2018 Lawn and Landscape Thread

[cactusflinthead 27603]

poorly written. Not hold off on herbicides. Hold off on pre-emergent herbicide.

But, I will add the caveat that this pertains primarily to StA and some zoysia. Bermuda gives no fucks. Well...maybe some tender shit from Tifton. 

So what if I miss some if I wait? Gonna catch some anyway. 

I am late to feed. When we get done with spring apps and it starts getting hot. Nitrogen ahoy! Until then I got other shit to do. 

I notice they said 2-3 mowings instead of 30% green up. They left the subjectivity and yet still dumbed it down

Because aggy.

 

Edited March 19, 2021 by cactusflinthead

[George 493]

My Dalmatians have done a number to the yard over the winter. Starting to see greening in some of the grass, but we’re going to need to sod a bunch of spots that seem to be down to dirt only.

At what point should I look at laying sod?  Pretty sure we  have Bermuda.

would there be any benefit to trying to over seed with rye for next fall/winter to try and keep green gras for the winter so the dogs don’t destroy the dormant grass?

and finally - I shovel shit regularly, but we’ve always had fly problems. Is there anything I can do to keep those at bay?  I’ve noticed that they are back this week and would like to keep a handle on it. 
 

thanks!

[cactusflinthead 27603]

@George

Overseeding is going to be hit or miss. The seedlings are going to get hammered too. I'd try some hay or peat moss or both. Peat first and then hay. You can rake off loose stuff after the winter or let it ride and shoot it out in the yard and grind it up. 

Flies are best caught in a trap. It's a plastic hanging thing with a water trap containing a bait scent, ie. smells of rotting death. The stink is fairly well contained in the trap but I'd hang it out of sight. Piles of dead flies has an adverse reaction to appetite.

[HiggyBaby 2545]

Hollies or boxwoods are much more cold hardy. Youpon is the most drought tolerant.
My early hope that the hawthornes would snap back has been replaced with cynicism. We're going to try cutting them back to a foot on some and some will get replaced. 

I’m also about to give up on my hawthornes. The wood is brown all the way down. I was reading that you can cut them back to where the branches are green but I don’t see that. If I see new growth at the base I will prune them back. Otherwise I’ll plan to replace.

Edit. Actually just cut one of the hawthornes back to a foot. Wood is alive there so there’s hope.


On the plus side, my loropetalums seem to have survived. There is new growth at the base so I’m pruning them back to promote more growth.

[GottaB 595]

What is the opinion on Sunday? I see ads on fb for a service that will formalize a plan for your lawn and ship the chemicals to you.

[cactusflinthead 27603]

5 hours ago, GottaB said:

What is the opinion on Sunday? I see ads on fb for a service that will formalize a plan for your lawn and ship the chemicals to you.

I think @Gourmand had a mail order service. I can't say about the cost, but the list of stuff looked good. 

It seems like a good way to find an application schedule and at the very least an intro to the array of options.

[Post Oak 20275]

This is my second year in our home and last year I was basically worried about making sure the StA was mowed.  

My backyard is becoming overrun with weeds so I had a few guys out to take a look an see what they could recommend.  

After looking at the bids I'm thinking I'm going to give this a shot myself. 

I'd like to avoid dumping chemicals on my lawn as much as possible but understand I will probably need to do it the first year or so just so I can get a handle on this.

I've found this link and think this is what I'm going to go with.  

Does anyone have any thoughts on this program

https://www.realgreenlawns.com/austin/lawn-schedule/

I'm in Waco.

 

Thanks

[cactusflinthead 27603]

7 hours ago, Post Oak said:

This is my second year in our home and last year I was basically worried about making sure the StA was mowed.  

My backyard is becoming overrun with weeds so I had a few guys out to take a look an see what they could recommend.  

After looking at the bids I'm thinking I'm going to give this a shot myself. 

I'd like to avoid dumping chemicals on my lawn as much as possible but understand I will probably need to do it the first year or so just so I can get a handle on this.

I've found this link and think this is what I'm going to go with.  

Does anyone have any thoughts on this program

https://www.realgreenlawns.com/austin/lawn-schedule/

I'm in Waco.

 

Thanks

Dear god he needs to spell check.

