2018 Lawn and Landscape Thread

[TexasEd 8067]

9 hours ago, TXs said:

What is surly's opinions on your favorite (non-oak) shade tree? I'm looking to put one in later this year.

I was thinking either an Cedar Elm or Ash (maybe Chinese pistache). I've always liked the ash but I know others think it's a trash tree. 

How big is your spot and what is the soil like?  Those trees are very different shapes and sizes and like different conditions.

Why no oaks?  There are many varieties I love that you don't see as much as live oak but again where you want to plant matters.

Edited May 3, 2018 by TexasEd

[TexasEd 8067]

So I decided to break this out into rocky limestone soil and something with actual soil.  The type of soil can still matter (clay, sandy river bottom, loam, etc...), and the amount of soil matters in the hill country.  If you have to excavate a hole out of limestone for the three vs being in an area that has some soil I might recommend different trees.  But here goes based on what I like:

Thin soil hill country shade trees ranked:

• Burr Oak
• Monterrey Oak
• Red Oak
• Big Tooth Maple
• Cedar Elm
• Live Oak
• Shin Oak

Got more soil?

• Post Oak
• Bald Crypress
• Burr Oak
• Red Oak
• Pecan
• Texas Walnut

Don't Like: Cottonwood (Beautiful and fast growing but borers), Arizona Ash, Hackberry, Willow

All of these are large trees except shin oak. If you need smaller landscape specimens I'd have a completely different list.

[TXs 226]

2 hours ago, TexasEd said:

How big is your spot and what is the soil like?  Those trees are very different shapes and sizes and like different conditions.

Why no oaks?  There are many varieties I love that you don't see as much as live oak but again where you want to plant matters.

Thanks for the list. It's a good sized spot (big enough for an oak). But I've already got some shumards, a Monterrey, and another cedar elm, which was why was looking to mix things up. Soil has lots of clay. My old place had lots of live oaks and I'm kinda over the mess they make and trying to keep grass alive under them.

We used to have a water oak when I was growing up that I loved. Might look into that as well.

Edited May 3, 2018 by TXs

[Spaulding Smails 1553]

I've been cleaning up the cedar down the hill to the creek at the back of my property.  I've almost got them completely gone, with just a few along the edges.  Then, I have to tackle the other side.  Great access to dip your toes in the water now, but seems kind of bare.  I'm hoping the elms and a small live oak perched on the edge of the creek can thrive now that the cedar is out of there.  I'd like to go back with a couple of bald cypress and a few cottonwoods (despite the borer issues).  Any suggestions on time of year to plant, water requirements, etc?  I can send pics of the area this weekend if it helps.  

[cactusflinthead 27601]

The best time of year imo is the dead of winter. You can plant any time though. 

Is it good river bottom soil or rocky?

There are literally thousands of options. 

[TexasEd 8067]

3 hours ago, Spaulding Smails said:

I've been cleaning up the cedar down the hill to the creek at the back of my property.  I've almost got them completely gone, with just a few along the edges.  Then, I have to tackle the other side.  Great access to dip your toes in the water now, but seems kind of bare.  I'm hoping the elms and a small live oak perched on the edge of the creek can thrive now that the cedar is out of there.  I'd like to go back with a couple of bald cypress and a few cottonwoods (despite the borer issues).  Any suggestions on time of year to plant, water requirements, etc?  I can send pics of the area this weekend if it helps.  

If you like understory and color I'd grab a bunch of Red Bud bean pods when they are dried out and spread them around back there.  Might take 2 years to sprout but basically free landscaping.  If you can find them add Eve's Necklace and Mexican Buckeye.

I have several of those in the ravine behind my house and they add nice leaf texture and a little color.

Edited May 4, 2018 by TexasEd

[Spaulding Smails 1553]

14 hours ago, cactusflinthead said:

The best time of year imo is the dead of winter. You can plant any time though. 

Is it good river bottom soil or rocky?

There are literally thousands of options. 

There's a decent shelf right before the creek that has probably 12-18" good soil.  But, for the most part, the area is rocky.  I'm just west of Dripping Springs.  This is a small creek that flows through my property down to Onion Creek.

