# thundergunexpress lawn journal



## 12620 (Oct 2, 2020)

Today, I took out the Ortho broadcast spreader and opened it up 1/4 of the way to spread my first dose of pelletized lime. I marked 5ft spacing on the sidewalk and driveway to more evenly spread it out. 




UF recommended 55 lbs/1000sqft/yr for the front yard (1000sqft). I used a bathroom weight scale to weigh 27.5lbs lime and applied to the front yard (right), UF recommended 42 lbs/1000sqft/yr for the back yard, so I added 29 lbs (this area is 1400sqft).

Note to self: Take it easy with the Sedgehammer next time. Do not use a fan tip. The sedge was mixing in with a good portion of the lawn and it was apparent by July that something needed to be done. It wasn't until September that the temperatures/conditions were fair for application. The Sedgehammer was effective on globe sedge and I'm hoping the Bermuda will fill in these areas more in the next year.

Soil Test Results from August:




Also - I hope I'm adding my next journal entry the right way?


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## dubyadubya87 (Mar 10, 2020)

Welcome to the forum!
Following as I have a St.Aug back yard.
I like the way your soil test is laid out, it's easy to read and digest. Who did it?


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## ionicatoms (Mar 8, 2020)

thundergunexpress said:


> Also - I hope I'm adding my next journal entry the right way?


Yep! Welcome to TLF!


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## mjh648 (Sep 1, 2020)

What's your rule of thumb for when to apply sedgehammer? I figured as long as the temps aren't 85F or above an hour or so after applying you should be good. I also though fan tips were the way to go with herbicides like that.

https://thelawnforum.com/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=33

Interesting that your soil test only calls for 2#N/K for st aug. Waypoint says 5#N/K which I think is leading towards this wild bermuda trying to take over my lawn.


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## 12620 (Oct 2, 2020)

@dubyadubya87 : Hey, thanks for the welcome. The extension at the University of Florida did the soil test. My St. Augustine is in rough shape due to a bad case of what I believe was TARR in the spring. I'll upload some photos of that a little later. You'll see I'm somewhat frugal and new to this, but I am trying to use best management practices and maybe see some mild improvements by this time next year. One question, is there a certain way to "follow" a lawn journal or just check the warm season lawn journal thread?

@ionicatoms : Thanks. I actually started a lawn journal here because I read a thread with your query about one and was impressed with your writing style. Good to see some St. Augustine + Florida accounts on here for reference.


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## 12620 (Oct 2, 2020)

@mjh648 - The weather in central FL makes it a bit difficult. I'm not sure if the lawn should be dry before application, but I assumed so. This means I have to wait until around noon or one when the sun starts coming over the other side of the house and fully dries out the yard. I have humidity mostly every morning with no winds and always a threat of rain by 4-5PM in the summer. 
When I used the fan tip, I was still treating it like a spot sprayer and overdoing it in areas. I think fan tip is best for a blanket application, and a circular tip is for spot spraying. I'm not sure if the sedge blended in with the Bermuda and that's why the Bermuda looks thinner right now, or whether I dinged/bronzed the Bermuda where I was heavy handed.

UF doesn't test for nitrogen in the soil, but rather uses general recommendations for North, Central and South Florida. In central Florida, it can range from 2-5 lbs for St. Augustine. Personally, 5 lbs here in central Florida with a blackout between May-Septemeber seems like a lot to put down between March-May and October-November on St, Augustine.


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## mjh648 (Sep 1, 2020)

I think applying with dew on the grass is okay TBH as long as your are applying with surfactant. As long as it doesn't rain within 4 hours you should be good. What rate did you apply the product and were you using dye marker to make sure your overlap wasn't bad? With how aggressive sedge grows and how easy sedgehammer is labeled for grass I think doing a blanked app would be okay.

How is your sprayer setup? Are you able to regulate the PSI and distribution rate to get an even blanket coverage? There are some good resources on here for sprayer setup and nozzle selections but you may already have a basic understanding of this.


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## 12620 (Oct 2, 2020)

@mjh648 - You're most likely right on the dampness since the surfactant was included. I was using Sedgehammer+ with the non-ionic surfactant already added. I mixed 1 packet in 1 gallon per 1000sqft. My problem though was I had the first time jitters using a pump sprayer; I probably filled more than one gallon since I didn't shut the hose off filling up the gallon in time, I'm not sure if I mixed it well in the tank before spraying, and I was likely a bit excessive in my spray. I didn't use marking dye and instead relied on my tinted sunglasses to tell which parts of the yard were wet and dry. Lessons learned there!

