2018 Lawn and Landscape Thread

[cactusflinthead 27,626]

25 minutes ago, Horn of Gabriel said:

X-posting on gardening thread...

I have what I guess you could call an ornamental garden in the backyard.  It has knockout rose, mountain laurel, purple lantana, lily of the nile, plumbago, mexican bush sage, Esperanza, texas sage, red bud, weeping red bud, red yucca, pink skull cap, purple heart, indian hawthorne, artichoke agave, turks cap, loropetalum, soft leaf yucca, variegated ginger, abulia, liziope, oak leaf hydrangea, beauty berry, and black & blue salvia, and flax lily.  80% of these were installed in Nov 2019, and the remaining 20% is going to go in over the next 60 days.

Unfortunately I also have the dreaded NUTSEDGE coming up in the mulch.  Nutsedge laughs at Roundup and Glyphosphate.  Manual pulling makes it worse.

In the past I've used an Image/44% Glophosphate mix to kill it but I literally had to paint it onto the shoots.  That's no longer feasible here.

I have some SedgeHammer (halosalfuron) and a container of Dismiss (sulfentrazone) and I'd like to do a spot spray in the areas that have trouble, but I'm finding conflicting info on if that is OK in my landscape garden.  The Sulfentrazone label says not to use it in ornamental areas, but there are lots of threads online where it's fine.  SedgeHammer says its OK but apparently doesn't work as well as the Dismiss.  Apparently the Dismiss persists in soil for a year, whereas the SedgeHammer is much shorter.  I'm wondering if when they install the new stuff in the next month or two if that's going to interfere with the transplant process if I spray now.

Anyone have any thoughts/ideas?

Certainty

 It's slow like most of the sulfonylureas but, it  does have the advantage of 'freezing' it into whatever height it is when you spray it. I've sprayed it over the top of a wide range of ornamental plants and other than sedges it has shown no harm to non-target species. The label lists the species that are over-the-top resistant and others that are better as a directed spray. I suppose I tend towards directed regardless of the type of ornamental because it's expensive and I'm not spraying it all over the place unless it's a thick stand.

http://www.cdms.net/labelsSDS/home/prodidx?key=14783

 

 

[Horn of Gabriel 1,883]

1 hour ago, cactusflinthead said:

Certainty

 It's slow like most of the sulfonylureas but, it  does have the advantage of 'freezing' it into whatever height it is when you spray it. I've sprayed it over the top of a wide range of ornamental plants and other than sedges it has shown no harm to non-target species. The label lists the species that are over-the-top resistant and others that are better as a directed spray. I suppose I tend towards directed regardless of the type of ornamental because it's expensive and I'm not spraying it all over the place unless it's a thick stand.

http://www.cdms.net/labelsSDS/home/prodidx?key=14783

 

 

Thanks I'll check that out - will the SedgeHammer and Dismiss I already have worry you in the garden?

[cactusflinthead 27,626]

Dismiss is good stuff. I'll use it to spike the regular 2,4-D blends. I don't mind using it in the turf and it is labeled for container grown ornamentals so I'm not terribly  worried about it getting in the drip line of other stuff. If you have some areas that are mostly nothing but nutgrass that would be fine but I'm leery of hosing down a groundcover. If you have a test spot that you can try them out without getting it on the leaves of your ornamentals you can see how it goes before firing off on all of it. Dismiss has an overseed delay of 14 days. I don't see anything else concerning planting other things afterwards. The Sedgehammer has the same for seeding, but a month for transplanting woody ornamentals. It does not recommend it in color beds or herbaceous perennials. If you did get it in some flowerbeds you can hit it with activated charcoal. Overall I'd prefer to use both of these in turf. Again, if you have a really jacked up spot full of nutgrass it's probably ok. But, it will take a while, couple of months should be plenty, to replant sensitive stuff.  The main thing is to keep the Sedgehammer off the foliage of what you want to keep. Under the branches is fine. 

