2018 Lawn and Landscape Thread

[cactusflinthead 27602]

Did you notice any difference in the number of bugs? 

I prefer cedar mulch because of the color as it fades. There's the added bonus of the fact that we have ground a water hogging allergen factory into something useful. 

[joe dirt 285]

is it too late/hot to apply something like this to my bermuda?  currently losing the battle of clover and this is one thing i have t tried  

 

[Dark Horse 2291]

What soil test should I pay for from aggy? I’ve never tested before and I’m really just looking for my St Augustine to grow in better. 

 

Also, is there anything creative I can do for dog trails in St A? I’ve pretty much given up on having grass in his running lanes. Is there anything I can do that will look a little better than dirt?

[TXs 226]

41 minutes ago, Dark Horse said:

What soil test should I pay for from aggy? I’ve never tested before and I’m really just looking for my St Augustine to grow in better. 

 

Also, is there anything creative I can do for dog trails in St A? I’ve pretty much given up on having grass in his running lanes. Is there anything I can do that will look a little better than dirt?

I always had a losing battle with my dogs and St. A where they liked to run and kick.

[cactusflinthead 27602]

12 hours ago, joe dirt said:

is it too late/hot to apply something like this to my bermuda?  currently losing the battle of clover and this is one thing i have t tried  

 

Getting the dicamba to stick on the leaves is the trick. Better investment is a good sprayer, a bottle of the same herbicide blend, and another one of surfactant. Go with the lower rate of the herbicide. 

[cactusflinthead 27602]

11 hours ago, Dark Horse said:

What soil test should I pay for from aggy? I’ve never tested before and I’m really just looking for my St Augustine to grow in better. 

 

Also, is there anything creative I can do for dog trails in St A? I’ve pretty much given up on having grass in his running lanes. Is there anything I can do that will look a little better than dirt?

The mid-level one. Seems like npk+micros. 

Mulch sorta helps. They still beat a trail but I can rake it back from the sides to the middle and replenish as needed. 

[RowdyVic 106]

 I am in the process of clearing off the property and took the burn pile dirt and spread it over some steep slopes. Rocks were showing on the peaks so I wanted to cover that up and get grass to start growing. The problem I am dealing with is when it rains the dirt is getting eroded away. The slope stretches the length of the property so it would take a lot of mulch. What are some other things I can do in the mean time to help slow the erosion?

[Spaulding Smails 1555]

Not sure how concerned you are about what grows there (if anything), but look into some erosion control fabric.  Not sure of cost, but hydroseeding over an erosion fabric is probably the best way to get vegetation started on a hillside.

[cactusflinthead 27602]

There are a number of options. Hay is a simple one. It's going to wash down. Keep layering it. Use sticks and other woody materials as temporary check dams. 

Jute and other materials are available. 

Erosion control ground cover might get you there on the Google 

[krevo 142]

My sod has been in for around 8 weeks now.  I'm noticing now that I'm doing weekly 1" waterings, that I've still got areas that are not as green and lush as others (mainly in the front yard where the afternoon sun just bakes it)

Would it be okay to begin a turf builder type of fertilizer to help green them up?  The grass isn't dead, it's just kinda yellow green when compared to areas that get less sun.

Edited May 30, 2018 by krevo

[Both Tacos 1806]

For those looking for Fruit or Citrus trees, Lowes has theirs 50% off right now.  Normally $39.99. I picked up two peach trees last night. 

Edited June 1, 2018 by Both Tacos

[ZB'Tejas 593]

First time with an actual lawn and I'm starting to learn a lot. My backyard is mostly Zoysia grass but there are a few areas where Bermuda is starting to spread. I've looked at numerous sites to see what can help beat back the Bermuda but so much is dependent on location and time of year. Wanted to hear from everyone here in central Texas on any tricks or things you might have done to help the Zoysia win.

[TXLNGHRN10 341]

I previously posted about my sprinkler heads not popping up in 2 zones. 
I  removed a head in each zone that was not popping up and leaking a lot of water. I re tightened them, then walked around and readjusted the spray patterns on them and they started working again. I'd like for some of them to have a wider spray, but if I increase them they loose pressure. 
Is there a way to increase water pressure to the system? Or do I keep tweaking the spray patterns?