I like the idea of Red Buds.  Could do some Mountain Laurel as well.   But, I would like something more stately that provides shade too.  We like to take the kids down to splash around that area during the summer.  I'll send pics this weekend so you can get a feel for the area.

[cactusflinthead 27601]

I like Ed's idea of planting seeds. 

Mtn laurel is good in a spot like that. Pecans can tolerate shallow dirt too. 

If you do plant a container plant on a slope, terrace it some so the water catches around it. 

[swraith 347]

My wife picked up a cultivar of walking iris last year. She left it in a pot for the last 12 months and it never did anything. We divided it this spring and planted the 2 divided plants in the ground.

Blooms seem impressive. But they last less than 24 hours. Had 3 rounds of blooms so far.

[TexasEd 8067]

Yard is greening up.

Peaches are getting bigger.  Might have too many. 

 

Nahhh

 

[Llano Estacado 1257]

What’s this lime green in NW corner of my St Augustine lawn? Dog piss burn?

That brick fence is due west and gets lot of shade. The north picket fence casts some morning shadow, but definitely not in that pattern, as only that far corner is affected. Tips of the blades are starting to die out some and some grey splotches few and far between.

I put some 15-5-10 a couple weeks ago did I chemically burn that corner? Broadcaster has an edge guard deal.

[cactusflinthead 27601]

Gray leaf spot. That diamond shape is a dead give away.

I prefer sprays to granular. 

[SquishMitten 10415]

My battle with TARR continues. I managed a win on one side of my driveway that I was posting up last year, but it spread to the other side of the driveway. Guess I didn’t sanitize my mower well enough. Anyway, I’m running the same treatment again. Layer of peat moss, and spray fungicide (Propiconazole most recently). Curious how weather resistant that is though. Sprayed it Monday evening, and got 4” in that downpour Friday. Definitely need to add more peat where it washed away, but could a meaningful amount of chemical loss resulted from that?

[cactusflinthead 27601]

I would apply another round. Maybe switch to T-methyl. It is just as likely that normal foot traffic carried the spores/oospheres/cantremember. A half inch drizzle is fine. A downpour is not. It might be ok, but I usually re-apply if I get hard rain after a disease treatment. 

Remember that this wasn't even agreed upon as a disease until 1990. We're still trying to get a handle on the process of how to manage it. 

[Llano Estacado 1257]

Gray leaf spot. That diamond shape is a dead give away.
I prefer sprays to granular. 

Got some spray propiconazole. You have an opinion on how much I should let the rest of the yard dry up? Or just water as normal (.5” twice a week on trash days) after application.

Found a small problem area on the side lawn too where the north side gets lot of house shade. Thinking of applying fungicide and cutting off the sprinkler until healthy parts tell me they need water and coming back with once a week sprinkler a little heavier.

[cactusflinthead 27601]

Control and Management : Avoid application of soluble nitrogen fertilizers on moderately shaded lawns during summer months. Apply water early in the morning only when water is needed. Avoid evening waterings which keep the leaf surface wet for long periods. Catch and remove grass clippings where gray leaf spot is a problem. Several fungicides (See the section Chemical Controls for Turfgrass Diseases) are recommended for gray leaf spot control.

aggy. 

short answer is to make it use the water it gets. If it takes 3 days or 3 hours. No fert until football. Or rather no nitrogen. Sulfur, iron, other micros like manganese are ok and might even help.

i will try to reply with more detail later.

Edited May 6, 2018 by cactusflinthead
Mo stuff

[swraith 347]

Two of my roses are in bloom. Acquired them last fall from a neighbor who was getting rid of them for free.

[swraith 347]

Yard is greening up.

Peaches are getting bigger.  Might have too many. 

 

Nahhh

 

 

My peaches are coming along. Still very green. Guessing about 3-4 weeks till they ripen.