And omit surfactant with Dismiss. It is ok with Sedgehammer. 

[Horn of Gabriel 1,883]

1 hour ago, cactusflinthead said:

Dismiss is good stuff. I'll use it to spike the regular 2,4-D blends. I don't mind using it in the turf and it is labeled for container grown ornamentals so I'm not terribly  worried about it getting in the drip line of other stuff. If you have some areas that are mostly nothing but nutgrass that would be fine but I'm leery of hosing down a groundcover. If you have a test spot that you can try them out without getting it on the leaves of your ornamentals you can see how it goes before firing off on all of it. Dismiss has an overseed delay of 14 days. I don't see anything else concerning planting other things afterwards. The Sedgehammer has the same for seeding, but a month for transplanting woody ornamentals. It does not recommend it in color beds or herbaceous perennials. If you did get it in some flowerbeds you can hit it with activated charcoal. Overall I'd prefer to use both of these in turf. Again, if you have a really jacked up spot full of nutgrass it's probably ok. But, it will take a while, couple of months should be plenty, to replant sensitive stuff.  The main thing is to keep the Sedgehammer off the foliage of what you want to keep. Under the branches is fine. 

And omit surfactant with Dismiss. It is ok with Sedgehammer. 

That right there is the clearest answer I've gotten on any of this stuff - THANK YOU!

Sounds like I'll save the SedgeHammer for the turf, thankfully my turf is (mostly) thick and the sedge hasn't liked it as much as the nice moist mulch.  I've ordered some Certainty and will put that down - does it have the same 14-days waiting for planting new stuff?  I'll hold onto the Dismiss and see how the Certainty does.

It looks like the non-ionic surfactant I got for the SedgeHammer is the same stuff I use w/ the Certainty?

 

 

Edited April 1, 2020 by Horn of Gabriel

[cactusflinthead 27,626]

7 hours ago, Horn of Gabriel said:

That right there is the clearest answer I've gotten on any of this stuff - THANK YOU!

Sounds like I'll save the SedgeHammer for the turf, thankfully my turf is (mostly) thick and the sedge hasn't liked it as much as the nice moist mulch.  I've ordered some Certainty and will put that down - does it have the same 14-days waiting for planting new stuff?  I'll hold onto the Dismiss and see how the Certainty does.

It looks like the non-ionic surfactant I got for the SedgeHammer is the same stuff I use w/ the Certainty?

 

 

The only mention I can find is overseeding. Section 8.6 on the label.

"Begin applications after Poa annua germination and 7-10 days before overseeding." 

I don't see any mention of delaying replanting. I've wanted to try it in color beds, but I haven't wanted to risk scorching the shit out of a bed. If you can delay planting in a color bed long enough for the nutgrass to emerge you could probably give it a whack before planting. If you catch it small it will be much less noticeable.  In liriope, jasmine, hollies, hawthorns, etc I have had no problems. Again, I'm using a backpack in the beds and targeting the nutgrass rather than broadcasting it like the turf because I'm trying to make it last. I have mixed it with 2,4-D often and sometimes with fluazifop (ornamec, et al) for grasses in ornamental beds. That's going to get most grasses and a good chunk of broadleaf. 

Yeah,  the surfactant is probably fine. Sulfentrazone is one of the few that it's contraindicated. 

[Goofyboy 3,428]

I need help with an area of lawn at my family lake house that has a ton of sun and zero water except whatever rain we get. It’s the area from the bottom of this pic to the tree stump. The green you see now is weeds, basically. Any thoughts as to what we can plant?

[Chapo 104]

Just moved into a new construction house, no sprinklers yet and wanting to reduce lawn mowing yardage.  On each side of the house, there is a narrow strip of st augustine  (8' x 60') that just started to grow. I want to just cover the area cheaply so I don't have to mow it.  Maybe just plop some stepping stones in the more trafficked area. Whats an easy and cheap way to do this?  I know nothing about landscaping.  Do I kill the grass first or just pour sand and rocks right away?