I think a blanket app would have been the best way to tackle how much I had, but again, I got a little mixed up when I got out there.

I'm currently using a 2 gallon, $30 Husqrvana sprayer from Lowe's. It does have a pressure relief valve and it did seem consistent (for now). Eventually I'd like to get something battery operated with more experience under my belt. I've read some how-to articles on DoMyOwn and I've started looking at the TeeJee pages here, but haven't had the time to wrap my head around it all just yet.


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## mjh648 (Sep 1, 2020)

so I'm not sure that pump sprayer has a constant flow valve. What these valves do is allow you to ALWAYS have a regulated PSI when spraying. You can select like 21PSI or 29PSI or other options and what it does is keeps the sprayer output at that PSI. When the valve senses that there is not enough pressure based on your PSI selection it will simply stop spraying liquid. This helps so you can get a uniform coverage when spraying.

here's a link as to what these look like

https://www.oescoinc.com/constant-flow-valves.html

This is from @Ware where he goes into the detail about building a wand with a CF Valve. In the description he links the different parts that he uses. Super helpful IMO.






also here is the post about what different details go into designing these wands.

https://thelawnforum.com/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=12


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## dubyadubya87 (Mar 10, 2020)

thundergunexpress said:


> @dubyadubya87 : Hey, thanks for the welcome. The extension at the University of Florida did the soil test. My St. Augustine is in rough shape due to a bad case of what I believe was TARR in the spring. I'll upload some photos of that a little later. You'll see I'm somewhat frugal and new to this, but I am trying to use best management practices and maybe see some mild improvements by this time next year. One question, is there a certain way to "follow" a lawn journal or just check the warm season lawn journal thread?
> 
> @ionicatoms : Thanks. I actually started a lawn journal here because I read a thread with your query about one and was impressed with your writing style. Good to see some St. Augustine + Florida accounts on here for reference.


There's a wrench icon near the reply button whereby you can choose to follow a journal or any post for that matter.


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## 12620 (Oct 2, 2020)

@mjh648 - Thanks for the video and link. I'm a fan of these DIY yard projects. I plan on making a leveling rake come next year.


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## 12620 (Oct 2, 2020)

Excited to finally start a pre-emergent program in the next few weeks! :lol: Using the Sta-Green Crab-Ex dithiopyr granular as I couldn't get my hands on a prodiamine granular. I do plan on using prodiamine in the spring to diminish the FL Pusley in the back yard.

Current soil temp is between 78-80 degrees. Nightly low air temps are between 72-75 degrees.

Front Right (Floratam St. Augustine & Pensacola Bahia). The summer weeds have really taken over.  
Front Left (EDIT:Centipede in front, Pensacola Bahia towards the back) 
Back Yard (common Bermuda,Pensacola Bahia+Carpetgrass :evil: mix). This area is currently being cut at 3''.


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## 12620 (Oct 2, 2020)

I'm getting only about an hour of sunlight after work before I have to call it quits on the yard. Mowed the majority of the yard yesterday at 3'' for Bahia/Bermuda and 3.5'' for St. Augustine. There is thin, leggy Bermuda in the areas where the sedge died out around it. I've also been digging out patches of crowfoot grass in the backyard. I know a pre-emergent like Prodiamine or Dithiopyr will keep that at bay next year.


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## 12620 (Oct 2, 2020)

Entire lawn was mowed on Halloween at 3 inches. Mowing frequency right now is once a week or so. The rain is less frequent now, but we are still getting about 1 inch every 1.5 weeks. The soil temperature has finally reached 70 degrees for a 24 hour period. However, night temps will be increasing again and there's a predicted 4 inches of rain on Sunday. I think the rainfall estimate is tied to hurricane Zeta's potential path through Florida.

I purchased a medium-duty Expert Gardener hose from WM to make sure the dithiopyr will be watered in properly. In the past month I've had to replace one exterior spigot and throw out the two hoses left by the previous owner, leaving mother nature in charge of watering. So far, so good.


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## 12620 (Oct 2, 2020)

Nightly temps are still above normal for this time of year so I haven't put down the pre-emergent just yet. I will use a lesser AI rate for this application, as the spring pre-emergent goes down in early February anyway.