[cactusflinthead 27602]

8 hours ago, ZB'Tejas said:

First time with an actual lawn and I'm starting to learn a lot. My backyard is mostly Zoysia grass but there are a few areas where Bermuda is starting to spread. I've looked at numerous sites to see what can help beat back the Bermuda but so much is dependent on location and time of year. Wanted to hear from everyone here in central Texas on any tricks or things you might have done to help the Zoysia win.

Fluazifop. It will yellow the zoysia a bit, but it will get the bermudagrass. The zoysia resists it. 

[cactusflinthead 27602]

1 hour ago, TXLNGHRN10 said:

I previously posted about my sprinkler heads not popping up in 2 zones. 
I  removed a head in each zone that was not popping up and leaking a lot of water. I re tightened them, then walked around and readjusted the spray patterns on them and they started working again. I'd like for some of them to have a wider spray, but if I increase them they loose pressure. 
Is there a way to increase water pressure to the system? Or do I keep tweaking the spray patterns?

Increasing the psi is going to take a pump. The whole thing is based on subtracting the psi loss from the source to the farthest head. There's only so much peanut butter to spread around. There's a maximum amount of water a given size of pipe can carry.

[woohorn 1131]

Add a new sprinkler zone and move some of the heads to the new zone.

[GottaB 595]

I have a porch that gets a lot of afternoon sun from the side which makes it useless.

I’m thinking of planting something that will grow thick enough and tall enough to block the sun. The porch is 10 foot deep and I have 12 feet from the porch to the neighbor fence.

My first though is 1 or 2 red tip photinia shrubs.

What concerns should I keep in mind?
Is there something better?

[TexasEd 8077]

51 minutes ago, GottaB said:

I have a porch that gets a lot of afternoon sun from the side which makes it useless.

I’m thinking of planting something that will grow thick enough and tall enough to block the sun. The porch is 10 foot deep and I have 12 feet from the porch to the neighbor fence.

My first though is 1 or 2 red tip photinia shrubs.

What concerns should I keep in mind?
Is there something better?

I prefer cherry Laurels to Red Tip photinia.

[Anastasis 23485]

So I am not getting good consistent coverage out of my sprinklers.  got a couple brown spots popping up inside the radius.  I have tried adjusting the radius screen to spread more water. No real luck. Thinking about replacing the rotors since I know that a couple of them appear to have leaking seals, and changing out nozzles. Question: Has anybody converted an area from rotors to rotators? I'm about 35 feet head to head in this area, which appears to be the upper limits of the mp rotators. I have rotators in other areas and they seem to get more consistent coverage. Anybody got thoughts on whether I stay with rotors or just make the change?

Edited June 13, 2018 by Anastasis

[cactusflinthead 27602]

Is this new? Same dry spots in previous years?

[cactusflinthead 27602]

On 6/10/2018 at 9:25 PM, GottaB said:

I have a porch that gets a lot of afternoon sun from the side which makes it useless.

I’m thinking of planting something that will grow thick enough and tall enough to block the sun. The porch is 10 foot deep and I have 12 feet from the porch to the neighbor fence.

My first though is 1 or 2 red tip photinia shrubs.

What concerns should I keep in mind?
Is there something better?

There's also a trellis as a screen option. Lots of vine options.  Plain old morninglory will cover some territory in a season. Lady Bank's rose is nearly evergreen and will be a hedge in a few years. Crossvine,wisteria, coral honeysuckle, Confederate jasmine are all ones that bloom, but are manageable. Trumpet vine and regular honeysuckle get all over the place. Be forewarned.

Hollies are good options, slower but sturdier. So many new varieties.

 

[Anastasis 23485]

13 hours ago, cactusflinthead said:

Is this new? Same dry spots in previous years?

First real summer in the place.  The yard when we got the place was shit and been allowed to get out of control with weeds.  I had emerald do an aeration and top dress, and they have me on a fertilization and weed schedule. Still got a lot of weeds to deal with, blue stem, poa, etc. but most of the grass is pretty greened up except for these spots that are right inside the further portion of the throw of the sprinkler. 

[cactusflinthead 27602]

Yeah, it sounds like it isn't getting it wet enough. There's a possibility that there is something in the soil that makes it difficult to retain or absorb moisture. Big ass rock layer an inch and a half deep is not good. 