[Spoosner 87]

Amateur question.  I would like to spread some turf builder, and I think I need to aerate before doing so.  My yards are not big, total lot size is 7k sq. feet.

A professional service quoted me $150.  I don't mind spending some money, but that just seems silly for my small yards.

This is the only tool with decent reviews on Amazon.  Would seem like a slow process, but fine to go this route if it's the best idea: Yard Butler Lawn Coring Aerator Manual Grass Dethatching Turf Plug Core Aeration Tool ID-6C

This would seem like the easiest/most efficient, but reviews are pretty terrible: Rolling Lawn Aerator 18-inch Garden Yard Rotary Push Tine Heavy Duty Spike Soil Aeration, 50-in Handle (Green w/Fender)

The aerator shoes are the last option, but have read these are not the best idea.

Any advice on the best option?  

[cactusflinthead 27,626]

On 4/3/2020 at 8:47 AM, Goofyboy said:

I need help with an area of lawn at my family lake house that has a ton of sun and zero water except whatever rain we get. It’s the area from the bottom of this pic to the tree stump. The green you see now is weeds, basically. Any thoughts as to what we can plant?

Buffalograss. We don't have anything else that requires less maintenance. It's unsurpassed for drought tolerance. 

On 4/3/2020 at 10:10 PM, Chapo said:

Just moved into a new construction house, no sprinklers yet and wanting to reduce lawn mowing yardage.  On each side of the house, there is a narrow strip of st augustine  (8' x 60') that just started to grow. I want to just cover the area cheaply so I don't have to mow it.  Maybe just plop some stepping stones in the more trafficked area. Whats an easy and cheap way to do this?  I know nothing about landscaping.  Do I kill the grass first or just pour sand and rocks right away?

It's either dig up the StA and move it where it can grow or spray the shit out of it with Round up. Laying the stones isn't just flopping them down. Get them level and steady enough for an OL to walk on them. Bag of sand, shovel and a hoe or trowel will get you there. You can cover the whole area in decomposed granite, pea gravel, or other small stones of your choice and then put down the sand as a base for the stepping stones. 

On 4/7/2020 at 9:57 AM, Spoosner said:

Amateur question.  I would like to spread some turf builder, and I think I need to aerate before doing so.  My yards are not big, total lot size is 7k sq. feet.

A professional service quoted me $150.  I don't mind spending some money, but that just seems silly for my small yards.

This is the only tool with decent reviews on Amazon.  Would seem like a slow process, but fine to go this route if it's the best idea: Yard Butler Lawn Coring Aerator Manual Grass Dethatching Turf Plug Core Aeration Tool ID-6C

This would seem like the easiest/most efficient, but reviews are pretty terrible: Rolling Lawn Aerator 18-inch Garden Yard Rotary Push Tine Heavy Duty Spike Soil Aeration, 50-in Handle (Green w/Fender)

The aerator shoes are the last option, but have read these are not the best idea.

Any advice on the best option?  

The first one. If it doesn't take out a plug it is doing the opposite of what you are trying to accomplish, which is to decrease soil density. Milligrams/cubic cm is the equation. You're going to increase compaction with spikes. 150 is not a bad price, because aeration with a walk behind is a beating from hell. 

 

[Goofyboy 3,428]

Thank you!!

[Goofyboy 3,428]

Thank you!!

[Horn of Gabriel 1,883]

@cactusflinthead I hit the problem spot w/ Certainty and that stuff is boss, 2 weeks on the nutsedge is yellow and wilted significantly.  Is it best to let it die in place or pull it at this point?

[cactusflinthead 27,626]

10 hours ago, Horn of Gabriel said:

@cactusflinthead I hit the problem spot w/ Certainty and that stuff is boss, 2 weeks on the nutsedge is yellow and wilted significantly.  Is it best to let it die in place or pull it at this point?

