# Failed Backyard reno - Heeeeelp Please



## situman (Nov 3, 2020)

Hi Everyone,

So my backyard is a disaster after killing off the grass late July and trying to renovate it. After the 2 giant storms, the yard is just coming in too slowly. On top of the broad leafs like crabgrass (which Im not concerned about at all), I am seeing poa a germinating all over the place.

Should I just throw down Prodiamine right now to prevent more Poa and push the grass that did germinate?

Other nuclear option is to gly the yard, throw down prodiamine and do dormant seeding around Jan/Feb? I do believe there will be enough dead grasses that the yard wont become a muddy mess over the winter if I take this option.

Any other suggestions? My yard has about 30% coverage and fairly thin coverage at best.


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## Deadlawn (Sep 8, 2020)

If you seeded in July, you chose probably the absolute worst time to seed. I believe most of LI is in Zone 7, so September would have been your optimal time for renovation. Earlier than that and crabgrass and other annual weeds will out compete your poor seedlings.

You could probably still seed PRG. Anything else and you should probably just wait for next September.


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## thin_concrete (Sep 11, 2020)

Prodiamine is a pre-emergent, so it won't do much for what's already popping up. Try nuking it again next year but throw down in September or so, as mentioned above.


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## Old Hickory (Aug 19, 2019)

Why are you thinking of nuclear options? Why not allow it to grow (fert and cut, spot spray) then reconsider your options in late winter? I also like the idea from @Deadlawn of seeding PRG to get you through 'til late winter.


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## Fraust (Apr 4, 2021)

Can you post pics of your yard?


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## situman (Nov 3, 2020)




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## situman (Nov 3, 2020)

Please excuse the mess. Lol


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## creediddy2021 (Mar 27, 2021)

If it were me I would dethatch and remove the dead grass and material and throw down bags of compost and reseed. Water heavy. It will come back. You can pick up 40 lbs of compost for $2-$3/bag.


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## g-man (Jun 15, 2017)

Do you have more images from July, August and Sept? It looks like there is germination in shade areas. What was your irrigation strategy?


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## situman (Nov 3, 2020)

g-man said:


> Do you have more images from July, August and Sept? It looks like there is germination in shade areas. What was your irrigation strategy?


No I was always in a rush so never took pictures but it did progress. I water about 3 times a day about 10 to 15 mins each session. All the light green areas are mostly poa and they stick out.


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## Deadlawn (Sep 8, 2020)

creediddy2021 said:


> If it were me I would dethatch and remove the dead grass and material and throw down bags of compost and reseed. Water heavy. It will come back. You can pick up 40 lbs of compost for $2-$3/bag.


^^^This. That area looks very sandy and barren.


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## Fraust (Apr 4, 2021)

I'm having some trouble putting together the full picture here. You mentioned you started killing off your grass in July, which is a perfectly acceptable time to start if you're planning to apply several rounds of glyphosate and fallow your soil before starting the seeding process. Are you saying that's what you did, and so you ended up putting seed down sometime later in August or did you actually put your seed down in July as well?

And either way, what was your seeding process? Did you aerate or dethatch? Bring in any new topsoil or compost or anything else? Cover with peat moss? Also, how are you irrigating?

You mentioned that you think the poor result is due to several big storms, but your yard looks pretty flat and so even with storms I can't imagine a ton of washout being a huge problem. What exactly happened that set you back with those storms?


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## g-man (Jun 15, 2017)

^+1


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## situman (Nov 3, 2020)

-Glyp mid July
-Dethatched and gly again end of July
-Continued fallowing and watering
-3rd week of Aug. Dethatch again, gly and seed down
- threw more seed down after each of the hurricanes/storms.
- been putting down starter fert and humic since beginning of Sept.


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## Clamman (Sep 25, 2020)

Im on LI too and even the ten days out forecast still has highs in low 70s. I would hit it with PRG ASAP, rake in well, light covering, keep moist, covered in green by Halloween.


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## uts (Jul 8, 2019)

Are those brown areas bare soil or some dead grass. If it's just soil put down PRG and use some peat moss to give the seed the best chance to germinate. It will also guide your watering as you can easily see when and where you need water.


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## g-man (Jun 15, 2017)

Hand watering or with a above ground sprinkler?

What seed type?

What type of glyphosate?

Did you do prodiamine this year?

Your images with bare in the middle is very odd. You should have something there and storms dont explain what happened.


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## situman (Nov 3, 2020)

KBG

Above ground sprinklers

The 41% type

Used prodiamine over the spring/summer

Dead middle patch are laid over dead grass but soil is exposed.


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## Fraust (Apr 4, 2021)

When exactly did you put the prodiamine down and at what rate?


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## situman (Nov 3, 2020)

Put it down back in May timeframe.

Either way, the yard is now infested with poa. The nuclear option might be the way to go unfortunately.


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## situman (Nov 3, 2020)

Here's the front. Seeded a week after the back.


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## dport (Oct 13, 2019)

The front looks good. I'm still very confused on what happened in the back. I am almost wondering if you put down a double rate of prodiamine in may which stopped seed from germinating. It's just not making sense that such a large portion of your yard had zero germination with your watering schedule, etc.


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## BigBlue (Aug 27, 2021)

situman said:


> Used prodiamine over the spring/summer


When did you apply the prodiamine? Is it possible it's preemergent action is still in effect?


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## Lawn Whisperer (Feb 15, 2021)

BigBlue said:


> situman said:
> 
> 
> > Used prodiamine over the spring/summer
> ...





situman said:


> Put it down back in May timeframe.


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## Lawn Whisperer (Feb 15, 2021)

situman said:


> Dead middle patch are laid over dead grass but soil is exposed.


Is the dead grass from the reno? How long after germination did the grass start turning brown? Did you notice any signs of fungus? How often were you watering after germination?


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## situman (Nov 3, 2020)

Dead grass from reno. Oh well decided to just gly it and let the yard sit over the winter.


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## thecutter64 (Oct 5, 2021)

I'd worry about soil erosion and mud without grass cover.


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