2018 Lawn and Landscape Thread

[krevo 142]

21 hours ago, Mrs Whiggins said:

Except for the area I had to treat for chinch bugs, the lawn is looking green, but we had some timely rain last week wherein the predicted "scattered showers' managed to park themselves over my street and give us enough water to take the edge off. Which is good because like the saying from that popular series, I have paraphrased the mantra into my head:

"Water bill is coming..."

 

On a different note, I have a section of yard, that while green could use a little topdressing with a soil/compost mix. Should I wait until spring or can I do that at anytime?

Usually organics can go down whenever.  Not going to harm anything so long as you don't choke the area out with the topdressing.

[krevo 142]

On 8/19/2019 at 4:56 PM, Moby Ric said:

No fungus, it's just scorched.  I put down a feed that the ag store guy said will help rebuild the soil and get the yard through the dry spell, that seems to be working .  Yard is coming back.

Oddly enough I did an early AM liquid fert treatment Saturday and put down a bag of Milo Sunday before watering it all in and the lawn has exploded.  Its amazing to think that all the nitro I put down between late April - June wasn't enough to keep it going through the summer.  Still adjusting to Bermuda and how nitrogen hungry it is.

[Mrs Whiggins 13050]

Thanks for the info! It won't be too much as I don't want to raise the area or bury the grass.

[woohorn 1131]

Tweet made me think of this thread. Anyone ever see this irl?

[ZB'Tejas 593]

Grass right next to my pool looks terrible right now... Zoysia I think but would a highly chlorinated pool within people getting in and out just kills the grass event with regular watering?

I have some other areas of that grass that just look scorched but this looks dead.

I guess I need to try some various fertilizers and see if I can revive? or am I screwed until next year? I don't recall the grass near the pool doing this last year. 

[bigshark88 388]

Anyone running granular stuff through a broadcast spreader for long lasting, area fireant control? I have used the stuff from Home Depot in the past with good results. Interested to see if you Texas guys have something that's preferred.

Working with almost an acre of centipede grass and wet conditions.

[kmac30 416]

I have st Augustine. It’s pretty thick throughout. We moved in June 1st. There are spots of thick weeks. Grass is trying to infiltrate, but it’s not going to happen. What can I do to help? It’s some different color green that almost looks like grass. I’ll have to take a pic maybe tomorrow.

[kmac30 416]

I got a couple pics. First is what I was referring to. Second is what’s happening on the other side of the yard. I didn’t realize it was spreading as much as it is u til today.

[cactusflinthead 27601]

7 hours ago, kmac30 said:

I got a couple pics. First is what I was referring to. Second is what’s happening on the other side of the yard. I didn’t realize it was spreading as much as it is u til today.

Crabgrass and spurge. Not a lot you can do about it it St. Augustine after it has come up. Do a standard pre-post treatment and get it done again in the spring. Best you can do is get it under control next year. 

On 8/21/2019 at 8:48 AM, krevo said:

Oddly enough I did an early AM liquid fert treatment Saturday and put down a bag of Milo Sunday before watering it all in and the lawn has exploded.  Its amazing to think that all the nitro I put down between late April - June wasn't enough to keep it going through the summer.  Still adjusting to Bermuda and how nitrogen hungry it is.

Bermuda really likes being fed. It can muddle along with not much, but it shows its appreciation when you give it some grub.

On 8/22/2019 at 3:00 PM, ZB'Tejas said:

Grass right next to my pool looks terrible right now... Zoysia I think but would a highly chlorinated pool within people getting in and out just kills the grass event with regular watering?

I have some other areas of that grass that just look scorched but this looks dead.

I guess I need to try some various fertilizers and see if I can revive? or am I screwed until next year? I don't recall the grass near the pool doing this last year. 

I hate to keep going to the same answer, but look at moisture levels and check it out for fungus if it stays wet. Watch the thatch level. 