I'd leave it until it's completely brown. If it's at that stage you can clean it up. 

[El Tri 412]

1 hour ago, cactusflinthead said:

I'd leave it until it's completely brown. If it's at that stage you can clean it up. 

i haven't pulled any dead ones. seems like my zoysia takes it over after it's dead.

that fucking nutsedge keeps coming back though in other places

[cactusflinthead 27,626]

40 minutes ago, El Tri said:

i haven't pulled any dead ones. seems like my zoysia takes it over after it's dead.

that fucking nutsedge keeps coming back though in other places

Yeah, it has a latent network of nuts that will keep coming back for a while. It's going to take several whacks to get rid of them. I think Gabriel is fighting it in the ornamental beds so the dead ones are more noticeable. 

[El Tri 412]

9 minutes ago, cactusflinthead said:

Yeah, it has a latent network of nuts that will keep coming back for a while. It's going to take several whacks to get rid of them. I think Gabriel is fighting it in the ornamental beds so the dead ones are more noticeable. 

i laid down some fertilizer with pre-emergent about 3 months ago. what would you recommend next?

this is a new zoysia yard laid down in october, in austin

[cactusflinthead 27,626]

17 minutes ago, El Tri said:

i laid down some fertilizer with pre-emergent about 3 months ago. what would you recommend next?

this is a new zoysia yard laid down in october, in austin

Mostly let it ride until you start seeing breakthrough on the pre. You can give it a preventative fungicide treatment, t-methyl is my first go to. Keep it as short as you can get it. The number one problem I see with zoysia is thatch build up from cutting it too tall. If you want to top dress with some peat moss that's cool too. There is research to suggest it has preventative effects for Take All. It varies a lot though. Sometimes it's great and sometimes it doesn't do shit except add organic matter. If you do decide to aerate it's going to punch holes in your pre-emergent. I'd wait until August for that. If you do start seeing breakthrough of weeds before then, like June or July, you can do it then and follow up with the pre-emergent and a post emergent if necessary. 

[El Tri 412]

16 minutes ago, cactusflinthead said:

Mostly let it ride until you start seeing breakthrough on the pre. You can give it a preventative fungicide treatment, t-methyl is my first go to. Keep it as short as you can get it. The number one problem I see with zoysia is thatch build up from cutting it too tall. If you want to top dress with some peat moss that's cool too. There is research to suggest it has preventative effects for Take All. It varies a lot though. Sometimes it's great and sometimes it doesn't do shit except add organic matter. If you do decide to aerate it's going to punch holes in your pre-emergent. I'd wait until August for that. If you do start seeing breakthrough of weeds before then, like June or July, you can do it then and follow up with the pre-emergent and a post emergent if necessary. 

i've been keeping it fairly long as i like the way it looks - so mow it short then? thanks for all of the advice

[cactusflinthead 27,626]

1 hour ago, El Tri said:

i've been keeping it fairly long as i like the way it looks - so mow it short then? thanks for all of the advice

2" max. With a reel mower it can be kept at .5"-1"

https://aggieturf.tamu.edu/texas-turfgrasses/zoysiagrass/

https://hgic.clemson.edu/factsheet/zoysiagrass-maintenance-calendar/

[cactusflinthead 27,626]

1 hour ago, El Tri said:

i've been keeping it fairly long as i like the way it looks - so mow it short then? thanks for all of the advice

2" max. With a reel mower it can be kept at .5"-1"

https://aggieturf.tamu.edu/texas-turfgrasses/zoysiagrass/

https://hgic.clemson.edu/factsheet/zoysiagrass-maintenance-calendar/

[dad 557]

I live in Fort Worth, TX. A tornado took out my front tree not long ago and I just had the stump ground down. Is now the time for me to put down sod? I have bermuda in the rest of the lawn. Or is it better for me to wait till the fall? There's a big patch of dirt now. I am not sure if the tree will start sprouting unless I kill it some more with vinegar? I'm also going to address soil compaction issues by first using a hand held core aerator. Any suggestions on any products I should use to condition the soil after that? Thanks!

