# Creeping bentgrass



## 7474 (Aug 20, 2018)

The background info....Northeast Ohio; tow behind core aerator for zero turn; irrigation system with unlimited water off of backyard pond.

Have patches of creeping bentgrass throughout my lawn as well as about a 10x10 area. What would be the best way to fix this problem?

I was thinking of several options....

1) in spring, blanket Tenacity entire lawn, aerate, starter fert, RGS, overseed; re-apply Tenacity as needed

2) in spring, glypho the bentgrass, aerate, starter fert, RGS, overseed; apply Tenacity afterwards as needed

3) in spring, glypho bentgrass areas, manually remove dead bentgrass, aerate, starter fert, RGS; overseed; apply Tenacity as needed

4) nothing this spring, 1, 2, or 3 in the fall

5) none of the above..........

I was thinking #1 or #2 to take advantage of root cycling, a la Matt Martin. Then repeating the cycle with Tenacity in the fall.

Thanks in advance for any help you can offer,


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## craigdt (Apr 21, 2018)

I'd be tempted to wait 'till fall.

I had such awful results doing much overseeding in the spring.
Finally waited until fall to do serious work, and boy did it pay off.

Edit- 
PS- I've got some generic Tenacity available for pretty cheap if you need any.


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## g-man (Jun 15, 2017)

6) multiple low doses on tenacity in early summer to kill it by July. Seed in August.


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## MassHole (Jun 27, 2018)

I second the fall seeding.

I would hit the spots with Tenacity 3 times, 2 weeks apart, starting in May, then again in August if needed.

Light frequent feedings (1/4 lb of N a week) to encourage the KBG and other grasses to fill in the dying bentgrass.

Another option is triclopyr and Tenacity in a single dose.


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## Green (Dec 24, 2017)

MassHole said:


> I second the fall seeding.
> 
> I would hit the spots with Tenacity 3 times, 2 weeks apart, starting in May, then again in August if needed.
> 
> ...


I don't think a single dose will kill Bentgrass. You need at least two in most cases, as you mentioned.

I am not familiar with adding Triclopyr. Can you provide more detail about the effects and ratios?

If there is not much good grass left in the spots after the kill, moving plugs from another area is a good strategy. Northern mix grasses will fill in over time if there's enough coverage to begin with...even the bunch types like PR and Chewings Fescue to some extent...but particularly the KBG.


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## Greendoc (Mar 24, 2018)

Triclopyr is very toxic to Bent Grass. Make treating desirable Bent turf for weeds somewhat of a trick. Still, repeated applications are better than one massive dose. Another way to do this is to use Tenacity to highlight patches of undesirable grasses then RoundUp.


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## Green (Dec 24, 2017)

Greendoc said:


> Triclopyr is very toxic to Bent Grass. Make treating desirable Bent turf for weeds somewhat of a trick. Still, repeated applications are better than one massive dose. Another way to do this is to use Tenacity to highlight patches of undesirable grasses then RoundUp.


@Greendoc, thanks. I've been looking for guidelines for Triclopyr/Tenacity tank mix ratios to achieve different results...whether it's killing Bentgrass, or reducing grass whitening by using a small amount of Triclopyr with Tenacity (not sure why people want to do that), etc. Any guidelines for the various ratios for those mixes?

Also: Does anyone ever mix Tenacity with glyphosate (it was an idea I had to kill Triv, not necessarily Bentgrass, since Bentgrass seems much easier to kill. I got the idea from your "Soul Stealer".) Does anyone use Tenacity + glyphosate? Is it a valid idea?


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## Greendoc (Mar 24, 2018)

Rates I have seen are 3/4 oz Triclopyr Ester per 1000 sq ft with 1/2 teaspoon Tenacity per 1000 sq ft. Adding this does not reduce whitening by that much. Changes it to browning of target vegetation. I use Tenacity or Pylex + Glyphosate when I want to kill Zoysia.


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## Green (Dec 24, 2017)

Greendoc said:


> Rates I have seen are 3/4 oz Triclopyr Ester per 1000 sq ft with 1/2 teaspoon Tenacity per 1000 sq ft. Adding this does not reduce whitening by that much. Changes it to browning of target vegetation. I use Tenacity or Pylex + Glyphosate when I want to kill Zoysia.


Thanks. And this is for which use/goal of using Tenacity/Triclopyr? Prevention of whitening?

Also, when you mix Gly with Tenacity to kill Zoysia, what Gly and Tenacity rates are you mixing, and what surfactant are you using?


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## Greendoc (Mar 24, 2018)

Enhanced kill. 2 MOA. Gly with Tenacity is 2 oz RoundUp and 1/2 Teaspoon Tenacity NIS + AS in the tank.


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## Green (Dec 24, 2017)

Greendoc said:


> Enhanced kill. 2 MOA. Gly with Tenacity is 2 oz RoundUp and 1/2 Teaspoon Tenacity NIS + AS in the tank.


Thanks. Sounds like what my neighbor needs to kill his Zoysia patches, and something I'll try on my Triv patches (Triv is stubborn, much like Zoysia...to the point that people have had it come back after 2 straight glyphosate apps).


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## Greendoc (Mar 24, 2018)

In a cool season lawn, it is ok to keep hitting Zoysia with 1/2 Teaspoon Tenacity per 1000 sq ft. Zoysia is intolerant of Tenacity vs the cool season lawn grasses. You will need to keep up the program over 2-3 years to exhaust the Zoysia.


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## Green (Dec 24, 2017)

@Greendoc...yikes...it is indeed as bad as Triv from everything I've heard. But sometimes you have to glyphosate a patch. If Tenacity in the mix improves the kill, great.


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## 7474 (Aug 20, 2018)

Thanks for all the information, much appreciated.


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## MassHole (Jun 27, 2018)

Great thread!


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## alpine0000 (Jul 25, 2017)

As mentioned above a few times, Creeping Bentgrass is sensitive to a lot of cool season herbicides. Some being 2,4-D, Fenoxaprop-P-ethyl, Mesotrione, Quinclorac, Topramezone... Give it some doses of various ones of those and it will not continue to lead a happy life


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