# MAC's 2022 Lawn journal



## macattack (Nov 2, 2020)

So finally ending 2021, one last mow next week to get the rest of the leaves. Big decisions for 2022. Do I try a complete renovation, or go the Pylex route to drive back the zoysia and bermuda in my lawn? There is probably 600-800 sq ft or more of each in the backyard. The neighbors both have zoysia bordering one side of my lawn, it is an uphill battle.
Pylex would be way less work and probably cost. The zoysia is fantastic until it goes dormant. The bermuda is terrible, i wouldn't wish this grass on my enemy. It is mixed in with the TTTF. Pylex is labelled for bermuda control in TTTF, but the literature says it will do the same to zoysia. Considering I may have to be applying it anyways in the future, I am leaning that way. Maybe I just plug the rest of the back lawn with the zoysia and accept my fate. This would be quite easy with a pro plugger. The backyard is often wet, as there is a sewer drain in the corner, everyone's yard seems to run my way. The lawn needs levelling, another bonus if I go the renovation route, much easier.

The goal isn't a golf course lawn, I like the lawn lush and long. Maybe that changes someday, but its not in the budget to be reel mowing, or mow as often as I would need to. I will have mowed 40 times this year alone. For what I have to work with I think I am doing pretty damn well.

Also I have an area of my front yard that has gravel under it, and need to do some spot excavation/soil replacement. This area suffers in the middle of summer as the roots aren't deep enough. It is probably 400 sq ft, I need to map it out better to see if i can do the hardest hit areas, which are smaller.
front yard November 2021


backyard November 2020 Mostly zoysia in the foreground, bermuda around garden beds[


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## macattack (Nov 2, 2020)

Got the final mow done today, #40 for the year. Picked up bulk of leaves blown into the fence. Guess I'll fix that AT&T fiber install next year for sure. The grass seed they used isn't keeping up with the Jonathan Green sun/shade blend I used to overseed with earlier. Therre is no zoysia in front of the house. I really could use a cordless blower. The Craftmans V60 trimmer I have works good, but can't find the V60 blower except for pricey online stores.



More zoysia to battle in front on other side of the driveway, and some bermuda near the curb. I feel like this will be never ending battle against zoysia, much like against the Kraken. It is coming from the neighbors yard, but somehow got a foothold here. Hell maybe I did it. I unwittingly transplanted bermuda to the other side of house when I put in the raised beds.


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## macattack (Nov 2, 2020)

Took a picture 23JAN22. Sad state of affairs, so far from the spring recovery. At least all the snow has melted. We only got 2", and it's been reasonably cold finally. No more of the 65F one day and 25F the next. Can't complain, this will make a huge comeback in March. Last year's first mow was March 27th, and I had trampled part of the front yard while working on soffits and gutters on far side of house. I'd rather have this all day than the brown zoysia front my neighbors across the street have. I did walk the yard noticing the worst parts of bermuda invasion i have. They stand out well this time of the year. Need to decide soon if i am going to upgrade to a super recycler mower, or keep the old recycler i found at the street years ago. Can't beat free, but it leaves too many clumps in the spring. Or i just need to mow way more often early in the year til summer slowdown.


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## macattack (Nov 2, 2020)

Currently covered in 6" of snow. This was our coldest January in 20 years. My attic insulation project is paying dividends. I am guessing a late spring, as ground temperatures have been down. Searching for a new spreader, the model I had broke after just three seasons. It was just the edge shifter, and the company wouldn't just ship me the part to repair. To their credit they are refunding me entire cost of spreader, as they stand behind their product. It's a great feature, as I only apply granular. Guess I could still use it, just have to be careful near street and sidewalks, sweeping stuff back into the yard.


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## macattack (Nov 2, 2020)

Latest round of snow finally melted away, might be more on the way with a bunch of rain. Tried out new soil sample probe one time, think ground is too wet right now, as core was slightly mushy. But no problem taking 8" core. Sending out to three different labs, two for lawn, one for garden. I could do all this testing back at the lab, but not for the prices they charge. I'd have to come up with and validate all my own methods. There are EPA methods already out there though. Think each sample is around $25-30 each. Soil temp rising rapidly. I want to get the samples taken prior to throwing down pre-emergent next week. Had to cover hyacinth bulbs coming up with mulch to protect from snow.


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## macattack (Nov 2, 2020)

Another ice melt almost complete. Got about 1" of ice mix, no snow. Looks pretty good under there. It is more green than the previous week. Next week is go time for sampling and pre-emergent. Highs in the 60's all week. I am sure it will be very soft, oh well. Need to pull the trigger on the new Toro mower.


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## macattack (Nov 2, 2020)

Stonewall 0.68% prodiamine down @ 0.80# AI/acre. Rain on the way. Not greening up just yet.


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## macattack (Nov 2, 2020)

Toro 21564 Super Recycler mower purchased, delivery next week. I have the old mower which i am selling to coworker. Give it an oil change here soon. Couple of other small fixes it could use. Lawn starting to look better. Turned over the garden beds, trying to add another. I have too many plants i want to grow this year. Once these beds are ready for new lumber in a year or two, i will plan for an area sans grass so its easier to manage with mulch pathways perhaps. I maybe need 100-150 sq ft total to grow what i like.
March 5th 2022

Raised beds: Planting carrots, kale, lettuce, cucumbers, tomatoes, green beans, peppers, herb garden in a barrel


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## macattack (Nov 2, 2020)

Finally picked up the new mower. Toro #21564 Super Recycler. It will never be cleaner than this. Another week or so away from the first mow. The tall wheels will help navigate my bumpy yard. Selling off the old Toro Recycler to a coworker. It still runs great, especially with the max power blade I bought for it. I got it free off the street 5 years ago. I've used and abused it the last three seasons, maybe 35-40 cuts/season. Never worry about gas or how old it is. I'll have to be more diligent with the new one, and use fuel stabilizer, fresher gas, and actually winterize it properly.

Side by side.


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## Vtx531 (Jul 1, 2019)

Wow nice! I've never seen the Super Recycler with vortex. Looking forward to you opinions on how it works.


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## Butter (Nov 14, 2017)

That is a good looking mower!


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## Green (Dec 24, 2017)

Curious of your impressions after using that mower, and whether or not you see a benefit of the higher power engine in use. I have a mower with the same engine specs as your 22" Recycler, but with the auto prime that became standard later. I'm curious how the 8.75 stacks up against the 6.75 in terms of actual mowing. And whether it goes through fuel faster, and if the sound and intensity differ.


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## macattack (Nov 2, 2020)

Extended the raised garden bed from 4'x3' 12" deep to 4'x8' and 18" deep. Need to buy some dirt/compost/peat moss. The small bed wasn't productive, maybe too much heat or cramped for space. The larger beds are way more productive. I scalped the grass I cut out for the bed with the old mower. No reason to dirty up "Black Widow" just yet. Maybe add one more bed next year.


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## macattack (Nov 2, 2020)

Finally got to use the Super recycler #21564 two times. First time out, 2.125" HOC. Maneuverability an issue along fence lines and house. Mower is quite a bit heavier than the old recycler. I think the handle sits high, and there is a way to make a small adjustment by adjusting the bolts that hold the handle stops. I think I need to tighten up the drive a little too.

2nd time out today, same HOC. Trimmed a day before, much easier not running into the fence, as I have ruts from the old mower which pull it that way. Really need to start a level the lawn project. Sputtered a little bit on the 87 octane/10% EtOH with Sta-bil fuel stabilizer I just got today. Originally the dealer put in some tru-fuel like substance. Too expensive to buy the tru-fuel, $20/gallon at HD. And too far to drive to get ethanol free gas, ~ 35 miles away. I'll keep an eye on it. I didn't look to see how much gas it used on this run. I didn't think it was because of wet grass bogging it down under the deck. Maybe it's my lumpy yard, it didn't do it the first time out. I did have to clean underneath both times so far.

Lawn has been partially wet both times due to recent rains. The cut is really good considering this, as grass loves to clump when its wet. I definitely had to get used to the turning around, the big 10" rear wheels don't tear up the lawn when turning.
Threw down 0.75 # nitrogen afterwards with more light rain on the way. First fertilizer of the year after the pre-emergent.
I never mow this low, and will raise maybe two or three levels at least by summer. Normal HOC is 3.5". It has an easy time mowing low without scalping compared to the recycler.


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## macattack (Nov 2, 2020)

Ok so my error on using Sta-bil for the local 10% ethanol 87 octane gas. The sputtering was getting to me. Added some tru-fuel to Black Widow, ran just fine. Got some Toro fuel stabilizer that is to be used every fill-up. Guess i'll try that with the 93-octane/10% ethanol after using up this first stuff. Think I'll dilute it with the tru-fuel, or just add to the car at next fill-up. Or only buy a gallon at a time. It's using much less gas than I thought, which is a surprise. Certainly less than a tank, maybe 2/3 or so of the 1 quart tank.

The underside of the deck definitely stays cleaner in wet grass, and the suction is so strong, it blows air ahead of the front of the mower. Weird to see grass blades 3 feet ahead of the mower getting blown around. I have not bagged the grass yet. I adjusted the handle height to the low setting, much better. Think i still need to adjust the drive belt tension. It is slightly quieter than my old mower. I like that the wheels are not in line, so you don't double roll grass clumps into the yard. Also i am able to mow much lower than the recycler, as the bigger wheels handle the bumpy yard better. Thinking of getting a check mate stripe kit for it.

I did let Toro customer service know their trailing shield design needs some improvement. It always tucks under when reversing. Needs to be a little more curved maybe, or like the old ones that had a tube at the end, and floated better on the lawn. Maybe it softens with time, doubt that.

This last cut is at 2.875". It has been a wet week, didn't get to clean up after the mow. I did sharpen the blade before this 6th mow of the year. The blade was not as sharp anymore, and wanted to see if it made much of a difference. Need to throw down some milorganite like substance. Sprayed some Ortho 3-way last week to kill some chickweed and clover that always pop up.


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## macattack (Nov 2, 2020)

Waiting for it to dry, it's really wet after this week. 3.7" total rainfall for the week. Walked around to get a sense of it, squishy. More rain coming this week, maybe tomorrow afternoon I get it done. The Toro with the wider wheels doesn't make ruts nearly as bad though. I have been mowing less this year, haven't throw down as much fertilizer as of this time, only 1.25#N/k.