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## 12620 (Oct 2, 2020)

Dropped the pre-emergent Sta-Green CrabEx last Tuesday, 11/24, at the max application rate of 4.6lbs/1k sqft (against my intuition). Note to self: Put pre-emergent down a month earlier, preferably isoxaben.

Front Right Yard (1k sqft) = 4.6lbs, 
Front Left Yard (.6k sqft) = 2.67lbs 
Back Yard (1.4k sqft) = 6.44lbs

Watered in the dithiopyr with 1/2 inch of water. The weather in central FL is starting to take a dive:


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## 12620 (Oct 2, 2020)

Not doing much besides mulch mowing once every two or three weeks and pulling up lots of dying summer weeds.


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## 12620 (Oct 2, 2020)

Spot sprayed the Sedgehammer+ around the yard this morning.


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## 12620 (Oct 2, 2020)

Applied Andersons Barricade .48% today because I was tired of all the Greencast alerts going off. 5 day soil temp average today is 63 degrees.

I had somewhat of a brain fart when applying so technically I applied 3.6#/k in the back yard and 3#/k in the front yard. Watered everything in 1/2 inch with a sprinkler and sprayer. It took me roughly two hours to complete it all. The Scotts SpeedyGreen 2000 was set at 6 3/4, but it dispensed a little too fast for my walking speed.


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## ionicatoms (Mar 8, 2020)

The annual limit is 7.2# / k. 3.6 sounds perfect to me.


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## 12620 (Oct 2, 2020)

@ionicatoms - How many pre-m apps are you planning this year for your part of Florida? I was thinking of saving the other application of prodiamine until Fall and putting down dithiopyr in 60 days for early post-emergent control of any crabgrass I missed. The only downside to using dithiopyr later is that it doesn't stay in the soil as long.

I also know I need to rotate MOA, but not sure what's the easiest/accessible. I'm liking the idea of Isoxaben for as many broadleafs that pop up throughout winter, but granular doesn't go very far for the price and my spray set-up isn't up to par yet.


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## ionicatoms (Mar 8, 2020)

I plan to do 3 without rotation this year. January, early May, and October. At this point, I'm using equal weights of prodiamine and isoxaben WG. I have not decided on a rotation strategy yet. I haven't bought any dithiopyr yet, but it's on my wishlist even though it won't help with a resistance management program based on rotation.

I'm still finding a good bit of Carolina Geranium so I need to figure out how to improve on that, but it's definitely less than a year ago, so I'm not sorry I spent the extra money on the isoxaben. Many people feel that it's better to just spray broad leaves with a post-emergent because it costs less money, But for me it's a hobby and not a business, so I don't mind the extra expense.

Because of my problems with fungus, I've found it necessary to invest in a backpack sprayer because the granular fungicides are just so expensive. I've complemented the sprayer with the Chapin two nozzle boom the and a fitting appropriate for my sprayer. I don't think it's really necessary if you are using the flow zone, it's more of a nice to have.

I'm convinced that liquids are the way to go over the long term because of the variety of chemicals that you can use in concentrated forms, they don't take up huge amount of space, and are relatively affordable.


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## 12620 (Oct 2, 2020)

Sedgehammer+ was effective on the globe sedge, even for this time of year.


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## 12620 (Oct 2, 2020)

Scalped the backyard and side yard down to 1.5 inches; may still take it lower. 6 contractor bags full of clippings. I also took the St. Augustine in the front yard down to 2.5 inches. Expecting rainy conditions in the next few days with daytime temps hitting low 80s before cooling down. 5-day average soil temp is 67.


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## 12620 (Oct 2, 2020)

Here's the game plan for 2021. I have a potassium deficiency so I'm going to clean that up earlier in the season. I plan on spoon feeding nitrogen every week-two weeks in the peak of summer. Excited to see if I can get this yard looking less trashy by the end of the year!


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## 12620 (Oct 2, 2020)

Mowed/maintaining backyard at 2''. Front yard is maintained at 3''. Applied .5 lb of SOP this morning with the Scotts Whirl; #2 on the dial is great for spreading the granular potash in small amounts. Watered the SOP in with .5 inch of water. Using the hose and sprinkler, it requires 10 minutes to roughly put down that much water per area. It would be nice to have a sprinkler that could cover more area at one time, but the property line and angle of the house make that a bit difficult.


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## 12620 (Oct 2, 2020)

Mowed the back yard at 2'', although I'm not sure it really needed it. I'm also wanting to put down the other half of my lime and taking bets on the rain this weekend:


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## 12620 (Oct 2, 2020)

Three bags of topsoil from Lowe's, sifted, makes one five gallon bucket of mulch/debris!