 

 

Neighbor has a peach tree they totally ignore. Offered free peaches for the picking. We picked a basket full. I was skeptical as it is very early and these were yellow with no blush. Let them sit on the counter for 3 days to ripen a bit more. Tried the first one and was amazed. Fantastic small cling peach. And the neighbor totally ignores said peach tree. Family ate the whole basket in 4 days. Wished we had picked a second basket.

[cactusflinthead 27601]

3 hours ago, swraith said:

Two of my roses are in bloom. Acquired them last fall from a neighbor who was getting rid of them for free.

That's called black spot. If you spray them and feed them they can shine for you. Fed mine again today trying to tamp down some thrips. Shothole fungus nearly defoliated one of mine last year. Staying ahead of it so far this time around. Trim out the dead wood and pick up the leaves. Every one of those spots is like a got dam volcano of pathogens. 

I was coming back around to discuss disease on turf and here is this old nemesis. Years and years I have fought this out damned spot Macbeth witch spawn curse of roses. 

Black Spot of Rose

Quote

 

Integrated Pest Management Strategies

1. Remove diseased leaves. As soon as diseased leaves are noticed, remove and dispose of them. Dead leaves on the ground should also be collected and destroyed. Compost only if this material will not be used back in rose beds. To minimize overwintering of the fungus, collect and remove all leaves from the ground in the fall, mulch with 2–3 inches of leaf mold or fine bark, and prune diseased canes before growth begins in spring.

2. Keep the foliage dry. The fungal spores need a wet surface to germinate and cause infection. Therefore, keep the foliage as dry as possible. Do not use overhead watering, or if you do, water early in the day so the foliage is dry by nighttime. Prune plants to allow more air circulation and facilitate the drying of foliage.

3. Use fungicidal sprays. Fungicides applied as a protectant provide good control. Fungicides will not cure infected leaves, but if applied regularly, will prevent infection of new leaves. Pesticides registered for use include captan, chlorothalonil (Daconil), copper, ferbam, mancozeb, maneb, triforine (Funginex), sulfur, thiophanate methyl (Cleary 3336), and ziram. Many other products listed as rose dusts are also effective. Check the label for control of black spot. Most fungicides need to be applied every 7–14 days. Fungicides need to be reapplied following rain or overhead watering in excess of 1/4 inch.

4. Move the plants. You can limit the disease by growing roses in locations where they receive morning or, preferably, all day sun. This facilitates drying of the foliage.

 

It's not one bit different in the corn field. 

There has to be the proper setting for a disease to develop. Whether it is brown patch on turf or fusarium or phytopthora or cercospora or any of the others they all have to get the right moisture at the right time. Good air circulation and full sun helps keep it dry. Dry leaves do not get fungus on them. But sometimes it rains like mad. Sometimes you live in Houston where you can feel all the humidity known to mankind and every morning there is a dew. Sometimes the sprinklers hit the roses every night at midnight. That part I can control. I can also plant them in full sun where the wind blows best. If I know that I am fighting a disease then I can start a regimen of management. Control is a very flimsy concept. At best we arrive at some sort of management level that gets us the desired crop whether corn, roses or turf. Those big assed fans at some shady greens are not there for your sweaty asses. That's to dry out the surface so it doesn't get sick. Some places will literally attach a vacuum to the green to pull air in through the soil profile if they think it needs to dry out faster. But, that's why you pay through the nose to play golf. 

More on Gray Leaf Spot

Quote

Fungicide applications are important control options for St. Augustinegrass sod producers. Research at UF IFAS has shown that fungicide applications made after sprigging, during the grow-in, enhance horizontal growth and increase the rate of bare ground coverage when disease pressure is high. Fungicide products labeled for gray leaf spot management are given in the Pest Control Guide for Turfgrass Managers, available at http://turf.ufl.edu. Best results occur when fungicides are applied preventatively, according to the label, and while environmental conditions are favorable for disease development during the grow-in. Strobilurin (QoI) fungicides, such as Insignia and Heritage, are among the most effective available. Sterol inhibiting fungicides (DMI), such as Banner Maxx 1.3ME, provide some control but are most effective when tank-mixed with strobilurin products when disease pressure is high. The contact fungicide chlorothalonil is effective if applied frequently, when disease pressure is moderate to low, or as a tank-mix partner with one of the more effective systemic chemistries.

