2018 Lawn and Landscape Thread

[cactusflinthead 27598]

Brown Patch Disease of Lawns – Introduction

Quote

Warm-season grasses such as St. Augustine (especially the over-planted ‘Raleigh’ selection), Bermuda, and Zoysia are most commonly affected by brown patch (also called large patch) during the early spring and late fall.  

Symptoms
Symptoms of brown patch may vary greatly with the type of grass and soil conditions. The disease usually causes thinned patches of light brown grass that are roughly circular in shape. These areas range in diameter from a few inches to several feet. Often the center of the patch will recover, resulting in a doughnut-shaped pattern.

When disease conditions are favorable, large areas of the lawn may be uniformly thinned and eventually killed with no circular patch being evident. This type of pattern is commonly seen on infected St. Augustine grass grown in shady, moist locations.

Close inspection of grass blades reveals small, irregular, tan leaf spots (burnt cigarette appearance) with dark-brown borders in combination of rotted leaf sheaths near the soil surface.

List of chems and trade names at the link in a nifty chart. Brown patch attacks the leaves, particularly at the sheath, the portion of the leaf that wraps around the next adjacent leaf. Take-all attacks the roots. Myclobutanil is acceptable for both diseases. Old school Daconil (chlorothalonil) gets 3+ from NC State. 

Brown Patch in Turf

Quote

 

Chemical Control

Fungicides are effective for brown patch control, and can be applied on a preventative or curative basis. Curative applications may not be effective during periods of hot weather because the cool-season grasses are growing slowly and are unable to recover from the damage under these conditions. Consider a preventive fungicide program for tall fescue and creeping bentgrass when conditions favor disease development. For best results, preventative applications should be initiated in the late spring or early summer when night temperatures consistently exceed 60°F.

 

They are going to mention quite a few kinds of fungicides that are not widely available outside of places like Site One. You can do a double dose of both t-methyl and chlorothalonil at the same time frame.  Spray out one product and let it sit for a couple of days and then hit  it again. Re application of both or  either is on a 14-21 day basis depending upon severity. 

 

 

 

[Bevo 13576]

I'm in the process of building a swimming pool and the deck will continue until maybe four feet from the fence line. I don't want anything to grow in that 4 feet between the deck and the fence. The last time I did a similar project, I placed landscape fabric and that stuff is pretty much useless. What is the best way to keep weeds and the neighbors St. Augustine from growing in that area and still allow for some drainage? I placed maybe an inch of decomposed granite in a similar area and it did okay but not great. Should I just place 4 inches of decomposed granite or fabric and then granite or is there some better way?

[Hugh G. Rection 156]

I had a tree guy come out to give me an estimate to have some dead elm trees removed and he told my wife that the oaks need iron.  I've looked on line and see that I can buy some FE implants.  Is this the best way to deliver the iron?  If they're going dormant in a month or two, is this the best time to add nutrients?

[cactusflinthead 27598]

Fabric plus a thick layer of granite is fine. The fabric is more important on the back side of walls than under flat surfaces. It helps slow down the loss in the gaps, think silt fence. It won't do much to control weeds. The wind is going to carry seeds in time. The grass next door will slowly find a way to encroach again. Spray it and put down a pre-emergent. Decomposed granite behaves like a very coarse sand. It packs down over time but those seeds are not going to give up. The ones in the soil that require sunlight to germinate will be curtailed, but that's no guarantee that new ones won't find their way in. 

Fe for trees. Ordinarily I would wait until spring or late winter for an application to the tree itself. It is trying to shut down the system for the season not ramping up new production. I'll check to see if there is a counterintuitive reason why fall would be a good time. 

[TXs 226]

8 hours ago, Hugh G. Rection said:

I had a tree guy come out to give me an estimate to have some dead elm trees removed and he told my wife that the oaks need iron.  I've looked on line and see that I can buy some FE implants.  Is this the best way to deliver the iron?  If they're going dormant in a month or two, is this the best time to add nutrients?

