# bernstem's lawn journal



## bernstem (Jan 16, 2018)

Growing KBG in St. Louis. When I bought my current house, the lawn and landscape had been neglected by the previous owner for at least 10 years. The lawn was a mutt with half Zoysia and half Cool season turf. I really, truly dislike Zoysia. Rather, I dislike it in St. Louis where it is brown for fully half the year. After living with it for one summer, I proceeded to kill the Zoysia and replaced it with Bluegrass. I kind of planned on this being a temporary lawn so did the easy thing and used the blend from Home Depot. This is what I had in April 2011:







That was when I needed to update the 50 year old HVAC. For a lot of reasons, including the terrible thermal insulation of a masonry constructed house, we installed a Geothermal heat pump. That left this:



That wasn't terrible (aside from an unexpectedly massive amount of Limestone being added to the lawn). I knew what was going to happen, so it was impetus to completely redo the front landscaping.





Ultimately, this is where the lawn ended up by 2012:


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## social port (Jun 19, 2017)

Wow, that is an awesome lawn. How did you kill the Zoysia? Was glyphosate sufficient?


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## bernstem (Jan 16, 2018)

Fast forward to 2020. I have learned a lot, but this is where the lawn is today. I gradually dropped the mowing height from 2.5 to 1.25 inches (I really need a reel mower) and the lawn needs to acclimate to the lower height. I did add a touch of Milorganite (14 lbs/k). I also made the first preventive application of Azoxystrobin for Summer Patch (another thing I hate, but can't get rid of). I did some minor leveling, but probably need to do a full lawn leveling at some point as I am going to make a serious effort at keeping the lawn short this year. It will be interesting to see what disease pressure and water requirements are. It can get to mid nineties with 70+% humidity for much of the summer, and KBG does not like that.

Here was the front lawn at 2 inches:







And the back:


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## bernstem (Jan 16, 2018)

social port said:


> Wow, that is an awesome lawn. How did you kill the Zoysia? Was glyphosate sufficient?


Three applications of Glyphosate blanket sprays 7-10 days apart. The fist application killed the top growth, but 90% started to regrow from the stolons/rhizomes. It was quite impressive. The second application took out almost all of the remaining growth. I would say less than 5% was left after the second application. The third did it in. I also fertilized it and watered it like I really wanted it to live. All told, I had a brown lawn for a full 4 weeks before seed down. I also scalped the lawn after the first glyphosate. There was a ton of organic matter.





We had a blonde squirrel that year.


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## Chris LI (Oct 26, 2018)

Nice chronology of the phases of improvement on the lawn and landscaping. I presume that you have irrigation now, is that correct? If so, did you have it when you purchased the house or did you add it?


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## bernstem (Jan 16, 2018)

The house did not have any irrigation when I purchased it. When the front lawn was landscaped, I put in irrigation. The back didn't have any until two years ago when I expanded the back patio and updated the landscaping next to the house. Until I put in the back irrigation, it got a lot less intensive care. It was mowed higher, less fertilizer, etc. Now it gets treated the same as the front.

This morning the lawn got sprayed with Primo (0.4 Oz/k) and FAS (4 Oz Iron/k, 3.4 Oz Ammonium Sulfate/k).


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## Chris LI (Oct 26, 2018)

Thanks. That answered my follow up question, too, about your maintenance level with and without irrigation.


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## bernstem (Jan 16, 2018)

Today was a lot of work. The front got raked by hand to remove thatch as it is affecting appearance at 1.25 inch height.



After that was cut and bag clippings and thatch. Post mow pictures:







Some areas in the front will need some time to acclimate to the shorter cut. Some leveling may be needed as well, but some time will help.

The back just got a trim as I wasn't about to dethatch another 5k of lawn. I'm not sure it will stay at 1.25 inches but I'll give it a few more weeks:





A reel mower is looking much more attractive...


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## bernstem (Jan 16, 2018)

Lawn needs to dry out. Seeing some leaf fungal issues. Likely brought on by the stress from lower mowing height and dethatching. The front is also shaded in the AM and holds dew a bit longer. It isn't obvious from the distance photos, but close up you can really see it. Lawn got Propiconazole at 2 Oz/k. Combined with the Primo, it isn't growing for a while, but... the fungus was concerning and I'm not sure the Azoxysrobin is going to cover it, but Azoxy + Propiconazole kills almost everything. The back looks fine with no signs of disease. Now I just have to wait, and figure out a fungicide plan for the next couple weeks.


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## bernstem (Jan 16, 2018)

The last week has been busy. There was a lot of thatch and old dead stuff in the lawn, so I rented a power rake to clean it up. You can see the old thatch in the front. This was after manually dethatching. The left side was bagged and mowed.



After dethatching and mowing. Still at 1.25 inches.