[HiggyBaby 2,615]

My Indian Hawthornes all appear to have the aids. What’s going on here and how do I make them not look dead?

[HiggyBaby 2,615]

DP

Edited April 30, 2020 by HiggyBaby

[HiggyBaby 2,615]

DP

Edited April 30, 2020 by HiggyBaby

[Dr Fear 1,286]

11 hours ago, dad said:

I live in Fort Worth, TX. A tornado took out my front tree not long ago and I just had the stump ground down. Is now the time for me to put down sod? I have bermuda in the rest of the lawn. Or is it better for me to wait till the fall? There's a big patch of dirt now. I am not sure if the tree will start sprouting unless I kill it some more with vinegar? I'm also going to address soil compaction issues by first using a hand held core aerator. Any suggestions on any products I should use to condition the soil after that? Thanks!

I put down some St. Augustine sod last week and it is doing just fine, I would definitely do it now.  Forecast has a decent amount of rain for next Friday, get it in before then.  It is crazy how much sod responds to natural rain as opposed to city water.

 

* Also in FW

Edited April 30, 2020 by Dr Fear
Also in FW

[Mrs Whiggins 13,050]

41 minutes ago, HiggyBaby said:

My Indian Hawthornes all appear to have the aids. What’s going on here and how do I make them not look dead?
 

It looks like it has been hit with entomosporium (sp?) leaf spot. It's a fungus and I don't know that there is much you can do for that but @cactusflinthead would probably know best practices.

We had two Indian Hawthornes in our front bed that began to look sickly and since the location was too close to the house and they didn't really get enough sun or air circulation (both things that the IH prefer) we ripped them out rather than let them die a slow lingering death. Since we had not been the ones to plant them, it was not a big loss for us.

I think, like ligustrums and photinas, they get the 'ick' and you have to decide if it's worth saving.

[cactusflinthead 27,626]

12 hours ago, dad said:

I live in Fort Worth, TX. A tornado took out my front tree not long ago and I just had the stump ground down. Is now the time for me to put down sod? I have bermuda in the rest of the lawn. Or is it better for me to wait till the fall? There's a big patch of dirt now. I am not sure if the tree will start sprouting unless I kill it some more with vinegar? I'm also going to address soil compaction issues by first using a hand held core aerator. Any suggestions on any products I should use to condition the soil after that? Thanks!

Good luck with the aeration. Planting Bermuda is fine. If you want to add some organic matter that's fine too. Vinegar only bursts the cells it comes in contact with. It is not systemic. Triclopyr/brush and stump killer is the best option. Paint the outer ring/meristem straight out of the bottle with an old makeup brush or whatever is handy. It is not necessary to paint the entire stump. It's only actively growing in the layer between the bark and wood.

1 hour ago, HiggyBaby said:

My Indian Hawthornes all appear to have the aids. What’s going on here and how do I make them not look dead?

Start spraying it with t-methyl. You have to regrow the leaves and spray the new ones. Gather as many of the fallen leaves as possible. They are the storage of new infections. Once it's under control this year, you can usually keep it clean with a couple of sprays in early spring and a couple more in the fall. I'd hit them once a month this year. 

This is the commercial version of thiophanate-methyl. 

https://www.domyown.com/clearys-3336f-fungicide-p-1345.html

The same AI can be had at Lowe's, HD, etc. 

25 minutes ago, Mrs Whiggins said:

It looks like it has been hit with entomosporium (sp?) leaf spot. It's a fungus and I don't know that there is much you can do for that but @cactusflinthead would probably know best practices.