How big are the oaks, and are the leaves yellowed? I see Schumards with yellow leaves from time to time, but never Live Oaks. I had a medium, smaller Monterrey Oak with lighter than normal leaves that I treated with regular fish emulsion mixed with 5 gallon water bucket dumps, and its leaves greened up in no time. 

Edited September 25, 2018 by TXs

[cactusflinthead 27598]

Iron for Trees

Iron Deficiency in Trees

 

 

Quote

 

Description of Iron Deficiency in Trees

While a soil test may indicate sufficient iron for good plant growth, our alkaline soils (high pH) lock up this essential mineral, preventing its uptake into the tree’s vascular system.  When iron is not available in the leaves to produce green chlorophyll, the tree’s ability to produce energy is reduced.  This can stress the tree, making it susceptible to other problems or causing it to grow more slowly, or decline.  In some cases, the tree does not show symptoms until it has been planted in the yard for more than 5-10 years.  This is because the root system is growing further out into the soils and the needs of the tree are greater.  The trees that most often show Iron Deficiency in North Central Texas include Red Oak, Pin Oak, Sweetgum, Pine, River Birch, Crabapple, Silver Maple, and Bald Cypress.

 

 

[cactusflinthead 27598]

Ok dammit. It won't let me post past the quote and I took too long jabbering to post the edit. Fix this shit Rich. 

Agreed with TXs a soil drench works well. It is a lot faster for the arborist to plug a tablet of iron into the trunk than it is to stand there and pump gallons of fertilizer solution. She brings up a very good point about iron availability but leaves out one crucial point concerning red oaks. Her point is that Fe/Iron is tied up in the soil when the pH is out of the magic range of 6.5-7.5. If you get above a 7.5 iron becomes largely unavailable. The standard remedy is to apply sulfur to lower the pH. This not only makes Fe more available but N as well. If your soil is one of the calcareous soils, and there are a lot of areas with this problem, you are going to likely see some problem plants. A broadcast application of sulfur pellets is a good investment for nearly everyone west of 35. If you are behind the Pine Curtain you don't have this problem and can plunk an azalea right into the sand under the pines and it is happy as a pig in mud. The blackland prairie does veer east of 35 somewhat, so it isn't a hard and fast line. Whatever other application of iron you apply will benefit greatly from an application of sulfur. 

What she omits is that there is a range of adaptability in red oaks. There are several species endemic to Texas and the rest of the country. They are NOT all created equally when it comes to adaptation to alkaline soils. Shumard Red Oaks are by far the best choice. The problem is that oaks readily hybridize. It is not unusual to see characteristics of more than one species of oak in a single tree. Pin Oaks are decidedly shitty concerning adaptation to alkaline soils. They do great in East Texas and die slow deaths from starvation in DFW and Central Texas, unless they happen to luck out and find one of our sandier islands. 

What you want to look for is the branching structure. 45 deg is the desirable conformation. 90 deg right angle branches means that it is in the Pin Oak range. There can be individuals with a mix of both. Look for ones that are mostly 45s. This is why she says if it is a newly planted tree and if it is already sucking hind tit early in the lifespan you might as well cut it down and start over. Adding iron and sulfur will be something that needs to be done on an ongoing basis. Some treatments can last for a few years but eventually will require another round. My problem azaleas get quarterly doses of sulfur and fertilizer to keep them happy in that got dam black dirt. 

Iron can be added in a number of ways. I have used plain old iron filings from the metal shop. It was a super slow release as it oxidized/ rusted away but those flowers were fat and happy. Sulfur is slow too. It takes a while for it to get into the soil solution and do its thing. I don't expect to see results from it for at least 45-60 days, 90-120 really starts to show the effects. This is why fall applications are good for things like this. It gives it all winter to get into solution and by the time the tree is starting to wake up and look for food it is more available. 

There is no one single absolute method for getting the dirt to behave. You can arrive at your destination of Healthy Tree in a number of ways. Fish emulsion is good stuff. Smells like a bad bait house in high summer, but it works good. Pellets jammed into a hole in the trunk works fine too. Pumping a solution into the root flares works good too. It's all about whether or not you want to mess with it or pay somebody else and what their preferred methods are.