Quote

If the disease becomes a serious and persistent problem that requires attention, it is recommended that homeowners seek the services of a professional lawn care firm for management of the disease and/or lawn. Some homeowners have the equipment and knowledge required to correctly make a fungicide application on their own, including all safety equipment. If such homeowners understand the risks to both themselves and the environment, some of the fungicide chemistries listed above are available through garden centers and internet catalogs. For example, propiconazole is the active ingredient in the fungicide product Ortho Lawn Disease Control. Not all fungicides are labeled for residential lawns. Results can be erratic, because applications are difficult to make properly. Because the homeowner pesticide market and product availability can change, your local county extension agent (http://ifas.ufl.edu/extension-offices-rec-maps.shtml) or university specialist should be contacted for up-to-date product recommendations. The “Homeowner's Guide to Fungicides for Lawn and Landscape Disease Management” (http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/pp154) can be referenced for more information concerning fungicide use in residential landscapes.

 

Gray Leaf Spot of St. Augustinegrass: Cultural and Chemical Management Options1

 

Bonus picture for the visual learners

 

 

 

 

[Horn of Gabriel 1614]

Does anyone have the link to the aggy dirt testing service?  I have no idea what kind of dirt we have in Cedar Park, aside from rocky AF.

[cactusflinthead 27601]

7 hours ago, Horn of Gabriel said:

Does anyone have the link to the aggy dirt testing service?  I have no idea what kind of dirt we have in Cedar Park, aside from rocky AF.

http://soiltesting.tamu.edu/files/urbansoil.pdf

 

[cactusflinthead 27601]

Lace cactus

[TexasEd 8067]

On 5/9/2018 at 10:35 PM, cactusflinthead said:

Lace cactus

If you have any you want to sell let me know.  I had a beautiful stand of them I saved from a construction site.  Freezes a few years back killed all but one.

 

[cactusflinthead 27601]

no way. I have a few theories on that plant that earned me this screen name. Part of which is that it needs cold to bloom properly. I have been trying to gauge how many hours are necessary to make it set flowers. The ones I have are all from around the Abilene area originally and have withstood down to single digits. All of what I have now rode out the 13F last winter. I took one inside for a winter and put it in a super sunny south window. It didn't bloom at all that next year but it branched early. i have been trying to push them to have colored spines and with the twisted ribs. I might get one before I part from this plane. PM me, I will find you one to send. I can't guarantee color. I had one that was nearly white with a lavender edge at the outside. It rotted the year I spent in College Station. The aggy cactus garden is under a plastic roof to keep them from getting too much water. I have seen them plugged into the landscape in their pots to cut off the water some too.

[TexasEd 8067]

3 minutes ago, cactusflinthead said:

no way. I have a few theories on that plant that earned me this screen name. Part of which is that it needs cold to bloom properly. I have been trying to gauge how many hours are necessary to make it set flowers. The ones I have are all from around the Abilene area originally and have withstood down to single digits. All of what I have now rode out the 13F last winter. I took one inside for a winter and put it in a super sunny south window. It didn't bloom at all that next year but it branched early. i have been trying to push them to have colored spines and with the twisted ribs. I might get one before I part from this plane. PM me, I will find you one to send. I can't guarantee color. I had one that was nearly white with a lavender edge at the outside. It rotted the year I spent in College Station. The aggy cactus garden is under a plastic roof to keep them from getting too much water. I have seen them plugged into the landscape in their pots to cut off the water some too.

My remaining one has a branch on the side.  I'm hoping it can be rooted as anew starter.  I know where some more are around here but they are in a preserve so I leave them alone.  Mine were from a lot that was having a house built.  I wish I had been able to save more of them.  

I have a horse crippler in the same bed and used to have a barrel cactus but it died too.  It had pups but none of them survived the rooting process.