We had two Indian Hawthornes in our front bed that began to look sickly and since the location was too close to the house and they didn't really get enough sun or air circulation (both things that the IH prefer) we ripped them out rather than let them die a slow lingering death. Since we had not been the ones to plant them, it was not a big loss for us.

I think, like ligustrums and photinas, they get the 'ick' and you have to decide if it's worth saving.

Same thing on the photinia. If you clean up the disease vector (fallen leaves) and spray when the spring flush starts you can keep them pretty much clean. 

[Mrs Whiggins 13,050]

It's good to know there is something that will treat them. The photinias are pretty, but way too large for our lot but I do admire them where they have room to grow.

I am attempting to grow a buddleia (butterfly bush) from seed. These seeds are soooo tiny and so are the lil sprouts. I am pretty excited I got them to germinate. I have a sunny spot by the mailbox where I think the blooms will show nicely.

[cactusflinthead 27,626]

Photinias were so overplayed. Cheap and mostly durable until they started getting sick. It's likely that when they were installed that most people thought they could be an easy to maintain hedge. They want to be 20 ft tall. Trying to keep them at 4' is a pain in the ass. I still like them as a tall hedge with room to grow. 

[Mrs Whiggins 13,050]

Definitely. There is a subdivision near us that planted them as a barrier near a busy roadway to buffer the noise. When they turn red they are beautiful. The main difficulty was that there was a sidewalk that got moved when the roadway was widened even further and so now the shrubs, which have reached max height, have to be maintained so that one can use the sidewalk. It's one of those things that was a nice idea for many many years but the circumstances changed and people are trying to make the plant conform against its natural growth pattern.

I've tried to research the plants we put in our own landscape and while not all of them are strictly native, we do attempt to stick with plants that will be able to grow to their best advantage. We have St. Augustine grass because everyone in our neighborhood does, but I'm not wild about it. It is beautiful from a distance but as fickle as a prom princess to maintain.

[RexWilson 1,499]

Dealing with oak tree roots that are raised up in the grass. It's got to the point of hitting with mower and tripping hazard. Cant find a consensus on just cutting out the exposed parts.

[dad 557]

On 4/30/2020 at 2:47 PM, cactusflinthead said:

Good luck with the aeration. Planting Bermuda is fine. If you want to add some organic matter that's fine too. 

Triclopyr/brush and stump killer is the best option. Paint the outer ring/meristem straight out of the bottle with an old makeup brush or whatever is handy. It is not necessary to paint the entire stump. It's only actively growing in the layer between the bark and wood.

Thank you! What would you add as organic matter after core aerating the whole yard?

I will kill the stump like you said before I put more soil and sod over the ground stump. It's under ground but I figured it would still sprout nasty seedlings if I didn't kill it.

On a separate note I have a small area maybe 3 x 3 near my driveway that has eroded. If I want to level it off should I till up all of the existing grass and then add more dirt then add sod over it? I didn't know if I just added dirt over grass then sod if the upper grass would have a hard time growing roots through the existing grass once the roots grew past the dirt. 

[cactusflinthead 27,626]

4 hours ago, dad said:

Thank you! What would you add as organic matter after core aerating the whole yard?

I will kill the stump like you said before I put more soil and sod over the ground stump. It's under ground but I figured it would still sprout nasty seedlings if I didn't kill it.

ok, that's different. If the it's below grade level I'd wait for the sprouts to emerge and hit them at the recommended rates. If you already uncovered it and did a treatment, that's fine too. Be prepared for a few sprouts anyhow. Sometimes it requires a few whacks. 

On a separate note I have a small area maybe 3 x 3 near my driveway that has eroded. If I want to level it off should I till up all of the existing grass and then add more dirt then add sod over it? I didn't know if I just added dirt over grass then sod if the upper grass would have a hard time growing roots through the existing grass once the roots grew past the dirt. 

Plant right over it. The existing grass, dollar says it's Bermuda, will come on out and will help keep the soil intact, ie act as erosion control. 