I'm leery of making drastic changes in the heads. Unless the psi requirements match, the gallons per minute is the same, and the irrigation curtain too you can expect problems. If you have oodles of pressure and extra water on that station that will get you some flexibility. It's probably worth getting the audit to find out what the options are. 

The simplest way to determine how much water is hitting the area is to set out some empty tuna cans or something like that. Run the program for that station and see what happens. 

[Anastasis 23485]

I changed out a few nozzles and turned the radius screw to splatter the stream a bit and it appears to be getting better coverage. We are right on rock bed after a couple inches. Any recs for sprinkler companies in Austin to do a audit? 

[cactusflinthead 27602]

That might clear it up. I don't know anyone down in Austin in landscape/irrigation that isn't in our company. I can ask around. 

A lot of it boils down to running the system and looking for problems. A willingness to get wet and some basic skills goes a long way. I'd give it a few days with the adjustment to see if it improves. If the heads in the zone aren't leaking and the nozzles are good there might not be a lot for them to do. 

[SquishMitten 10435]

Anybody know what the deal is at HD/Lowe’s with sod? I keep driving by Dyer work and they’ve got nothing. I assume landscapers come by and scoop up whatever is left at some point? Anybody know what time that generally happens? Or maybe they just don’t get deliveries during the week?

[SquishMitten 10435]

Alternatively, anybody know a place in south, central, or west Austin that typically has sod in the afternoon?

[krevo 142]

1 hour ago, SquishMitten said:

Alternatively, anybody know a place in south, central, or west Austin that typically has sod in the afternoon?

I used a place based in Lakeway.   Had the best price on 419 Tifway delivered (125 per pallet)  Not sure if they have it in stock at their office in Lakeway.

 

https://thegrassoutlet.com/contact/austin-pickup-location/lakeway/

Edited June 19, 2018 by krevo

[TXs 226]

Try Austin sod outlet or whatever they're called.

 

Edit ^^^ that's it

Edited June 20, 2018 by TXs

[Updawg 2286]

Alternatively, anybody know a place in south, central, or west Austin that typically has sod in the afternoon?

Hd and Lowe's get it on Fridays usually. Check out King ranch on 290 near the y.

[George 493]

Can you guys help me figure out what's going on in my back yard?  Seems to be getting worse.  Some sort of fungus?  Treatment recommendations?  Also, any idea what kind of grass i'm working with?

[cactusflinthead 27602]

Looks like zoysia. The brown isn't coming back. After the first treatment,  note that I said first, the best result is that it doesn't get worse. Arresting the damage is step one. I would cut it shorter and give it a light fert. If the runners start taking off again you are doing well. At the first signs of yellowing hit it with the fungicide.  Plan on doing this quarterly. After the first year of treatment you might be ok with a spring and fall app. But, be ready to break out the guns in summer if it starts acting weird.

 

[George 493]

So I need a fungicide. Anything in particular to look for?  Worth digging some of it out and trying to drop seed or something?

[cactusflinthead 27602]

I'm too spent for the whole speech. I have addressed it earlier in this year's thread. Search Take-all root rot. Zoysia decline is a synonym. I prefer T-methyl but others have shown some results. I don't know if zoysia was part of the peat moss study or not.

IDing the grass at this point is a best guess. It might be Bermuda. Gut says zoysia. Gotta get a little closer to see the leaves and stems. Diagnosis of the disease for full confidence requires a hand lens. Grubs require a shovel and counting heads in a square foot. 7+ is worth the money. 

[Dark Horse 2291]

How is the Bayer Fungus Control granules for gray leaf spot? A lot of the recommended liquid fungicides are expensive as fuck.

[Not a Sock 2342]

6 hours ago, Dark Horse said:

How is the Bayer Fungus Control granules for gray leaf spot? A lot of the recommended liquid fungicides are expensive as fuck.

Is the area of grass in a shaded wet area with thick growth? Because gray leaf spot thrives in those kinda of conditions and taking cultural steps like cutting back on watering, not applying fertilizer and mowing and bagging the clippings should help keeping grey spot in check.

[mapplewhite132 309]

I am a somewhat new homeowner and trying to figure out which fertilizer to apply this week. I live in Houston and have St. Augustine grass in the front and back. I am trying to follow the Randy Lemmon schedule -- he makes recommendations for late June or early July fertilizer application. Can I use my leftover scott's weed and feed, or should I go with something he recommends? 