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## macattack (Nov 2, 2020)

Mow at 3.25" HOC. Was dry enough finally after the deluge last week, and right up until three more days of rain. Mushrooms popping up all over, particularly around the dead tree stump roots. Backyard looks good for what it is, an absolute mix of grasses. And I got a little striping action going on. May get a Check-Mate roller if it fits this Toro model. No sputtering when running Tru-fuel, need to get some alcohol free gas, or try the 93 octane with Toro fuel stabilizer. I'd hate to be stuck with Tru-fuel as my main gas source. Threw down some 0.115% bifenthrin bug killer. Probably should have had this down 4 weeks ago, the bugs are awful with all the rain. The new EGO 56V 650 cfm blower is awesome. I can clean up in less than 2 minutes instead of sweeping for 10-15 minutes.
Backyard

Sideyard

Front


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## macattack (Nov 2, 2020)

Got another mow in, 3.25" HOC. I'd like to take it down a little, but heat is here for another day or two.



Never realized how much wildlife runs through my yard. Coyotes hunting those rabbits.


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## macattack (Nov 2, 2020)

Looks like yellow nutsedge season has arrived. I'll give it a week or so, then make up some Ortho sulfentrazone and spot spray. Wish Ortho sold this in a concentrate. I have to break open the hose end spray bottle and dilute as needed.


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## macattack (Nov 2, 2020)

Got a mow in, raised HOC to 3.625". So much for nutsedge control, heat wave coming, which will only make it look worse. Lawn seems to be in pretty good shape going into this. I'll have to snap some extra pics. More than likely I won't be watering unless it doesn't rain for extended period. June is turning dry after a wet May.


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## Chris LI (Oct 26, 2018)

Looking good! Let us know how things go with the heat wave. Weather Channel is predicting 90's with heat index of 109* this afternoon for St. Louis.


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## macattack (Nov 2, 2020)

Lawn checkout time has begun. I have an area of the front lawn that has gravel under it. Only way to repair is carefully dig by hand and remove/replace/screen the gravel out of there. Too much work, probably 400 square feet at least. It does this every year once the sun is overhead. Water, gas and ATT fiber all in the area. I was going to try a small section this year to see how bad the problem is, but it would have to be closer to fall seeding. Screwdriver test found it, probably from the buried downspout. Need a break in the weather to kill the nutsedge. The lawn hasn't dried out since we have a dewpoint of ~75F and 60% humidity.


The bad spot after 4 days of heat. I haven't bothered watering it just yet


Backyard holding together nicely. Ready to harvest some green beans.


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## macattack (Nov 2, 2020)

Started throwing some water on the front lawn, see if this comes back. At least i should be able to have the area marked well so I can investigate the worst of this front gravel areas. Now is not the time to work on this. Need to order some Fusilade II for the bermuda kill experiment. It has really spread on the side and backyard has plenty to try this on.


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## macattack (Nov 2, 2020)

Definitely getting worse. Rest of lawn looks pretty good. Watered the front again, not worried about the back.


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## macattack (Nov 2, 2020)

Got an inch of rain today thankfully. More on the way. Lawn is coming around as the next couple of days are also cooler. Have not mowed for two weeks, definitely could use it. I need to do a full reno on the hellstrip, as the grass seed used during ATT install is worthless. Guess it will be good practice, and more manageable than any other area.

My problem area. Growth in this area is limited overall.


Overall the front lawn looks average at best. Power rake special come Labor Day to get all the dead grass out of there. I haven't been able to spray for nutsedge either.


Backyard. Going to try the Fusilade II treatment next month once the heat looks like it is going to break. The bermuda is loving the heat. Think the weeping cherry tree died.


Canna lilies doing very well in the full sun. Surrounded by bermuda.


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## macattack (Nov 2, 2020)

Been too hot to do a sulfentrazone treatment for nutsedge. I will spot spray, after performing a quantitative dilution from the Ortho Nutsedge lawn spray bottle, as i don't want to blanket the whole lawn. But it's pretty widespread this year. This weekend should be cool enough to apply. There is always collateral damage however.


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## macattack (Nov 2, 2020)

Buying a Pro plugger and going to transplant some zoysia throughout the backyard. There is some in the front I can take from. Maybe in the invasive bermuda areas or surround it. Any full renovation will be difficult in the backyard. This way i can focus on renovating the hellstrip and that bad patch of the front.


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## macattack (Nov 2, 2020)

Got the Pro plugger in. Think the yard was a little too dry today, but i pulled 3 cores. Hard to get consistent depth, and they don't look as vibrant. Definitely see the thatch layer, and looking at the first core on the right in the picture, I thought "Is the thatch really that bad here?" Maybe damaged it trying to get the tool in the ground. I have power raked the yard each of the last two years. The cores slide right out of the tool, which has the updated octagonal shaped end. I'll have to water the areas I am transplanting this weekend. This tool is amazing. I am going to backfill the zoysia plugs with topsoil/compost mix, as I am putting the cores in the bermuda area.


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## macattack (Nov 2, 2020)

Lawn is ready to rebound with some rain and cooler temperatures for at least the next 5-7 days. Got 2.2" of rain, just outside the deluge further north, which got 9" of rain. More on the way. Need to restart plugging zoysia plan and order Fusilade II. So much rogue bermuda to kill, maybe I will just glyphosate it, which would need to start now. This year is getting away from me.


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## macattack (Nov 2, 2020)

Finally, was able to spray for some yellow nutsedge. Only 80°F, but really humid. Diluted the leftover Ortho nutsedge killer I had on hand from 1.40% to 0.05%. Next year I'll just buy some generic sulfentrazone, as this is a yearly battle. If it didn't damage the zoysia in back so much I would broadcast rather than spot spray. This needed to be done back in early June but had to delay due to the heat wave. Also sprayed some glyphosate on a bermuda spot in the front yard, maybe 2' diameter. I will reseed this area, along with hopefully the buried gravel area at the same time. It has recovered slightly, but still looks like crap from the heat. Also dug all the weeds out of the raised garden beds in preparation for cool season crops.


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## macattack (Nov 2, 2020)

Okay the nutsedge is dying, with some collateral damage to the fescue. To be expected, and I haven't checked the backyard. The glyphosate has smoked the bermuda spot in front, looks like i don't know what i am doing with my lawn, or the biggest dog just peed out acid.


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## macattack (Nov 2, 2020)

Just ordered the Fusilade II, to be here by this weekend. See how it does against the bermuda. I'd rather spray the lawn and keep what I got for now than do a complete renovation. The bermuda will always be coming back, its in the neighbor's yard. There is at least 800-1000 sq ft of bermuda. I'll take the zoysia over bermuda any day. Also need to spend a day using the pro plugger to get the zoysia out of the front side yard, transplant into the bermuda back yard area.

Smoked bermuda spot in front after first application. Clearly i didn't pay attention to the obvious rhizomes on the sidewalk. Will reseed. Suppose i could dig this out also. Don't want bermuda in the front lawn. This would have been a good spot to try the Fusilade II.


The bermuda is all around the garden beds and up to the house. Zoysia in the foreground.


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## macattack (Nov 2, 2020)

Another round of storms, probably get another 1-2" rain. Grass really likes it, and has made a huge recovery. I measured 6" rain in July on my rain gauge. I skipped summer fertilizer, debating if i should thrown down something now, or wait til dethatch/overseed process at end of month. Bought some more of the JG Love my soil, seems to really help the lawn. Also need to schedule core aeration right after my dethatch process.


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## macattack (Nov 2, 2020)

41% Glyphosate purchased, along with a dedicated 2-gallon sprayer. And the Fusilade II has arrived. Going to hit the hellstrip this weekend with glyphosate, It will be easiest to kill and maintain watering for renovation. This area looks bad with last years ATT fiber install and some bermuda in there.


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## macattack (Nov 2, 2020)

Mowed at 2.875" HOC, starts to expose dead grass underneath canopy. Try to bring it down slowly by end of month, figure 1.875" at least, as I was mowing in April at 2.125" with no issues. Last year i did it over a week and the lawn wasn't happy. Lawn really growing with all the rain we had, 3" last week. Haven't even thrown down fertilizer since June 5th. Might put down some Milorganite like substance. Very favorable forecast for next two weeks. Maybe I'll take some more days off before renovation time to spray the yard with glyphosate and Fusilade II.


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## macattack (Nov 2, 2020)

First round of glyphosate down on the hellstrip. Let's see how i did in a few days. One side with the invasive bermuda was looking bad after ATT fiber last year. Their grass seed was utter crap. The front portion also was dug up by ATT in two or three places. ! gallon to cover ~300 sq ft. Very convenient. I did put down signs, sprayed around 7:30pm.


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## macattack (Nov 2, 2020)

Ok so next time I will prepare the glyphosate at 2.0% instead of the bottles 0.8% directions. The Roundup ready to use spray is 2.0%, so from a 41% glyphosate bottle its a 6 oz/gallon, and i did 2.5 oz/gallon. 72 hours post spray, it is working, but slower than i like. I have plenty of time to get seed down. Maybe I'll water a little today, then scalp down in four days. Water and spray again at 2.0% a couple days after that. The spot in the front lawn is really dead, where i transplanted bermuda by accident.


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## macattack (Nov 2, 2020)

Gave it a light watering in preparation for lower mow tomorrow followed by 2.0% spray. Also worked on gravel area, sieving the dirt with 1/4" mesh. Hard work, but too many fines. If I could just excavate and get rid of the fill easily, I'd do that.

On day 4 post spray. Grass needs to be shorter for better coverage. It's starting to lay over a little, and not completely dying just yet.


Hopefully this area doesn't check out next year, even though there is still some fine gravel in there. Not willing to do anymore until I know it works next year. Will need some topsoil to fill back as this area settles.






Bucket of gravel


Maybe I will double over the 1/4" mesh for finer sieving.


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## macattack (Nov 2, 2020)

Prepped 1 gallon of Fusilade II (4ml/gallon per 1k) with NIS and sprayed the bermuda. Likely spray in a month before the bermuda goes dormant. This is all on the side of house and mainly the backyard, so if i mess it up, not a big deal. This will be a good first test, though did it right after mowing, would have rather had the bermuda longer. Hope it doesn't interfere with overseeding.


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## macattack (Nov 2, 2020)

Day 5 post glyphosate round 1. Watered again, then a few hours later raked and lowered HOC to 2.125" with the bagger. There was lot of trampled grass from wheel tracks. I always mow this back and forth, hard to do anything else to prevent it. Hopefully levelling it will help as its sunk in slightly in the middle.