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## 12620 (Oct 2, 2020)

Applied the other half of the lime this morning before the rain today/tonight. I think I'm still a few pounds short in the back yard, but I'm going to leave the pH where it is now until a soil test next year.


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## 12620 (Oct 2, 2020)

Spot sprayed Roundup for Southern Lawns this morning. The label states not to water eight hours before or after spraying, but doesn't specifically mention about spraying with dew on the lawn. There was a fair amount of dew on the lawn this morning, so we'll see just how effective it is.


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## 12620 (Oct 2, 2020)

Well, I'm already adjusting my 2021 plan a bit.. Today I applied Sunniland 6-4-0 at a rate of .375# N/.25# P to the back yard. I plan on putting down the same rate in the front yard this Thursday.


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## 12620 (Oct 2, 2020)

Raked around the oak tree and came up with 3 bags full of leaves. I think the tree is finally done shedding leaves as it all looks like new growth now. I also ran the mower and tried to bag any leaves it could pick up. Still maintaining the St. Augustine at 3'' and the rest of the yard at 2''. There's some rain in the forecast for this weekend. so I might get a little crazy and spray down the yard with dish soap as there are a few spots where the ground isn't absorbing water.


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## ionicatoms (Mar 8, 2020)

thundergunexpress said:


> I think the tree is finally done shedding leaves as it all looks like new growth now.


Man, I hope so! Just got back from traveling for a week and my yard is covered. And just a week ago I was thinking it was too late to get a lawn sweeping solution.


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## 12620 (Oct 2, 2020)

Put down .375 N/.25 P of the 6-4-0 and .5 K of the SOP in the front yard last night. Watered everything in this morning with .75 inch of water. Now that it's daylight savings time we get TWO days to water per week! I also edged the driveway with a manual edger and it's looking much better. I took any St. Augustine stolons with viable roots and sprigged them into a patch of my front yard and keep them wet throughout the day. Fingers crossed for more grass!


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## 12620 (Oct 2, 2020)

Mowing frequency is about every 5 days now and I'm considering notching up the HOC half an inch with the temperatures rollercoastering into the 80s. Had a laugh last night when I went to empty out the bag on the mower and realized I forgot to flip the lever to bag instead of mulch. :lol:

I plan on altering my watering schedule a bit, mainly focused on the St. Augustine. I'm only allowed two watering days (unless hand watering) with the ordinance, so I keep the watering to .5'' twice a week, focused in the sunniest parts of the lawn. If it looks like it needs water between those two soakings, I'll use the hose.

Now, on the other hand, when I water the Bahia/Bermuda in the back yard, I always manage to create more of a sedge issue so I think I'll allow the rainy season to handle watering it to keep that down. I also might go full on Bob Ross and start painting the thin paspalum with glyphosate if it's my only option before the summer heat kicks in.

Busy upcoming week: GrubEx, Bifen, Roundup for Southern Lawns, and Sedgehammer+ if the colorant gets here soon.


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## 12620 (Oct 2, 2020)

Spot sprayed RU4SL this morning. Sprayed a few areas of globe sedge to see if the amount of sulfentrazone in the RTU has any real effect (.014%). Now I just have to resist the urge to mow the lawn for a few days.


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## 12620 (Oct 2, 2020)

Well, that's the second lizard that's met an untimely fate crawling up the hose before I attached and ran the sprinkler. I had to replace the $8 sprinkler with a new one because I didn't feel an urge to dig out the lizard guts this time. I watered in the morning and mowed the lawn last night. There are patches of Bahia and Bermuda that are still looking super dry right now even with a light watering here and there, almost grey/white. I've checked for insects, but the only thing I come across are ants and an occasional golden rain tree bug. My only guess is this is where the dogs and kiddo stomp around, and without sufficient water, it's wearing thin right now. I'm wondering if I should possibly top dress these areas with some peat moss to help water retention... Another day, another project.


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## 12620 (Oct 2, 2020)

Put 2.87lbs GrubEx and 2lbs DiseaseEx/1000sqft on the front yard using the 2 setting on the Whirl. Did a double-pass with the GrubEx and it was right on the money with a single-pass using DiseaseEx. Applied 4lbs of GrubEx to the back yard with the SG2000, the 3 1/2 setting let me do a double-pass. Expecting some rainfall tomorrow, hopefully its about an inch as predicted.