[krevo 142]

All the work this summer has really paid off.   I struggled with brown patch, compacted soil, heat stress, etc.  Got my last ironite/fert down right before the first rains in early Sep.   Excuse the filter but it helps show the unevenness of my turf and trouble spots that are still slowly filling in.  

Next season I'm going to start off with the grass cut short, aerate and topdress with a compost/sand that'll help level out all the low spots and spaces in the sod.  Once every thing is level, I'm going to be cutting below 1" and using Podium to regulate vertical growth.

imgur

[krevo 142]

Also - if I had to go back and start over in early spring when we moved in, I'd do things completely differently.  

1.  Even with limited watering time/days, I would only water deep and infrequent in the morning.  Heat/humidity and night time watering on newly laid sod with poor soil is bad.
2.  Get a fucking soil test from the get go.  You can buy a DIY test kit on Amazon for checking pH and NPK for like 13 bucks.   You can also get a kit that you send to a lab for a full analysis.
3.  Keep to a specific feeding schedule if you're dealing with Bermuda.  This shit is very nitrogen hungry.  I was having to apply more often with this lawn than my previous St Aug.

4. This grass will grow fine at varying heights but it is not a very even growing grass when your dirt isn't level.  Your dirt needs to be level and it needs to be short.  Once it's short and dense, the weeds seem less frequent.  It also seems to dry out better and have a lot less fungal issues.

5.  Pre-emergents are a must for new sod.  I should've stayed on a 3 month schedule from late Feb to May.

[krevo 142]

Here's a no filter pic of my Shag carpet 3" Bermuda w/o stripes.

imgur

[TXs 226]

What plant is this? Doesnt quite look like star jasmine but smells fragrant like it. 

Sent from my SM-G965U1 using Tapatalk

[SquishMitten 10403]

Some type of abelia maybe?

[cactusflinthead 27598]

3 hours ago, SquishMitten said:

Some type of abelia maybe?

Correcto. Probably an old school unnamed cultivar. 

Abelia x grandiflora 

The picture does a good job of showing how it is a cane type plant. You can hack it back to a stump and start over if it is getting out of hand. Seems like the biggest I've seen is about ten feet tall. The newer varieties have more pink to the flowers and the new growth is more reddish. They also tend to be shorter and more compact overall. I think there are variegated ones too.

[Spur08 382]

Army worms. Help me murder them

[cactusflinthead 27598]

Oh yeah this over here. 

CR decompression mode engage. 

Army worms are pretty easy actually. Any broad spectrum insecticide will work; malathion, sevin/carbaryl, permethrin based products, or you can go with Bt if you don't want to go for those harder options. Bt is slower, but not that much. As soon as a lepidopteran eats some they stop feeding. The others will kill on contact when applied at the proper rate.

[Okie Lite in Zapata 143]

Army Worms are a bitch right now.

Been smoking their asses with Demon Max (Cypermethrin) but like Cactus says they are pretty weak and most insecticides will kill them.

Everyone check your yard everyday for these little bastards, you have to catch them quick,  it only takes 2 to 3 days of them munching to destroy your fucking turf. 

Lots of calls lately but its to late, turf is brown looks as though turf is dormant. 

 

[Okie Lite in Zapata 143]

On 9/25/2018 at 10:55 AM, krevo said:

Also - if I had to go back and start over in early spring when we moved in, I'd do things completely differently.  

1.  Even with limited watering time/days, I would only water deep and infrequent in the morning.  Heat/humidity and night time watering on newly laid sod with poor soil is bad.
2.  Get a fucking soil test from the get go.  You can buy a DIY test kit on Amazon for checking pH and NPK for like 13 bucks.   You can also get a kit that you send to a lab for a full analysis.
3.  Keep to a specific feeding schedule if you're dealing with Bermuda.  This shit is very nitrogen hungry.  I was having to apply more often with this lawn than my previous St Aug.