Should get some gloves in tomorrow, so round 2 glyphosate at 2.0% is going down. I'll give it a little more water this evening. Need to go find some seed. I was going to just get Jonathan Green Black Beauty, but still ~14 days til seed down. Want to pre-germinate the seed a few days minimum. Maybe take some more vacation time at end of August. The hose is really close by so getting in quick waterings shouldn't be a problem.





My bermuda death spot for reference of where the kill should get to.


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## macattack (Nov 2, 2020)

Day 6. Going to wait until after the rainfall early tomorrow morning to apply the next round of glyphosate. Calling for 0.5"- 1.5" of rain, then we have a few dry days. Maybe just prep it at the label of 0.8% gly. Its looking really toasty, though i need time to level it. Day 2 post Fusilade II, no sign of damage. I'd like to have a good record of this as i will be fighting for a few years it seems.
Brought down to 2.125" HOC after raking.




Front looks ready for a power raking. I left the HOC at 2.875". Need to bring down in two weeks to 1.75" if possible. Also looks like i need some sedgehammer. I'd like to try something other than sulfentrazone for the nutsedge.


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## macattack (Nov 2, 2020)

Day 7. Got ~ 0.6' rain in the morning. Sprayed with another round of ~0.8% glyphosate at 6pm, lawn seems dry enough. There shouldn't be anything left by seed down time in 2 weeks. Time to buy some seed, going with the Super Turf II LS Fescue/KBG mix. Already have my lawn level rake i bought last year and DIY peat moss spreader tote.


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## macattack (Nov 2, 2020)

Happy with the Fusilade II treatment so far. I am sure there will be some collateral damage. But I should be able to get one more treatment in this year after the dethatch/overseed in 2 weeks and before dormancy.







Hellstrip almost ready for leveling. Not due to power rake til next week.


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## macattack (Nov 2, 2020)

Brought HOC down to 2.5". Start seeing some brown dead grass blades. It was at least 4.5"-5" not ideal but has to be done. Just walk much slower to limit the clumping. Also I will be lowering one notch in a few days again. This mower doesn't struggle at all, and finally am running 93 octane gas, no sputtering issues on the 10% ethanol. It was my fault for using the stabil. Going to sieve some dirt today, got some helpers.


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## macattack (Nov 2, 2020)

More digging and sieving. Waiting on some 4.5mm mesh to arrive. I used some window screen, but it is too fine. I have to force the fine dirt thru, but it removes all the gravel chips. I figure I am 30-40% done by area, but likely need to resieve the material. Its all fine, so would go quick, and I will backfill with topsoil. Been dumping the extra 7 buckets of gravel on the side of the house and in back next to retaining wall. I might need a tamper for this area, as its going to be super soft and continue to sink. This project will carry over into next year.





I saw a few green grass blades amongst the death. Time to lower HOC again and prepare for dethatch.


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## macattack (Nov 2, 2020)

Scalped down to 1.375" with bagging. The high spots really show their face. Mainly where ATT dug the holes last year for fiber install. Pretty sure i can go down to 1.0", but i will need to dig down the high spots first. Then it is dethatch and level time. I feel like i am falling behind in number of lawn projects right now. Need to finish re-sieving the gravelly dirt with the 4.5 mm mesh and call it quits on that project. It needs to get ready for seeding.

Sprayed the corner area with Roundup RTU 2.0% where bermuda was still hanging on.

Pretty much all the grass is dead here. Maybe one last spray for good measure? I will sieve all the topsoil i throw down on here. I haven't done a screwdriver test here either, but has lots of utilities, so no digging anyways.

Front doesn't look too bad, but we could use some rain. Its in the low 60's in the morning with dew, likely helping the grass a little. I really need to buy some sedgehammer.


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## macattack (Nov 2, 2020)

Back to resieving what i had already done, maybe 1.2 cubic yards or so. 2-3 scoops at a time thru the 4.5 mm mesh. Getting lots of those chips out, but its not perfect. Maybe i will search for a 3.0 mm mesh, as there are still lots of smaller chips. But the dirt is very soft and flowable now. Even if I lose some dirt, I will be backfilling with hopefully good topsoil.
4.5 mm mesh. This yielded 5 gallons of gravel. If i built a taut frame mesh over the wheelbarrow i could sieve with each scoop. Maybe a better process for next year, but it would be harder to dump the gravel portion.


Maybe 20% done. This stinks, much easier with two people to shake the tote back and forth. Some animal has been digging it up at night. Thought i smelled a skunk over the weekend. I did not find a single grub in here, just a few worms. Working from right to left, the hole is my progress. At least next time I will be sieving fine from the start.


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## macattack (Nov 2, 2020)

Got a mow in at 2.5" HOC, had grown an inch since last time. I haven't been watering. Will lower to 2.125" this weekend, trying to setup for the dethatch. Some dead clippings left on lawn from last time as it was pretty long on last cut. I need to setup a bagging frequency, maybe every 4th cut i bag. The shady area in between houses is always green. but softer grass, and the clumping hurts it. Rain right now and later this evening. Time to setup the pre-germination of the seed.



Sieved another ~5 gallons of gravel chips out of the front yard hole. I have maybe one more bucket to get and then backfill with topsoil/compost mix. Some animal insists on digging in it. I saw two foxes on my trail cam in backyard. Will move to front yard and see what i find. Buying a long handle shovel for next year, And could i get this done in the spring? Just bought some 2.5mm mesh screen. I may test it out before seed down.


The bermuda is definitely retreating. This is 12 days post Fusilade II. I may super scalp the bermuda areas so i can dethatch, overseed, and spray again after two weeks.



My hellstrip reno area got a scalp at 1.0", with some hoe action to cut down the high spots where i was already scalping prior. Can't go any lower, so i went perpendicular on 2nd cut. Might break out the manual dethatch rake on the small side that has bermuda. Really don't want it to come back.


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## macattack (Nov 2, 2020)

Got after it today. Finished sieving the dirt for gravel. Total removed: 50 gallons of gravel. Packed it with a tamper and threw down some bags of topsoil and compost. I'll work this in a little. Need maybe another 5-10 bags. Next time I need a large supply of topsoil I will call the local landscaper to deliver good, screened soil. The bag stuff from HD had tons of crap in it. I tried sieving one bag, got frustrated and just dumped it in place. I am not reel mowing anytime soon. This area is about loosening up the soil. Wait until next year to finish this project. I'll know by late June if it worked or not.



Ran the Earthwise dethatcher 2-ways over the hellstrip. It not being level affected quality of ripping up, so i used the manual dethatch rake after that to really smooth it out and get the dead grass up. A lot of work in the heat. Bagged it all. Threw down 10 bags of topsoil and 2 bags compost. Used the R&R level rake despite all the sticks and stones. Much better now, the middle section is filling in. As long as the lawn is low, using the level rake is easy. I don't know if i could do this if the grass was at 2" easily.


No dirt added yet. Its already pretty level, except where ATT dug for fiber installation. The bermuda is getting one more spray of glyphosate.


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## macattack (Nov 2, 2020)

I forgot to get the paint strainers for starting the seed pre-germination. Bought 10#. Guess I get those tomorrow while i get more dirt. Should be going in the bucket tomorrow for sure. Seed down anytime next weekend, as I have vacation scheduled, and the lawn is almost ready.
Also I better sharpen the lawnmower blade soon. Its getting roughed up from the scalping.


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## macattack (Nov 2, 2020)

Got in another mow, lowered to 2.125" HOC. I just beat a severe thunderstorm, good timing. Ended up with 0.5" rain. I can at least see where the washout would have been and where my low spots still are on the hellstrip renovation. Seeding next weekend. Some minor scalping in the zoysia section in the backyard as it is bumpy. I don't think I can go lower there unless very careful. Plan on 1.75" for rest of yard being not an issue prior to next weeks epic dethatch/power rake session. Going to call and see if I can get aeration done this week.

Black Widow taking some abuse after this weekend. This is an awesome mower. I don't care for the mulch plug, switching back and forth from bagging was easier on my old recycler mower. I probably should have bagged this time instead of mulched, but was against the clock and storm. Definitely next time though. 


Can I get to 1.375" is the question.


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## macattack (Nov 2, 2020)

The seed pre-germination is underway. Lots of different methods. I am changing the water every 12 hours for 2-2# bags of seed in a 5-gallon bucket. Left it outside out of the sun, really don't want the stink in the garage, it smells. Though needs to be cooler. I may move it inside, and i may need to change buckets, might have a small leak. Some leave it wet after 24-hour soak and not submerged, with daily rinses. Think i will stay with the 12-hour water changes, maybe for 3-4 days.


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## macattack (Nov 2, 2020)

Seeing a couple of sprouts of grass coming up in the reno area, maybe more nutsedge?. A light glyphosate spray is needed. Moved the seed to the nylon paint bags, as i originally used cheesecloth. Will place more seed in water, as I plan overseed with milorganite like material from Menards. Seed should be going down Friday on reno, after 4 days soak. Will rake the rest of dead grass from hellstrip edges and continue level, might need more dirt. Dethatch main lawn tomorrow after bringing down HOC one more notch.


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## SeanW78 (6 mo ago)

@macattack Nice job so far. I got 25 lbs of Super Turf II from United Seeds for a backyard overseed. I'm eager to see how yours goes.


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## macattack (Nov 2, 2020)

So the battle began around 10 am, and finished at 530pm. Lowered HOC to 1.75" and some 1.375" in front/side all with bagging. It was maybe 3" max and a little damp from dew still This is the reason I don't bag. One full roughneck can and 3 yard bags. Took twice as long, 1.5 hours. Follow that with a single pass with Earthwise dethatcher, then bag it all. Final tally: 12 yard bags and the can. I let the bermuda section get destroyed with the pass, though its not as level so hard to get maximum destruction. I have done two passes each the last 2 years, not sure i have it in me with the seeding going on.

Worked over the dead spot in front, seeing the bermuda rhizhomes are still alive. Also tamped the gravel area reno again. These areas are ready for seed. Re-raked and picked up some dead grass on the hellstrip. It's ready for seed. I placed another 4# of seed in the bucket for pre-germination, which will go in the overseed, leaving me 2# for disaster recovery. I'll throw some water on it tonight to start the recovery.

Post lower HOC in back 1.75". I minimally scalped the zoysia.