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## 12620 (Oct 2, 2020)

Mowed the lawn today. I' was about 75 days out from when I first put down an application of pre-emergent, so I put down 2lbs/k of Andersons .48% Barricade. Watered all of it in with a half inch of water. That now brings me to 1.6-2 lbs under the yearly limit and I don't plan on another application until around September-October. Next time it will be with a different MOA and _maybe _ in liquid form.


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## 12620 (Oct 2, 2020)

Dropped .25N with Scotts Turf Builder (32-0-10) in the back yard before the rain started yesterday. A 3 on the Whirl is probably the best setting for a single-pass. It will definitely get watered in this coming week.


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## 12620 (Oct 2, 2020)

I was able to sneak a mow in Sunday afternoon when it stopped raining for all of six hours. Then today I picked half a bucket worth of weeds from the front yard and followed up spraying a bottle Ortho Nutsedge Killer on that 1000sqft. 
Excessive? We shall see.


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## 12620 (Oct 2, 2020)

Spread the monthly granular SOP at a 1lb per 1000sqft last night and watered it in this morning, then got a bit more rain. I also wanted to note that the Ortho RTS Nutsedge Killer, while it is diluted, is working really well on the sedge while the temps here hover in the low eighties during the day. It's a cheap bottle but doesn't take you far for how quickly you go through it.


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## ionicatoms (Mar 8, 2020)

Did the Ortho RTS ding the grass? Mine was dinged after I sprayed angry with the squirt bottle, but it recovered nicely after I mowed.


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## 12620 (Oct 2, 2020)

ionicatoms said:


> Did the Ortho RTS ding the grass? Mine was dinged after I sprayed angry with the squirt bottle, but it recovered nicely after I mowed.


Surprisingly not. I'm trying to get this area to fill back in after TARR wiped it out last year. I think I top dressed too heavy with peat moss last year trying to stop TARR and it created a moisture-holding nightmare of sedge and dayflower. Anyway, you can see where I sprayed angry and where I completely missed. :lol:


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## Ben S (Oct 6, 2018)

Any recent pics of the whole lawn?


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## 12620 (Oct 2, 2020)

Here's some pictures I snapped this morning. The first one is the backyard where I have a good mix of Bahia and Bermuda. I know Bahia hates the 1.5'' cut I'm giving it with the rotary, but that's how I plan a slow transition. That, and about .25 nitrogen every two weeks. Mowing about every four days now.


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## Ben S (Oct 6, 2018)

Looking good. If you're interested in spraying the bahia out this is what I used. Bahia is pretty hardy and spreads by both stolons and seeds. You might find the transition to be slower than you thought if you are just counting on the bermuda to overtake it.


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## 12620 (Oct 2, 2020)

Applied .25N of 32-0-10 to the back yard. Watered the entire yard as temps are already bumping into the 90's and we're not in the rainy season just yet. Seed heads are popping up and I now know there's some Carpetgrass in the back, along with Bermuda, Bahia, and Thin Paspalum. A new backpack sprayer is calling my name to take three of the four out.


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## 12620 (Oct 2, 2020)

How often are you disappointed in your lawn equipment? Me? Practically every day I go to do something in the lawn. This morning I ran the fan sprinkler in the back only to notice when it was time to turn it off that the sprinkler was stuck on one half of the lawn. Then, when I went to spread granular propiconazole in the front yard, I found giant clumps in the bag. Being a determined idiot, I put on some nitrile gloves and agitated it by hand while spreading it across the front lawn. Watered it in with a half inch of water. Neighbors are probably starting to wonder who is outside screaming profanities at their lawn at 7 in the morning.


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## ionicatoms (Mar 8, 2020)

I am disappointed from time to time, but I try to to be adaptive. That Scotts DLX drove me bonkers, so I sold it and tried something else.

No point in staying miserable when there are alternatives. I think you'll be able to avoid the clumpy propiconazole once you get a decent backpack sprayer.


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## 12620 (Oct 2, 2020)

@ionicatoms, man, I've had my dial-n-spray, pump sprayer, a sprinkler, and a bag of fungicide fail on me all in two weeks. I'm banking on a nice birthday gift this year, but that's not til August. :x Do you remember if that Bioadvanced "granular" propiconazole was soft when you used it, almost like a powder or cotton? I'm not sure if it's just because moisture got in the bag, or if it's not as granular as what something like DiseaseEx is.


