# Princess 77 Bermuda Lawn Renovation.



## ENC_Lawn

I started my lawn renovation of my old lawn which was a mixture of common Bermuda and some Zenith Zoysia along with some spots of Centipede April 3rd of this year.

The only thing I did before this year was apply some were around 400 to 600 pounds of Lime last year and into early 2019 to raise the PH of my soil.

So on April 3rd the first glyphosate round was applied.

From there the lawn received right much water through out the month and I ended up applying 3 rounds of glyphosate to the yard over the next 3 weeks...and one last round 2 days before I seeded.

My front and back yard is around 14,000 square feet and the start date to seed was going to be middle of May to 1st week of June.

However...my front yard had died off so well vs my backyard and local soil temps were holding around 65 to 70 degrees I decided to seed my front yard on May 3rd.

May 3rd seed went down but due to my schedule I was headed out of town so I couldn't start properly watering until about 24 hours later.


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## ENC_Lawn

Some pics of my old lawn last year. You can see how splotchy the lawn was with many different colors.


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## ENC_Lawn

Property line between me and my neighbor.

The lawn starting show some stress. This is 9 days post 1st glyphosate spray.


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## ENC_Lawn

16 days after my 1st glyphosate app. At this point we had applied 2 rounds of glyphosate.


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## ENC_Lawn

April 23rd. We had removed the majority of the dead turf.


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## ENC_Lawn

Side yard were we had removed more dead turf.


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## ENC_Lawn

3 days into seeding.

I have sprinklers and hoses everywhere.

I am watering 7 minutes per sprinkler every 2 hours...trying to make sure I do not over water and have water puddles or standing water.

The standing water you see in this pic seems to be from the low spots in my lawn.

I tried different watering times and it seemed those areas puddled no matter what.


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## ENC_Lawn

May 7th Day 5 from my seeding day.

I believe this is germination...???...after 4 days of watering?


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## ENC_Lawn

So yesterday May 15th I come home and notice a lot of my seeds that had germination had turned Purple.

I didn't get the best picture and will try to take some better ones...but at this point I'm a little concerned.

After talking to more knowledgeable people with way more experience than me hopefully it's the low air temps we had the past 3 days along with frequent watering.

I also read where this could be a phosphorus deficiency in the little seedlings were there roots can't get down in the soil deep enough to get nutrients.

I'm hoping time and sunlight will help. It's suppose to be in 90's the next 10 days.

However I also read starter fertilizer helps the purple seeds get back there green color.

I'm only 12 days in and I'm trying to hold off until at least day 15 or so to drop the starter fertilizer.

Has anyone else experienced there new germinated seeds turning purple after some back to back days of cooler temperatures?


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## ENC_Lawn

Here 2 pics from today Day 13. Look closely and you can see the purple in the sprouts.

I will see if I can get some better pics soon.


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## Alex_18

From what I've been told, starter fert should go down with the seed. Im no expert but im in the same exact process as you (st aug to p77 reno) so I've done some research


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## ENC_Lawn

@Alex_18 good luck with your Reno...and thanks for the tip! Im going to make sure when I seed my backyard I put down a balanced starter Fertilizer and that should hopefully help next time!

I will make sure I check our your lawn renovation as well!

How often are you fertilizing? My plan is to drop .5 pounds of nitrogen every 15 days for about 1.5 months of starter fertilize then move to straight nitrogen at .5 pounds every 15 days.

I have read a paper from the University Of Missouri Turfgrass Research Center on Aggressive Bermuda grow in for athletic fields and they are spoon feeding .5 pounds of nitrogen every 7 to 10 days. I want to try this once the Bermuda gets strong enough to handle it...but again this is my first renovation and I am nervous about being that aggressive.


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## Alex_18

@ENC_Lawn Im under the impression from everything that ive read is that you want to push phosphorus right now, and keep the nitrogen as low as possible to keep weeds at bay also. Phosphorus will encourage root growth which is critical. So im putting my seed down tomorrow morning with Scotts starter fert which is 24-25-4 @ 1.5 lb phosphorus/1000sqft. I know its a lot of nitrogen which goes against what i just said but its the best source of phosphorus I have available to me. So im spraying my yard with glyphosate in a few minutes in an attempt to keep any weeds at bay.

As far as fertilizing after establishment, i was planning on holding off until after the first mow which will be at roughly 90% germination. So once my yard is 90% green, i will mow then start the same nitrogen spoon feeding you mentioned above @ .5 lb/1000sqft and also start taking care of any weeds that do come up. I dont want to over do the nitrogen until i know my lawn is well established. But next spring/summer, i will push it


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## ENC_Lawn

@Alex_18

Gotcha...so it sounds like using starter fertilizer until the 3rd mow...might work just fine because it will allow some nitrogen as well as phosphorus....then just switch to nitrogen?

Im with you...about not pushing nitrogen too much early on.

Im basically trying to follow @J_nick renovation as closely as I can.


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## Alex_18

Yes you should be fine with that plan but i would stress looking for the starter fert that will give you the most phosphorus. I other words do go for something based on nitrogen, pick something based on phosphorus. If it also happens to be good in nitrogen, so be it. And get it down now


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## ENC_Lawn

@Alex_18

We just seeded a friend of mines small backyard section this past week.

And we put this down for his starter.

How does this look?

Its 24-25-4

This is readily available at Lowes and I can get this down in the next couple of days?


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## Alex_18

@ENC_Lawn Thats exactly what im putting down tomorrow with my seed. Have 2 15lb bags and a 3lb bag. Its high in nitrogen but also the highest in phosphorus that i have available to me


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## ENC_Lawn

Alex_18 said:


> @ENC_Lawn Thats exactly what im putting down tomorrow with my seed. Have 2 15lb bags and a 3lb bag. Its high in nitrogen but also the highest in phosphorus that i have available to me


 :thumbup:


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## ENC_Lawn

Day 15

This morning I put down some 18-24-6 Sta Green starter fertilizer at .5 pounds of nitrogen per 1k square feet.

I am hoping the phosphorus in the starter fertilizer helps germination and the purple color a lot of my seedlings have.

Also I am trying to be patient...but I am a little concerned I do not have more germination that I currently have.

I seeded over 2.5 pounds per 1,000 square feet when I seeded and have watered every 2 hours for 7 to 8 minutes.

I have been watering from day 1 with the above ground Orbit Sprinklers you get from Lowe's...and the ground has stayed very wet.

I have been so aware of not watering enough...that now I am starting to doubt my strategy and fear I have been over watering?

I have tried to limit "puddling" in the yard but when I have walked through the lawn daily...the lawn has been very spongy and you could see shoe prints.

The lack of germination at day 14 makes me wonder if I have over watered?

However we had about 3 days last week of low temperatures that most likely slowed germination.

That being said the next 10 days are going to be in 90's almost everyday so Hopefully 1 week from now I will have way more germination.

I have been following @J_nick renovation thread and my results at day 14 compared to his...makes me wonder if its the month of May temperatures compared to June or something else.

That being said I noticed this on the NTEP research. Princess 77 Bermuda had a very slow establishment compared to Riveria and others if you look at the percentage of establishment 30 and 60 days after seeding "if I remember correctly".

But Princess 77 Bermuda did eventually catch up to the others around August in Establishment.

Also when I spoke to Pennington Seed last year. One of there lawn experts who was very familiar with Princess 77 Bermuda told me that Princess 77 had a tendency to germinate and "sit" for a while before it decided to spread.

So hopefully the next week or so I will get some good growth.

Also since its the weekend and I can watch the lawn all day. I have cut back my watering to every 12 hours for 30 minutes

Just to allow the soil to dry up a little bit. My goal is to keep it wet but not so much that I can't walk on it..

I have clay soil that doesn't drain the best so and I'm going to try this for 1 to 2 days.

The seed company actually recommended me watering 20 to 30 minutes 2 to 3 times a day vs how I have been doing it.

I will post some pictures below.


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## ENC_Lawn

You can see the slit seeder rows and how they have a purple color.


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## ENC_Lawn

I cut back on my watering today but you can still see how moist the soil looks.

Some areas of my lawn will puddle water where other areas do not. Some of the puddling is low spots in the lawn...while the other areas are overlapping of sprinklers spray.

In this pic I had just started watering the starter fertilizer into the soil.


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## ENC_Lawn

A closeup of the purple seedlings that I hope are back green now that the starter fertilizer has been added.


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## ENC_Lawn

More slit seeder rows.

You can see the purple in these rows as well.


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## Alex_18

Purple coloring is due to a lack pf phosphorus in the soil. Ill look for the article i read that in but since you put starter fert down today i would guess that will change to green in the next few days


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## ENC_Lawn

Alex_18 said:


> Purple coloring is due to a lack pf phosphorus in the soil. Ill look for the article i read that in but since you put starter fert down today i would guess that will change to green in the next few days


 :thumbup: Yeah...I think you are right...I hope to see some results soon!


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## quattljl

I just started my Bermuda reno a couple weeks ago and have the same purple coloring on some of my seedlings. I put down Scott's starter with weed preventer and was thinking it was the mesotrione causing the discoloration. I did do a soil test before I started and my P levels were super low so that would seem to confirm what Alex_18 is saying.


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## ENC_Lawn

quattljl said:


> I just started my Bermuda reno a couple weeks ago and have the same purple coloring on some of my seedlings. I put down Scott's starter with weed preventer and was thinking it was the mesotrione causing the discoloration. I did do a soil test before I started and my P levels were super low so that would seem to confirm what Alex_18 is saying.