The single pass

The finish

The waste


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## macattack (Nov 2, 2020)

Took some pics after Sun went away, and inspected the work. Missed some very small areas, but definitely way less damage than i normally inflict upon the lawn. I usually have to reseed the areas near the driveway due to dethatcher damage.

Maybe i will do another pass, depending on how the body feels in the morning. I know it will recover, the lawn that is, and looks like some rain is in the forecast with decent temps. I run the dethatcher on the lowest setting, and thinning it out is the goal as all that dead grass just sits there. If my lawn was leveled to any degree this would be way easier a process. I may call the landscaper to see if i can get a delivery quick. The best tool i have is that dethatch rake, what an awesome tool.

I wish I could a HOC reset on the lawn once or twice during the year, as the dethatcher lifts all that grass that has been trampled by the mower tracks or foot traffic when long, and never stand back up.

Front.

Hellstrip prep.



bermuda spot


Gravel reno area, need more dirt.


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## macattack (Nov 2, 2020)

Big day tomorrow, seed going down early, and in a light rain. All of a sudden, we are in a wet weather phase. Raked up the dead grass today with metal leaf rake on reno areas. Likely spraying with glyphosate should have been done today, oh well. Probably skipping the tenacity too, unless its dry tomorrow. My lawn usually doesn't have weed outbreaks anyways. Its hard to kill the bermuda, and I can use the Fusilade II to knock it out. Will try a milorganite and seed mix at first on 2# of seed, maybe with 8# milorganite. I only need 3# for this reno, and a little extra for the main yard rehab. I did add another 4 bags of dirt to the gravel area and tamped that down. I might be able to shake the wet seed on the lawn from a shaker bottle and mesh cap. It will get raked anyways, so any half *** distribution will work.

I've got to get the reno area done in a couple of hours, as i have been told i am not spending all weekend on the lawn. I'll throw the overseed material on the lawn Sunday, on day 3 of seed pregermination.


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## macattack (Nov 2, 2020)

What a mess of a morning. 3.5" of rain overnight and into the morning. I got started while it was still drizzling. Went to Menards for some seed blankets, because who know what rain might come, supposed to be wet for another 4-5 days. 
Used 16# of milorganite to mix up the 4# of seed. This went well between two 5-gallon buckets. I raked the mud and added more dirt where it was washing out a low spot. Seed down, followed by raking and cover with light peat moss, followed by seed blankets. I watered it lightly anyways. If i have good germination i will remove the blankets after the rain has passed.

Pre-germ mix

After seeding.

Covered. I need yard staples to hold down still.

We will see how this area does without blankets


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## moedank (Sep 10, 2019)

The surrounding grass helps but I'd still blanket those areas with small cutout sections. Looks like a decent slope to me. I have a side yard like that which washed out even though it had Pennington Slopemaster and EZ Straw on it back in my 2019 reno. Redid the area with blankets and it held.


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## macattack (Nov 2, 2020)

I ran out of blanket material, as I measured the front more accurately to 400 sq ft, right at the roll I bought. These small areas didn't wash out last night. Maybe i will go to the store and see if they have a small roll tomorrow. Rain overnight possible. Had two scrub pieces left which i threw on the small spot. Hoping I get quick germination and can remove these in 10 days or so, but forecast is unstable. It wasn't really supposed to rain much last night.
Lawn was a marsh this morning.

Hopefully this means less watering.

Picked up the staples, isn't going anywhere. They didn't have a small roll of seed blanket.


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## macattack (Nov 2, 2020)

Need to next put overseed down of pre-germ seed,. Today is only day 3, so maybe tomorrow or Tuesday, which will focus on front lawn and side between houses. Backyard needs fertilizer, really not willing to spend money on seed with the bermuda there and zoysia plugs i have moved. Kind of waiting on lawn to dry up as much as possible before rain later today.


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## macattack (Nov 2, 2020)

Damp day today, no real rain but a couple spots of drizzle. watered the seed twice. No reason to soak them out. When will I see germination with a 4-day seed pre-germination is the question. I say tomorrow or the day after. The TTTF is 7-10 days normally per the vendor for SuperTurf II LS. Rain forecast has improved slightly. This should be easy to manage at this point, but has to stay moist for the KBG to germinate.


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## macattack (Nov 2, 2020)

No grass plants up this morning prior to 48 hours seeding. Looks like we got maybe 0.1" rain overnight, no need to water yet, its all pretty moist still. Watered at 1pm. Still threatening to rain later today, but its so damp the ground can't possibly dry up. Saw the Sun for 5 seconds, boy was it humid all of a sudden. C'mon seeds germinate!

Went outside to rake up the backyard matted bermuda areas after rain and dethatch from 4 days ago. Sun really came out, had to leave as it was a sauna. I will seed this with some cheaper TTTF, as there are bare areas now.


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## macattack (Nov 2, 2020)

The bermuda areas are really under stress now, after hitting them with the electric dethatcher last week, followed by dethatch rake and metal lawn rake today. Overseed tomorrow. Probably won't see signs of the zoysia plugs until next year if they make it. I've got plenty in the front yard on other side of driveway to take from.


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## macattack (Nov 2, 2020)

Snapped a late picture to see if anything was up by 10pm. Nope.


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## macattack (Nov 2, 2020)

Still no grass 3 DAS. Threw down some leftover slow release fall fertilizer 32-0-10, only 0.34#/1k. and some milorganite to get the other 4# overseed going. Also, a bag of JG Love my soil, 3rd year using it. Hand watered in it, well i tried, was out there 2 hours. Need to move the bigger, longer hose upfront where there is no house PRV. Will get watering jobs done quicker, as it reaches the backyard easily.
Threw peat moss over the top of the destroyed bermuda area in back yard with the overseed. I see my neighbors bermuda has stopped growth, its no longer vibrant green. Want to get a second Fusilade II app in on my lawn, and maybe one on his, before it does dormant.


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## jbdz (4 mo ago)

macattack said:


> Back to resieving what i had already done, maybe 1.2 cubic yards or so. 2-3 scoops at a time thru the 4.5 mm mesh. Getting lots of those chips out, but its not perfect. Maybe i will search for a 3.0 mm mesh, as there are still lots of smaller chips. But the dirt is very soft and flowable now. Even if I lose some dirt, I will be backfilling with hopefully good topsoil.
> 4.5 mm mesh. This yielded 5 gallons of gravel. If i built a taut frame mesh over the wheelbarrow i could sieve with each scoop. Maybe a better process for next year, but it would be harder to dump the gravel portion.
> 
> 
> Maybe 20% done. This stinks, much easier with two people to shake the tote back and forth. Some animal has been digging it up at night. Thought i smelled a skunk over the weekend. I did not find a single grub in here, just a few worms. Working from right to left, the hole is my progress. At least next time I will be sieving fine from the start.


We use a grocery store bread tray like this: https://www.orbiscorporation.com/en-us/productimages/products/305/npl660b_grey_lr
with hardware cloth in the bottom and sides. I can shake it by myself. My husband made a wooden frame to fit over the wheel barrow to use as rails that don't fall in. I've also done it over the site with saw horses. If I put too much in, i push the dirt back and forth with my gloved hands until it's light enough.


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## macattack (Nov 2, 2020)

4 DAS, came home to grass coming up. I can only water 3x a day, unless I move my work schedule slightly. So small risk of drying up, but weather is good, actual sunshine today. Dirt is staying damp, and under the blankets especially. Need the KBG to come up, which is 10-21 days. The fescues were 7-10 days. So a 4-day pre-germ and 4-day germination. Thats not too bad. Next time I will soak longer by a day or two. Some rain back in the forecast also with perfect temperatures. I see lots of nutsedge up in the small hellstrip area.


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## macattack (Nov 2, 2020)

Quite a bit more up today 5 DAS. Apparently I cannot count days correctly. Peeked under the blankets and its coming up good. Went home for lunch to water it, else it would have been 10 hours or so between water on a sunny day. Looks like I do need to cut back on watering a little. Its not remotely drying out. Might give it a small drink around 8pm. Hoping the KBG starts coming in this weekend. The lawn has recovered quickly from the dethatch with fertilizer and the watering its getting.
Looking good


Stupid nutsedge on the warpath. Pulling it is the only option, and if I wait too long it will be monstrous by the time the blankets come off. Guess i could cut it with scissors also.


The backyard treated bermuda areas are really rough. Threw some pre-germinated seed down with peat moss, but only watering once a day. I need to treat this one more time, as I missed some spots. Bermuda is trying to go dormant soon. I can always seed again as late as end of the month so i dont have a mudpit all winter.


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## macattack (Nov 2, 2020)

6 DAS. Took a look before I watered it this morning didn't go home for lunch to water. It seems to be staying damp. Hopefully looks better after a full day of sunshine. Update: was still damp when I got home. Some of it is now in the shade due to the lower Sun angle. I could probably remove the blankets as it looks like severe rain threat has dissipated. The grass wouldn't have grown into it yet so removal should be easy. I am not washing out the uncovered area on a slope with watering, so the flat ground should be fine. Time to check forecast. Murphys Law applies, once i remove it, deluge arrives or hurricane moisture from the gulf, which is very rare but does happen. The blankets are holding the moisture in well though. I could probably reuse them at this point too.


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## macattack (Nov 2, 2020)

Looks like i hit the spout and pout phase already, kind of like when a pork butt stalls in the smoker. Not much taller grass, just hoping to fill in with KBG germinating now and over the next 6-14 days. No reason to panic or throw more seed down. This is only 7 DAS.
Looks worse the more i look at it. Gotta be careful of the smaller spot, some minor washout due to watering. I have cut back on the watering, only 2x day needed. Rain in the forecast.


The side area has recovered. Watering helps. Just mowed at 2.5" HOC with bagging. I saw a small bermudagrass spot in here too.


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## macattack (Nov 2, 2020)

Went and watched golf all day, Senior PGA event in town. So, no watering during the day but had light rain overnight and was cloudy for large part of the day. Gave a small drink when I got home. Paid lots of attention to the grass while there. Bermuda, zoysia and tall fescue. Spotted some crabgrass and orchardgrass or dalligrass when away from the fairway. Maybe i could get a degree in turf management? I would hate to think how much fertilizer they have to put down a year, along with herbicides. Dealing with my issues at home, I can only question why on Earth would you put bermuda grass right next to a zoysia teebox? Maybe its the drought tolerance.