4. This grass will grow fine at varying heights but it is not a very even growing grass when your dirt isn't level.  Your dirt needs to be level and it needs to be short.  Once it's short and dense, the weeds seem less frequent.  It also seems to dry out better and have a lot less fungal issues.

5.  Pre-emergents are a must for new sod.  I should've stayed on a 3 month schedule from late Feb to May.

Your turf looks good, wish all my customers gave a shit like you do, my job would be a lot easier.

1. Yes, deep and infrequent watering is the way to go, water the piss out of it and the deeper the water goes in the soil column the deeper the roots go to get the water. Deep rooted bermuda grass is healthy and very drought tolerant.  Water around once a week about 1 to 1.5 inches and when its hotter than hell twice a week is all it needs.

2. Not sold on the soil tests. You can send in 10 different samples from your yard and I guarantee you will get 6 to 8 different recommendations on what your soil needs. New sod needs a good starter fert like a 18-24-12, you need your middle number, phosphorous high and you'll be good. After that like you know it needs a fuck load of nitrogen. Almost every accurate soil sample will show all bermuda needs is nitrogen.

3. Fert schedule, first of May (depending on your location) 46-0-0 100% slow release, it will last 8 weeks. end of June first of July another 46-0-0. Mid August use a winterizer, something like a 5-0-30 this is important, you dont want to put down a high rate of Nitrogen late in the year, it can cause a shit load of disease including spring dead spot, you dont was that shit. 

4. Yes, bermuda mows and looks better if the soil is level, if it were me I wouldn't use a compost/sand mix. I would use a rich mix topsoil. Rich mix has a lot less weeds than compost and sand. Vey few fungal issues with bermuda other than to much water when its cool but nothing that needs to be treated.

5. If I knew your city I could help you with a pre emergent schedule. Late February is to late for the first pre m of the year. 

 

 

 

 

3.  

Edited October 3, 2018 by Okie Lite in Zapata

[krevo 142]

On 10/2/2018 at 9:35 PM, Okie Lite in Zapata said:

Your turf looks good, wish all my customers gave a shit like you do, my job would be a lot easier.

1. Yes, deep and infrequent watering is the way to go, water the piss out of it and the deeper the water goes in the soil column the deeper the roots go to get the water. Deep rooted bermuda grass is healthy and very drought tolerant.  Water around once a week about 1 to 1.5 inches and when its hotter than hell twice a week is all it needs.

2. Not sold on the soil tests. You can send in 10 different samples from your yard and I guarantee you will get 6 to 8 different recommendations on what your soil needs. New sod needs a good starter fert like a 18-24-12, you need your middle number, phosphorous high and you'll be good. After that like you know it needs a fuck load of nitrogen. Almost every accurate soil sample will show all bermuda needs is nitrogen.

3. Fert schedule, first of May (depending on your location) 46-0-0 100% slow release, it will last 8 weeks. end of June first of July another 46-0-0. Mid August use a winterizer, something like a 5-0-30 this is important, you dont want to put down a high rate of Nitrogen late in the year, it can cause a shit load of disease including spring dead spot, you dont was that shit. 

4. Yes, bermuda mows and looks better if the soil is level, if it were me I wouldn't use a compost/sand mix. I would use a rich mix topsoil. Rich mix has a lot less weeds than compost and sand. Vey few fungal issues with bermuda other than to much water when its cool but nothing that needs to be treated.

5. If I knew your city I could help you with a pre emergent schedule. Late February is to late for the first pre m of the year. 

 

 

 

 

3.  

Good info man.  I'm in Central Texas.  What slow release nitrogen in a 46-0-0 are you using?  Should I put a winterizer down now if I haven't yet?

[Okie Lite in Zapata 143]

I get my fertilizer 46-0-0 from Simplot Partners.  Yes I would winterize now and in a few weeks dont forget to put down your pre emergent to control winter weeds.

[Reagan1k 3024]

Buttonweed got away from me during late summer - lot of it now.