 :thumbup:


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## ENC_Lawn

Day 18

Day 15 to Day 18 progress pic after starter fertilizer was dropped along with some warmer temperatures.

Day 15 pic.



Day 18 comparison pic.


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## Alex_18

Awesome. When did you put that starter fert dow? What day #?


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## ENC_Lawn

@Alex_18

Day 15.

The phosphorus so far looks like it working just like you said!


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## Alex_18

ENC_Lawn said:


> @Alex_18
> 
> Day 15.
> 
> The phosphorus so far looks like it working just like you said!


Big difference in color for sure! Much more green showing


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## quattljl

Was watching an old LCN video from when he did the reno on his "Frankenlawn" and he pointed out that the purple tips could also have to do with colder than normal temperatures for Bermuda germination (he was doing his reno in the fall). Looking at the weather for my location last week, we were in the mid 70's for highs and mid 40's for lows so that also could have something to do with the discoloration you're seeing. Either way, looks like it's coming in good now.


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## ENC_Lawn

quattljl said:


> Was watching an old LCN video from when he did the reno on his "Frankenlawn" and he pointed out that the purple tips could also have to do with colder than normal temperatures for Bermuda germination (he was doing his reno in the fall). Looking at the weather for my location last week, we were in the mid 70's for highs and mid 40's for lows so that also could have something to do with the discoloration you're seeing. Either way, looks like it's coming in good now.


Thanks for the info!

I think your right as well.

It seems by not using a starter fertilizer with phosphorus as well as the 3 nights of cool temperatures we received in my area along with the constant wet environment possibly was the cause.

Walking around the lawn today it looks like most of the purple is gone.

We have had a bunch of weather in the 90's that has definitely helped as well.


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## ENC_Lawn

Quick update. I'm at day 23 of watering.

And I'm pretty sure the first 2 weeks I overwatered way too much.

Parts of the lawn are coming along nicely but the majority of it is bare dirt.

We haven't had much rain so the seed hasn't washed away but I read so much about not watering enough that I think the lack of results is overwatering.

That being said I reseeded some areas about 4 days ago and reseeded some other areas last night.

I also have cut back of my scheduled watering to 2 times daily.

I'm not sure if all the seed I initially put down is just way behind schedule from constant watering...or if it's rotted?

Maybe someone with more experience can offer some advice?


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## ENC_Lawn




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## ENC_Lawn

Also I'm out of seed and Princess 77 Bermuda has been replaced with Arden 15.

So if I can't find anymore Princess 77 seed ...Arden would be the replacement.

I was told it's match's up fine with Princess 77.


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## quattljl

Have you put down any fertilizer yet? The over watering may have something to do with it also, but I think it was a mistake not to put down fertilizer when you seeded (just my opinion).

I put down seed and starter fert on the same day, May 4th, and it's growing like crazy now. I mowed for the first time Saturday evening and yesterday evening when I was out moving sprinklers, I noticed it already could use another mow (check the pictures in my journal). I should also note that I put down an application of N-Ext RGS and Air8 the same day I seeded.


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## ENC_Lawn

quattljl said:


> Have you put down any fertilizer yet? The over watering may have something to do with it also, but I think it was a mistake not to put down fertilizer when you seeded (just my opinion).
> 
> I put down seed and starter fert on the same day, May 4th, and it's growing like crazy now. I mowed for the first time Saturday evening and yesterday evening when I was out moving sprinklers, I noticed it already could use another mow (check the pictures in my journal). I should also note that I put down an application of N-Ext RGS and Air8 the same day I seeded.


When it was first seeded we slit seeded the yard and put down fertilizer.

However it was not a total complete fertilizer...because it didn't have any phosphorus in the fertilizer.

On the 14th day I put down a complete starter fertilizer which helped the Bermuda grass color change from purple to green.

I applied another .5 pounds per 1,000 square feet of a complete Starter Fertilizer Yesterday...to assist the reseeding.

The question...I am wondering is what happened to all my seed?


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## Alex_18

Coming together man. Keep up the good work


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## ENC_Lawn

Alex_18 said:


> Coming together man. Keep up the good work


 :thumbup:


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## ENC_Lawn

May 18th



May 28th


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## Alex_18

Im jealous. Mine has a ton of weeds while yours is basically weed free. Going to be battling that for a while &#128546;


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## ENC_Lawn

27 days into the renovation. I'm not happy with where the lawn is at but considering I basically drowned it for 3 weeks with water...it could be worse.

I reseeded some areas about 1 week ago so hopefully in 3 more weeks the bare areas of the yard will look better.


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## ENC_Lawn

Day 34


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## ENC_Lawn

This is as low as I have been able to cut so far.

Started getting some scalping and stopped.


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## ENC_Lawn

Day 36

I'm still about 10 days behind where I thought I would be from overwatering based off @J_nick renovation....but it's getting better!

The lawn needs a cut but we have had daily rainfall for the past 3 to 4 days.


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## ENC_Lawn

Taking pictures really helps you see the difference.

May 31st vs today June 10th.


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## ENC_Lawn

Day 45.


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## ENC_Lawn

May 18th



June 18th


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## ENC_Lawn

Day 48.

Cut the lawn with the riding mower today.


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## ENC_Lawn

Day 57.


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## Colonel K0rn

Nice job! How much are you fertilizing it?


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## ENC_Lawn

@Colonel K0rn Thanks...!!!

I have been spoon feeding .5 pounds of Nitrogen every 7 days.

I had a little bit of a slow start...due to I was over watering...but since I cut back on my water that has helped a lot!


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## ENC_Lawn

Day 61.

I don't have irrigation and was lazy and didn't put out enough sprinklers so I got a little fertilizer burn from not using enough water. Also learned it could be the lower HOC that caused the fertilizer prills to sit up on the Bermuda leaf blade instead of falling down into the canopy.

This is the first time I have had any fertilizer burn so hopefully it was the lack of watering that caused the burn.

We haven't had any rain here in a while so the grass looks a little stressed to me.


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## ENC_Lawn

9 week Progress.

I have been fertilizing with .5 pounds of nitrogen per 1k square feet weekly.

I'm thinking I can go to a slow release fertilizer now at this point?


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## J_nick

Yes, I would back off the fert. You got coverage now and don't need to be pushing it as hard. I would start with a normal fert schedule


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## jakemauldin

I'm impressed with the progress you've made. That looks great!!


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## quattljl

Looks fantastic. What's your HOC and how's the density thus far?


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## ENC_Lawn

@J_nick Sounds good!

@jakemauldin Thank you Sir!

@quattljl Thanks! I have been cutting every other day to every 3 days and I have been keeping the HOC around .5 inches.

The density is great in certain areas and in other areas its established but know where as dense as my better areas.

When I was reading the NTEP studies...it seems "going off memory" that Princess 77 Bermuda lagged behind Riviera and other seeded varieties for density and establishment at first...and then caught up with the seeded varieties by the end of the growing season.


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## Alex_18

Looking great man. Too late now but you should have went with something organic while spoon feeding the nitrogen. Especially with the lawn being that new, that way it gives you a little fudge factor built in and incase you do mess up (forget to turn the sprinklers on) you arent hurting anything. But its bounced back nicely so nothing to worry about now anyway


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## ENC_Lawn

@Alex_18 Thank you sir!


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## quattljl

ENC_Lawn said:


> @quattljl Thanks! I have been cutting every other day to every 3 days and I have been keeping the HOC around .5 inches.
> 
> The density is great in certain areas and in other areas its established but know where as dense as my better areas.
> 
> When I was reading the NTEP studies...it seems "going off memory" that Princess 77 Bermuda lagged behind Riviera and other seeded varieties for density and establishment at first...and then caught up with the seeded varieties by the end of the growing season.


 :thumbup: It's looking great regardless.

My Scott's Gold Glove just started taking off this past week but density is not yet where I'd like it (I noticed yesterday the bald strips are filling in and much less noticeable than before). I'm mowing with a rotary around 1-1.25" so maybe that's playing a part in the slower thickening. I think the rain we got this past weekend has been the key in it taking off but I can't help but wonder if my application of Carbon X and RGS/Air8 on 6/30 didn't also have something to do with it.


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## ENC_Lawn

Day 67.

I enjoy the way the Bermuda looks in the morning with the irrigation and the morning dew.

There's Something about watching the sprinklers work that is so relaxing!


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## ENC_Lawn

Centipede/ Bermuda property line.


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## Alex_18

Looks awesome man. Glad to see all of that hard work paying off for you


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## ENC_Lawn

Alex_18 said:


> Looks awesome man. Glad to see all of that hard work paying off for you


Thanks! @Alex_18

How's your Arden 15 looking?


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## Alex_18

@ENC_Lawn its coming in. I walked around the yard making preparations for the hurricane thats about to hit us and some of the seed i put down last weekend has already germinated so im excited. I have a lot of common that im going to have to pull out or spray but i bought a pro plugger the other day so once i do get a few more good stands coming up ill just plug the rest of the yard till it goes dormant and pick up where i left off next spring. Kinda pointless to put more seed out now during the rainy/hurricane season


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## ENC_Lawn

@Alex_18 :thumbup:


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## ENC_Lawn

With Temperatures today very hot and humid, I cut my side yard with the Reel and cut the front yard with the rotary.