Atrazine not Atrizine

Dimension not Demension

Overall not a bad plan. I'd prefer if he included the chemical name along with the brand name. 

You can limit the chems and still have a good turf. Spot spray problem areas rather than a blanket spray. Hand pull if you want. 

 His schedule is pretty good even if I might quibble over a few numbers and poor spelling

[Post Oak 20275]

7 hours ago, cactusflinthead said:

Dear god he needs to spell check.

Atrazine not Atrizine

Dimension not Demension

Overall not a bad plan. I'd prefer if he included the chemical name along with the brand name. 

You can limit the chems and still have a good turf. Spot spray problem areas rather than a blanket spray. Hand pull if you want. 

 His schedule is pretty good even if I might quibble over a few numbers and poor spelling

Thanks for the advice

[Gourmand 7774]

On 3/22/2021 at 8:31 PM, cactusflinthead said:

I think @Gourmand had a mail order service. I can't say about the cost, but the list of stuff looked good. 

It seems like a good way to find an application schedule and at the very least an intro to the array of options.

Never tried that but I have a turfbox subscription service with domyown.com that I am quite happy with. It's pretty basic but once you've filled out the information about your lawn size, type, and location they send you herbicides and fungicides seasonally at a good price. I have a shipment of Barricade prodiamine arriving on Friday for a second pre-emergent application. The one caveat worth noting with the turfbox service is they don't include fertilizer because it is so specific to a lawn's pH analysis that they leave it up to you to order that separately if needed. 

Link

[3adays 454]

We’ve moved into a newly built home in October. The grass is in pretty good shape, but the yard is uneven as fuck! Like roll you ankles just walking through it uneven. Does anyone have a recommendation for a company to bring in some dirt and level this shit out? I’m in Dripping Springs. 

[Ten Bears 2483]

I put down Barricade last spring and fall and after the freeze my weeds are worse than ever.  Doesn't help that I am surrounded by weed covered lawns.   

[Post Oak 20275]

@cactusflinthead

I'm leaning to put down Bonide Weed Beater on my StA as a post emergent. 

Is there anything I should be worried about or know.  

Thanks

[cactusflinthead 27603]

10 hours ago, Post Oak said:

@cactusflinthead

I'm leaning to put down Bonide Weed Beater on my StA as a post emergent. 

Is there anything I should be worried about or know.  

Thanks

Looks fine. It's prodiamine and sulfentrazone. Just be sure to put out a sufficient amount. It's 4.29 lbs per thousand on St.A

[Gourmand 7774]

21 hours ago, Ten Bears said:

I put down Barricade last spring and fall and after the freeze my weeds are worse than ever.  Doesn't help that I am surrounded by weed covered lawns.   

Yep, it's a constant battle but I bet your lawn is ahead of your neighbors' lawns. Lawns in my area are weed infested but the ones is my yard are manageable enough to pull by hand. If you haven't thrown down preemergent yet, get it done asap. I'm due for my second (split) application this week and still need to get some fertilizer down as well.

[Post Oak 20275]

20 minutes ago, cactusflinthead said:

Looks fine. It's prodiamine and sulfentrazone. Just be sure to put out a sufficient amount. It's 4.29 lbs per thousand on St.A

Thanks. I'm a newb and appreciate the expertise

[cactusflinthead 27603]

15 minutes ago, Post Oak said:

Thanks. I'm a newb and appreciate the expertise

Check the label. It recommended a split application. I don't recall the interval.

[Gourmand 7774]

Hey @cactusflinthead, is prodiamine safe for freshly planted caladium tubers? I planted quite a few in our front beds but i had to cut out some of the landscape fabric to put them in and don't want weeds to sprout up through those openings. Can i go ahead and sprinkle some in those beds or is it best to wait until they are established?

[cactusflinthead 27603]

If they are planted 2-3 in. deep they should be fine. The pre is best in the .5-1" range and ordinarily doesn't leach into the soil further than that. The vast majority of weed seeds sprout from the top half inch, the caladium roots from the tuber should be well below that.

[LaunchPad 10]

@cactusflinthead I did some yard work this weekend and dug some to repair sprinklers and noticed a grub in my St.A.  Anything I can put down now?