Anything that can / should be done now to better control it for next spring?

[cactusflinthead 27598]

Celsius is what I like best for buttonweed. And this is the problem with pre

Most preemergence herbicides provide poor control (< 70%) of Virginia buttonweed in turf. Virginia buttonweed plants emerging from vegetative structures will not be controlled by currently available preemergence chemistries. Some preemergence herbicides, such as indaziflam (Specticle), isoxaben (Gallery) and oxadiazon (Ronstar), have the potential to control Virginia buttonweed emerging from seed, but results are often inconsistent.

UGA

Edited October 5, 2018 by cactusflinthead

[cactusflinthead 27598]

It's also showing results from Tribute total. 

It's late to green up in the spring and it often goes undetected. It will root adventiously at the nodes and that makes it an even harder target. There's another similar one that is called doveweed( not related to the croton family of doveweed) it's infrequent at this time in Texas but I expect to see more of it. 

[Anastasis 23469]

bluestem is my nemesis and i will destroy it, even if it means nuking everything else. 

[cactusflinthead 27598]

21 minutes ago, Anastasis said:

bluestem is my nemesis and i will destroy it, even if it means nuking everything else. 

If y'all want to watch us argue over KRBS/King Ranch Bluestem here's a teaser. 

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CRAZY! KR Bluestem!!

 

< Prev1234Next >

1. 

   ed2hessLawnSite Fanatic

   Male, from Austin Texas 78727

   Messages: 15,118

   Turf Dawg said: ↑

   yes sir
   
   I really helps

   So teaspoon of celsius and 5 ounces of oil in 5 gallon backpack? After 4 inches of rain this is what the KRBS looked like today. ?.this was area hit with msma at 1 ounce per gallon with sticker.
   
   

    

   Oct 15, 2013

    

    
2. 

   WeedManWeatherfordLawnSite Member

   from Weatherford, TX

   Messages: 20

   ed2hess said: ↑

   So teaspoon of celsius and 5 ounces of oil in 5 gallon backpack? After 4 inches of rain this is what the KRBS looked like today. ?.this was area hit with msma at 1 ounce per gallon with sticker.

   OK. I am a slow study so let me make sure I understand... The first treatment you made was with MSMA and sticker. How long ago was that? And you just recently hit the area with Celcius and MSO? The picture seems to show some significant damage. How long ago did you do this last treatment? I guess time will tell whether or not it comes back. And was the entire area KRBS or some Bermuda? I can't really tell in the picture.

    

   Oct 15, 2013

    

    
3. 

   ed2hessLawnSite Fanatic

   Male, from Austin Texas 78727

   Messages: 15,118

   WeedManWeatherford said: ↑

   OK. I am a slow study so let me make sure I understand... The first treatment you made was with MSMA and sticker. How long ago was that? And you just recently hit the area with Celcius and MSO? The picture seems to show some significant damage. How long ago did you do this last treatment? I guess time will tell whether or not it comes back. And was the entire area KRBS or some Bermuda? I can't really tell in the picture.

   Click to expand...

   The area was hit twice with msma one week apart three weeks ago. We had hot days and the kill looked good. Now after a 4 inch rain it is coming out so I will hit it with MSO/Celsius. The question is will I need it to be in 90F for any more kill with new stuff? There was little spots of bermuda and those were
   not affected by msma. Based on how it looks today the area will be totally green in 3 weeks.

    

   Oct 15, 2013

    

    
4. 

   greendoctorLawnSite Fanatic

   from Honolulu, Hawaii

   Messages: 10,815

   Celsius will work as long as it is in the 80s. Low 70s or 60s becomes iffy. I know MSMA becomes useless below 80 on hard to kill southern weeds.

    

   Oct 16, 2013

    

    
5. 

   SkipsterLawnSite Bronze Member

   from Billings, MT

   Messages: 1,094

   greendoctor said: ↑

   Celsius will work as long as it is in the 80s. Low 70s or 60s becomes iffy. I know MSMA becomes useless below 80 on hard to kill southern weeds.