Front yard Rotary Cut.





Side yard Reel Cut. The yellow spots are from spot spraying weeds.


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## ENC_Lawn

So at this point a couple of things come to mind I would do differently.

Irrigation. I do not have "in-ground irrigation".

Previous to seeding I read were a lot of mistakes are made when you do not water the new grass seed frequently enough.

So my solution was I purchased 7 to 8 above ground sprinklers from Lowe's along with water timers and water hoses at different lengths to reach the sprinklers.

I do not have a lot of outside water hookups so this required different length's of water hoses running from my 3 outside water sources.

Which then required splitter's on each outside water source hookup.

Which then required 2 to 3 foot "leader hose" because you can't fit multiple water timers next to each other conveniently because of there size when using a water splitter.

So you can see how this can start to nickel and dime your pocket book. Also I started out with "impact sprinkler heads".

The one's I purchased from Lowe's put out a lot more water per minute than I realized. Which caused me to over water the first couple of weeks.

That being said my front and back lawn are roughly 14,000 square feet.

I seeded them about 2 to 3 weeks apart. In hindsight I would not suggest this unless you already have in-ground irrigation. Its doable but not as enjoyable.

One reason is again the multiple hose's, sprinklers and all the attachments I mentioned earlier that I had to replicate in my backyard vs just saving all of that equipment for the next season and reusing it.

You save on the cost of equipment by waiting to next season to renovate the rest of the lawn.

But more importantly you can only pay close attention in my experience to so much of an area before your schedule / life / other things get in the way and an area of your lawn gets neglected.

Between fertilizing weekly "if your spoon feeding" or every 2 weeks, as well as cutting Reel low every 2 to 3 days along with moving around sprinklers to hit dry spots due to wind it can become very hectic trying to renovate to many areas at one time.

Now figure all the time / cost of the above which brings me to my next point. In hindsight as much as enjoyed the satisfaction that I "seeded" my lawn from scratch. I would Sod my front and side lawn in hindsight.

I suggest this because I believe I could of saved enough water and "Re'-seeding costs" to come close to what I would of spent on Sod.

Seed is the cheaper way to go typically but when you count purchasing more seed "Re-seeding" and the extra water I feel seed needs vs SOD being watered 2 to 3 weeks to properly root there's not that much of a difference in cost "if the area of lawn is not to large".

Not to mention you have an instant lawn.

Also one other area I would improve on is in my side yard I purchased some top soil after my lawn had been sprayed with 4 rounds of glyphosate to level out some areas.

Although the topsoil helped with leveling. 
I must of brought in some weed seeds. My front lawn didn't have much of a weed problem from the 4 rounds of glyphosate. However the side yard were I brought in the topsoil is were most of my weed problem exists.

So as for bringing in topsoil. The early the better for a renovation. This will give you adequate time to water properly and apply glyphosate to give you the best clean slate for a seed bed.

These are just some examples of things I can think of at the moment that I would of done differently. Hopefully this can help someone not make some of the mistakes I made.


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## ENC_Lawn

Day 73

With a crazy schedule this week and close to 100 degrees days I only had time for quick cut with the rotary.

I can go 3 days between cuts but it looks better cut every 2 days.

It's amazing how fast Bermuda grows!

HOC is 1 inch.


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## ENC_Lawn

Day 75.

2 days between the last cut.

The weather report said today's heat index will feel like 105 degrees so I got up early this morning and cut the lawn with the Reel.

I raised the HOC one notch on the California Trimmer.


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## ENC_Lawn

I didn't plan this picture I just noticed there 2 days apart and I took them "almost in the same spot".

Rotary cut at 1 inch HOC.



Reel cut at around .75 inch HOC.


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## ENC_Lawn

Day 78.

Not much to update.

I cut the lawn 2 days ago with the Reel and spot leveled.

The heat index I believe was a 108 degrees yesterday and has been around 100 or more degrees the past week or so.

Combine that with we have only received 2 maybe 3 good rains in the past month.

So I wondering since I'm still very new to this should I raise the HOC with the heat and lack of rain?

I do water it once to twice a week.

Also considering I enjoy cutting the lawn every 2 to 3 days "more often than not I average every 2 days this lawn season" maybe I should raise the HOC and enjoy the zero-turn mower for a while in this heat?


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## Romangorilla

Lawn is looking great! I feel your pain on the limited amount of rain we have had. Especially when you combine that with the heat wave we are experiencing. 
Where did you get your sand to spot level, and what type did you use?


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## 1FASTSS

Lawn looks great. I'm in the middle of doing my backyard right now. Maybe I'll start a journal as well to see the progress every few days.


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## ENC_Lawn

Romangorilla said:


> Lawn is looking great! I feel your pain on the limited amount of rain we have had. Especially when you combine that with the heat wave we are experiencing.
> Where did you get your sand to spot level, and what type did you use?


Thanks!

I have a local guy down the street that has mulches, stones, sand ,etc.

But any "masonry" sand will work.

Just make sure the sand does not have any pebbles in it.

I did right much leveling last year before the renovation this year and it helped a lot.

The "sand leveling" really helps with scalping when using a rotary mower.


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## ENC_Lawn

1FASTSS said:


> Lawn looks great. I'm in the middle of doing my backyard right now. Maybe I'll start a journal as well to see the progress every few days.


Thanks!

Yeah...I highly suggest taking pictures.

When you look at your lawn daily...you can start to think something is taking too long or is not working...and the pictures are what tell the real story.

Trust me a week in a lawn renovation feels like a month....


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## JTCJC

Looks awesome! I would not switch to the zero turn though. This could stress the grass out more since you are not cutting the blades anymore you are just hacking them off. I read that a lot of moisture is lost with rotary mowers. Maybe just raise the Cal Trimmer up higher?


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## ENC_Lawn

JTCJC said:


> Looks awesome! I would not switch to the zero turn though. This could stress the grass out more since you are not cutting the blades anymore you are just hacking them off. I read that a lot of moisture is lost with rotary mowers. Maybe just raise the Cal Trimmer up higher?


Thank you sir!

I hadn't read that!

That's very interesting...thanks for the info! :thumbup:


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## dheald

Excellent progress and good for you on your persistence to make sure it was successful. I'm envious and hope to do it next year with Arden 15 on my now common Bermuda lawn that is well kept and mowed twice to three times per week with a 27-inch Tru-Cut reel mower. It looks decent, but I just want the nicer lawn.

Great job!


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## ENC_Lawn

dheald said:


> Excellent progress and good for you on your persistence to make sure it was successful. I'm envious and hope to do it next year with Arden 15 on my now common Bermuda lawn that is well kept and mowed twice to three times per week with a 27-inch Tru-Cut reel mower. It looks decent, but I just want the nicer lawn.
> 
> Great job!


@dheald

Thank you!

And beautiful picture of your lawn!

What HOC is your common Bermuda in this picture?

Your lawn color and cut look great!


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## dheald

HOC is about 1 inch.


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## ENC_Lawn

Day 82.

Carried the HOC back down to .5 inches yesterday.

This mornings pics from yesterday's cut.


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## ENC_Lawn

Day 85.

24 hours post cut.

Front yard already looking a little shaggy.

I cut the front yard yesterday at .75 HOC.

Side yard is holding a little tighter.

I cut the side yard yesterday at .5 HOC.

Front yard.



Side yard.


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## Romangorilla

@ENC_Lawn awesome job on the domination line!
Your lawn is looking great!
What's your watering schedule looking like right now?


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## ENC_Lawn

@Romangorilla

Thanks!

Right now I am trying to water deep about twice a week.

The Bermuda definitely Perks up after a good watering.

However after 2 months of renovation watering and the lack of rain in NC my pocket book could use a break from these water bills


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## dheald

Looking great! Great results from your efforts, They have paid off. Congratulations!


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## ENC_Lawn

@dheald

Thank you sir!


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## ENC_Lawn

Day 87.

Rotary cut late last night.


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## ENC_Lawn

Day 88.

I'm trying to keep the Bermuda cut every 2 days if possible.

Cutting short and often in my experience has helped the lawn thicken up.

Rotary cut at 1 inch HOC.


----------



## Batsonbe

Your yard looks excellent. Arden 15 doesn't look like it disappoints


----------



## ENC_Lawn

@Batsonbe

Thank you sir!

My backyard I started renovating about 3 weeks later than the front yard.

That's about the same time Pennington discontinued Princess 77 seed and replaced it with Arden 15.

So my backyard is about 50% Princess 77 and 50% Arden 15 with some tifway 419 Sod I installed in some other areas.

The Princess 77 and Arden 15 match up great.

I can't tell a difference at all between the two.


----------



## Coldsprings

@ENC_Lawn Just caught up on this thread and its amazing how many similarities there are between our projects. I am now wondering id princess/arden seedlings just go through a purple phase. I had to reseed some areas which I know had plenty of water/heat/phosphorus and a few days after emergence they are still turning purple. Waiting to see if these get as purple as the original seedlings. Its looks like you also had the staggered germination that I had. For me the earliest growth was in the wettest areas.

Edit: ....and your yard looks amzing btw!


----------



## ENC_Lawn

@Coldsprings Thanks for the lawn compliment!

I just read through your journal and your right our germination looks very similar.

I spoke to Pennington last year and they advised that Princess 77 Bermuda tends to germinate and "sit" like you mentioned.