[cactusflinthead 27603]

2 hours ago, LaunchPad said:

@cactusflinthead I did some yard work this weekend and dug some to repair sprinklers and noticed a grub in my St.A.  Anything I can put down now?

o confirm whether you need to treat for grubs, examine several soil sections at least 3 to 4 inches across and 4 inches deep (sample sandy soils to greater depths). A good rule of thumb is to examine several soil plugs (up to one square foot per 1000 square feet of turf) from widely scattered parts of the lawn. Take care to include areas at the edges of suspected grub damage. Finding more than five white grubs per square foot justifies treatment, although some lawns with even higher numbers of grubs may show no damage.

https://agrilifeextension.tamu.edu/library/landscaping/white-grubs-in-texas-turfgrass/

[mr. sunshine 2833]

Any maintenance advice for those of us with combo Bermuda and St. Augustine grass yards?  The builder planted Bermuda. When we had a pool installed a couple of years ago I planted St. Augustine around it to cover up the dirt because that’s all they had at the grass yard.  I’ve since realized that what’s good for one - type of fertilizer, frequency, etc. - isn’t good for the other. 
 

Any helpful guidance would be greatly appreciated.

[Gourmand 7774]

8 hours ago, mr. sunshine said:

Any maintenance advice for those of us with combo Bermuda and St. Augustine grass yards?  The builder planted Bermuda. When we had a pool installed a couple of years ago I planted St. Augustine around it to cover up the dirt because that’s all they had at the grass yard.  I’ve since realized that what’s good for one - type of fertilizer, frequency, etc. - isn’t good for the other. 
 

Any helpful guidance would be greatly appreciated.

Maybe this will put you on the right path?

 

[mr. sunshine 2833]

Muchas gracias

[cactusflinthead 27603]

On 3/28/2021 at 10:27 AM, Ten Bears said:

I put down Barricade last spring and fall and after the freeze my weeds are worse than ever.  Doesn't help that I am surrounded by weed covered lawns.   

Been chewing on this for a few days.

There are several factors that degrade the effectiveness of pre-emergent. But, first question is what was the duration of control? If you had good control over the majority of the area from Sept-Oct to Feb that'll do.

On 3/29/2021 at 7:48 AM, Post Oak said:

Thanks. I'm a newb and appreciate the expertise

There is a wealth of info. It does not have to be full on lab grade work. You can have a pretty damn good yard with a little bit of effort here and there. 

On 3/29/2021 at 9:50 AM, LaunchPad said:

@cactusflinthead I did some yard work this weekend and dug some to repair sprinklers and noticed a grub in my St.A.  Anything I can put down now?

I owed you a better reply too.

Announcement tone:

At this time there is no need to apply any insecticide. Unless you have more than the specified number of grubs in the stated area there is no need for maintenance.

Preventative application of beneficial nematodes is a good option at this time. 

12 hours ago, mr. sunshine said:

Any maintenance advice for those of us with combo Bermuda and St. Augustine grass yards?  The builder planted Bermuda. When we had a pool installed a couple of years ago I planted St. Augustine around it to cover up the dirt because that’s all they had at the grass yard.  I’ve since realized that what’s good for one - type of fertilizer, frequency, etc. - isn’t good for the other. 
 

Any helpful guidance would be greatly appreciated.

May the best grass win. I'm betting on Bermuda. 

The differences in maintenance aren't that great. There are a few things in terms of disease that I watch for in StA. but the fert is about the same. Chems have a few variations. Mostly it's go a little easier on the StA. If the Bermuda starts creeping in and taking over. Fine. Get after it. If the StA sends fat runners into the Bermuda well you go son.

I feel like I have to bang the drum again on calibrations.

Know the size of thy yard.

That's gonna tell you how much stuff to put out. If that pre calls for 4.29# /M you need to know how much that is. More costs money and too little is less than effective.

Get a scale. Weigh products. Know the volume that equals a weight. Put that amount over a known area. It ain't rocket science but it does require a little diligence to get it dialed in.

 

[Gourmand 7774]

11 hours ago, cactusflinthead said:

I feel like I have to bang the drum again on calibrations.

Know the size of thy yard.