Having a hard time finding his recommended products online. Where can I find this stuff in Houston?

[Dark Horse 2291]

I’ve seen them at Ace Hardware, Plants for All Seasons, and Houston Garden Center. I think a lot of the smaller places carry them.

Some of the Herbicides I’ve had to buy online.

[joe dirt 285]

i typically apply milorganite every 4-5 weeks. there’s none to be found in all of north austin, pflug or rr.  wtf. 

gonna have to go souf austin tmrw to get some. 🤬

[TXs 226]

Apparently there's a shortage 

[kmac30 416]

In my backyard I have this patio area that is bricks. Weeds of all kinds grow. I pull them. I spray them. I need something that will get rid of them for the next 6 months. I’m selling my house sometime in that range and I don’t want to be dealing with it.

 

*there is mortar for the most part between the brinks, not just dirt. They come up in the cracks that have formed.

 

Any ideas?

 

 

 

[chikin23 384]

 

 

 

In my backyard I have this patio area that is bricks. Weeds of all kinds grow. I pull them. I spray them. I need something that will get rid of them for the next 6 months. I’m selling my house sometime in that range and I don’t want to be dealing with it.

 

*there is mortar for the most part between the brinks, not just dirt. They come up in the cracks that have formed.

 

 

 

Had good luck with Ortho ground clear on my side yard.

 

[kevwun 15897]

Anyone used atrazine to kill Bahia grass in St. Augustine?  Sounds like it is my best bet on the googles.  The Bahia is going nuts in my front yard this year.  Wish I would have done something about it last year when I first noticed it.

[kevwun 15897]

On 6/25/2018 at 3:48 PM, mapplewhite132 said:

I am a somewhat new homeowner and trying to figure out which fertilizer to apply this week. I live in Houston and have St. Augustine grass in the front and back. I am trying to follow the Randy Lemmon schedule -- he makes recommendations for late June or early July fertilizer application. Can I use my leftover scott's weed and feed, or should I go with something he recommends? 

Having a hard time finding his recommended products online. Where can I find this stuff in Houston?

Just planted a pallet a month ago and the grass farm and my internet research both recommended 15-5-10.  You might have to go to a feed store to get it though.

Edited July 3, 2018 by kevwun

[mapplewhite132 309]

3 minutes ago, kevwun said:

Just planted a pallet a month ago and the grass farm and my internet research both recommended 15-5-10.  You might have to go to a feed store to get it though.

Thanks for the reply. Good timing, as I am going by Houston Garden Center after work to pick up some fertilizer before it rains

[kevwun 15897]

18 minutes ago, mapplewhite132 said:

Thanks for the reply. Good timing, as I am going by Houston Garden Center after work to pick up some fertilizer before it rains

You might call to see if they have it before you go there.  It was a bit of a pain to find in my experience.  The first real feed store I checked at had it though.  The grass farm did tell me 13-13-13 would also work fine.  St. Augustine needs a good amount of potassium which is the last number of the 3 and it's not found in high enough amounts in most fertilizers.  It seems really weird with how common the grass is.

Edited July 3, 2018 by kevwun

[cactusflinthead 27602]

21 hours ago, kevwun said:

Anyone used atrazine to kill Bahia grass in St. Augustine?  Sounds like it is my best bet on the googles.  The Bahia is going nuts in my front yard this year.  Wish I would have done something about it last year when I first noticed it.

It is better in cooler temperatures. There's a risk of scorching above 85. If you have big clumps with very little St. A you can probably get away with some spot spraying. It's best at cleaning up winter grasses while the turf is still dormant. 

[kevwun 15897]

Mine is mostly big clumps of Bahia, so I think I will be ok.  I'm going to have to wait till the rain passes though from what I have read.  It needs to sit on the Bahia for 2 or 3 days before rain or sprinklers.

[cactusflinthead 27602]

Worst case scenario you can nuke it with round-up and plunk in a couple of fresh pieces. 

[TXs 226]

Chinquapin oak sapling. Only cost me 2 bucks.

 

Sent from my SM-G965U1 using Tapatalk
 

Edited July 15, 2018 by TXs