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## gatorguy146 (5 mo ago)

The tournament was at Norwood, right? My guess is the Bermuda is an infestation and wasn't planted there purposefully. Norwood has 36 holes so it's twice as much to manage for the superintendent. The other problem you have at these country clubs is that the majority of the membership doesn't understand turf management, they think it should be green and perfect all the time because they watch golf on TV and it always looks perfect. To control bermuda you're talking about months of brown grass and as a superintendent you are risking your job at that point. Additionally, Norwood is known for having some of, if not, the best greens in the area so I'm sure that's where the majority of their budget is directed.


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## macattack (Nov 2, 2020)

Yes Norwood Hills. Never seen the course before. Most of the area off the course was Bermuda, not fairways or the rough. Like between the holes, shady areas. My hatred of bermuda grew some yesterday. Course is still in great condition where the pros play from.


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## gatorguy146 (5 mo ago)

I haven't seen the course in a few years but the few times I've been there I have had similar sentiments. It's very well taken care of. You'd be shocked at how low of a budget some superintendents work with and how small the crew actually is. Couple that with our psychotic bipolar climate and I truly have no idea how the superintendents around here keep the country clubs as nice as they do. Looked like a good tournament with big names on the leaderboard, happy that you got to go and have a good time. It's special to watch those guys play.

I share your hatred for bermuda. Hate, hate, double hate, and loathe entirely.


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## macattack (Nov 2, 2020)

Pulled the small section seed blanket off to see how its doing, since the exposed area seems to be ok. Grass not very dense but growing long, also nutsedge is angering me, but hey its green. I will leave the large section covered for awhile, 2 weeks or so, and remove the UV photodegradable netting there. If i needed to add seed i wanted to know now, so i can pre-germinate some of it, or just throw it down. Maybe i will go home for lunch again, as the weather has turned warmer, sunny and drier. The grass recovers overnight in the cool damp conditions.

9 DAS.

Looks like it got a little dry today. Water these exposed areas better before i go to work.


This is doing just fine.


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## macattack (Nov 2, 2020)

Day 10 DAS. Had the SO throw some water when she got home, which wasn't until 530pm or so. I rewatered at 8pm, and also when i left for work around 8am. Really shouldn't be needing as much water once all the seed has germinated. Too dark for pictures, these were from the morning. I started hand-pulling the nutsedge. Saw some germination in the backyard where i overseeded into the destroyed bermuda. Only been able to water once a day so that is a plus. Just want it to recover some before the fall. How will i be able to tell the fescue from the KBG is a good question.


Grass growing thru the blanket. 

My gravesite is on the road to recovery. Soon no one will know what I did here. Perfect..


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## macattack (Nov 2, 2020)

11 DAS. Blankets coming off the main area this weekend, though weather now appears warm next week, maybe i change my mind later. Grass really starting to take over, will be hard to remove the longer i wait. Can't spray the nutsedge after reading the sedgehammer label. Needs another few weeks of growth. Hoping it dies off once i stop watering it so much and we get cooler.




Nutsedge growth has slowed considerably in the main lawn. Maybe i spray sedgehammer tomorrow evening, as its easy to see in the main lawn right now. Will raise to 2.875" HOC this weekend, and blade needs sharpening. 


I need to figure out what this grass is. Likely it will get renovated out of the lawn one day, but for some reason really sticks out like a sore thumb. I have lots of this in the back, just spread more evenly. Maybe Poa annua? Also looks like i need to manually rake this side of the house.


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## macattack (Nov 2, 2020)

Day 12 DAS. Only watered in the morning as ground is still damp. Make the grass work harder to find moisture and build strong roots. Is has been wet with dew every morning. Think i might start soaking some seed again, right up until germination, 6-7 days to fill in the small areas. Hopefully will be thicker by then. Almost time for a shot of starter fertilizer.


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## macattack (Nov 2, 2020)

Uneventful day. Watered before i went to work. Seemed damp enough when i got home, skipped evening water. Switched the hoses around so i can use the 3/4" hose from front spigot not on PRV and will reach to backyard some.
Removing the front seed blanket tomorrow, as grass is getting thick. It shouldn't dry out in the few hot days coming. Today was 13 DAS. The KBG should mostly be up by now, with the 4-day pre-germination. Time for starter fertilizer to go down.


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## macattack (Nov 2, 2020)

14 DAS. Pulled off fhe blanket, might throw some seed down anyways near the edges, the other side is getting thicker with the increased sunlight. Hoping with some fertilizer this will take off. Just need to survive the 3 day heat wave, though with lower sun angle it shouldn't be too bad. Along with the watering the area has gotten the last two weeks. I hit the nutsedge with the weed whacker to keep it from crowding out the grass.


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## macattack (Nov 2, 2020)

Got a mow in, raising the HOC to 2.875". Pulled some weeds from the raised beds, and planted some kale.

Waiting til the heat passes before throwing the fertilizer down. Haven't mowed it yet, other than the weed whack 


The backyard looks good in pictures, though its full of problems.


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## macattack (Nov 2, 2020)

15DAS, 11 DAG. Trimmed some lilac bushes that were overgrown. Crape Myrtles next, it won't be a crape murder. It rained very lightly, ended up watering the new grass and front around 3pm after the Sun came out. Should i get a reel mower to do these areas? Undoubtedly, I will use it on a future renovation.
The heat is on the next three days, will need a good watering before i go to work. I really don't see the need to throw more seed down, give it some room to expand. When to deal with the yellow nutsedge is most pressing. I need to do some spot spraying in front and a lot more in back. Maybe i will spot spray a small section of the reno area and see what happens. Could always reseed if it gets smoked.


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## macattack (Nov 2, 2020)

16 DAS. It looks thicker since getting full sun all day. Just need to survive two more scorching days, though the ground is plenty damp from all the watering. All the KBG seed should be germinated by now. The sedgehammer bottle says 30 days post germination to apply. Guess i wait two more weeks, and it should start dying off with cooler, drier weather. I will cover the grass with cardboard to limit the collateral damage when I spray. I will spray the main lawn Friday for nutsedge. 
Fertilizer going down later this week after the heat wave.


This side looks terrible with all the yellow nutsedge.


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## macattack (Nov 2, 2020)

17 DAS. One more hot day to go. I continued pulling the nutsedge by hand. First mow should be this weekend, as some of the grass is approaching 3". Then i can fertilize. Also going to drop the sedgehammer on all the yellow nutsedge in main lawn. I'll have to do different time apps between this and the Fusilade II.



The bermuda is making a comeback thanks to overseed and watering with a quick heat wave. Will spray the Fusilade II this weekend. At least the areas are easy to spot this time. I can see where i missed last time.


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## gatorguy146 (5 mo ago)

Looking good, Mac. Seeing Bermuda pop it's head up in my reno also with these high temps. Thinking of trying to pull most of it by hand tomorrow night and let the new grass crowd it out as the temps fall. Death to Bermuda


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## macattack (Nov 2, 2020)

Thanks. I had some bermuda in the small reno side of the driveway. 3 rounds of glyphosate didn't kill it underground. I'll have to look and see if its coming up. The nutsedge is distracting me from it, lower right of picture.


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## macattack (Nov 2, 2020)

21 DAS, 17 DAG. First mow in, went with Black Widow and bagged at 2.5 " HOC. Not much came off but it's a start. Threw down starter fertilizer and some other leftover material, 0.5#/1k for whole lawn. Threw down some seed also for the hell of it in the thin areas. Spreader is a super piece of crap, I have to get something new soon. The weather looks to be nice but dry for next couple of weeks. The nutsedge is a real bummer. Two more weeks for it. I see some weeds coming up, and am pulling them by hand. I didn't get to put down tenacity at seed down due to rain.


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## macattack (Nov 2, 2020)

22 DAS. Been pulling the yellow nutsedge since i can't kill it with Sedgehammer yet. Pretty windy today, was hoping to spray the bermuda in the backyard with Fusilade II and spray the rest of the yard with Sedgehammer. Maybe Tuesday as supposed to be windy tomorrow as well. This has been the worst year for yellow nutsedge. Hope it starts thickening up soon, and crowd the weeds out. I read a couple of articles on yellow nutsedge. They say to pull them and force the tuber to use up reserves on new plant growth. This way it takes more time, and younger plants are easier to kill off. The more mature they are, the harder to kill, based on leaf numbers. Digging out is best, but I am not digging up a newly seeded area. I finished pulling the large side. Will continue in the small section, as its really infested.
Next reno, which is likely the whole front next year, will be to water it more, and start the kill a little earlier. This nutsedge could have been killed off with glyphosate had it germinated in time. Also the other weeds i see coming up could be eliminated. Spurge, crabgrass being the main two.







This has grown in nicely, will never notice it.

This is also doing well.


Looks thinner on this side. Hoping that extra seed i threw down makes it, as i wanted to back off watering everyday


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## macattack (Nov 2, 2020)

Picked up a new to me Earthway EV-N-SPRED spreader. Not sure of the model #, but it is one of the older commercial models, maybe a 2050 that would hold 50#. New model would be the 2150. Barely used, only $75. Doesn't have side spread control, not a big deal I just blow the fertilizer back anyways. I am going to give Earthway an email for help, just for information and parts manual. My Scotts Deluxe was a POS, and falling apart. They did refund me the cost. This Earthway isn't breaking down. It does need a new wingnut for the gate opening set lever, maybe a trip to Handyman.


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## macattack (Nov 2, 2020)

26 DAS, 22 DAG. Still pulling nutsedge, another week and it gets blasted. I think i need to be mowing it lower than the rest. Has kind of stalled out with the cooler temps lately. The oak tree across the street is dropping leaves. Whatever extra seed i threw down will really thicken this up. It wasn't much. I have pulled some crabgrass plants that have germinated, and a few broadleaf weeds, but overall, not bad considering I didn't get the tenacity down. Earthway mentioned the shutoff control plate would most likely fit my 2150 model spreader, only $25, worth a shot.


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## macattack (Nov 2, 2020)

28 DAS, 24 DAG. Mowed reno at 2.125" HOC, one notch lower than last time. It is pretty level, except near the ATT box and sewer. Rest of yard at 2.875" HOC. Will be spraying the Fusilade II later today after the wind dies down some.
Hoping to see some germination of extra seed i threw down in thinner areas near the sidewalk and curb. But overall, this should get much better once the KBG kicks in. No rain in the forecast, usually we have a wet October. Saw the water bill, an extra $20, not bad. The area near the sewer drain is sinking in, i may fil lit in with some dirt.
Also hit the bermuda areas again this evening with the Fusilade II, 4 ml/gallon per 1k sq ft. The areas had recovered with the watering/overseed attempt and cooler weather, but the bermuda isn't dormant yet. Last treatment of the year, I probably can do 4 treatments a year, but need to see what the annual limit is.