   What makes you think that Celsius will effectively control KRBS?
   
   Looking back at the literature, none of the active ingredients in Celsius, either separately or collectively, have had any impact beyond some minor growth regulation of any of the Bothriochloa, including KRBS. DO you have any experience controlling any Bothriochloa?
   
   Research from Texas A&M showed that 3 applications of glyphosate was the most effective method of control (98% control at 100 DAT), but emergence from seed completely repopulated the area by 160DAT. 3 applications of MSMA gave 75% control at 28 DAT, then faded to 30% at 60 DAT, then 0 at 100 DAT. 3 applications of Celsius gave some stunting, but 0% control at all rating dates.
   
   A clue that Celsius may not be effective for KRBS is that it is not listed on the label for control. KRBS is a HUGE issue in TX, not just for LCO and golf, but for forage, IVM, and invasive species control. If Celsius had even a hint of activity on KRBS, Bayer would put it on the label in the biggest letters it could print because that one single use in TX would dwarf most other uses for the product. The fact that KRBS isn't listed on the Celsius label is a big glaring sign that it doesn't control KRBS.
   
   Remember why weed identification is important -- so you know what product to use. Throwing a product with no activity against a particular weed isn't going to help things.

    

   Oct

[Anastasis 23469]

emerald lawn service has knocked it down multiple times and it comes back like a zombie. 

Edited October 5, 2018 by Anastasis

[cactusflinthead 27598]

It is tough. It will probably be something they work on every time they get a chance. Even running round-up/glyphosate sees a return. He makes a crucial point in the rant. If it ain't on the label as a target species there's no proof it works. 

[krevo 142]

16 hours ago, Okie Lite in Zapata said:

I get my fertilizer 46-0-0 from Simplot Partners.  Yes I would winterize now and in a few weeks dont forget to put down your pre emergent to control winter weeds.

I've heard a lot of conflicting reports on "winterizing" warm season turf in mild winter zones.  Also - it's pretty hard to find any 30+ K fertilizers around here.   Would a general purpose 13-13-13 work? 

[krevo 142]

I was able to score some really good deals at HD on all the lawn and garden stuff they start clearancing out.  Got my pre-emergent granules, a half price echo backpack sprayer, and some bifenthren they now carry instore.  Going to hit up Walmart next and score those bags of fungus control granules for 5 bucks a pop.  They also have Lesco ferts in stores for damn near half price per 50lb bag.

[cactusflinthead 27598]

8 minutes ago, krevo said:

I've heard a lot of conflicting reports on "winterizing" warm season turf in mild winter zones.  Also - it's pretty hard to find any 30+ K fertilizers around here.   Would a general purpose 13-13-13 work? 

LSU

1. Finish the growing season with a fertilizer high in potassium. If not using a southern winterizing blend or warm-season grass winterizing blend, at least choose an even ratio analysis like 13-13-13 to avoid high N. If applying only K to avoid extra fall N, use 1 to 2 lbs./1,000 sq. ft. of muriate of potash (0-0-60). This supplies 60% K₂O or up to 1.2 lb. K₂O/1,000 sq.ft.

13-13-13 is ok. The extra P is not ideal but it isn't a deal breaker especially if it is marked down. Kudos for keeping an eye out for sales. If they want to clear out space for Xmas decorations I can take some of that stuff off their hands. 

Marked down trees and other perennials are a good idea too. 

[Horn of Gabriel 1614]

On 4/26/2018 at 1:39 AM, Horn of Gabriel said:

Can anyone help ID this tree in my backyard?

Necro bump!  The arborist identified this as a "Maverick Mesquite," which apparently is a specially bred variation of Mesquite that is thornless.  Cool fact: you can't grow them from seed, they have to be propagated vegetatively to retain the thornless feature.

Edited October 8, 2018 by Horn of Gabriel

[Spur08 382]

Question RE armyworms.  When I see the armyworm moths around, does that mean that I'm on the tail end of an infestation or that I should be getting ready for one?