On 8/27/2019 at 12:48 PM, bigshark88 said:

Anyone running granular stuff through a broadcast spreader for long lasting, area fireant control? I have used the stuff from Home Depot in the past with good results. Interested to see if you Texas guys have something that's preferred.

Working with almost an acre of centipede grass and wet conditions.
 

Yes, I run granular. It's best to do a two step. Treat existing mounds and broadcast the area. There are numerous options for both. Though some are only available to pros. 

[krevo 142]

13 hours ago, cactusflinthead said:

 

Bermuda really likes being fed. It can muddle along with not much, but it shows its appreciation when you give it some grub.

 

I think I kinda missed the mark on the lbs of nitro I was giving it via "spoon feeding" liquid applications.  I've also got some areas that are just really problematic where the roots are still very shallow.  I kind of stressed it this year in hopes the roots would seek out water but found the areas that struggled were hitting a barrier of rock about 2-3" beneath the soil.  Seems like my only hope is continual biannual aeration, and humic/sand top dressings.

[cactusflinthead 27601]

@krevo The spoon feeding is not a bad plan. Monthly or every six weeks if you have to stretch it. There are things best applied as a liquid. It gives you the quickest green up, but it has the shortest duration. Plain old peat moss with the sand will help too. Acidic stuff on calcareous soils helps immensely. You're basically growing turf on top of a caliche base. You're forced into doing the opposite of normal best practices. There is no dirt to force roots into chasing water down. You got rocks with some fissures. They'll absorb some water, but it ain't like dirt. Add in the fact that the base is basic *(cheap puns are free of charge)and plants don't get along well, usually, in alkaline soil. 

So, carry on. Maybe add in some slow release N as a granular. Punching holes and back filling with stuff is about all you can do to get some more dirt in the rocks. 

[krevo 142]

1 hour ago, cactusflinthead said:

@krevo The spoon feeding is not a bad plan. Monthly or every six weeks if you have to stretch it. There are things best applied as a liquid. It gives you the quickest green up, but it has the shortest duration. Plain old peat moss with the sand will help too. Acidic stuff on calcareous soils helps immensely. You're basically growing turf on top of a caliche base. You're forced into doing the opposite of normal best practices. There is no dirt to force roots into chasing water down. You got rocks with some fissures. They'll absorb some water, but it ain't like dirt. Add in the fact that the base is basic *(cheap puns are free of charge)and plants don't get along well, usually, in alkaline soil. 

So, carry on. Maybe add in some slow release N as a granular. Punching holes and back filling with stuff is about all you can do to get some more dirt in the rocks. 

Have you ever tried the soil conditioning/wetting tablet sprayers they use for golf course greens and hard slopes that don't hold water?   They sell them on Amazon and I've seen a few people trying them for localized dry spot to help at least keep the grass green and growing during drought conditions and in place of manual soil conditioning.

 

[cactusflinthead 27601]

I have not. It's certainly worth a try. 

[kmac30 416]

I have moles. They’re annoying as hell and my dog seems to think she can solve the problem. She has tried and is too slow. All that leaves is holes in my yard. What can I do?

[Catpfish 618]

I think the obvious answer involves a large hammer

 

[kmac30 416]

That’s basically what we’re doing now. I should have taken video of what the dog was doing an hour ago. She’s 6 months old. Doesn’t have a clue what’s in the ground making the ground move.

Small chance she might have gotten one last week. Only one who claims to have seen is a 6 yr old who was pretty serious when he came running in that the dog had something. That something disappeared really quick, however.

[chikin23 384]

Is it too late in the year to level the yard? I've read masonry sand is the best. Celebration Bermuda yard with lots of bumps and low spots. Was going to get a few yards of sand and spread it out with a rake to see if 8 could level it out.

[krevo 142]

2 hours ago, chikin23 said:

Is it too late in the year to level the yard? I've read masonry sand is the best. Celebration Bermuda yard with lots of bumps and low spots. Was going to get a few yards of sand and spread it out with a rake to see if 8 could level it out.

where are you located?  if in central texas - you've got at least another month of growing season left imho.  I've heard the only time you don't want to sand level is within the dormant period but I'd bet with some of these hybrid bermudas it wouldn't matter if you did.  