[cactusflinthead 27601]

I was really close to digging up a horse crippler at the Buffalo Gap cemetery  when I went to go visit the fam. They don't give a damn about them out in that part of the world. Every once in  a while I see some at flea markets in that part of the world. From what I can gather on the lace cactus, they need some scarification to germinate. I typically find them on a rocky slope where the seeds tumble down after a hard rain and get scarred up by the rocks, lodge in a convenient spot and germinate. There is a subspecies that is native to the Wichita Mtns up in OUsux that has long solid black spines. I killed the one I got from a trip up there. Rotted out deader than hell. I have zero qualms about rescuing stuff that is in danger of the bulldozer. 

[markstanco 12577]

Zoysia grass is the best ever for NE texas. Still haven't mowed, but I probably could. Cored the yard 2 weeks ago and dethatched with my rake attachment and threw down from the local feed store a local blend made for our soil with 2% iron. Getting pretty. My run on sentences are not pretty though.

[cactusflinthead 27601]

well, it's better than my glaring redundancy

[irockalltherocks 55]

We had a Bradford Pear stumped and ground over 3 years ago. Now every spring we get this growing in the area where the tree was. Any way to stop this from happening short of digging up the remaining root system that won’t kill the grass?






Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[cactusflinthead 27601]

I'd go with triclopyr/brush and stump killer. It might scorch the turf but it won't be as harsh as the required rate of round up.

[Damor 1236]

What's up with my bur oak? It was put in about 6mos ago. The other one is similar but less pronounced.

/ignoramus

[cactusflinthead 27601]

What is your watering procedure? It might be as simple as drought stress going into the heat. 

[TexasEd 8067]

I think that is pretty normal for a first year tree.  I had several Burr Oaks at my last house and that was there for a year or maybe two but once the roots were established it went away.

 

[Damor 1236]

Thanks, y'all.  It's got a bubbler line run to it, so I'll try to figure out which zone it's on and give it a little more love, though the rest of the yard/beds look to be doing fine from a watering standpoint.

Hopefully it just needs a little more, or this is just a normal stress reaction.  I just kinda panicked because I kill things, and these were expensive things.

[cactusflinthead 27601]

If you ever question how much water a particular spot is getting break out a shovel and dig. Trust no sprinklers. You can join the greenskeepers and the rest of the soil obsessed and get a proper plug puller but a shovel will suffice. Assess for yourself how much water is getting applied to the dirt. Dig. What is it like? Trust no clocks. Poke around in the dirt to find out for yourself. 

The standard rule of thumb taught to me from a Forestry Prof of many years was that a tree the first year needs 8 gallons of water per caliper inch. That bubble needs to be pumping out 24 gallons a week for a 3" standard oak of whatever variety. It can happen over five days or on one day. It doesn't matter when as long as it gets all of it. Lotta trees get one visit a week from a big assed truck and a guy with a hose filling up a bag around the trunk. Or is it bole? Tolkien called it a bole. 

Take the bubble and put it in a gallon jug. Turn on the system. See how long it takes to fill. Adjust clock accordingly

[horncyclist 1391]

Any advice on female dog pee burning spots in newly sodded backyard? Do any of the dietary supplements work? What's the best way to patch the holes?

I've tried training her to go in one place but have been unsuccessful.

Sent from my Pixel 2 using Tapatalk

[SquishMitten 10415]

That’s a million dollar question right there. Best solution I’ve seen, and it’s impossible unless you follow her around all day, but you could hose the area down as soon as she pees so you disburse the tinkle.

[SquishMitten 10415]

And to the second part of your question about patching, that just depends on the type of grass. If St. A, you can either drop new sod or just toss down some good dirt and let it grow back in. If something that can be seeded, then there’s probably a patch kit (seed with compost/fertilizer) you can find at any of the big box stores.

In the end, as long as the dog pees in the same area like most dogs do, you’re not going to win this battle without constant maintenance.

[horncyclist 1391]

And to the second part of your question about patching, that just depends on the type of grass. If St. A, you can either drop new sod or just toss down some good dirt and let it grow back in. If something that can be seeded, then there’s probably a patch kit (seed with compost/fertilizer) you can find at any of the big box stores.