[cactusflinthead 27598]

10 minutes ago, Spur08 said:

Question RE armyworms.  When I see the armyworm moths around, does that mean that I'm on the tail end of an infestation or that I should be getting ready for one?

Several generations (A generation is the development from egg to adult stage.) occur each year and typically the life cycle from egg to adult takes 28 days. The life cycle can be extended if cooler temperatures occur and can last up to several months. Armyworms in the spring and summer occur in more distinct groups than later in the season. Fall populations of larvae often blend together several generations and may appear to be continually occurring.

 

and 

Treat with a labeled insecticide when leaf damage becomes evident and large numbers of caterpillars are visible. Effective, low-impact insecticides include halofenozide (small caterpillars only) and spinosad. Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) products are widely available and will selectively control small armyworm larvae without harm to beneficial insects; however, Bt residues does not last on turf for more than 1-2 days. Conventional insecticide choices for armyworms in lawns include bifenthrin, carbaryl, esfenvalerate, permethrin and others.

aggy, Armyworms in Turfgrass 

[cactusflinthead 27598]

1 hour ago, Horn of Gabriel said:

Necro bump!  The arborist identified this as a "Maverick Mesquite," which apparently is a specially bred variation of Mesquite that is thornless.  Cool fact: you can't grow them from seed, they have to be propagated vegetatively to retain the thornless feature.

Alrighty then. There are quite a few things that have to be propagated asexually since they won't produce a seed that is the same as the parents. Most fruit trees and ornamental ones based on a fruit (flowering peaches eg.) are grafted from a desirable mother plant onto a different rootstock. 

The burgundy colored foliage redbud is the same too.

 

[Viper 12108]

I have st augustine grass in houston. it's finally dry for a few days and temps are dropping to the low 80s and 60-70s next week so I'm looking to fertilize and put some pre-emergent down. I have some scotts turfbuilder winterguard for fall, but the ratio looks to be 32-0-10. Is that too high N right now? 

 

For preemergent I have a bag of Dimension that is 0-0-7. Also have a bag of Scotts pendimethalin but I'm not sure if it has any K or not. Is now a good time for either of these or should I wait until it gets colder?

[BabaBooey 131]

1 hour ago, Viper said:

I have st augustine grass in houston. it's finally dry for a few days and temps are dropping to the low 80s and 60-70s next week so I'm looking to fertilize and put some pre-emergent down. I have some scotts turfbuilder winterguard for fall, but the ratio looks to be 32-0-10. Is that too high N right now? 

 

For preemergent I have a bag of Dimension that is 0-0-7. Also have a bag of Scotts pendimethalin but I'm not sure if it has any K or not. Is now a good time for either of these or should I wait until it gets colder?

I usually put these down early weeks of Oct. on my St A here in Pearland. Will probably do it this weekend since it will be pretty nice.

Edited October 11, 2018 by BabaBooey

[kevwun 15774]

With the recent rain and first strong norther on the way, is it time to shut off the sprinklers for the year?  I ask because I noticed my small lemon and olive tree are still putting on new leaves.  Seems awfully late in the year for them to still be growing.

Edited October 11, 2018 by kevwun

[Tommy Nobis 905]

4 minutes ago, kevwun said:

With the recent rain and first strong norther on the way, is it time to shut off the sprinklers for the year?

I've had mine shutoff since labor day weekend.  South of houston we got over 20 inches of rain in September.  My yard is just now starting to dry back up.  Bout time.

[kevwun 15774]

I've missed most of the rain.  We live in between Houston and Austin and both places have gotten significantly more rain than we have.

Edited October 11, 2018 by kevwun

[Tommy Nobis 905]

Question for the experts, I laid new St augustine sod back in mid Aug (ripped out some shrubs and planted more grass).  Which I regret because I watered the heck out of it in August and then we were saturated with rain the entire month of Sept.  It got too much water which I didn't think was possible in south texas.  Some of it looks good and some of it still has some bare spots where it hasn't got going.  Hopefully it gets going next spring and thickens up, but will I mess it up putting a pre and a winterizer down this month?  Been following Lemons schedule this year and have had good results with the mature sod.