If you look at the NTEP studies they show the same thing going off memory.

I had purple seedlings without Phosphorus the first time....and I have seeded and reseeded several times since adding Phosphorus and although I don't think I had as many purple seedlings...I still had them even with phosphorus starter fertilizer.

So I am starting to think its normal.


----------



## ENC_Lawn

Day 92.

Around .5 HOC.


----------



## Coldsprings

I'm jealous. Day 92 will be dormacy for me unless we have a really warm fall.


----------



## ENC_Lawn

The Bermuda is liking the nice rainfall we received last night.


----------



## ENC_Lawn

Day 97

I had the lawn broadleaf sprayed for various weeds 2 days ago.

Hopefully I can eliminate the majority of the weeds between now and the end of the growing season and then apply a good pre emergent for a head start on next year's growing season.


----------



## Coldsprings

Looks really good. I need to calculate what day I am on.


----------



## ENC_Lawn

Coldsprings said:


> Looks really good. I need to calculate what day I am on.


Thanks!

Yeah keeping up with the days as well as pictures helped me gauge the progress especially early during the renovation.

I have basically cut my lawn every 2 days from the beginning of the renovation.

Now that it is established when life gets busy I am rotary cutting quickly to 1 inch HOC and then cut to .75 with the Reel when I have time.

I love the look of the reel mower but cutting every 2 days can be a challenge.

I'm gonna have to consider PGR next season....or just keep up my current strategy of Rotary cutting to 1 inch HOC and Reel cutting on the weekends.


----------



## dheald

From what I've read, PGR may be a good option since it forces the roots to grow down. Lawn is looking great. Good job of documenting with pictures. That really helps to monitor things and progress.


----------



## ENC_Lawn

dheald said:


> From what I've read, PGR may be a good option since it forces the roots to grow down. Lawn is looking great. Good job of documenting with pictures. That really helps to monitor things and progress.


 :thumbup:


----------



## ENC_Lawn

Day 98.

.75 HOC on front lawn.

.5 HOC on side lawn.

I am horrible at cutting straight!


----------



## ENC_Lawn

Most of the yellow spots should be from having Drive and Sedge hammer sprayed earlier in the week.

There's some scalping as well from taking it from a little over 1 inch HOC down to .75 HOC and .5 HOC.


----------



## ENC_Lawn

Day 104.

The lawn is looking a little discolored from the Sedgehammer and Drive sprayed on it over 1 week ago.

I have only cut the lawn twice in the past week.

The first cut didn't remove much clippings so apparently the Sedgehammer and Drive applications had stunted the growth a little.

Yesterday I cut the lawn and had more clippings so I guess it's starting to rebound a little.

Also I dropped 1 pound of Nitrogen per 1,000 square feet of slow release fertilizer.

I may apply .5 pounds in mid September of fertilizer and then that will probably be it for this lawn season.


----------



## ENC_Lawn

Day 105.

.75 HOC this morning.


----------



## Coldsprings

Are you staying at .75 for the rest if the season?


----------



## ENC_Lawn

Coldsprings said:


> Are you staying at .75 for the rest if the season?


I am going to "try" to not stay at that height.

I keep saying to myself I am going to let the Bermuda grow a little taller to "try out" new HOC and see how it looks at the higher HOC.

But every time I get the Reel out...I keep cutting it back down :lol:

But In all seriousness...I love the way it looks below 1 inch...but I don't know how many seasons...or how long I will want to keep the cutting schedule of cutting the lawn every 2 days.

So either I am going to have to invest in a good sprayer and PGR next season...or find a little higher HOC that I am happy with.

Nothing beats the look of the reel mower. But if you go back and look at my journal there are times when I cut with my rotary at 1 inch that doesn't look too bad.

It's not as clean of a look at the reel mower...but I can live with it. :lol:

I also want to play around with the California Trimmer and see how the lawn looks Reel cut at 1 to 1.5 inches.


----------



## ENC_Lawn

Day 108.

Front yard Rotary cut at 1.25 HOC.



Side yard HOC reset scalp. About .5 HOC.


----------



## ENC_Lawn

Not much to update on the front yard.

But I had 5 yards of sand delivered yesterday for the backyard.


----------



## HazyNelson123

What height was it on the 1st mow? I'm growing princess 77 been 3 weeks does seem to be growing slow.


----------



## ENC_Lawn

HazyNelson123 said:


> What height was it on the 1st mow? I'm growing princess 77 been 3 weeks does seem to be growing slow.


I don't know the exact height...but what little bit of grass I had on the first mow I would estimate was most likely around 1 inch HOC.

Princess 77 Bermuda grass is a "slow starter" it tends to germinate and "sit" for a while in my experience.


----------



## HazyNelson123

Oh ok thanks. Cause I see that it says to let it get to 3" before the 1st mow from Pennington. But I want to mow already to encourage growth. Also do you know when you 1st fertilized after germination or height?


----------



## cjackson0314

I think I've read through your journal 4-5 times to help me with my renovation. Looking great. I started late but hope I can get mine to fill in decently before it does start cooling off.


----------



## ENC_Lawn

HazyNelson123 said:


> Oh ok thanks. Cause I see that it says to let it get to 3" before the 1st mow from Pennington. But I want to mow already to encourage growth. Also do you know when you 1st fertilized after germination or height?


I would go ahead and cut your lawn for the first cut.

Yes you are correct in cutting often and "short" will encourage lateral growth.

I tried to cut every 2 days. It will be a lot of cutting but frequent cutting along with water and properly fertilizing will help with growth.

I started Fertilizing I believe on the 15 day.

I fertilized with .5 pounds of "fast release Nitrogen" per 1,000 square feet every 7 days.

I followed that schedule up until the lawn was established.

I then switch to about 1 pound per 1,000 square feet a month of "slow release" fertilizer.

I tried to follow @J_nick renovation as closely as possible.

He set the bar with renovations.

Your soil and time of year make a big difference as well.

I seeded a buddy of mines yard about a 3 weeks to a month later than my own yard...and literally did the exact thing to his yard that I did to mine. And his yard was 75% established in 3 weeks.

My yard renovation was not looking good at all at 3 weeks. :lol:


----------



## ENC_Lawn

cjackson0314 said:


> I think I've read through your journal 4-5 times to help me with my renovation. Looking great. I started late but hope I can get mine to fill in decently before it does start cooling off.


Thank you! :thumbup:

If the temperatures can stay warm you can make some good headway in the next 6 week!

Water, Fertilizer, and frequent cutting helped a lot.

Also...taking pictures helped so much!!!

When you are staring at the yard daily...it feels like you are not making progress...but the pictures help you see your progress every week!


----------



## HazyNelson123

ENC_Lawn said:


> HazyNelson123 said:
> 
> 
> 
> Oh ok thanks. Cause I see that it says to let it get to 3" before the 1st mow from Pennington. But I want to mow already to encourage growth. Also do you know when you 1st fertilized after germination or height?
> 
> 
> 
> I would go ahead and cut your lawn for the first cut.
> 
> Yes you are correct in cutting often and "short" will encourage lateral growth.
> 
> I tried to cut every 2 days. It will be a lot of cutting but frequent cutting along with water and properly fertilizing will help with growth.
> 
> I started Fertilizing I believe on the 15 day.
> 
> I fertilized with .5 pounds of "fast release Nitrogen" per 1,000 square feet every 7 days.
> 
> I followed that schedule up until the lawn was established.
> 
> I then switch to about 1 pound per 1,000 square feet a month of "slow release" fertilizer.
> 
> I tried to follow @J_nick renovation as closely as possible.
> 
> He set the bar with renovations.
> 
> Your soil and time of year make a big difference as well.
> 
> I seeded a buddy of mines yard about a 3 weeks to a month later than my own yard...and literally did the exact thing to his yard that I did to mine. And his yard was 75% established in 3 weeks.
> 
> My yard renovation was not looking good at all at 3 weeks. :lol:
Click to expand...

Thanks. Looks like you did everything right. Your lawn came out great. I'm 3 weeks in so I guess I will fertilize thanks for the tips.


----------



## ENC_Lawn

HazyNelson123 said:


> ENC_Lawn said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> HazyNelson123 said:
> 
> 
> 
> Oh ok thanks. Cause I see that it says to let it get to 3" before the 1st mow from Pennington. But I want to mow already to encourage growth. Also do you know when you 1st fertilized after germination or height?
> 
> 
> 
> I would go ahead and cut your lawn for the first cut.
> 
> Yes you are correct in cutting often and "short" will encourage lateral growth.
> 
> I tried to cut every 2 days. It will be a lot of cutting but frequent cutting along with water and properly fertilizing will help with growth.
> 
> I started Fertilizing I believe on the 15 day.
> 
> I fertilized with .5 pounds of "fast release Nitrogen" per 1,000 square feet every 7 days.
> 
> I followed that schedule up until the lawn was established.
> 
> I then switch to about 1 pound per 1,000 square feet a month of "slow release" fertilizer.
> 
> I tried to follow @J_nick renovation as closely as possible.
> 
> He set the bar with renovations.
> 
> Your soil and time of year make a big difference as well.
> 
> I seeded a buddy of mines yard about a 3 weeks to a month later than my own yard...and literally did the exact thing to his yard that I did to mine. And his yard was 75% established in 3 weeks.
> 
> My yard renovation was not looking good at all at 3 weeks. :lol:
> 
> Click to expand...
> 
> Thanks. Looks like you did everything right. Your lawn came out great. I'm 3 weeks in so I guess I will fertilize thanks for the tips.
Click to expand...