That's gonna tell you how much stuff to put out. If that pre calls for 4.29# /M you need to know how much that is. More costs money and too little is less than effective.

Get a scale. Weigh products. Know the volume that equals a weight. Put that amount over a known area. It ain't rocket science but it does require a little diligence to get it dialed in.

Ha, it me.

It starts out great but then I just end up eyeballing a big ass pile of milorganite and going crazy with it. I'm usually more careful with the herbicides though.

Btw if you don't know your lawn square footage this map developer tool is handy to measure your area. 

https://www.mapdevelopers.com/area_finder.php

Edited March 31, 2021 by Gourmand

[Gourmand 7774]

Aggy has a good fertilizer calculator here.

http://soiltesting.tamu.edu/calc/UNCalc.htm

[SimonBolivar 10959]

We're buying a house that has a small yard, but an interesting rock feature that separates it from the rear neighbors. Is there anything ya'll can think of that we can do with this? The elevation and high fence already gives us plenty of privacy, so I'm not worried about that. I guess we could leave it as is and just focus on the remainder of the backyard?

 

[Gourmand 7774]

Any idea what the soil is like under the rock and how deep the rock layer is? 

[Post Oak 20275]

3 hours ago, SimonBolivar said:

We're buying a house that has a small yard, but an interesting rock feature that separates it from the rear neighbors. Is there anything ya'll can think of that we can do with this? The elevation and high fence already gives us plenty of privacy, so I'm not worried about that. I guess we could leave it as is and just focus on the remainder of the backyard?

 

I'd try to plant that thing with that some natives.  Maybe red yucca or agave or something else.  

Here's why

1.  Those rocks are going to get really hot during the day and radiate it off at night so you need something sturdy and something that doesn't need a lot of water.  

When we lived in ATX we had a stone flower bed and even the lantana that was planted it struggled during the heat of the summer because it basically never cooled off.  At least that's what I was told and it makes sense.

Maybe like 4 agave with red yucca or something else sturdy planted in between.

Anyway, pay more attention to what @cactusflinthead says

Good luck

 

 

[SimonBolivar 10959]

15 hours ago, Gourmand said:

Any idea what the soil is like under the rock and how deep the rock layer is? 

Not yet, closing is technically on Thursday so I'll get a better look then.

[SimonBolivar 10959]

15 hours ago, Post Oak said:

I'd try to plant that thing with that some natives.  Maybe red yucca or agave or something else.  

Here's why

1.  Those rocks are going to get really hot during the day and radiate it off at night so you need something sturdy and something that doesn't need a lot of water.  

When we lived in ATX we had a stone flower bed and even the lantana that was planted it struggled during the heat of the summer because it basically never cooled off.  At least that's what I was told and it makes sense.

Maybe like 4 agave with red yucca or something else sturdy planted in between.

Anyway, pay more attention to what @cactusflinthead says

Good luck

 

 

Thanks for the help and I didn't even think about the heat issues it'll cause. I like the idea of succulents since the sprinklers won't reach anywhere near that far up. I think I'm going to add a water feature somewhere in the back to cool it down some.

Edited April 3, 2021 by SimonBolivar

[Gourmand 7774]

51 minutes ago, SimonBolivar said:

Thanks for the help and I didn't even think about the heat issues it'll cause. I like the idea of succulents since the sprinklers won't reach anywhere near that far up. I think I'm going to add a water feature somewhere in the back to cool it down some.

Succulents are a good idea there but I would lean more to the red yucca than agaves. Remember that agaves can get really really big and they can be a pain in the ass if they shoot that flower stalk thirty feet into the air. We recently dug one out of our back yard that the previous owner planted next to our fence because it died in the freeze and was too big for that space. I'm agave hater now. 

[Gourmand 7774]

https://agrilifeextension.tamu.edu/solutions/best-plants-trees-grow-texas-landscapes/

[cactusflinthead 27603]

It won't make a winter north of the RGV very far but I know of nothing more suited to hell spots than bougainvillea. It loves hot, dry, full sun locations that mean certain doom for other plants. You can keep them in pots and tote them inside in the winter after you hack them back. 

Rosemary is another surprisingly sturdy plant in very shitty locations. 