On omatter. It's really up to you. If you want to go whole hog, get a bunch of different stuff and stir it all up. Square head shovel on the driveway or some plywood. Finer particles will get down in the turf easier than big chunky stuff. Inorganic stuff like lava sand or greensand is fine too. Mix it up, spread it out, and water it in. 

Peat moss, lava sand, fine grind compost, mushroom compost, cotton bur compost, bat guano, the list is extensive. If I am only going to do one, because fuck it, it's peat moss. 

Remember if you go punching holes in the yard you are going to defeat the pre-emergent in those spots. 

[cactusflinthead 27,626]

On 5/1/2020 at 12:33 PM, RexWilson said:

Dealing with oak tree roots that are raised up in the grass. It's got to the point of hitting with mower and tripping hazard. Cant find a consensus on just cutting out the exposed parts.

Missed this.

Don't do it. Add some dirt and sod, but don't cut the roots unless absolutely necessary. Well, let me amend that. It depends. What kind of tree is it?

A cypress knee would be ok, but I would not cut a buttress root of an oak. 

Edited May 2, 2020 by cactusflinthead

[cactusflinthead 27,626]

On 5/1/2020 at 8:04 AM, Mrs Whiggins said:

Definitely. There is a subdivision near us that planted them as a barrier near a busy roadway to buffer the noise. When they turn red they are beautiful. The main difficulty was that there was a sidewalk that got moved when the roadway was widened even further and so now the shrubs, which have reached max height, have to be maintained so that one can use the sidewalk. It's one of those things that was a nice idea for many many years but the circumstances changed and people are trying to make the plant conform against its natural growth pattern.

I've tried to research the plants we put in our own landscape and while not all of them are strictly native, we do attempt to stick with plants that will be able to grow to their best advantage. We have St. Augustine grass because everyone in our neighborhood does, but I'm not wild about it. It is beautiful from a distance but as fickle as a prom princess to maintain.

Sometimes you can trim a photinia up from the bottom to make the trunks to clear a tight area. It's a lot of initial labor. But once they clear the area the branches above can be let go completely. Zero trim above. Grow mfers and be as tall as you want. I love the look. A massive floating hedge with some low maintenance shade below it.

[Mrs Whiggins 13,050]

That would be great if they would do that; I should call up one of my friends who lives in that neighborhood because I think the HOA over there is the one that pays to have them pruned. They have to use scaffolding when they do it on the top, so for the initial cost, they may find it better long range.

 

[cactusflinthead 27,626]

It's a radical approach. I don't see it done very often. It requires rethinking how you treat it in the landscape to meet the requirements of the access to the sidewalk. The other problem with this route is clearance above. They can get tall enough to be a hazard. 

When you convert a photinia, or other shrub/tree, what I look for are good vertical branches as the base structure. Stubs of little sprouts on the base get eliminated. Bring it up and out. Like you would with a crepe myrtle. The same thing is done all the time with youpons. 

[Tailgate 3,054]

Any green thumbs out there know what might be chomping in these plants? It started last week and they are making serious progress. Plants have been in the same spot for almost two years and never had this issues.

 

Anything organic or otherwise that might help this plant! It’s friend a few feet over is starting to show signs too.

 

Thanks for any thoughts.

 

 

I saw what looked like a small spider on it yesterday.

[cactusflinthead 27,626]

Neem oil is the most popular broad spectrum organic insecticide. Insecticidal soaps need to hit the pest. Neem has systemic properties. It also has some fungicide effects. If you want track what is in the area set out a few sticky traps. My guess is a kind of beetle. Slugs are also possible. There are organic baits for them as well. It might require a night visit to catch them in action. 

What plant is it? That's got me stumped. 

[Tailgate 3,054]

The name escapes me. They are flourishing in our backyard....but on the porch is where I took the original pic. Here is an image of a couple in the back. They have a long flower that pops about twice a year that’s really cool.