 :thumbup:


----------



## ENC_Lawn

Took this quick pic when I got home today.

Not the best pic of the lawn...but the cool part is this pic is 36 hours after scalping.

Amazing how fast Bermuda grows!


----------



## ENC_Lawn

Side yard 4 days after my last scalp.


----------



## Romangorilla

Wow.
That looks great.
I can't believe it's only been 4 days post scalp.


----------



## ENC_Lawn

Romangorilla said:


> Wow.
> That looks great.
> I can't believe it's only been 4 days post scalp.


Thank you sir!...the best part is it was Rotary cut. 

It's late in the lawn season and I'm getting tired! 

I agree about the post scalp...it's amazing how fast Bermuda grows!


----------



## ENC_Lawn

Day 119.

Cut the lawn last night with the California Trimmer.

Around 1 inch HOC


----------



## ENC_Lawn

Day 121

Reel vs Rotary

Cut half the front lawn with the Reel. Cut the other half with the rotary.

HOC about 1 inch.





Side yard Rotary cut.


----------



## ENC_Lawn

Took a quick close up picture of front lawn this morning Pre-Hurricane Dorian.


----------



## Ren

That zero turn looks like it gives a pretty clean cut! Lawn is looking great :thumbup:


----------



## ENC_Lawn

@Ren

Thanks!


----------



## ENC_Lawn

Day 126

Double Cut the side yard with the reel mower.

HOC about 1 inch.



Single Cut the front lawn with Reel mower.

HOC about 1 inch.


----------



## ENC_Lawn

Day 129

Rotary Cut.


----------



## ENC_Lawn

Day 135 Rotary Cut.

HOC 1 inch.


----------



## ENC_Lawn

I have still have some weed issues...but it is so late in the season...I am just going to deal with them next year.

Also have some scalping from cutting with the Rotary at 1 inch HOC.


----------



## ENC_Lawn

Day 138.

Rotary cut.

1 inch HOC.


----------



## ENC_Lawn

Day 142

It's been 2 days since my last mow.

I cut the front yard with rotary at 1 inch. Got some scalping.



Cut the side yard with the reel at .5 inch HOC and realized quickly that I went to low.


----------



## Gibby

P77 is one of the fastest to recover from scalping according to NTEP.


----------



## ENC_Lawn

4 Days post scalp.

The lawn hasn't recovered quite as fast in the past 4 days as last scalp.

But still very fast in my opinion for this late in the season.


----------



## dheald

Looks great. The Princess 77 always bounces back.

I am still working on an Arden 15 experiment, growing in trays, then planting them in small sections of my yard. If successful, I'll do the same starting next spring.

Nice job. Keep us posted on your progress. I really enjoy seeing your updates.

Dean


----------



## ENC_Lawn

dheald said:


> Looks great. The Princess 77 always bounces back.
> 
> I am still working on an Arden 15 experiment, growing in trays, then planting them in small sections of my yard. If successful, I'll do the same starting next spring.
> 
> Nice job. Keep us posted on your progress. I really enjoy seeing your updates.
> 
> Dean


Thanks Dean for the kind words! :thumbup:


----------



## ENC_Lawn

Day 154

Various weeds are dying out from the lawn being sprayed about 10 days ago.

Also the Bermuda growth is slowing down this time of year.


----------



## ENC_Lawn

Day 176.

The lawn needs a trim...but we are still green!

I'm sure winter dormancy is right around the corner.


----------



## cglarsen

ENC_Lawn said:


> Day 176.
> 
> The lawn needs a trim...but we are still green!
> 
> I'm sure winter dormancy is right around the corner.


That's a hell of a renovation! NIce work. Did the ARDEN 15 germinate/emerge any faster than P77? Any noticeable differences at the end of the growing season in those areas?


----------



## ENC_Lawn

@cglarsen

Thank you sir!

If the Arden 15 emerged any faster it would of been hard for me to tell because I had to mix the Arden 15 into the existing back lawn which was already P77 with some some 419 SOD in some areas.

I was concerned if the back lawn was going to match up correctly...since I mixed the 2 cultivars....but Pennington Seed said they would match just fine and I think they matched up pretty good.

Here is a pic of The Arden 15 and Princess 77 mixed together with 419 SOD laid right beside the 2 seeded mixed cultivars.


----------



## cglarsen

ENC_Lawn said:


> @cglarsen
> 
> Thank you sir!
> 
> If the Arden 15 emerged any faster it would of been hard for me to tell because I had to mix the Arden 15 into the existing back lawn which was already P77 with some some 419 SOD in some areas.
> 
> I was concerned if the back lawn was going to match up correctly...since I mixed the 2 cultivars....but Pennington Seed said they would match just fine and I think they matched up pretty good.
> 
> Here is a pic of The Arden 15 and Princess 77 mixed together with 419 SOD laid right beside the 2 seeded mixed cultivars.


Yeah I guess they really are similar varieties. How's the density of the seeded areas vs that 419? I imagine next season you will really thicken up with that low reel mowing and better developed root structure.


----------



## ENC_Lawn

@cglarsen In my front yard which is more established and is 100% P77 I personally can't tell a difference in the density of 419 vs the P77.


----------



## ENC_Lawn

Day 181.


----------



## ENC_Lawn

Day 188

Below freezing temperatures are expected tonight...so snapped a quick picture of the lawn before it goes dormant.





Centipede / Bermuda Property line.


----------



## ENC_Lawn

Day 191.

Still holding green...but the temperatures are suppose to hit mid 20's the next 2 days.


----------



## ENC_Lawn

Day 194.

A good frost this morning.


----------



## Romangorilla

It looks like the p77 has held on pretty well. Great job!


----------



## ENC_Lawn

Romangorilla said:


> It looks like the p77 has held on pretty well. Great job!


Thank you sir!

You guys still green up in Charlotte...???...or has the Bermuda gone dormant?


----------



## Romangorilla

ENC_Lawn said:


> Romangorilla said:
> 
> 
> 
> It looks like the p77 has held on pretty well. Great job!
> 
> 
> 
> Thank you sir!
> 
> You guys still green up in Charlotte...???...or has the Bermuda gone dormant?
Click to expand...

For the most part, everyone's Bermuda is completely dormant in this area. We had about a week where the night time temps were upper 20's to low 30's. It was toast after that.


----------



## ENC_Lawn

Well I wasn't planning on starting my warm season lawn journal yet...especially since it's January .

But the crazy temperatures in NC has the Bermuda thinking it's time to come out of dormancy.


----------



## Ware

Wow, that's wild!


----------



## AZChemist

Crazy! The trees don't even have leaves yet!


----------



## ENC_Lawn

Scalped the entire lawn this past Saturday.

Not sure of the exact HOC...but this was as low as the California Trimmer would go without hitting dirt and getting stuck on dirt at times.


----------



## Cory

Nice! Have you seen we may get some snow Thursday, that's what we get for thinking spring was coming early :lol:


----------



## ENC_Lawn

Cory said:


> Nice! Have you seen we may get some snow Thursday, that's what we get for thinking spring was coming early :lol:


I saw that...lol....gotta love NC weather. :lol:

I was just glad to get a jump on the spring scalp before the pollen gets here!


----------



## ENC_Lawn

Starting to get some green up.

Unfortunately looks like 4 rounds of Glyphosate last year during the renovation wasn't enough to get all of the common Bermuda out of the lawn.


----------



## ENC_Lawn

Starting to green up a little more.


----------



## ENC_Lawn

Scalped the yard...except for the ditch for the 2nd time yesterday.

Original scalp of the lawn and ditch was back in February.

Looking forward to this lawn season!


----------



## ENC_Lawn

2 days post scalp.


----------



## ENC_Lawn




----------



## ENC_Lawn

Pulled these up out of the lawn today.

Princess 77 Bermuda next to what looks like some of the old common Bermuda from my old lawn before the renovation.


----------



## Daddylonglegs

Wow that is a striking difference. P77 is the real deal...cool picture!


----------



## ENC_Lawn

Daddylonglegs said:


> Wow that is a striking difference. P77 is the real deal...cool picture!


Thanks! :thumbup:


----------



## ENC_Lawn

Getting a little better slowly but surely....ready for some warm weather!


----------



## Cory

Nice! Hope you don't get too much damage from the frost we've had. A few of the nicer lawns in my neighborhood started going dormant again :lol:


----------



## ENC_Lawn

Cory said:


> Nice! Hope you don't get too much damage from the frost we've had. A few of the nicer lawns in my neighborhood started going dormant again :lol:


Thanks man!

I still can't get my lawn to stripe half as good as yours 

Even if I could I can't cut straight if I had too :lol:

Yeah...I keep looking out for some frost damage...so far so good...crazy temperatures we have had this year!


----------



## ENC_Lawn

Greening on up a little more!


----------



## ENC_Lawn

About as low as the California Trimmer will go!


----------



## Cory

@ENC_Lawn Nice! Mine still looks like crap :lol:


----------



## Romangorilla

That's coming out of dormancy really well. Nice job!


----------



## ENC_Lawn

Took a quick pic on the way out this morning.

The lawn needs a mow...but getting a little greener slowly but surely.