In the end, as long as the dog pees in the same area like most dogs do, you’re not going to win this battle without constant maintenance.

Thanks. It's Tall Fescue so I'll be seeding. Going to try the dietary supplements. Looking at reviews they seem to work for about half of dogs.

Hosing it down definitely works but as you said, hard to catch every one.

Sent from my Pixel 2 using Tapatalk

[TexasEd 8067]

Almost there

[DanRydell 799]

Any tips on getting rid of this shit? It grows to this height in about a week. I’ve managed to kill it with one of those weed (but not grass) killers that hooks into the garden hose a few different times but it only stays dead for like 4-6 weeks before coming back.

[woohorn 1131]

Dallisgrass? I pull it whenever I see it.

[cactusflinthead 27601]

3 hours ago, DanRydell said:

Any tips on getting rid of this shit? It grows to this height in about a week. I’ve managed to kill it with one of those weed (but not grass) killers that hooks into the garden hose a few different times but it only stays dead for like 4-6 weeks before coming back.

King Ranch Bluestem and it's a sonofabitch. 

 

 

Quote

 

The recent 2007 Texas Invasive Plant Conference had a special one day symposium devoted to the discussion of Old World Bluestems and the problems concerning their effective control. You can read abstracts of papers presented there and find that there is no single, surefire method for control of KR bluestem. The methods under investigation are:

1) Herbicides alone—The conclusion of several of the papers is that herbicides alone are not an effective control for KR bluestem.

2) Tilling (disking or harrowing) alone—Here is the recommendation from the Native Prairies Association of Texas in their article, "Seed Bed Preparation: The Johnson Grass Wars. Want to Plant a Prairie?" by Lee Stone and Arnold Davis

"You've got K-R Bluestem? Plow deeply enough to turn the roots up in the early summer. Do everything you can in the early summer to kill those roots. If you get fall germination of K-R, till your land two inches deep. Don't ever go below this two inch depth. If you go more deeply, you'll just be bringing up more seed. The minute you see any germination at all, use a spring tooth harrow or a section harrow, but never below two inches.

Bank on at least one more germination occurring. Get them too. You won't be planting your prairie until May. But live with that fact. Get the seed to germinate, then kill them with tillage or herbicide. This exotic seeds well, is aggressive, and spreads under conditions of grazing and mowing."

Another study, KR Bluestem Management in Bermudagrass Pastures by Paul Baumann and Ron Leps from the Williamson County Texas Cooperative Extension Service concluded that "What is evident from these
studies is that tillage has a significant impact on KR Bluestem." Their study shows tilling alone is more effective than any of the herbicides alone or herbicides in combination with tilling.

3) Tilling in conjunction with herbicides—One of the papers delivered (Restoration of Native Subtropical Forest in Abandoned Cropland Dominated by Kleberg Bluestem in Cameron County, Texas by Chris Best and Mick Castillo of U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service) reported that "the most effective treatment has been disking followed by 1 year of glyphosate treatment."

Another study, Invasive Ecology of Old World Bluestems and Insights for Management by Marvin Ruffner and Lynn Drawe agreed that "Disking followed by herbicide treatments provided the most effective long-term control of Old World bluestems."

4) Prescribed burns—Mark Simmons of the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center reported in Selective and Non-Selective Control of King Ranch Bluestem: The Short-Term Effects of Growing-Season Prescribed Fire, Herbicide, and Mowing in Texas Prairie that prescribed burns during the growing season (summer) were "effective at reducing the abundance of B. ischaemum" while dormant season (winter) burns encouraged KR growth.  Also, the advantage of growing season prescribed fire over tilling/herbicide is that many native grasses can tolerate fire, hence this technique is selective rather than wholesale.

 

Control of King Ranch Bluestem (Bothriochloa ischaemum)

 

Repeated sprayings will eventually get it, but turning up the roots will help the process. 

[workswithseed 2112]

I just like how exact they want you to till. 2" or nothing.