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## ionicatoms (Mar 8, 2020)

I have a vague recollection of it seeming to be slightly moist once. Didn't stop me from using it though. I think I did what you did.


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## 12620 (Oct 2, 2020)

Applied .5 lb of N (32-0-10) to the back yard today. Mowing frequency is about every four days (although it looks like it should be three). The St. Augustine in the front is starting to fill in some bare spots. I'm a little nervous to put down any more nitrogen because TARR was evident by June last year, but I had also put down 1.2 lbs in the span of three weeks. Lesson learned and this year it's only received .375 lb of nitrogen. I may just stick to mulch mowing and no more fertilizer there and see how well it fills back in. Also bought some Roundup Gel and will give that a go on Tuesday along with more Ortho Nutsedge Killer. Would really love to blanket spray this Sedgehammer+ I have laying around, but I'm still down a sprayer. I'll probably try taking the Husqrvana one apart when I get some free time and see if I can get it spraying a little more efficiently again.


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## 12620 (Oct 2, 2020)

Well I done did it and finally scalped the back yard down to an inch (the lowest the mower could go). Had a little encounter with one raised tree root, but she will be fine. I wasn't sure if the mower could handle the cut at 1'', but I was tired of bouncing between 1.5'' and a 2'' cut for the past few weeks. I can finally maintain it at 1.5'' and shouldn't be hitting any dirt, or roots now. Looks like we're getting into the 90's here soon so the Bermuda should start filling in more. I just hope the rainy season follows.


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## ionicatoms (Mar 8, 2020)

We'll all be whining about the heat before long!


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## dubyadubya87 (Mar 10, 2020)

thundergunexpress said:


> Well I done did it and finally scalped the back yard down to an inch (the lowest the mower could go). Had a little encounter with one raised tree root, but she will be fine. I wasn't sure if the mower could handle the cut at 1'', but I was tired of bouncing between 1.5'' and a 2'' cut for the past few weeks. I can finally maintain it at 1.5'' and shouldn't be hitting any dirt, or roots now. Looks like we're getting into the 90's here soon so the Bermuda should start filling in more. I just hope the rainy season follows.


I've got one I'm constantly tempted to take a hand plane to and shave down. I know it will give me trouble if I ever upgrade to a powered reel, but it would just give my neighbors something else to question my sanity over.


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## 12620 (Oct 2, 2020)

@ionicatoms - Worst part about mowing in Florida is thinking you'll take care of it after work and beat the heat, only to have it rain around 4PM, like every day of the week.

@dubyadubya87 - Do it man! I always have a laugh when I hear that buzz saw sound while someone is running their mower because you know they just hit something good. But damn is it awkward when it's on my own turf!


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## 12620 (Oct 2, 2020)

Sprayed the Ortho Nutsedge Killer in the front yard this morning. We have a few days between 70-80 degrees before temps climb higher, so I figured why not give it another go. I'll probably run out and buy another bottle because this stuff is so convenient and doesn't break the bank as fast. I'll probably wait a little longer on applying the Roundup Gel so I have more leaf surface to work with.


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## 12620 (Oct 2, 2020)

Applied 6-4-0 (.357N, .25P) to the entire front yard and SOP (.5K) to the front and back. This should satisfy the .5lb P recommendation from the soil test. You can probably smell this Sunniland 6-4-0 from down the street to be honest. Glad I finished off the bag and don't have a lingering stench in my shed. Also, still learning my grass types and I guess and the front left section (~300sqft) is a patch of Centipede, not Zoysia. It's looking a bit rough in the sun right now so I'm wondering if it's due to lack of rain, bugs, or disease. I put water on it today to eliminate the first possibility and will back off with fertilizer. I also learned watering the entire yard with one hose takes an hour and thirty minutes. The tips of the grass blades in the back have a slightly reddish/yelllow cast and look ragged so it looks like I need to sharpen the mower blade again only after two weeks. I'm guessing accidentally running over the raised root caused the bad cut.


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## 12620 (Oct 2, 2020)

So, just like some others right now, the lawn is checking out due to heat stress, some of it big time. The winds have been a constant 10-15 mph every day for what seems like the past month and we have hot, humid weather, but no rain. I can only water on Sunday and Thursday, and two days a week isn't cutting it right now. So, if anyone reading this has tips on how to water 1000 sq ft by hand so I can bypass some watering restrictions, I'm all ears!