----------



## ENC_Lawn

I didn't post many pictures of my backyard last year because I put so much focus on the front yard.

I ended up seeding my backyard with Princess 77 Bermuda and then the seed was discontinued.

I then reseeded the backyard with right much Arden 15 seed after the initial P77 seed was struggling because I neglected the backyard from putting all my focus on the front yard.

I ended up reseeding the backyard with Arden 15 around June 16th 2019 (initially backyard seed date was May 22 2019) and started getting serious with watering and fertilizing.

I didn't get full coverage by the end of the season but got close to full coverage and should be able to get full coverage this season.

Here are some backyard pics taken today after reel mowing the backyard.

[/url

[url=https://postimg.cc/QKKQbFx6]


----------



## SGrabs33

ENC_Lawn said:


> About as low as the California Trimmer will go!


Very nice. I'm two from the bottom on my trimmer right now!


----------



## ENC_Lawn

SGrabs33 said:


> ENC_Lawn said:
> 
> 
> 
> About as low as the California Trimmer will go!
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Very nice. I'm two from the bottom on my trimmer right now!
Click to expand...

Nice!!! :thumbup:

Yeah today's cut was at notch 3!


----------



## ENC_Lawn

Reel cut the front lawn yesterday as well.


----------



## ENC_Lawn

Watered the lawn today still haven't mowed the lawn since Saturday due to low temperatures.

I guess this is how it would be through the warm lawn season if I purchased a sprayer and sprayed PGR?

If you look at the zoomed in pic below...I have a bunch of "what look like" cut stolons that have dried out and are just sitting on the lawn that I didn't notice was there until about 3 days post cut.


----------



## ENC_Lawn

Reel cut the lawn today.

HOC about .5 I believe.


----------



## ENC_Lawn

Raised the California Trimmer up a notch.

Before the mow.



After the mow.


----------



## robbybobby

Beauty!


----------



## Cory

Looks great!


----------



## ENC_Lawn

@robbybobby Thank you!

@Cory Thanks!!!....and thank you for the helpful tips!  :thumbup:


----------



## ENC_Lawn

Late day mow.


----------



## ENC_Lawn

Backyard Reel mowed.

Backyard is a mixture of P77 and Arden 15 Bermuda with some 419 SOD in some places.

It needs at least 2 to 3 more sand leveling's.

It was seeded exactly 1 year and 9 days ago.

Then reseeded twice more after the initial seeding.


----------



## ENC_Lawn

Scalped the side yard about 2 days ago with California trimmer at the second to the lowest notch. The grass is not as green as normal...but I was surprised it didn't look worse.



Yesterday put out some river rock around tile culvert.


----------



## Redtwin

ENC_Lawn said:


> Yesterday put out some river rock around tile culvert.


Ooooh... I like this! I think I'll use this as a example of what I plan to do with my ditch in the front when I renovate that area from SA to Empire Zoysia. That looks clean.


----------



## Cory

I like those rocks around the culvert. I want to do something with ours at some point.


----------



## ENC_Lawn

@Redtwin @Cory

Thanks Guys...yeah the ditch gets on my nerves especially the steep parts around the culvert...where no matter what I use reel mower / trimmer seem to get constant scalping.

When I was looking at ideas to help with the erosion of the tile...this seems to be the most economical...so we went with it.

Hopefully this will cut down on some of that....I still need to sand the ditch and get it as smooth as possible on the sides.


----------



## Redtwin

My ditch is almost a complete drop off from the county coming in with their excavators during annual maintenance so I am going to have to do a lot of regrading to get it manageable. I'm still in the process of speaking to my commissioner and the county engineers about doing the project to ensure they won't just come dig it out after I regrade and sod it. They've already denied my several attempts to run a culvert all the way across to make it level.


----------



## ENC_Lawn

Redtwin said:


> . They've already denied my several attempts to run a culvert all the way across to make it level.


Yeah...this is my ultimate goal...but even if I did it myself...its gonna cost me too much money to justify right now...but a smooth front lawn with no ditch would be nice!


----------



## Romangorilla

Looking good!
I like the golf ball pic.
And nice idea on the rocks around the culvert.


----------



## ENC_Lawn

@Romangorilla Thank you sir!


----------



## ENC_Lawn

Not much to update.

We have had rain...rain and more rain the last couple of days...with more in the forecast.

My Bermuda is gonna be 3 inches tall at this rate.


----------



## ENC_Lawn

@Greendoc In the picture above I recently have had some very small patches of Zenith Zoysia pop up.

You can't see them except when you get right on top of them. But there very small patches. 1 or 2 patches out of the entire lawn.

The entire lawn last year was seeded with Princess 77 Bermuda after 4 rounds of Glyphosate inside about 1 month time period. Previous Lawn was a mix of Seeded Zenith Zoysia and Common Bermuda. I couldn't get the seeded Zenith To come up good after 2 years and common was everywhere so we started from scratch and I am very happy with the P77 Bermuda.

Any suggestions on trying to remove the small patch of Zenith Zoysia?

Or after 4 rounds of Glyphosate last year is it one of those things I am probably stuck with it now regardless?

Thanks!


----------



## Greendoc

While it is still small, cut out those patches. Remove a foot of soil under and at least 6" beyond where you see the Zoysia foliage.


----------



## ENC_Lawn

Greendoc said:


> While it is still small, cut out those patches. Remove a foot of soil under and at least 6" beyond where you see the Zoysia foliage.


@Greendoc Thanks!!!


----------



## ENC_Lawn

Rotary cut last night at 1 inch HOC.


----------



## ENC_Lawn

@Greendoc Ok so closer inspection of the lawn I got some Zenith Zoysia popping up in other places of the lawn so digging out all of those sections one by one...is not really what I am looking to do.

My reading so far seems like Tenacity "may" set the Zoysia back or possibly kill it and it will severly hurt the Bermuda but the Bermuda will bounce back and start back spreading faster hopefully?

Should I try Tenacity? Is there a better herbicide. It looks like Sencor with Tenacity works better but Sencor is way too much money?

Any suggestions...since I have it popping up in multiple places now?


----------



## ENC_Lawn

Rotary cut at 1 inch yesterday.


----------



## ENC_Lawn

Around .75 HOC with the reel. I almost think the last picture at 1 inch with rotary mower looks better?


----------



## ENC_Lawn

.75 HOC

Dead grass is from spraying out Zoysia that returned.


----------



## Brou

ENC_Lawn said:


> Backyard Reel mowed.
> 
> Backyard is a mixture of P77 and Arden 15 Bermuda with some 419 SOD in some places.
> 
> It needs at least 2 to 3 more sand leveling's.
> 
> It was seeded exactly 1 year and 9 days ago.
> 
> Then reseeded twice more after the initial seeding.


I think you caught a tractor in your trampoline's net.

I think the 1" rotary cut looks better than the <1" reel cut. However, I'm color blind so take my opinion with a grain of salt. I have to ask my wife if our lawn's color is good or not.


----------



## ENC_Lawn

@Kamauxx Thanks...I have the same thoughts as well there are times I like the higher height of cut.


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## ENC_Lawn

Cut the lawn with the rotary today because of the heat.

Doesn't look good...compared to the reel mower...but a lot easier mowing in this heat.


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## BakerGreenLawnMaker

How have I missed this journal? That Bermuda is looking good man, even cut with the rotary it looks far better than the average Bermuda lawn


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## ENC_Lawn

BakerGreenLawnMaker said:


> How have I missed this journal? That Bermuda is looking good man, even cut with the rotary it looks far better than the average Bermuda lawn


@BakerGreenLawnMaker Thanks!!!

I am Happy with the rotary considering it was 1 inch HOC...but once you get use to the "reel mower cut" everything around 1 inch HOC looks long and fluffy! :lol:


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## BakerGreenLawnMaker

@ENC_Lawn I agree, I've been maintaining my zoysia anywhere from 1/2" to 1" with my TruCut, and when I mow it with my rotary, it just doesn't look the same... to me anyway.


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## ENC_Lawn

BakerGreenLawnMaker said:


> @ENC_Lawn I agree, I've been maintaining my zoysia anywhere from 1/2" to 1" with my TruCut, and when I mow it with my rotary, it just doesn't look the same... to me anyway.


@BakerGreenLawnMaker I just checked out your Zoysia journal...

Your lawn looks awesome!

Very nice transformation. :nod:

You Zoysia guys makes us Bermuda guys jeolous!!!


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## ENC_Lawn

.75 HOC.

Applied Primo on the 11th for the first time.

The ditch is looking a little better.


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## tcorbitt20

If your experience with PGR is anything like mine, you won't look back. I'm well pleased with it, and your lawn is looking great!


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## ENC_Lawn

@tcorbitt20 Thank you!

Wish I didn't have the dead spot of grass from where I sprayed out the Zoysia...

What type of sprayer are you using @tcorbitt20


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## tcorbitt20

It's an ATV boomless sprayer from Tractor Supply that I got fine spray nozzles from FIMCO to replace the ones on the ends.


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## ENC_Lawn

@tcorbitt20 nice!!!


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## tcorbitt20

:thumbup:


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## ENC_Lawn

First time results of using PGR...is pretty amazing.

Tomorrow will be 6 days since my last mow.

Lawn still looking pretty good compared to the other parts of the lawn that did not get PGR.

Yellowing of the turf is from the Sedge Hammer that was sprayed.