[chikin23 384]

Half of my back yard looks ok, nice and green. As I move towards the south side of the yard it becomes patchier and patchier. The last pic is zoomed in. Simply need more water or is that root rot crap?

 

Also: I live in West Texas, there is very little shade in the backyard, and temperatures have been way above average.

 

 

 

[cactusflinthead 27601]

Confirm the moisture level. Even if it means punching holes in the pre-emergent. Dig around in the dead areas

While you are doing this pull some of the existing green in the area and look at the roots and the stems. Look for brown and withered roots and lesions in the stems. 

 

Quote

As mentioned in our last post, take-all root rot climbed to the top spot as the most commonly diagnosed disease of UDB greens in 2016. When we look closer at the data, these diagnoses were made primarily in the fall and winter months with a few showing up in the spring. While we understand very little about the epidemiology behind this disease, the current thought is that infection occurs during the summer months and symptoms aren’t noticed until the turf becomes stressed due to a shorter photoperiod and cooler soil temperatures in the fall of the year. With the recent warmer and wetter than normal weather, it’s no surprise this disease keeps showing up, even during the dead of winter.

Wait what? Now you are telling me the infection happens in the summer and not in the spring or fall?  You sure about that Clark? I'd submit that it depends on the locale, temperature there and available moisture. emphasis mine. We are still shooting in the dark on this. On the link through there are pictures comparing spring dead spot (that's a first mention on here)

Specialized infection/attachment structures (hyphopodia) created by the causal fungus of take-all root rot (Gaeumannomycesspp.) on a stolon of an UDB plant

What the Patch is That!

There is also the idea that a hard winter can make it more susceptible

Quote

S pring dead spot (SDS) is a damaging, often persistent disease of bermudagrass lawns, tees, and greens. Although this disease is most common in the northern half of Alabama where bermudagrass adaptation may be marginal, damage may be seen statewide after an unusually cold, harsh winter. A similar patch disease occurs on zoysiagrass. Bermudagrass decline occurs statewide on golf course greens and tees.

 

Control of Spring Dead Spot and Bermudagrass Decline

 

That last one I know I have posted several times. The first one is what I could find from aggy at the moment   and I deleted  it because it is is so dated and lame. NC State in the second entry is from last year. But, again this is all predicated on the idea that there is an active disease at work. We can't rule out winter and the variance of moisture in the soil as part of the problem. I've seen several large dead areas that I can't attribute to disease, but I know were quite likely dry going into hard freezes. Sometimes you just gotta regrow some spots after a hard winter or recovery from a disease. 

Sending a sample to https://plantclinic.tamu.edu/ will be better served than what I got from their website. 

Spitballing here for the most part while I wake up from the Sunday nap induced by watching golf. 

tl/dr version

check moisture level

might be the winter

might be the after effects of last year's bout 

 

Edited May 21, 2018 by cactusflinthead

[cactusflinthead 27601]

6 hours ago, workswithseed said:

I just like how exact they want you to till. 2" or nothing.

I think the idea in a pasture is to just barely rip it, sort of graze the top. Set the depth and get after it. Till too deep and you end up turning up more seed. All you are trying to accomplish is turning the roots up to get exposed to the sun. 

 

[chikin23 384]

Would tilling up the soil and reseeding the area work on correcting the issue?

[HiggyBaby 2538]

Dallisgrass? I pull it whenever I see it.

Yeah you gotta pull that by hand. And curse the fella who brought it here 100 years ago to feed his goats.

[Assman 1830]

Just returned from a deployment so this is the first opportunity I've had to work in my yard this year.  I have a few questions for @cactusflinthead, my landscaping overlord.

1.  Is it too late to throw down a pre-emergent or any other type of fertilizer that will benefit the yard this year?  I live in Abilene and have St. Augustine. 

2.  Is it too late in the year to trim back my Knockout Roses?  I usually do this in very early spring but didn't know how doing it this late would affect their blooming schedule.

3.  Current watering schedule is 2x a week for 15 minutes a pop in the yard, and 20 minutes a pop in the flower beds.  Too much?  The first zone starts at 6am and the last zone ends around 8:30am.  Is this a good time?