I would aerate and then sand level at the same time but you don't have to.   Masonry sand is best because it usually doesn't have any rock in it and its coarse.  It's also cheaper for bigger loads than play sand.

Edited September 10, 2019 by krevo

[krevo 142]

The first good rain we get in the next month - I'm going to aerate and put down about 2-3 yards of sand. It might look ugly for a bit as the bermuda growth slows but I'll be overseeding perennial rye anyway so.

[El Tri 412]

need advice on which type of sod to get. getting sprinklers installed as we speak and need to lay sod to replace old bermuda in the front and fix the mess left by pool construction in the back.

from everything i've read, palisades zoysia is the one to go with due to the heat in texas. i've never really seen what zoysia looks like though. the back will be fully exposed to sun while the front will have shade of trees part of the day. i really love st augustine though but worried about maintenance.

 

thoughts?

[cactusflinthead 27601]

Zoysia is the more expensive one. It can withstand traffic better than St. Augustine and is more drought resistant. It can have disease problems if it stays wet all the time. Zorro is a little better rated than palisades for shade. Keep it short. It's prone to thatch.  It looks a lot like Bermuda, but it grows like St. A, on the surface without rhizomes coming up in the flowers a foot away. 

[El Tri 412]

53 minutes ago, cactusflinthead said:

Zoysia is the more expensive one. It can withstand traffic better than St. Augustine and is more drought resistant. It can have disease problems if it stays wet all the time. Zorro is a little better rated than palisades for shade. Keep it short. It's prone to thatch.  It looks a lot like Bermuda, but it grows like St. A, on the surface without rhizomes coming up in the flowers a foot away. 

thanks for the advice. negatives on st augustine?

[cactusflinthead 27601]

Disease is the worst part of St. Augustine. It doesn't like traffic. If you have dogs, kids, or like to throw parties in the yard it's going to show wear. It can catch Take All, grey leaf spot, and brown patch. Chinch bugs are also sometimes a problem. It's the least cold tolerant.

Oh yeah and mosaic. That's viral. It's not common, but there ain't shit you can do except plant resistant varieties. 

If I get a St. A property I watch it like a hawk. 

[Mrs Whiggins 13050]

5 hours ago, cactusflinthead said:

Disease is the worst part of St. Augustine. It doesn't like traffic. If you have dogs, kids, or like to throw parties in the yard it's going to show wear. It can catch Take All, grey leaf spot, and brown patch. Chinch bugs are also sometimes a problem. It's the least cold tolerant.

Oh yeah and mosaic. That's viral. It's not common, but there ain't shit you can do except plant resistant varieties. 

If I get a St. A property I watch it like a hawk. 

You were correct about the chinch bugs. I applied the control twice and with some timely rain and watering, that spot rebounded like a champ. I've been watching the lows and will probably go with a fungal treatment soon as a preventative.

 

[cactusflinthead 27601]

Yes, the optimum times for fungus treatment are going into dormancy and waking up from it.

A couple of rounds,  a month to 2 wks apart. 

[texasdago 7575]

Just installed some St. Augustine in the backyard (replaced old dead portion of the yard) and then it rained like a mother thanks to Imelda.  I sprayed some anti-fungal on Friday and may apply a bit more this week - trying to figure out (was trying to see if I could smell it) if it actually applied.  Also spread some azomite on the sod.  Should I just go ahead and apply some Fertilome Fall fertilizer or something from MicroLife now?  What's best?

[krevo 142]

@cactusflinthead @Okie Lite in Zapata

Need some help.  My mom's got a half acre lot in an old neighborhood.   Has St Augustine lawn with two massive legacy oaks in the backyard and multiple oaks in the front.  There are landscaping beds all around the entire property.