[Surly Bevo 25153]

It won't make a winter north of the RGV very far but I know of nothing more suited to hell spots than bougainvillea. It loves hot, dry, full sun locations that mean certain doom for other plants. You can keep them in pots and tote them inside in the winter after you hack them back. 
Rosemary is another surprisingly sturdy plant in very shitty locations. 

This

Those fuckers are tough sons of bitches when it comes to the heat and they put off tons of color. Had three pots behind waterfall of my pool. Lost them in February. To the point I had hauled them in my garage and had a space heater in there. Then the power went out for 36 hours straight, I had bigger fish to fry and that was the end of that. Got 4 pots already out this year.

[deadshank 24653]

How much of an undertaking is it to dethatch one’s lawn?   The rental is inexpensive.   What kind of tragic, cautionary story style mess does it make to pick up and haul away?

[cactusflinthead 27603]

1 hour ago, deadshank said:

How much of an undertaking is it to dethatch one’s lawn?   The rental is inexpensive.   What kind of tragic, cautionary story style mess does it make to pick up and haul away?

It can get messy. There will be debris. I tend to be more in favor of a good aeration and dropping the cutting height a little. Be prepared to aggressively feed and water.

[cactusflinthead 27603]

I have discovered the storage for all things chemical at the girlfriend's place.

 

[Spur08 382]

I've been trying to find some dimension for the past 3 weeks but siteone has been totally out.

Am I screwed for waiting so late? What alternative do yall go with? 75078 (north tx)

[cactusflinthead 27603]

https://content.ces.ncsu.edu/catalog/series/227/?fbclid=IwAR3O3tAp5-Lx7fKicCI2ar4RpD4i4x8ZJ8yn2IcK606wZprJt7CZK25QC-Y

From the St. A entry

Mowing
Before greenup, remove dormant grass leaves by mowing to 2¹⁄₂ inches with a rotary mower that has a newly sharpened blade. Maintain the lawn at 2¹⁄₂ inches, mowing before it gets to 4 inches. Leave clippings on the lawn.

Fertilization
Apply ¹⁄₂ pound of nitrogen (N) per 1,000 square feet in May or 2 weeks after greenup, whichever is last. Use a complete (N-P-K) turf-grade fertilizer with a 3-1-2 or 4-1-2 ratio (12-4-8 or 16-4-8). Yellow appearance may indicate an iron deficiency. Spray iron (ferrous) sulfate (2 ounces in water per 1,000 square feet) or a chelated iron source to enhance color as needed. Submit a soil sample to determine nutrient requirements, if you haven’t already. Contact your county Extension agent for details. Apply lime if the soil-test report suggests it.

 

Sulfur over here in the Blackland Prairie yo.

It's NC State, all they have are acidic soils.

[Gourmand 7774]

I decided to install a new landscape island bed in my backyard and have dug up about a 15 ft teardrop-shaped bed out of the bermuda. Sonofabitch, what did I get myself into?! 

My question for @cactusflinthead and the rest of y'all is about landscape fabric and soil amendments. Should I use that fabric stuff for weed/bermuda grass prevention or would you recommend just using mulch or a combination of cardboard/newspaper with soil on top and then top it with mulch? Also, should I dig out all the dirt in the bed and fully replace it with topsoil, potting soil and compost or keep it and just add compost to it? And should I mix a preemergent in before planting?

TIA.

 

Edited April 6, 2021 by Gourmand

[cactusflinthead 27603]

On 4/4/2021 at 6:52 PM, Spur08 said:

I've been trying to find some dimension for the past 3 weeks but siteone has been totally out.

Am I screwed for waiting so late? What alternative do yall go with? 75078 (north tx)

Pendimethalin/Halts

You will miss some stuff but catch others, better late than never.

6 hours ago, Gourmand said:

I decided to install a new landscape island bed in my backyard and have dug up about a 15 ft teardrop-shaped bed out of the bermuda. Sonofabitch, what did I get myself into?! 

My question for @cactusflinthead and the rest of y'all is about landscape fabric and soil amendments. Should I use that fabric stuff for weed/bermuda grass prevention or would you recommend just using mulch or a combination of cardboard/newspaper with soil on top and then top it with mulch? Also, should I dig out all the dirt in the bed and fully replace it with topsoil, potting soil and compost or keep it and just add compost to it? And should I mix a preemergent in before planting?