 

Thanks for the thoughts. I got some neem oil to try.

[cactusflinthead 27,626]

Dadgummit I can't remember what the hell those are called. I'm sticking with neem as a first rec, but to be sure it doesn't scorch,  try it out on one not so prominent. Beer trap might be a good idea for checking the slug levels. 

[Mrs Whiggins 13,050]

Ligularia, right? Tractor seat plant. They are usually at our garden center but I've never succumbed to buying any.

I have to be careful as my spouse thinks I adopt plants like the cat ladies adopt kitties. I really try not to, but when it comes to some types (like the expensive annuals) if it is difficult to grow from seed then I pick up the cheap ones and bring them back to life from the bargain shelves. Got a huge pack of petunias and begonias for fifty cents (for each pack) and those were usually close to six or seven dollars. With some careful love and a little fertilizer I think my survival rate was 90% so heck of a bargain and when I rip them out in a couple of months I won't regret it.

[Tailgate 3,054]

Giant Leopard

At least that’s what Mrs. Tailgate found and it looks like it.

[Gourmand 7,778]

What did I do wrong to fuck up my lawn?

We bought our suburban house in Round Rock in January and when we moved in the lawn was in fantastic condition. We have a smaller front yard, nice landscaping with rose bushes and a pear and oak tree. Our back yard is exposed to full sun throughout the day but the zoysia (?)  was lush green, and thick like a carpet. The previous owner used TruGreen services and by all appearances they did a good job with the lawn and she recommended that I contact them to continue service. She said we would get crazy weeds otherwise but I wasn't gonna pay anyone to do what I thought I could do myself. 

Fast forward to May and our lawn is underperforming to say the least. We've had the usual suspects of spring weeds, especially crabgrass and thistle, and we've pulled a lot of it regularly by hand to keep it under control. I've sprayed the lawn with spectracide as well and, after getting a soil test done from TAMU Agrilife Extension, I bought pre-emergent and a couple of bags of milorganite (6-4-0) to help green up the lawn. 

So this past weekend I decided that I would start on the west-facing side of our house by dethatching that part of the lawn before laying down the pre-emergent and fertilizer. I ran my new Greenworks electric powered dethatcher three or four passes on that part of the lawn and of course wound up with some large piles of dead grass to rake up. I got it all cleaned up and then did the preemergent and milorganite. Now my lawn looks like shit, especially next to my neighbor's yard. It was basically the same color and texture as his a month ago, so either the recent heat or my lawn care regimen caused it to brown out and go thin. 

I don't want to do anything else to the back yard until I know what I did right and what I did wrong. Is this normal after dethatching or am I doing more harm than good?

Any advice for how to proceed?

 

[cactusflinthead 27,626]

Pictures aren't showing, but it's going to look rough after dethatching.

How big an area are you applying it? You're supposed to put Milorganite on pretty heavy.  They recommend 32#/2500ft2. That's a lot more than 21-7-14 per thousand. 

[Gourmand 7,778]

I went pretty heavy on that one area for the Milorganite, about that ratio for that section of lawn. It does look very rough after dethatching. 

[Gourmand 7,778]

Btw is this zoysia or bermuda?

[cactusflinthead 27,626]

Looks like bermudagrass to me. How often are you watering. You're going to have to push it until it starts going. Might have gone a little heavy handed on the dethatching. Feed and water the shit out of it.

[Gourmand 7,778]

I've been watering it cautiously because the weather has been intermittent. I have been cautious about not over watering the lawn because it has been mostly green for the early part of the spring. Do you think I should go heavy on some nitrogen and start watering it aggressively four days a week or is it best to water it heavy twice a week?

[cactusflinthead 27,626]

Heavy twice a week should be fine. A lot of it your going to have to gauge. See what it's like after a couple of days. Poke around in the dirt. A dose of fert like you described is also fine, but you might want to hit it monthly.