 

I go out today to look at her lawn and notice that the st aug is dying back from the perimeter of every inch of the yard.  If there is a fence, a flowerbed border, a tree, etc - any "boundary" within the entire lawn there is no grass around.  It almost looks like someone walked the entire perimeter of the yard with glyphosate and put it down heavy 3ft off the entire fenceline but I know for a fact that's not happening because they don't have a lawn service, pest control service, and my dad doesn't use anything like that in the lawn ever.   

 

In the middle of the lawn - the grass is actually pretty healthy and they keep it properly irrigated so it's growing pretty well still this late into the year.  I'll update the thread with pics - but imagine a perfect 1-2ft border of dirt around the entire property line with healthy grass growing right up to the edge of it.

Edited October 7, 2019 by krevo

[krevo 142]

Its like this around the entire yard.  Everywhere there is a border, the grass is dead 1-2ft back from it.

 

 

 

[cactusflinthead 27601]

Pix aren't showing up for me.

Short answer sight unseen 

Plug in some sod and give it something soft to grow into like compost. Encourage runners as much as possible. No weedeaters. 

 

[krevo 142]

1 hour ago, cactusflinthead said:

Pix aren't showing up for me.

Short answer sight unseen 

Plug in some sod and give it something soft to grow into like compost. Encourage runners as much as possible. No weedeaters. 

 

https://imgur.com/a/R5nhJV6

 

is it visible from this link?

[cactusflinthead 27601]

5 hours ago, krevo said:

https://imgur.com/a/R5nhJV6

 

is it visible from this link?

Yes. I don't see any obvious problems. I'd chuck down some test sod pieces and see what happens. Don't forget that peat moss does a pretty decent job of suppressing take-all. I'd bust a bale or two out as a top dressing. If it's an issue up near the porch of tracking mud in the house I'd go the compost route in high traffic areas in addition to top dressing. 

 

Edited October 8, 2019 by cactusflinthead

[cactusflinthead 27601]

Seen in the job description of an affluent city Landscape Inspector 

 

"May be exposed to hostile or angry citizens, project developers and homeowners."

 

[El Tri 412]

laid down palisades Zoysia 13 days ago and been watering it twice a day since then. i spread new sod food or whatever it's called on the ground before laying it, and then on top after laying it.

how often should i be watering going forward? is there anything else i need to add?

oh also, one of the sprinkler install guys says he saw a coral snake. besides nuking the house, anything i can do to repel them?

[cactusflinthead 27601]

On 9/23/2019 at 8:38 AM, texasdago said:

Just installed some St. Augustine in the backyard (replaced old dead portion of the yard) and then it rained like a mother thanks to Imelda.  I sprayed some anti-fungal on Friday and may apply a bit more this week - trying to figure out (was trying to see if I could smell it) if it actually applied.  Also spread some azomite on the sod.  Should I just go ahead and apply some Fertilome Fall fertilizer or something from MicroLife now?  What's best?

Yes to food. Fall fertilizer is good. Definitely do a fungal preventative.

[cactusflinthead 27601]

On 10/9/2019 at 9:09 AM, El Tri said:

laid down palisades Zoysia 13 days ago and been watering it twice a day since then. i spread new sod food or whatever it's called on the ground before laying it, and then on top after laying it.

how often should i be watering going forward? is there anything else i need to add?

oh also, one of the sprinkler install guys says he saw a coral snake. besides nuking the house, anything i can do to repel them?

The old time remedy is mothballs. 

Water is variable. At first you are going to water frequently. Like two to three times a day. Shorter times and more frequent. Once it has started to root out you can start lengthening the time but cut back the days. If you can get down to once a week that's awesome. Most don't. It's every other day or every third day, or whatever the city let's you do. The idea is to get it uniformly wet and then make it use it. I'd do a preventative fungal application. Even if it's just peat moss. 

 

Edit: there are snake repellent products on the market. I have not tried them or mothballs. 