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## ionicatoms (Mar 8, 2020)

This is how I get around it:


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## mjh648 (Sep 1, 2020)

@thundergunexpress 2x/week at 0.75"/ea won't cut it?


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## 12620 (Oct 2, 2020)

@ionicatoms - Haha, I noticed that picture in your journal. What is that set up? Maybe a rubber band on a garden hose might work? :lol:

@mjh648 - Yeah I've been trying to do a little less each cycle (around .5 inch) after reading how St. Aug and other warm season grasses shouldn't be watered like TTTF. But because I'm on watering restrictions, it makes it hard to not water it like TTTF. I'm changing up how I water for now and doing half a soak at a time and alternating zones so the water pushes down a little deeper. Also waking up before sunrise and dragging the hose around the yard.


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## ionicatoms (Mar 8, 2020)

@thundergunexpress 
I use this nozzle, no rubber band needed.

8-Pattern Pattern Nozzle https://www.lowes.com/pd/Orbit-Max-8-Pattern-Nozzle/1000188693



I know of some people who water twice on their allowed days, once in the morning and then again just before midnight. I decided to hit my dry spots with this nozzle in between my days because my issue seems to be coverage efficiency is poor. Not sure how to fix it without adding heads.


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## 12620 (Oct 2, 2020)

Well after reading and listening to some tips on TLF I'm coming to my HOC conclusion, especially for summer:

3" for front yard (focusing on St. Aug)
2.5" for side yard (Centipede & Bahia)
2'' for back yard (focusing on Bermuda)

I've read rotary mowing lower than 2'' is a no-no. I've also decided to concentrate my watering to the front yard, fertilizer for the back yard, and doing absolutely nothing to the side yard.

I'm noticing May Beetles/Junebugs creeping up the driveway in the mornings now, so I'm hoping the GrubEx will work on their larvae. I've also read to take some white five gallon buckets with a few inches of water and dish soap and put them under the trees at night to reduce their numbers.

Rain forecast pulled a fast one on my this weekend and said we'd be getting over an inch this week, refreshed the forecast and now it's more like .1''.

Anyway, I'll probably read or hear something else in a week or two to change some of these plans around. :lol:


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## 12620 (Oct 2, 2020)

Dropped 2#/k of DiseaseEx this morning. Might have been a bad idea as my lawn is going through drought stress. There's supposed to be rain this weekend, but estimated totals are all over the place (anywhere from .3 to 1.2 inches tonight). Overnight rains, overcast days, we're creeping into the rainy season.


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## 12620 (Oct 2, 2020)

After being attacked by wasps twice and stung about six times, I finally was able to mow the St. Aug at 3.5''. Put down 10-10-10 at a .25# rate in the Bermuda salad this morning before the rain hit. On the lookout for sod webworm, as I had noticeably chewed up blades in the yard around this time last year.


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## ionicatoms (Mar 8, 2020)

What are you going to use to control the wasps?


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## 12620 (Oct 2, 2020)

@ionicatoms - I used the standard Spectracide Wasp and Hornet spray. Not sure if there's any harm with the AI on cabbage palms, but I'm not too worried about it. I should probably also prune out the flowering stalks as some prevention too.


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## ionicatoms (Mar 8, 2020)

I would love a growth regulator to stop the fruit stalks! The fruit fall on my pool deck and in my pool!


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## 12620 (Oct 2, 2020)

Put a bottle of Spectracide Triazicide RTS (Lambda-Cyhalothrin) on the entire lawn yesterday to take down the numbers of ants, lawn moths and a few other insects I'm annoyed with. The 32oz RTS is meant for 5,200 sqft on above-ground insects, but I was about done with the bottle on 3,000 sqft. I plan on running the 5AM sprinkler routine tomorrow because while it's been overcast the entire week, we haven't had much rain since last weekend in my part of FL and rain chances looks iffy before Thursday. Also mowing the lawn on Father's Day and couldn't be more content with it!


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## 12620 (Oct 2, 2020)

Sprayed another bottle of Ortho Nutsedge Killer on the front lawn this evening. I unload an entire bottle in about five minutes. Air temperature was around 81 degrees and it was the first day in a while that it didn't rain. Looking at the days ahead, it won't get below 85 degrees until after dark so spraying gets trickier. Eventually I'll get to that next level with more efficient herbicides that don't have temp restrictions.


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## 12620 (Oct 2, 2020)

Looks like Elsa is on the way...