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## macattack (Nov 2, 2020)

29DAS, 25 DAG. Pulled up all the broadleaf weeds I could find using a pair of long needle nose angle pliers. Easier and more accurate than fingers, and don't want them growing big. Trying to avoid spraying herbicide if i don't need to. Also pulled~ 75% of the bigger nutsedge growths to give what's there a better chance. Sedgehammer next week, though the yellow nutsedge might die off with lows in the 30's this week.

I walked the backyard looking for weeds, don't really see any except some clover that just won't go away. Need to make that a part of weekly routine after mowing to see what's out there. Lots of K-31 blades, matted down by the mower wheels. A backyard reno is last on the list, as i will let the zoysia grow where it wants.


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## macattack (Nov 2, 2020)

33 DAS, 29 DAG. Still a few very small bare spots, hoping the KBG helps fill these in. The grass blades are noticeably wider than before. It needs a mow, and the nutsedge has slowed down. Might get a frost this weekend and knock them out. Been watering once per day, cooler weather coming, but dry, still no rain in sight. Throwing down some fertilizer this weekend. Tomato harvest has been spectacular, not able to keep up, a bunch of them rotted on the vine. This is the second full bowl in as many weeks.


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## Chris LI (Oct 26, 2018)

I love your lawn and tomatoes! Another lawn AND tomato guy...I love it! Our counters look similar with the stainless containers and other stuff. 🤣 I'll put a photo in my journal, so as to not clog up yours.


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## macattack (Nov 2, 2020)

Chris LI said:


> I love your lawn and tomatoes! Another lawn AND tomato guy...I love it! Our counters look similar with the stainless containers and other stuff. 🤣 I'll put a photo in my journal, so as to not clog up yours.


Thanks. I have just enough lawn and problems with it to keep me busy. I lost the harvest basket, so the bowls get used. The basket came in handy for the kale and lettuce; there is a pet rabbit that eats the kale. I have to give lots of the tomatoes away at work, we can only eat so many. I hope I like this SuperTurf II, so I can reno the whole front yard. and not just the dog crapping area. I used this as a test of what I have learned the last two years. Neighbors walking by were always asking "What happened to the lawn" as they saw it dead, and I was out front digging in the dirt. Told them I was looking for Jimmy Hoffa. Why would I intentionally kill the lawn was foreign to most. Wait til they see it next year.


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## macattack (Nov 2, 2020)

35 DAS, 31DAG. Hand pulling the weeds still, wishing i sprayed some tenacity perhaps. Oh well. I will spray some ortho 3-way, if i find some time and have some, as they are all broadleaf weeds. I might be out. They are struggling to get thru the thickening canopy, might not even need to spray. Took a bunch more pictures, the K31 is more prominent than i thought, even more reason to renovate it away. Mowed reno at 2.125", rest of lawn 2.875". No reason to lower HOC yet, til the leaves start falling end of the month. I might order that checkmate striper and lay some down. The edges of the lawn look dry, i need to water there better. Tomato plants survived first cold night, 34F so harvest shall continue as there are a ton still on the plants. I'd spray with sedgehammer, but its hard to find the yellow nutsedge now, and its started dying off.


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## macattack (Nov 2, 2020)

Gave the new Earthway 2150 a tryout with some 22-0-10 from Menards. Amounts to 0.58# N/1k. 6% of the 22% is slow release. A little finicky, I need a new wingnut and maybe lubricate the bolt for quicker adjustments. Started on a 12 per the bag, wasn't coming out consistently, so bumped it to 15 eventually for a slow even distribution. Pretty much going by sound of pellets on the tray and seeing spread. I can do double passes with that setting. I use a lot of their product, so want to be consistent with the settings. If it did this in a single pass, I feel like i wouldn't get as even a distribution. Rain in the forecast for Tuesday, so wanted it out now. Skipped watering the reno for first time today but will tomorrow morning. Its two weeks since i threw down those extra seeds, was hoping to germinate.

Blew the overspray back into the lawn. No SSC plate for the spreader yet, really slow shipping from the place I ordered it from. Tomatoes survived another cold night. Eventually i will have to pick all the green ones too when the freeze comes next weekend. I see a low of 32°F followed by 28°F. Might have to bring the hoses in too.

36 DAS, 32 DAG. Took a few late pics before dark. I may call the sewer department about the other side, the dirt in sinking down the hole. Not sure if it was a chipmunk or other creature, or if there is a collapse going on. The sewer hasn't moved.


















Side yard. Any reno will battle the zoysia next door. It could use some rain.


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## Chris LI (Oct 26, 2018)

You have some nice domination lines! Gotta love the indeterminate tomatoes. Let 'em go until Mother Nature makes the call.


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## macattack (Nov 2, 2020)

Finally had some rounds of rain come through. The big total, not more than 0.10" of rain. Always seemed to dry up as it got closer. I was hoping for a good soak to water in the fertilizer. Won't have a chance to water until this weekend really. Need to put some down as freezing temps expected next week. I need to pick weeds one last time, they grow so fast. but are hardly visible. Freeze better kill them.


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## macattack (Nov 2, 2020)

Leaves making the area look messy when i get home. Snapped these in the morning after watering. This is my main weed to kill, along with some dandelion looking stuff. You have to look hard to find the weeds, they aren't able to crowd out the grass its so thick. Needs a mow, i have been mulching it instead of bagging, might change up this weekend. No way during the week, always home too late. Did a quick online measure, ~1500 sq ft for the front and far side yard between houses. I'll break the tape out this weekend to measure and see cost for next year reno.


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## macattack (Nov 2, 2020)

Last of the tomatoes picked before big freeze coming early next week. I've gotta spread the green ones out to ripen. All plants ripped out, need to remove weeds and add compost. Not sure how these will end up tasting, never as good as on the vine. If I can find room in the sunroom maybe they go quicker. Didn't get a chance to mow, will do tomorrow.


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## macattack (Nov 2, 2020)

43 DAS, 39 DAG. Got lazy and mowed the whole yard at 2.5" HOC mulching mode. Blew the grass with the blower afterwards to get the leaves off. Not much growth as we have had no rain, but i have been watering the front/reno area. Pulled what looks like a single clump of Poa trivialis from the reno area while scanning for weeds. I would have never noticed this in my main yard, but it caught my attention in the reno area after reading so many posts, articles and journals. Is this the start of my insanity phase? A few small bare spots 2-4" bother me but they will have to grow in by themselves by next spring. All in all, the SuperTurf II Blend looks fantastic. Did some reading up on spraying the weeds, have to wait several days to see what damage the hard freeze we have coming does. Not enough weed pressure to be worried, but zero weeds would be nice.


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## macattack (Nov 2, 2020)

Pulled in the hoses last night, got to 30F last night and 26F forecast tonight. I'll put one back out as still no real rain in the forecast, and temps improve for next two weeks. Spaced out the tomatoes, which are starting to ripen now. Coworkers mentioned frying them up instead. Never had them before, but fried cauliflower is pretty good. How will the brussel sprouts turns out? The kale is also still growing, and with warmer temps should get to harvest some soon.


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## macattack (Nov 2, 2020)

Another picture of some suspect grass clump. Doesn't like the cold it looks like. It's not K31, TTTF or KBG. I'll be digging it up this weekend, and scanning for others. Now thinking it is orchard grass. There is some around the neighbors yard. Getting dark when i took these.


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## Chris LI (Oct 26, 2018)

I was going to ask how the tomatoes were doing, with a first frost either imminent or occurring, and then I saw your entry and photos. Nice! I do the same thing every year, and run around the night before and pick them all. For the debate on what to do with your harvest, I would split them up into 3-4 categories and let most of them ripen on their own. I would eat as many ripe ones in salads (and on sandwiches) and cook (make sauce, stew base) and freeze other ripe ones, cut some other ripe ones up and freeze them, and finally fry up some green ones as others suggested (although, I've never done that).

For your weed grass question, I think you're right about Orchardgrass. If it's not, it's a very similar one that the name doesn't quickly come to mind. Glad to see the color really darkened up. That first frost seems to trigger it. Then, some warmer days afterwards, it seems to give it a little boost with some of the chlorophyll process kicking back in.


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## macattack (Nov 2, 2020)

A lot of it depends on the SO, as she eats more of the small tomatoes than me. Need to buy some deli meat to make some good sandwiches with the big tomatoes. Also a BLT. Probably the rest will end up in a sauce of some kind. No room in my freezer unfortunately.

Lawn looks it dried out slightly this week, so I put the hose back out and watered the front/reno. Put down maybe 0.25" water. Might have been 83 today. Rain finally in the forecast next week, and three more warm days. It always does better with rain. The backyard is somewhat drier and will have to wait for the rain. Also, my plant pruning is supposed to be in late winter, oh well. They get a break this year. Overgrown euonymus and crepe myrtles can relax.
It was looking ashy before the water. Look how green that new grass is in the middle of the yard. Too bad I am likely going to kill it all next year.









This side looks like crap, though there is zoysia in there. Considering my neighbors across the street both have zoysia, I'd say i am doing well.









Need to get rid of the leaves. Nutsedge all gone, and the broadleafs have retreated some too. Will pick it over tomorrow after the mow/blow.


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## macattack (Nov 2, 2020)

Some backyard pics, looks bad where I smoked the bermuda. Lets see if the zoysia plugs take hold, or I transplant more from the front. The two oldest raised beds have been thru 4 seasons and are starting to fall apart. Hoping for one more season, then I will rebuild and reorient these. I raked and turned over the dirt in two of them, will add some compost maybe next week to breakdown over the winter.
Zoysia patch pretty dominant. Both neighbors on that side have it, so I am fighting a losing battle. I don't know how well it would grow in the shady section at the back. Its not any premium cultivar, but seems to grow just fine here. No issues with fungus, and its always 3-4".









Hoping the bermuda struggles next year. Not doing a reno until front is complete. Maybe go full zoysia and paint it when it goes dormant. Since the backyard gets more traffic and could reel mow.


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## macattack (Nov 2, 2020)

Ended up not getting a chance to mow, had to go in to work after seeing Tower Rock. Very windy, leaves now all over my yard, need to mulch them all by tomorrow evening with heavy rain finally in the forecast. Or blow them off my reno area.