TIA.

 

I prefer stirring in compost to a complete removal. Unless you have caliche about an inch down. Sometimes you have no alternative to making raised beds with your own soil/compost blend.

I really don't like cloth. I have yet to see it truly prevent weeds. Any Bermuda left behind will continue to grow and will eventually emerge. It tends to get embedded in the cloth. If you are going to aggressively hunt it with chems it's doable, but I still prefer a nice blanket of mulch. Newspaper and cardboard are fine. At least I can extract the grass that's appeared without having to chase it through the cloth layer.

[Chapo 104]

I'm installing drip irrigation on raised beds.  In the pic you see the gap between the house and the beds where I'm planning to run the PVC line.  What should I put on top the PVC to keep weeds away and protect the PVC from weather? 

[Gourmand 7774]

19 hours ago, cactusflinthead said:

I really don't like cloth. I have yet to see it truly prevent weeds. Any Bermuda left behind will continue to grow and will eventually emerge. It tends to get embedded in the cloth. If you are going to aggressively hunt it with chems it's doable, but I still prefer a nice blanket of mulch. Newspaper and cardboard are fine. At least I can extract the grass that's appeared without having to chase it through the cloth layer

Ain't that the truth, fuck that annoying crap. I've been in landscape fabric hell trying to get all of it pulled out of the area I cut out for the bed. There was a previous circular planter about three feet in diameter with a lantana bush that died from snovid and they landscapers laid down an excessive amount below it. I've dug down below it with my shovel and hoe but it just pulls apart like pieces of cotton candy. I've been on my hands and knees sifting through the dirt trying to get as much of it out as possible. 

I'm definitely going to use the cardboard/newspaper system instead with mulch above it. Thanks for the tips. 

[Gourmand 7774]

5 hours ago, Chapo said:

I'm installing drip irrigation on raised beds.  In the pic you see the gap between the house and the beds where I'm planning to run the PVC line.  What should I put on top the PVC to keep weeds away and protect the PVC from weather? 

Maybe put some newspaper down below it and cover it with mulch or light gravel?

[Paper_jam 831]

I'm terrible at gardening & landscape work, and don't much care for it, so I'm looking for a full-service nursery, garden center, landscaper, whatever, who can dig out some (five) dead Hawthorn shrubs and replant with something similar (probably just boxwood or yaupon holly).  The hardest part of the job would be digging out the old shrubs, which I'm sure have a well-established root system.

So far I've emailed four places in/near Austin to try to get an estimate, and no one has even replied to my emails or called me back. Probably all busy doing $20,000 jobs for rich techbros or something. Any recommendations for a nursery or landscaper who will take on a small(ish) job?

 

[Gourmand 7774]

2 hours ago, Paper_jam said:

I'm terrible at gardening & landscape work, and don't much care for it, so I'm looking for a full-service nursery, garden center, landscaper, whatever, who can dig out some (five) dead Hawthorn shrubs and replant with something similar (probably just boxwood or yaupon holly).  The hardest part of the job would be digging out the old shrubs, which I'm sure have a well-established root system.

So far I've emailed four places in/near Austin to try to get an estimate, and no one has even replied to my emails or called me back. Probably all busy doing $20,000 jobs for rich techbros or something. Any recommendations for a nursery or landscaper who will take on a small(ish) job?

 

If you haven't already, I suggest your Nextdoor group, there are usually plenty of landscaper/yard pros hawking their services.

[cactusflinthead 27603]

22 hours ago, Chapo said:

I'm installing drip irrigation on raised beds.  In the pic you see the gap between the house and the beds where I'm planning to run the PVC line.  What should I put on top the PVC to keep weeds away and protect the PVC from weather? 

Gravel is my rec. It's going to be exposed to the weather so figure on draining it in the winter. Some pre sprinkled in the gravel should keep most of the weeds down. Spray the strays. 

[mdleast 8308]

Can someone tell me what kind of tree/plant/bush these are? They are in my neighborhood and I’ve always found them very interesting. These have been around for years and I’m looking for a very small one as I’m redoing our landscaping.