Edited October 11, 2018 by Tommy Nobis

[Okie Lite in Zapata 143]

21 hours ago, Viper said:

I have st augustine grass in houston. it's finally dry for a few days and temps are dropping to the low 80s and 60-70s next week so I'm looking to fertilize and put some pre-emergent down. I have some scotts turfbuilder winterguard for fall, but the ratio looks to be 32-0-10. Is that too high N right now? 

 

For preemergent I have a bag of Dimension that is 0-0-7. Also have a bag of Scotts pendimethalin but I'm not sure if it has any K or not. Is now a good time for either of these or should I wait until it gets colder?

I wouldn't put that much N down this late in the year. 

On your Pre M you can wait a few weeks the soil temps are still pretty warm but if you have time now it should be fine. 

Those are both good Pre M's 

[Okie Lite in Zapata 143]

20 hours ago, Tommy Nobis said:

Question for the experts, I laid new St augustine sod back in mid Aug (ripped out some shrubs and planted more grass).  Which I regret because I watered the heck out of it in August and then we were saturated with rain the entire month of Sept.  It got too much water which I didn't think was possible in south texas.  Some of it looks good and some of it still has some bare spots where it hasn't got going.  Hopefully it gets going next spring and thickens up, but will I mess it up putting a pre and a winterizer down this month?  Been following Lemons schedule this year and have had good results with the mature sod.

General rule is if your turf has been mowed between 3-5 times it is safe to put down a Pre M. 

Definitely put down a good winterizer with the sod being fairly new.

[Viper 12108]

1 hour ago, Okie Lite in Zapata said:

I wouldn't put that much N down this late in the year. 

On your Pre M you can wait a few weeks the soil temps are still pretty warm but if you have time now it should be fine. 

Those are both good Pre M's 

so should I just look for some potash? any difference between muriate and sulfate with regards to putting it on the yard? or just go with the cheaper muriate?

[Okie Lite in Zapata 143]

2 hours ago, Viper said:

so should I just look for some potash? any difference between muriate and sulfate with regards to putting it on the yard? or just go with the cheaper muriate?

The muriate is fine, yes high potash and low nitrogen will work good.

[Viper 12108]

thanks, if I get this, which I assume is way more than enough for my yard, how am I applying it? adding it to a hose sprayer or laying it out with a spreader?

[Okie Lite in Zapata 143]

1 hour ago, Viper said:

thanks, if I get this, which I assume is way more than enough for my yard, how am I applying it? adding it to a hose sprayer or laying it out with a spreader?

The rate on that granular  fertilizer is 4 lbs. per 800 sq. feet that would be expensive to winterize the yard with those 4 lb. bags.

There are 3 SiteOne's around Houston. They should  have Lesco 5-0-30 its a granular fertilizer and a great winterizer. Cost probably @ $30 and that 50lb bag will do @ 15,000 sq ft. Thats what I would put down if you can get it. 

Edited October 12, 2018 by Okie Lite in Zapata

[kmac30 416]

Just bought a new house. Yard (St Augustine) has a couple large weed spots. What can I do to start attacking those? I should probably try and get pics.

[GottaB 594]

Post #1 then continue until you get to your post.

Kidding.

Pull em.
Burn em.
Poison em.

[cactusflinthead 27598]

What you spray on them depends on the kind of weeds. There's a range of costs too. The old standby is the Trimec/weed-b-gon type blends. That's going to get most of the broadleaf stuff. Nutgrass, johnsongrass, dallisgrass  require other things. Pulling nutgrass isn't going to work. 

[chikin23 384]

Any ideas on what this is and how to get rid of it?

[cactusflinthead 27598]

The flat stuff that forms large mats and has milky sap when you break a stem is prostrate spurge. I think the other is called fillaree. No big deal. Use a surfactant with the the broadleaf blend. Be patient. It takes a bit of time for them to turn, especially when it turns cooler like this morning.