins 13050]

4 hours ago, kmac30 said:

Good points on the climate. I’m in north Houston and these will get blasted with full sun.

My FIL called the cherry laurel trash trees. Is he right?

I want the eagleston but I need to get my wife on board.

Trash tree might be a bit harsh. Ideally, each plant grows best if it's planted where it belongs. A cherry laurel may grow in north Houston but that's irrelevant if it isn't quite right for your location and your needs.

The cherry laurel shrub (both fruit and leaves) is toxic, so you'd want to consider that if you have children or pets that might be tempted. It has some spring  litter, but since it is against your fence that might not be a big deal. It does like moist well drained soil (as most plants do), but IIRC the optimal part of Texas for it is the eastern part of the state. It is pretty, and makes a good privacy hedge, and is long-lived if conditions are good. It used to be planted across Texas, but various droughts over the years have killed a lot of them especially where, as stated, it just wasn't a good fit.

Hollies, on the other hand, are typically more drought tolerant and also perform well in the Gulf Coast area (not so well in the alkaline soils like where I am in central Texas, but we amended our soil before we eventually removed them). You do have to watch for some diseases with hollies, but if your variety is one of the newer ones, they may be more resistant. They do grow more slowly than the laurel, but you may like that as it means less pruning to keep its shape. (I hate pruning shrubs because I shouldn't be trusted with tools, especially large sharp ones  but YMMV).

Although a few landscapers may recommend the latest new trendy thing, I believe most are trying to satisfy their customer's needs and desires balanced with what the pro knows is going to work in the long run. I'd lean toward the holly that your landscaper recommended myself--the slow growth may mean a little more wait for privacy, but I don't care for shrubs that have potential for invasive prospects (the berries, etc) as well as trying to keep them alive during the inevitable drought.

I guess perhaps figuring out what it is about the cherry laurel that your spouse finds attractive might be helpful to you--for example, does the majority of the care fall in your arena (so that any inconvenience is something your spouse doesn't have to deal with)? Are you paying someone to take care of the maintenance, the sprouts, etc? How high is your water bill? Do the laurels cost more or less per plant? Shrubs are an investment and I don't know if your landscaper warranties them, but all things to consider.

 

Edited August 5, 2022 by Mrs Whiggins
typo

[kmac30 416]

Thanks for all the info. I did a picture test - pic of one, pic of the other - which one you like best? 4/5 she picked the eagleston holly. We’re going with that.

[Chico_SA 521]

Pretty good haul so far. We are going to work on the main trunk tomorrow. Brother has a smoker so he will be taking a lot. But I’m thinking about converting my gas fireplace to wood this year since this tree was part of my home value.


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[cactusflinthead 27601]

On 7/24/2022 at 4:49 PM, Chico_SA said:

Big section of an old tree fell down last week. Brother and I have been working on it. Got lucky that brush pick up is this week. Already have the limbs out by the curb




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Sudden Branch Drop Syndrome

I got a call last week about it. Not a whole helluva lot you can do except maybe reduce the weight on the ends of the branches by trimming.

"While there isn’t really a way to prevent this syndrome altogether, since it’s not known how it happens, here’s what you should do if you start to have issues with your trees."

https://www.arboristnow.com/news/what-is-sudden-branch-drop-syndrome

[crash_davis 23114]

Well fuck

https://gfycat.com/dependentbitesizedcollie

 

[HiggyBaby 2545]

Anyone know what this bullshit is in my Bermuda? Just popped up in the last week.

[Gourmand 7774]

6 hours ago, HiggyBaby said:

Anyone know what this bullshit is in my Bermuda? Just popped up in the last week.

That sumbitch weed is nutsedge.

This works as a post-emergent......

https://www.amazon.com/Sedgehammer-Plus-Herbicide-Grams-Packs/dp/B007PHNUOE

Edited August 24, 2022 by Gourmand

[NoName 16369]

7 hours ago, Gourmand said:

That sumbitch weed is nutsedge.

This works as a post-emergent......

https://www.amazon.com/Sedgehammer-Plus-Herbicide-Grams-Packs/dp/B007PHNUOE

depending where you live you can probably pick it up locally, but it's actually cheaper to buy on amazon for me.

either way, smoke it with sedgehammer - know it takes a while, don't mow for a few days after you apply it and it will work like a charm.

[HiggyBaby 2545]

Thx just ordered it.

[texasdago 7577]

On 8/6/2022 at 12:31 AM, Chico_SA said:

Pretty good haul so far. We are going to work on the main trunk tomorrow. Brother has a smoker so he will be taking a lot. But I’m thinking about converting my gas fireplace to wood this year since this tree was part of my home value.


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Make sure that wood is nice and seasoned before using it in your fireplace... less dry = more croseote = more fire risk.

Hey, so I have regular pop-up sprinklers in my irrigation system... is this type more effective and more water efficient?

 

[drt 640]

When should I apply compost this year? Austin area?

Usually do it late September but this year is all sorts of fucky. 

[LCHorn 2629]

St Augustine yellowing patch-I’m guessing chinch bugs but does anyone else have a different diagnosis?

[solamente73 1132]

Lost a big limb off an oak thanks to a storm a couple of weeks ago.  After some research, I was still unsure exactly where to trim the limb back to the trunk and didn’t want to take too much off and/or cut into tissue that would help healing.  Any thoughts on how or if I should modify the original cut to help the tree heal?  Pics spoilered below:

Spoiler

 

 

TIA

[cactusflinthead 27601]

The arrow points to the collar. The bunched up area between the branches. It should be left behind after a cut, but not too much of a stub. It should be cut at an angle to shed water. 

This is exemplary. Do nothing.

 

Edited September 15, 2022 by cactusflinthead

[cactusflinthead 27601]

On 8/26/2022 at 4:17 PM, drt said:

When should I apply compost this year? Austin area?

Usually do it late September but this year is all sorts of fucky. 

Do your normal application. If anything it will help with retaining what rain we do get.

[cactusflinthead 27601]

On 8/5/2022 at 8:24 AM, kmac30 said:

Need opinions on couple plants. Wife wants cherry laurels along my back fence. Landscaper wants to use eagleston holly. Any thoughts on either of these?

Thanks

Which one did y'all go with?

[HiggyBaby 2545]

St Augustine yellowing patch-I’m guessing chinch bugs but does anyone else have a different diagnosis?

Don’t currently have St Aug but in the past I would rake the thatch and treat it anyway. Can’t hurt.

That sumbitch weed is nutsedge.
This works as a post-emergent......
https://www.amazon.com/Sedgehammer-Plus-Herbicide-Grams-Packs/dp/B007PHNUOE

This worked perfectly fyi, thanks.

[TPCJ007 48]

Recommendations for a Fall fertilizer on my St Augustine in Austin? 

[Viper 12111]

Now a good time to put down the pre-emmergent ahead of the cool front next week or should I wait for it to get colder? 

[Viper 12111]

On 10/10/2022 at 2:51 PM, TPCJ007 said:

Recommendations for a Fall fertilizer on my St Augustine in Austin? 

I used this last year and it worked well

 

[Celery Man 20991]

What the hell is this

[cactusflinthead 27601]

On 10/14/2022 at 4:34 PM, Viper said:

Now a good time to put down the pre-emmergent ahead of the cool front next week or should I wait for it to get colder? 

Hit it now. We have been spraying since the first of September.

[cactusflinthead 27601]

2 hours ago, Celery Man said:

What the hell is this

Looks fungal. Maybe in the earthstar group. Dig it up and cut it open. Looks cool.