Some people (kids) were climbing to the top of Tower Rock, as there was a rope. I have never seen the Mississippi river this low. Where is the rain? It is down maybe 15'-25' from normal, and you can cross over the dry section to this structure. The record year of 1993 was ~50 feet deeper at this location from current level.


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## macattack (Nov 2, 2020)

Got the mow in, 2.5" HOC mulch while it started sprinkling rain, and it was almost dark when I finished. No chance to get the blower out. Leaves are destroyed, though neighbors' tree has more to donate. Else I would not have gotten to it until the weekend and would have left a heavy wet leaf mat on the yard. Probably took off 3/4" average, very slow growing. I have taken to cleaning the underside of the mower with a scraper every time, as I got lazy and had a quick coat of grass material under the deck. Hoping this rain will pick the growth back up a little, but my days between mows are what they were last year at this time, 6-8 days.
Need to pick the weeds out of the reno or spray. Its 47 DAG, the grass almost seems like a real yard, but still lays flat a little after the mower pass. Should be able to handle the Ortho 3-way by now.


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## macattack (Nov 2, 2020)

Finally some rain, should be a 1-3" rainfall event. More rain by the weekend. Wish I had some ammonium sulfate, I'd throw that down afterwards. Local box stores don't carry it. I do have a local site one and some other specialty turf places, but I wouldn't pay extra for it. The Andersons has 21-0-0 that's humic coated. Maybe have a bag of that on hand, would last a couple of seasons.

Update: Checked the rain gauge when i got home, just under 2.9", with a little more to come. Yard wasn't all squishy either as it soaked up lots of the rain. Of the rain events this year, several have been in the 3"-4" range. I need a more accurate method (myself) or a closer station to draw data from, as the science center 15 miles away can be quite varied from local rainfall. I don't want to record 100 days' worth of rainfall, which is roughly what we get here.

The SuperTurf II is really impressing. 2.5" HOC. I need to change mow pattern.









Some weird flat/ low grass spots on area near ATT box. Either an animal is eating the grass in this spot or bad roots, I don't know. Need to take some pics, it caught my attention walking by it, and the color seems off. Don't think I accidentally scalped it with the mower. Might be where the orchard grass? is.


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## macattack (Nov 2, 2020)

Final rain tally, call it 3". More leaves to mulch this weekend, just need them to all fall which isn't likely. I have finally gotten rid of all the extra yard waste, need to rake the fence lines or get the blower out, as the leaves always clump up there and kill the grass. On the hunt for some AMS. One last fertilizer application of 10-0-20 winterizer in 2-3 weeks. I'd throw something quick release down right now if I had it.


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## macattack (Nov 2, 2020)

Picked up some 20-0-9 fertilizer from Menards. Has 5% slow release. Target to throw down 0.33# N/1k. Temperatures looking to be nice for the next two weeks, with some rain Sunday. It's been 3 weeks since I applied 0.5# N/1k. Still trying to figure out what I ran over in the yard last mow. Was black and hard plastic, like a hose end adapter. I should try to reconstruct the pieces I found. Scared the heck out of me, as it was getting dark so couldn't have seen it.


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## macattack (Nov 2, 2020)

Mowed at 2.5" HOC, mulch mode. Took off ~3/4", maybe a little more on the reno areas, which are super thick now. Used the blower to get the leaves out of the fence lines, gamechanger. Threw down 0.34# N/1k, should get watered in nicely overnight and tomorrow. Puts me at 4.05# N/1k for the year. I have one last app to make maybe in 3 weeks. I still see lots of small weeds in the reno area, picked a few. Will spray them next year, not out of control by any means, but it would be nice if they were dead. I need to do a light raking at the street curb, crap from the road and leaves are mucking it up a little. The blower couldn't get it all out.










Backyard shenanigans. With the dying/dormant bermuda and dormant zoysia, this is the worst it has looked in years. No timetable to reno it either. Front yard comes first, and i won't do them at the same time, just too inconvenient. Much more likely to be successful in smaller areas. It is mostly K31 back here, I don't like it. Guess I could reseed in the spring, or continue the zoysia transplant experiment.


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## macattack (Nov 2, 2020)

Looks like we got almost 0.5" of rain over 12 hours, no downpours. Lawn is pretty damp, considering the 3" of rain we had last week. Should have watered in the fertilizer perfectly. Weather forecast looks fantastic, slightly warmer and some wet periods. Wonder what snowfall will be like this winter? If the pattern stays the same, there will be one catastrophic snowfall event.









Look like the oak leaves are starting to fall from across the street. I give this tree another year or two before the oak galls kill it. Hope this same SuperTurf II seed blend is available next year for the front reno.


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## macattack (Nov 2, 2020)

Pretty awesome weather day, and a couple more to follow. Picking weeds still, as I see them inhibiting grass growth at that spot. It needs a quick blow of the leaves before the rains hits this weekend.


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## macattack (Nov 2, 2020)

Got 1.3" of rain, and some extreme wind, which has blown all the leaves off the front lawn. Save me from doing it. Backyard a little messy, as the fence catches the leaves. Growth on lawn is slow, reno area is definitely faster. Its too early to do mulch only mows, normally a late November event. With DST ending tomorrow, evening mows are out and pushed to weekend only. Maybe I do a bagging session, as most leaves have been mulched anyways. Looking at the forecast, 5 more great days, them fall moves in. Get a mow in tomorrow late afternoon after the lawn dries up some, still quite wet today. Mowing in the high 30's to low 40's next weekend seems very unpleasant right now. Should be able to skip a weekend mow and hope for some warmer weather in 2 weeks. I know, I need to edge.


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## macattack (Nov 2, 2020)

Brussel sprouts almost ready for harvest after next cold wave. No idea how these will taste, but supposed to pick after the frost, which we had already. The smaller they are the sweeter, so i might be late with the pick. I was very impatient with this plant, but it's a near Thanksgiving harvest item I have learned. It has taken 7 months to get to this point. I almost ripped it out a few months ago.


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## macattack (Nov 2, 2020)

Mow at 2.5" HOC. mulched everything. Took an inch off almost everywhere except the backyard warm grass areas. Cleaned up the edges and fence lines but ran out of both blower and edger charge. Found a different weed in the reno that had seedheads on it, and some chickweed, oxalis, orchard grass. Still think this is Poa triv, so i will be hunting the few clumps i saw. No way would the main lawn ever have this many weeds trying to break through. Never have i been this picky about how the grass was doing, picking out Indvidual weeds. I am still going to wait til next year to spray with the cold weather coming. I found I still had some Ortho 3-way, but it's under control. You can't tell the area was renovated at this point. It is 60 DAG. I looked at pictures last year, front yard looked really good til mid-December, then it went dormant. Everyone's yard has rebounded slightly this week with the rain and warmer temps.


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## Chris LI (Oct 26, 2018)

That front lawn looks really dark and super dense, especially the hellstrips!


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## macattack (Nov 2, 2020)

Chris LI said:


> That front lawn looks really dark and super dense, especially the hellstrips!


Thanks. It's going to be a shame to kill the whole front yard next year, depending on how the SuperTurf II handles the StL, MO climate of course with no irrigation. Neighbors will really be asking questions. And I quote from The Money Pit, "They test the missiles here or what?". There is lots of K31 in there and it has to go, along with my excavation project. Only 9 months away. This hellstrip reno was my practice run for the rest of the lawn.


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## macattack (Nov 2, 2020)

Whole lot of nothing going on, last great weather day, must have been 78F. Oak leaves really coming down from neighbors tree. Glad to almost be done with the lawn for the year, turn my attention to basement cleanup. Think I'll be bagging these up, it looks to be cold for sometime. Waiting for the Japanese maples to change color.


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## macattack (Nov 2, 2020)

Looks like a wild fall weather wise. This showed up at 3am. Saw a fox run across the yard too. Guess I won't do that pickup. Looks to be 2-3" total by the time it clears out, the concrete is quite warm still. Welcome to Saint Louis weather. Guess i throw the "winterizer" down in 2 weeks when temps rebound or skip entirely. Last application was two weeks ago.


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## gatorguy146 (5 mo ago)

So crazy, I'm maybe 30 miles from you and we didn't get anything. There's no explaining this place


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## macattack (Nov 2, 2020)

gatorguy146 said:


> So crazy, I'm maybe 30 miles from you and we didn't get anything. There's no explaining this place


Just wait for the next flood. I have lived here my whole life, I know to expect craziness. We had that New Years flood back in 2015 i think. Saw a news report about this area for wet bulb effect and climate change. I'll be gone by the time global warming is supposed to really kick in.





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Loading…






news.yahoo.com


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## gatorguy146 (5 mo ago)

Yep lived here for 30+ years myself. Thought it was funny when they started calling it "climate change." The climate changes all the time here


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## macattack (Nov 2, 2020)

gatorguy146 said:


> The climate changes all the time here


Forecast looks really cold this coming week too. I see a low of 15 F with another 1-3" snow. Lawn will be in dormancy mode before it even warms back up a little for last mow. Could always do this fav meme.


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## gatorguy146 (5 mo ago)

Hahaha that'll definitely be me. This forecast is depressing.


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## Chris LI (Oct 26, 2018)

That's bad a$$! No stopping that guy from getting his mow in!


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## macattack (Nov 2, 2020)

Needs a mow, as.it looks like it's been growing despite the cold and snow. Think I am out of regular gas too, except for some tru fuel. I'll use that up to run mower dry, as. I am not going to the gas station for a small amount. Reno area still super green.


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## macattack (Nov 2, 2020)

Finally harvested the brussel sprouts. Hope they taste ok. It took 7 months to grow. Survived all the hard freezes and snow. This was one plant. I cut the leaves off and used the loppers to cut the stalk at the ground. Took it inside to cut the sprouts of with pruners. Triple rinse with water, as I saw some spiders and caterpillars on it. I think it's much easier to buy at the store. Lesson learned. I am too impatient for this. Unless these taste awesome. Lawn definitely needs a mow, grass laying over a little, should be warm enough this coming week.


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## macattack (Nov 2, 2020)

Perfect weather today. 2.5" HOC mulch, felt like top-3 mows of the year. Most of the leaves are gone, probably took off 1-1.5". Last mow was 15 days ago. I could see the previous tracks this time, have a harder time seeing it late in the day when growth is low. A little disappointed I won't get the vibrant red Japanese maple leaves this year. They look dead. Probably will throw down the JG 7-0-20 winterizer before the rain later this week. Thinking 2 mows left for the year based on current growth. Really not showing signs of dormancy yet, and great temps for ~10 more days. Well, the zoysia and bermuda are dormant.
Hellstrip reno















































Doesn't look like the bermuda will come back on the side. But there is more in the neighbors yard. When I reno this I should ask to do the whole area.