Sidewalk edging got a little extra PGR.


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## ENC_Lawn

Haven't updated in a while.

The lawn is not looking too good at the moment.

It needs more water... and I have been cutting it with the Rotary at 1 inch in this heat.


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## ENC_Lawn

Rotary cut again last night. 1 inch HOC.


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## ENC_Lawn

1 inch Rotary Cut.


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## Redtwin

That looks real good for rotary... I don't see any crop circle or crecent moon scalp marks.


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## ENC_Lawn

@Redtwin Thank you sir!

Yeah...doesn't look know where as good as when I use the Reel mower.

I have sanded a couple of times and that has helped a lot with the rotary. I still reel mow the ditch...or it will scalp like crazy regardless with the rotary.

I sprayed T-Nex for the first and I think last time...

(I just didn't enjoy the chemicals and spraying in general)...so I have not been able to cut it every other day with the Reel.

So I have resulted to the rotary for now.

I wish I enjoyed spraying T-NEX...

Its this time of year...that makes me think about Zoysia.... :lol:


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## tcorbitt20

I second @Redtwin. That's pretty dang good for a rotary cut. Well done!


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## ENC_Lawn

tcorbitt20 said:


> I second @Redtwin. That's pretty dang good for a rotary cut. Well done!


Thanks!


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## ZeonJNix

If you hadn't said it was rotary cut I don't think I would have noticed. Looks great!


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## ENC_Lawn

ZeonJNix said:


> If you hadn't said it was rotary cut I don't think I would have noticed. Looks great!


@ZeonJNix Thanks...I normally cut with the California Trimmer...and prefer the reel but its been hot. :lol:

I would love to eventually upgrade to a Greens mower or Swardsman to get a better striping effect.


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## ENC_Lawn

Still maintaining 1 inch HOC.

I need to get the reel out and do a mid summer scalp and get back to maintaining the lawn Reel low.


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## ENC_Lawn

Late season scalp yesterday.


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## Redtwin

Heck yeah! Are you going to keep it low through the winter? That's the plan for me down here.


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## ENC_Lawn

Redtwin said:


> Heck yeah! Are you going to keep it low through the winter? That's the plan for me down here.


@Redtwin Yes sir....after I read a post that said not to worry about winter kill...then I said "no more scalping in March for me".

In NC the yellow Pollen gets rough around March...so I will be more than glad to not have to scalp during that time frame.

I had let the lawn get out of control with the rotary.

Even though it was only 1.25 inches HOC it was "puffy" and the weight of my John Deere rider was making the grass uneven.

So I said the heck with it and just went as low as I could... :lol:

I will say @Redtwin Bermuda HOC reset's do get on my nerves....so I will be following your new Zoysia next year.


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## ENC_Lawn

23 Days since my scalp.

I have mowed the lawn once since then.

It needs mowing again.


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## Romangorilla

That color looks awesome!
Great job!


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## ENC_Lawn

@Romangorilla Thank you sir!

Just trying to look half as good as your lawn  

How's your Bermuda Test plots working out?


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## Romangorilla

ENC_Lawn said:


> @Romangorilla Thank you sir!
> 
> Just trying to look half as good as your lawn
> 
> How's your Bermuda Test plots working out?


The test plots went well. They are now over seeded with PRG.
I did a severe disservice by not taking many pictures.

IMO: The Lat 36 was a far superior grass. The Celebration, honestly, didn't look any better than the P77. I'll try to upload pics and a write up of the test plots on that thread so I don't hijack your journal.
Are you overseeing this year?


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## quattljl

ENC_Lawn said:


> @ZeonJNix Thanks...I normally cut with the California Trimmer...and prefer the reel but its been hot. :lol:
> 
> I would love to eventually upgrade to a Greens mower or Swardsman to get a better striping effect.


Didn't realize you had made a new lawn journal for the year. Your lawn is/was looking great this year. I imagine it's starting to slow down with the cooler weather now.

How do you like the Cal Trimmer? We moved to a new house this summer that has either Emerald or Zeon Zoysia and it looks ok with my Toro Recycler but I'm seriously considering an upgrade to a reel mower and a Cal Trimmer has my eye right now.

Side note: early returns with about 1 summer season on my Zoysia is it still grows like mad. I still mowed mine every 3-4 days with only about 1/4lb N per month via the liquid plan from LCN.


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## ENC_Lawn

Romangorilla said:


> ENC_Lawn said:
> 
> 
> 
> @Romangorilla Thank you sir!
> 
> Just trying to look half as good as your lawn
> 
> How's your Bermuda Test plots working out?
> 
> 
> 
> The test plots went well. They are now over seeded with PRG.
> I did a severe disservice by not taking many pictures.
> 
> IMO: The Lat 36 was a far superior grass. The Celebration, honestly, didn't look any better than the P77. I'll try to upload pics and a write up of the test plots on that thread so I don't hijack your journal.
> Are you overseeing this year?
Click to expand...

I see Latitude 36 in your future...it is one awesome cultivar! 

No sir...No overseeding for me.

I am over this lawn season!

Life / career schedule and 14,000 square feet of Bermuda has kicked my butt this season... :lol:


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## ENC_Lawn

quattljl said:


> ENC_Lawn said:
> 
> 
> 
> @ZeonJNix Thanks...I normally cut with the California Trimmer...and prefer the reel but its been hot. :lol:
> 
> I would love to eventually upgrade to a Greens mower or Swardsman to get a better striping effect.
> 
> 
> 
> Didn't realize you had made a new lawn journal for the year. Your lawn is/was looking great this year. I imagine it's starting to slow down with the cooler weather now.
> 
> How do you like the Cal Trimmer? We moved to a new house this summer that has either Emerald or Zeon Zoysia and it looks ok with my Toro Recycler but I'm seriously considering an upgrade to a reel mower and a Cal Trimmer has my eye right now.
> 
> Side note: early returns with about 1 summer season on my Zoysia is it still grows like mad. I still mowed mine every 3-4 days with only about 1/4lb N per month via the liquid plan from LCN.
Click to expand...

I love the California Trimmer...honestly it is an awesome mower and it's especially awesome at the price point!

I would highly recommend it!


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## soupy01833

is that mill ridge development by any chance?


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## ENC_Lawn

soupy01833 said:


> is that mill ridge development by any chance?


No sir...not sure were Mill Ridge is?


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## ENC_Lawn

Romangorilla said:


> ENC_Lawn said:
> 
> 
> 
> @Romangorilla Thank you sir!
> 
> Just trying to look half as good as your lawn
> 
> How's your Bermuda Test plots working out?
> 
> 
> 
> The test plots went well. They are now over seeded with PRG.
> I did a severe disservice by not taking many pictures.
> 
> IMO: The Lat 36 was a far superior grass. The Celebration, honestly, didn't look any better than the P77. I'll try to upload pics and a write up of the test plots on that thread so I don't hijack your journal.
> Are you overseeing this year?
Click to expand...

@Romangorilla Did the Celebration continue to spread faster than the Lat 36 or did the Lat 36 eventually catch up to the spread rate of the Celebration plugs?


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## Romangorilla

ENC_Lawn said:


> Romangorilla said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> ENC_Lawn said:
> 
> 
> 
> @Romangorilla Thank you sir!
> 
> Just trying to look half as good as your lawn
> 
> How's your Bermuda Test plots working out?
> 
> 
> 
> The test plots went well. They are now over seeded with PRG.
> I did a severe disservice by not taking many pictures.
> 
> IMO: The Lat 36 was a far superior grass. The Celebration, honestly, didn't look any better than the P77. I'll try to upload pics and a write up of the test plots on that thread so I don't hijack your journal.
> Are you overseeing this year?
> 
> Click to expand...
> 
> @Romangorilla Did the Celebration continue to spread faster than the Lat 36 or did the Lat 36 eventually catch up to the spread rate of the Celebration plugs?
Click to expand...

The Lat 36 did end up catching up and actually had greater lateral growth. But the Celebration has amazing top growth. Lol That stuff needs to be cut almost every day.
And I would say in the future, when we buy our next home, it's definitely between Tahoma 31 or Lat 36.


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## soupy01833

I guess many neighborhoods look the same. I am in NC as well and it looked so familiar


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## ENC_Lawn

@quattljl



quattljl said:


> ENC_Lawn said:
> 
> 
> 
> Side note: early returns with about 1 summer season on my Zoysia is it still grows like mad. I still mowed mine every 3-4 days with only about 1/4lb N per month via the liquid plan from LCN.
> 
> 
> 
> Wow...thats still pretty often of a mowing schedule. What HOC was that for your Zoysia?
Click to expand...


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## quattljl

ENC_Lawn said:


> @quattljl
> 
> Wow...thats still pretty often of a mowing schedule. What HOC was that for your Zoysia?


Scalped it at 1.25" (didn't realize until later that I could actually go down to 1" on my mower), and maintained at 1.5". Even with a fresh blade and mowing every 3-4 days I still get lines of clippings out the side of my mower that I have to go back over with my leaf blower and spread out. Not sure if it has to do with the fine leaf texture or just how thick the Zoysia is (nowhere for it to go but out I guess) but I never had that issue mowing my very thick TTTF or Bermuda last year. Very annoying/frustrating. I actually don't mind the look with the rotary mower but the clipping thing alone makes me wonder about a reel mower. We'll see how things look after a full season taking care of it next year and then address the reel mower topic again if I'm still not satisfied.