Edited October 11, 2019 by cactusflinthead
More on snakes

[Okie Lite in Zapata 143]

On 10/7/2019 at 11:54 AM, krevo said:

@cactusflinthead @Okie Lite in Zapata

Need some help.  My mom's got a half acre lot in an old neighborhood.   Has St Augustine lawn with two massive legacy oaks in the backyard and multiple oaks in the front.  There are landscaping beds all around the entire property.

 

I go out today to look at her lawn and notice that the st aug is dying back from the perimeter of every inch of the yard.  If there is a fence, a flowerbed border, a tree, etc - any "boundary" within the entire lawn there is no grass around.  It almost looks like someone walked the entire perimeter of the yard with glyphosate and put it down heavy 3ft off the entire fenceline but I know for a fact that's not happening because they don't have a lawn service, pest control service, and my dad doesn't use anything like that in the lawn ever.   

 

In the middle of the lawn - the grass is actually pretty healthy and they keep it properly irrigated so it's growing pretty well still this late into the year.  I'll update the thread with pics - but imagine a perfect 1-2ft border of dirt around the entire property line with healthy grass growing right up to the edge of it.

I see it every day in warm season grasses in mature landscapes.  Especially next to privacy fences with big trees in the yards,  the problem is shade. 

Id like to see some images that are more at a distance but I'm pretty certain shade is the problem. 

[markstanco 12586]

Post emerg sprayed this weekend, got the weeds out of the flower beds, peace out 2019 zosia grass.

[abuelo gringo 321]

I have some out of town lots that I can only mow about once a month.  Often, the grass has grown such that lots of loose grass remains on the ground.  I have thought about buying a bagging attachment for my Husqvarna 42" riding mower, but am concerned about one problem.  Since it is often long and the resultant clippings are long, would a bagger have a problem with the chute jamming with the longer blades of grass?

What sort of problems would I expect on such infrequent mowing?  Any other suggestions beyond raking and bagging manually?

[cactusflinthead 27601]

Cut it twice. Crank the deck up to a higher level than desired and if you collect both cuttings it shouldn't clog as bad. A kick ass blower helps to gather up the verdure. I haven't used that word in years.

 

[Updawg 2279]

Any recommendations for a tree trimming service in Austin? Need to get some oaks trimmed

[Knoxtnhorn 6064]

I'm about ready to create a real lawn, so I'm looking for advice.  Here's my situation.  I live in Rowlett.  I have a back yard that is about 50 feet by 25 feet.  Right smack dab in the middle is a very large, very healthy oak tree.  I mention this because, A) I'll need to account for the shading and, B) I currently have about 6 inches (that's what she said) of leaves covering almost the entire back yard.  When we first moved here 2 years ago, the yard did have some grass, but it was spotty.  Last year, I made the mistake of leaving the leaves in the yard which killed a lot of the grass.  So here are my questions - and keep in mind, I'm not looking for the perfect/pristine lawn as seen in some of the previous pages' images.  I just want it to look presentable.

1) Do I need to do anything with the leaves right now?  It can't really hurt to just let them turn to mulch, yes?

2) I want to seed over sod.  I'm seeing March/April as the time to do so.  What's the best seed for areas that will be partially shaded throughout the day?

I think that's it.  Thanks in advance.

[cactusflinthead 27601]

On 12/15/2019 at 4:26 PM, Knoxtnhorn said:

I'm about ready to create a real lawn, so I'm looking for advice.  Here's my situation.  I live in Rowlett.  I have a back yard that is about 50 feet by 25 feet.  Right smack dab in the middle is a very large, very healthy oak tree.  I mention this because, A) I'll need to account for the shading and, B) I currently have about 6 inches (that's what she said) of leaves covering almost the entire back yard.  When we first moved here 2 years ago, the yard did have some grass, but it was spotty.  Last year, I made the mistake of leaving the leaves in the yard which killed a lot of the grass.  So here are my questions - and keep in mind, I'm not looking for the perfect/pristine lawn as seen in some of the previous pages' images.  I just want it to look presentable.