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## macattack (Nov 2, 2020)

The day started with frost and fog. Threw down the rest of last years 10-0-20 JG Winter survival, ~0.38# N/1k later in the afternoon. I bothered to blow the leaves off reno area first, is that taking it too far? Storms on their way. I meant to get this down three days ago when we had some lighter rain first. We still have another 6 days of decent temps. Grass definitely still growing, though I see some dormant patches on side of house, not sure what grass it even is. The color is really good for this late in the season. I need to put the rain gauge back out again.
Update: Got ~0.6" rain. 2022 lawn season total: 4.43# N/1k sqft. Since I never sent in last spring's soil sample, I will hopefully do that soon so I can compare to what I did in 2022.


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## macattack (Nov 2, 2020)

Looks like final mow this weekend. Weather forecast has turned cold, no chance to mow without freezing temps overnight really. I have never cared in the past, all of a sudden I am looking for optimal mow day? Wtf. Its grass, it will be fine. Needing to get the leaves off the lawn. Could always just break out the blower. Wondering when the rebound warmup will be, right around Christmas perhaps? It's starting to lose some color, though this had some frost on it. Never home during the warmer daylight except on weekends.


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## Green (Dec 24, 2017)

That is the same sort of lawn I keep. Mowed higher. Love it.

As far as temps, it has already been sort of cold here for a few weeks, and December should be cold, too, for mostly everyone on the east coast and in the midwest and eastern transition zone areas. I've had the same issue finding days to do the final mow(s) that aren't freezing at night. Looks like you're trailing us by several weeks based on the amount of leaves on the trees and lawn color retention level/growth rate. But your current temps are right there with ours in that latest forecast.


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## macattack (Nov 2, 2020)

Hoping the warming trend continues. Can't take off work Monday just for a final mow, so Sunday it is. This forecast is ~4-8 F higher for next week than just a few days ago, now with more rain, which we could use. Totally out of gas, I need to go buy a quart of tru-fuel and leave the mower engine clean for the winter. This will be 33rd mow of the season, 7 less than last year. The small drought periods we had slowed the growth, yet rainfall total for the year is right on.


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## gatorguy146 (5 mo ago)

Having my final mow tomorrow as well. Will raise a toast of my budweiser in your direction afterwards


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## macattack (Nov 2, 2020)

Last mow is in the books, #33. Fingers crossed. Probably took off another ~3/4"-1" with 2.5" HOC. More than I expected. Now got to finish winterizing the mower, change oil, scrape grass off, sharpen the blade, clean air filter, and maybe wipe it down. I haven't done that all year, looks dirty. I ran the engine dry. Also need to charge the battery and take inside, haven't done that yet either as I rarely use it. It is a beast of a mower; glad I went with the 190cc engine. Usually, my last mow is close to next week. I would not have wanted the grass this long pre-cut for winter. Guess it is time for some Lawn Mowing Simulator.
Update: temps stayed warm overnight, was 38F when I woke up, cloud cover, was supposed to be 30F. 

Always looking for an edge, plotting days between mows. Gives me insight on growth rate and how much I am fertilizing. Season average is always right at 7 days. No intention of using PGR.









Some spots of the reno have a little damage, maybe from dog crap? Not called the hellstrip for nothing. This is definitely lighter green color than a month ago. But hey its Dec. 4th.









Looks tight! Wasn't going to do any edging though.



















Still need to get some compost/manure and throw it in the garden to mix over the winter. The bermuda areas are beyond dormant. I am at least 2-3 years away from doing anything about the backyard. Building a patio will come first.










This is why i don't like zoysia.


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## Green (Dec 24, 2017)

Looks good. Planning to mow one more time tomorrow morning myself. Not because of any appreciable growth in the last 7+ days, but because I want it under 3 inches and need to get the final batch of leaves mulched up.

How's the gas consumption on that 190cc Briggs engine versus how your old one did?


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## macattack (Nov 2, 2020)

Green said:


> How's the gas consumption on that 190cc Briggs engine versus how your old one did?


It uses less gas than the old 20332 mower. I didn't metric it with the fuel stabilizer issues I had originally. Totally my error. I will have to add that to my spreadsheet. Ran fine on the 93 octane 10% ethanol. I can't get ethanol free gas easily. More efficient I guess with the environmental controls. Cuts way better, and the offset wheels don't track down the grass either. Very few clumps of grass compared to the recycler. 
Saving out for a Christmas mow. Oak tree across the street won't drop em. 50's here this week. There will be growth.


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## Butter (Nov 14, 2017)

Great late season color! 
I didn’t figure our climates were all that different but all lawns in my area are mostly dormant.


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## macattack (Nov 2, 2020)

Butter said:


> I didn’t figure our climates were all that different but all lawns in my area are mostly dormant.


Thanks. I really want to see how the Superturf II reno does versus my mostly K31 lawn, as I want to reno the front yard next year. I looked back at previous years pics, not many in December or January. Main lawn started showing signs of going dormant maybe 3rd to 4th week December. It has started, so I figure to be on schedule. Though not fully dormant til almost February, a slow process. It started coming out of dormancy last year in mid-March. Thats a short rest season for the grass. The weather here is "unpredictable". More gulf moisture throughout the year, crazy rainfall events. More heat and less cold. My front yard is on the north side of the house, so it should start first. South side of yard next to the house basically stays green year round.


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## macattack (Nov 2, 2020)

Took a closeup picture of the reno area. Looks like there are bugs happily living there even at this time of the year. Doesn't look like disease to me. I was behind in throwing down some bifenthrin granules this year, only made one application of the 0.115% stuff back in May, likely need 3-4 per year, as I always have little moths flying around when I mow or walk thru the yard. Nothing added post reno three months ago. Or up the strength to 0.2% granules for a longer kill. I do have a bag of bifenthrin granules and have some Talstar P I could make up and spray, still have some 50+ degree days coming up. Also looks like I need to sharpen the blade, and maybe have some subtle cold damage post mow. I see tearing on the blades. This was on its 6th mow post sharpen. Lawn is heading for dormancy. I\ll have to get some more pictures, still getting used to this camera for closeups.


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## macattack (Nov 2, 2020)

Was hoping to sneak another mow in tomorrow, though am guessing 2-3" rain today and more tomorrow, have to stay off the lawn. Supposed to be 55F though, I'll check the gauge in the morning. Will just blow the wet leaves back in the street; I was going to bag the lawn this final time. Staying home from work as the gas company detected a small leak I had complained about, so without heat tonight. Got a heat pump unit in the sunroom and a space heater. Temps warming overnight so no big deal. Wanted to get this out of the way before big freeze next week.

Update 15DEC22: Went out and got the rain gauge before it froze and cracked. A little less than i thought. Deep freeze coming next week too. Lawn too wet to do anything with right now. I need to get the wet leaves off the reno area. Will maybe bag it this weekend regardless of temperatures. I have tickets to an outside Christmas lights garden walk on the coldest day next week too. As long as I am moving, not a problem.


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## macattack (Nov 2, 2020)

Well I added just enough gas to fire up Black Widow and mow the front yard, bagging all the leaves I could. I think the oak tree across the street has finally dropped all its leaves. It was maybe 36F, and I did raise HOC one notch to 2.875", definitely had grown since two weeks ago. Final mow for sure, though I would rather have the whole yard at 2.5", it was ~3", and took just a little off the top. The rest of the yard didn't have any leaves, so I skipped those areas. Ran it dry right at the finish. Big freeze coming along with snow so I didn't want the leaves matted into the lawn. Hosting Christmas this year, so I didn't want it looking shabby, but it might get covered in snow anyways. It better go dormant with the below zero forecast for next week.


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## Green (Dec 24, 2017)

macattack said:


> It uses less gas than the old 20332 mower. I didn't metric it with the fuel stabilizer issues I had originally. Totally my error. I will have to add that to my spreadsheet. Ran fine on the 93 octane 10% ethanol. I can't get ethanol free gas easily. More efficient I guess with the environmental controls. Cuts way better, and the offset wheels don't track down the grass either. Very few clumps of grass compared to the recycler.
> Saving out for a Christmas mow. Oak tree across the street won't drop em. 50's here this week. There will be growth.


Sounds good. Is the mower really around 100 lbs, though? I'd like to continue to hear about the mower over time. One thing that's disappointing is that Toro stopped putting side discharge doors on their newest models. These models need a bulkier rear-side chute that prevents the mower from getting into tight spaces as well when backing up. Another thing I heard is that the current 60V electric Toro models don't cut as well as the gas models.


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## macattack (Nov 2, 2020)

There is no doubt it's heavy. The old recycler was as light as a fairy compared to it and more maneuverable. I don't have the side discharge chute, as I always mulch. Another way for them to get money out of you. The front tends to plow the piles of leaves when mulching at 2.5", I almost need to go higher. Probably every mower does this, unless i go to 3.5- 4". Only a fall problem. Suction is very good. Leaves and thatch get stuck in the inside front wheels, more annoying than anything. They should have an inner shield, guess. I could make one. I complained to Toro about the trailing shield, it always rolls under when reversing. The older mower had it float on the grass, this one digs. Depends on what my HOC is. Needs a slightly curved shape to it. I'll call them again next year. Still a great mower even with little annoyances. The power is awesome, and the cut quality is great. Very few clumps of grass left on the yard, even when wet, as the wheels are offset and don't run over the mulched grass. The 10" rears really smooth out my mow. I'll probably add a checkmate striper next year. Didn't get one for Christmas.


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## macattack (Nov 2, 2020)

Probably last pics of the year. Slowly turning dormant after the cold snap and snow. But hey, it was 63F today. I still see some rogue weeds that need to be annihilated. It is just over 2 months away before I have to do anything to the yard. Guess I should check my house to do project list. Basement organization well underway. Need to work on the garage for storage too, I need more shelving for lawn items. I bought some track to hang the spreader and other tools. 
The ground wasn't wet from rain, just condensation.









Reno area. It didn't take kindly to that last mow in the cold as wheel tracks still visible. And some dog walkers.










Up close. Definitely not as green as a few weeks ago.


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## Chris LI (Oct 26, 2018)

It still looks great! Keep riding that wave of green as long as you can!


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