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## ionicatoms (Mar 8, 2020)

Egad! More rain!


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## 12620 (Oct 2, 2020)

Applied .5# SOP to all areas of the yard this morning. That gets me to 2.5 of 3# recommended from the soil test last year. I'll put the last of it out when summer is over. I was debating whether or not to apply some propiconazole since it's next in line for the fungicide rotation, but decided against it. The front yard has a cheetah print vibe going right now with the sulfentrazone working on the sedge. This gives me some anxiety though because I'm on the lookout for bugs and fungus.


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## 12620 (Oct 2, 2020)

Decided FOR the propiconazole today and put down 2# of the Bioadvanced Fungus Control on the St. Aug. Used a quarter inch screen this time to break up the lumps so I could spread it easier. It's been overcast and humid during the day, then lightly raining just before sundown for the past couple of weeks so I don't think I should be skipping out on the fungicide.


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## 12620 (Oct 2, 2020)

Dropped a full rate (5.7lbs/M) of granular isoxaben on Tuesday and watered it in. In retrospect, I could have split the application, but I still have doubts about good coverage with granular and getting it all down in time. Soil temp according to Greencast is currently 79 degrees and I may still be a bit early, but night time air temps are dropping into the low 70's/upper 60's this week.


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## ionicatoms (Mar 8, 2020)

thundergunexpress said:


> Dropped a full rate (5.7lbs/M) of granular isoxaben on Tuesday and watered it in. In retrospect, I could have split the application, but I still have doubts about good coverage with granular and getting it all down in time. Soil temp according to Greencast is currently 79 degrees and I may still be a bit early, but night time air temps are dropping into the low 70's/upper 60's this week.


How did the isoxaben perform for you?


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## 12620 (Oct 2, 2020)

Not_ too_ bad for a granular, but it is pricey unless you find some coupons. I'd say it definitely helped reduce the pellitory and betony out of the front yard. Had a couple areas of breakthrough, but for the most part I'm happy using it for winter broadleaf weeds because I don't really have a grassy winter weed issue here. I'll probably also use it again in April to help control chamberbitter that exploded mid-summer.


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## ionicatoms (Mar 8, 2020)

Good luck. I still don't know exactly when Chamberbitter starts to germinate. I did have less of it this past summer, but obviously I didn't get the coverage right in all places.


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## 12620 (Oct 2, 2020)

Putting down 3.5lbs/k granular pre-emergent today. Because I miscalculated how much product I have going into the new year, I'll be using prodiamine in some areas and dithiopyr in others. The weather here goes from 34-55 today to 65-80 before next weekend. Today is most likely the lowest point the soil temps will get before slowly warming back up heading into spring. I'll also be measuring sprinkler output today using the tuna can challenge now that I have some daisy-chained gear drive sprinklers.

Edit: 
5lbs/1400sqft - Backyard - Dithiopyr
2lbs/600sqft - Side - Dithiopyr
2lbs 11oz/1000sqft (lighter dose than expected) - Front - Prodiamine

Watering 1 hr = .5 in.


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## 12620 (Oct 2, 2020)

Blanket sprayed a RTS of sulfentrazone (1.40%) in the backyard. Marked off 13-14oz of the bottle to keep the output in check. I plan on spot spraying with it again in a month or so, but I still don't like the uncertainty of using a RTS. Once it's empty I'll stick to my backpack sprayer. My main goal this year is to have more Bermuda fill in throughout the backyard.

5-day post update: There's a noticeable yellowing throughout the backyard where I sprayed and the grass doesn't look so healthy right now. Temps are between 65-80 throughout the day. My thought was to jump on the sedge early when daytime temps weren't already cooking 85, but I think I was too heavy handed in the application and 80 degree daytime highs are still a bit too hot. I'll be switching to halosulfuron in the coming months for a more gentle approach for control.


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## 12620 (Oct 2, 2020)

Cut the lawn at the lowest points for their respective grass types and for what my mower allows. There's still a bit of bronzing from the sulfentrazone application made two weeks ago, but the grass should recover. Applied granular bifenthrin (0.2%) to the backyard (3#4oz) to rid the yard of fleas. Should be finally getting some rain this week, followed by temperatures cooling off. I was itching to start with the fertilizer, but I think I'll hold off until the end of March/early April.


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## ionicatoms (Mar 8, 2020)

Aww man, you just reminded me to check the forecast and it's expected to get down to 32 degrees here on Saturday! :x :bd:


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