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## ENC_Lawn

Winter Dormancy is right around the corner.

The lawn needs a quick clean up mow.


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## Redtwin

Looks like the P77 is holding up better than the others. What does your neighbor have?


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## ENC_Lawn

Redtwin said:


> Looks like the P77 is holding up better than the others. What does your neighbor have?


I Have Centipede on both sides of my lawn.


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## ENC_Lawn

I'm not sure if it's the heat from the house and concrete slab...???

But the 419 SOD seems to be staying green longer than the Arden 15 and Princess 77.


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## Ware

@ENC_Lawn

Merged.


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## ENC_Lawn

@Ware Very much appreciated!

Thank you sir!!! :thumbup:


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## Murf300

Have you ever done a soil test on your lawn? I haven't heard you mention anything about iron, or any other levels.


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## Topher0402

I'm about 1 month out from laying down Arden 15. Would you recommend that I put down phosphorus now?


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## ENC_Lawn

Murf300 said:


> Have you ever done a soil test on your lawn? I haven't heard you mention anything about iron, or any other levels.


Sorry for the delay...I am just now seeing this post.

Yes did a soil test 2 season ago.

Had low PH in the front lawn and applied about 600 pounds of Lime to raise the PH.

The back yard PH was just fine when it was measured so I did not have to do anything to it.


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## ENC_Lawn

Topher0402 said:


> I'm about 1 month out from laying down Arden 15. Would you recommend that I put down phosphorus now?


I would not...I don't know if there would be any benefit to putting it out this early.

When your soil temperature hit's 70 degrees or higher you should be good to go.

In hindsight I would of waited a little longer to seed but I was excited to get started.

Warmer temperatures will be your friend when seeding.

I would put out a good starter fertilizer and you should be good to go with phosphorus.

Some say put the starter fertilizer out at seeding some say wait to germinate. I'm not sure which way is best.

Once it germinated I would push Nitrogen at .5 pounds per 1,000 square feet every 15 days and water, water and water.

If you can reel mow every 2 days along with the water and fertilizer you will have a nice lawn in 7 to 8 weeks!


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## Topher0402

Thanks for the advice? I may try and journal the progress. What ratio of nitrogen did you use?


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## ENC_Lawn

Topher0402 said:


> Thanks for the advice? I may try and journal the progress. What ratio of nitrogen did you use?


I believe it was 27-0-0. But any fast release nitrogen will work.

Once grow in period is over you can switch to way less fertilizer and slow release as well.


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## ENC_Lawn

Scalped the lawn yesterday.

I will most likely go back over the lawn once more and try and go even lower.


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## ENC_Lawn

Rotary cut. I don't know if I will have time for the reel mower this year.


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## Redtwin

Wow! That's greening up nice for NC.


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## ENC_Lawn

Reel mowed at .75 HOC.


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## ENC_Lawn




----------



## ENC_Lawn

1 inch Rotary HOC.


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## ENC_Lawn

Rotary Cut at 1 inch HOC.


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## tcorbitt20

ENC_Lawn said:


> Rotary Cut at 1 inch HOC.


Rotary cut? Could've fooled me. Looks great!


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## ENC_Lawn

tcorbitt20 said:


> ENC_Lawn said:
> 
> 
> 
> Rotary Cut at 1 inch HOC.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Rotary cut? Could've fooled me. Looks great!
Click to expand...

Thanks!

We will see how it looks with the Rotary the next 2 months or so now that the heat is picking up.


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## ENC_Lawn

Mowed the lawn yesterday with my Rotary at 1.25 HOC.

Then mowed again today with my California Trimmer and dropped the HOC.


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## ENC_Lawn

PGR is making a big difference this year.

This is about as dense as I have seen my Princess 77 Bermuda.


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## ENC_Lawn

Rotary cut yesterday at 1 inch HOC.


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## ENC_Lawn

Rotary Cut at 1.5 Inches HOC.


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## ENC_Lawn

Different angle and lighting.


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## ENC_Lawn

@Mightyquinn I am thinking of spraying out my side yard...I'm still on the fence about doing it...but if I decide to actually do it the side yard is roughly 1,400 square feet give or take.

To get a good kill off of Bermuda when should I start here in NC.

Should I start this week...knowing we have about 6 more weeks of good growing season left...or should I wait closer to October?

I am thinking 3 Rounds of Glyphosate about 10 days apart then winter dormancy will happen.

Then fertilize again next spring and hit it again with another round of Glyphosate?

Any suggestions?


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## Mightyquinn

I think the sooner the better if you are wanting to spray it out. I would also think about getting some Fusilade to add to the mix to help get a more complete kill of the bermuda. I would do 2 weeks apart and make sure you are fertilizing that area good with some cheap fertilizer. After the initial kill, you also might want to scalp all the dead material off to help expose whatever regrowth you might get.


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## ENC_Lawn

Mightyquinn said:


> I think the sooner the better if you are wanting to spray it out. I would also think about getting some Fusilade to add to the mix to help get a more complete kill of the bermuda. I would do 2 weeks apart and make sure you are fertilizing that area good with some cheap fertilizer. After the initial kill, you also might want to scalp all the dead material off to help expose whatever regrowth you might get.


@Mightyquinn Ok sounds good!

What are your thoughts on laying dormant sod this winter?

I know @Redtwin had great success with Empire Zoysia laying it in the winter and El Toro is similar to Empire.

@Spammage any thoughts on laying dormant Zoysia'?

The sod farmer said it could be laid year round?

I'm considering El Toro Zoysia on that side of the house and I think it will match up with my centipede neighbors pretty good?

Thanks to everyone for the help!


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## Mightyquinn

My original 419 was laid in January when the house was built and it turned out fine


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## ENC_Lawn

Mightyquinn said:


> My original 419 was laid in January when the house was built and it turned out fine


 :thumbup:


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## parana

Looks awesome! When searching your username caught my eye. Moved to Greenville last November and closing on a house finally next week. Thinking of doing a front lawn reno. Haven't been there enough to get a good grasp on what's there but appears to be a mix of common bermuda, weeds, maybe some fescue here and there. Would love to kill everything off and restart if possible.


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## ENC_Lawn

parana said:


> Looks awesome! When searching your username caught my eye. Moved to Greenville last November and closing on a house finally next week. Thinking of doing a front lawn reno. Haven't been there enough to get a good grasp on what's there but appears to be a mix of common bermuda, weeds, maybe some fescue here and there. Would love to kill everything off and restart if possible.


Thank you!

Congrats on the new home in Greenville.

I graduated from ECU and spent a couple of years living there...back in the day! 

Lawn renovation are fun...and a lot of work too.

Welcome to the forum...this place has a wealth of knowledge!


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## ENC_Lawn

Started prepping my side yard for Zoysia sod.

This pic was just before power raking.

I will post some more pics of the lawn after power raking.


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## ENC_Lawn

Power Rake after photos.


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## ENC_Lawn

Installed EL Toro Zoysia on my side yard yesterday!


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## quattljl

@ENC_Lawn I must have missed it in an earlier post. Why the change to Zoysia?


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## ENC_Lawn

quattljl said:


> @ENC_Lawn I must have missed it in an earlier post. Why the change to Zoysia?


@quattljl I have always wanted try Zoysia.

When we built the house we actually seeded Zenith Zoysia but got very little Germination.

So basically just enjoying trying a different cultivar of warm season grass!


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## ENC_Lawn

The lawn is finally starting to green up.


----------



## quattljl

How's the Zoysia looking in comparison?


----------



## ENC_Lawn

@quattljl Its not greening up as fast.

I am not sure if its because it's Zoysia or because its new SOD.

I will see if I can't get some better pictures soon!


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## ENC_Lawn

The Zoysia needs sand leveling from last year late season install.

It's also seems to be slow to green up.


----------



## quattljl

I wonder if it's a first year thing or has to do with the variety. Coming out of winter last year, my lawn was fully green several weeks before all the neighbors with Bermuda and another with (what I'm guessing is) Empire.

This year, all the warm season lawns have been slow to green up, even mine. I think it has some to do with temps but after reviewing my apps from last year, I don't think I fertilized enough (my soil test confirms).


----------



## ENC_Lawn

@quattljl I am hoping its a first year thing.

I installed the sod halfway through September of last year.

So I did not have a lot of time to establish the new sod.

With Temperatures in the 80's this week and some rain...I am hoping for better green up next week!


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## ENC_Lawn

I sanded the new Zoysia Sod yesterday.


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## ENC_Lawn

Day 9 post sanding.


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## ENC_Lawn

3 Weeks post sanding.


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## ENC_Lawn

Zoysia side yard.


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## ENC_Lawn

1 inch HOC with the Rotary.


----------



## ENC_Lawn

@Redtwin I wish I had an entire lawn of this Zoysia.


----------



## Redtwin

I feel you! That Empire is pretty awesome, isn't it?


----------



## ENC_Lawn

Redtwin said:


> I feel you! That Empire is pretty awesome, isn't it?


@Redtwin I am really liking the versatility of the Zoysia Japonica.

I have El Toro which I think looks just like Empire.

I like I can reel mow it under and inch if I want too.

But it looks good cut with a rotary.

I really like that it doesn't grow as fast and scalp as bad!

This is my first season with it so only time will tell, but so far so good!


----------



## ENC_Lawn

EL Toro Zoysia in the side yard.


----------