1)Do I need to do anything with the leaves right now?  It can't really hurt to just let them turn to mulch, yes?

 

2) I want to seed over sod.  I'm seeing March/April as the time to do so.  What's the best seed for areas that will be partially shaded throughout the day?

I think that's it.  Thanks in advance.

Fescue is your best bet on semi shade to deep shade. A thick layer of leaves isn't optimal for seed germination. Good seed to soil contact is crucial. tilling it slightly to incorporate the mostly decomposed organic material is great. Just enough to scratch the surface is sufficient. It's unlikely to get complete coverage the first time. Plan on subsequent overseeding. 

Earlier is better than later for fescue. Summer is the hardest time of year on it. In full sun it gets hammered. 

[Knoxtnhorn 6064]

22 hours ago, cactusflinthead said:

 

Earlier is better than later for fescue. Summer is the hardest time of year on it. In full sun it gets hammered. 

By early, are you speaking of now?  

Nevermind.  I'm seeing that I should wait until the soil temp gets up to at least 60.

Edited December 21, 2019 by Knoxtnhorn

[Okie Lite in Zapata 143]

5 hours ago, Knoxtnhorn said:

By early, are you speaking of now?  

Nevermind.  I'm seeing that I should wait until the soil temp gets up to at least 60.

If it was me I would start watching/mapping my yard with flags and mark the areas that get at least 6 hours Or more of sunlight and put whatever warm season grass you want in these areas. Bermuda is a good choice for these sunny areas.

If your going to sod these sunny areas of your yard, I would sod them in May when the farms are getting a lot of green up on the sod. I wouldn’t lay any dormant sod. 

Water and fertilize the piss out of it all summer and about mid October I would over seed the shady areas/sections where the warm season didn’t spread or cover with tall  fescue like Cactus said. 
 

I know this is a PITA but it will assure yourself that your going to do it once and not spend years and more money messing with it and wasting your time. 

[SquishMitten 10421]

Help with identifying this tree? Last year, I thought it was some type of lime tree since all the fruits stayed green until they dropped. They’re stringy, full of seeds, and super bitter...more like a bad lemon than a lime. This year they all turned orange before they began to drop. All the other characteristics are about the same, but they’re slightly less bitter (still not something I’d consider eating though). Curious if it’s something that could be made useful if properly maintained or if it’s purely decorative.

[cactusflinthead 27601]

I suspect this is it.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bitter_orange

It's possible that it is a remnant rootstock that has survived after the top died. 

[SquishMitten 10421]

Thanks! Looks like it could be some variety of that. Only thing that doesn't really fit any of the descriptions I could find is that it's covered in thorns. I cut all of them off the trunk and lower branches so they're harder to see in the pictures, but they're everywhere and they're sharp as hell...basically a mesquite tree with shitty fruit.

[Okie Lite in Zapata 143]

3 hours ago, SquishMitten said:

Thanks! Looks like it could be some variety of that. Only thing that doesn't really fit any of the descriptions I could find is that it's covered in thorns. I cut all of them off the trunk and lower branches so they're harder to see in the pictures, but they're everywhere and they're sharp as hell...basically a mesquite tree with shitty fruit.

It looks just like my orange trees. Some years the oranges are good sometimes they aren't, lots of variables.

Temperature, rain, etc. 

Right now my oranges are ripe but hard as hell. They probably won't be good this year either.

My lemons are huge and as good as they can get and fully ripe now. 

 

You know that orange trees and mayer lemons are thorny as hell? 

 

[SquishMitten 10421]

I'm aware that some fruit trees are thorny, but everything I read following Cactus's link said they were generally smaller/soft/blunted thorns. Mine are hard and super sharp (very similar to mesquite thorns in size and firmness but sharper like a rose bush). That gotdamn tree has ruined many a shirt and drawn a lot of my blood over the years. Either way, it's still really pretty, and it's in a perfect spot as a privacy barrier so it will live on.

[texasdago 7575]

If its a bitter orange, they are apparently fantastic for making jelly.