And the back:





The back has more leveling issues than the front, though both are better after power raking. Unfortunately, I need to wait for the lawn to recover from the abuse to see how it will do. Fungus seems to be getting better.


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## bernstem (Jan 16, 2018)

Ok, here is the lawn today after rain and time. The lawn still needs to fill in. It also needs to be mowed, but the soil is still really wet. I'll probably wait until tomorrow to mow. I still have time to decide if I want to keep it at 1.25 inches or raise it to 2. If I had a reel mower, I think it would be fine, but that will take a bit of budgeting. I'm open to suggestions, but I am leaning toward the Swardman Electra 55.

Front lawn:




Here we can see some scalping at a high spot from the power rake and mowing.



Close up of the front. A lot less leaf spot:



Compared to:



And the back:





Some Columbine:



And a giant pile of Thatch. It kind of looks like the entrance to a hidden glen with the way the trees overhang.


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## HoosierLawnGnome (Sep 28, 2017)

Looking good, @bernstem !

I have to dethatch at these lower heights of cut too. Looks bad for a few days that about it.

Seedheads are also more difficult to deal with and require double passes with my reel. I've done seedhead reduction with PGRs on my lawn, but I decided not to this year. It's expensive and requires time consuming blanket sprays, so I decided to see if it was really that much worse this year if I skipped.


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## bernstem (Jan 16, 2018)

Lawn is starting to recover from the dethatch and leaf spot/melting out. I did a bit of spot leveling with sand and am holding at 1.25 inches. The back is lagging a bit, and also has more dips. Spent a lot of time reclaiming the front paver walk from the encroaching KBG. It had overgown about 3 inches on each side. I clearly don't spend as much time edging as I should.

I tried to get hold of @Reelrollers with e-mail and a voice mail last week to talk about a Swardman (I didn't win the ones they gave away...), but I haven't heard back from them yet. Maybe Covid is affecting them.

Today I sprayed a half dose of SLS, Humic, and Kelp. Front before mowing:







Front after mowing:







Back before mowing (didn't take after photos):





I'll probably do an applications of Iron and Ammonium Sulfate later, but I need a break.


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## bernstem (Jan 16, 2018)

@HoosierLawnGnome I haven't dethatched in a couple years. There was a lot of dead stuff. I was also pretty aggressive and took down a lot of high areas of soil. It will definitely recover, but... it may take a few weeks.


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## Millennial Mower (Mar 23, 2020)

bernstem said:


> I tried to get hold of @Reelrollers with e-mail and a voice mail last week to talk about a Swardman (I didn't win the ones they gave away...), but I haven't heard back from them yet. Maybe Covid is affecting them.


If youre on Facebook, we have a fun little Swardman community you could look in to. We can usually answer most questions. My signature has the link.


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## bernstem (Jan 16, 2018)

@Millennial Mower I saw that. I'll probably join. I did get hold of Reel Rollers and placed an order for an Electra, but it will likely be at least a month before they can get it to me. Apparently their battery supplier is in China and was shut down from Coronavirus.


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## Mok (May 29, 2019)

bernstem said:


> @Millennial Mower I saw that. I'll probably join. I did get hold of Reel Rollers and placed an order for an Electra, but it will likely be at least a month before they can get it to me. Apparently their battery supplier is in China and was shut down from Coronavirus.


Hang in there I love mine!


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## Chris1 (Apr 22, 2020)

lot of work removing lawn debris and battling fungus. How are you planning to keep fungus in check going forward ?

Swardman is a very nice machine


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## bernstem (Jan 16, 2018)

@Chris1 In St. Louis it is tough when it gets hot and humid for weeks at a time. Summer Patch is also tough since it stays in the soil pretty much forever. I"ll see how the lawn does with less thatch and cut lower. Shorter turf dries out faster so that will help foliar disease, but shorter turf is more stressed which isn't good for disease. My ideal mowing height should probably be 2.5 inches for lawn health, but that isn't as much of a challenge.

Currently, I accept that I will have some disease issues (though this spring's Leaf Spot was a surprise), and I use chemical fungicides preventively. My past rotations have been Azoystrobin, Propiconazole, and sometimes Thiophenate-Methyl. I'm adding Velista to the rotation this year. I applied spring Azoxy 3 weeks ago and Propiconazole 2 weeks ago. I'll do a dose of Velista in a week and then see what happens to decide the next application.


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## Chris1 (Apr 22, 2020)

STL must be very difficult environment to battle fungus . I would think removing the lawn debris / thatch will work well with the fungicide rotation


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## bernstem (Jan 16, 2018)

Primo was up, so that got renewed today. Also added 0.5 lbs of N and Sulfur to see if it does anything. Front continues getting cut at 1.25. Back moved up to 2 inches as it still needs some leveling and it isn't recovering fast enough. Irises started blooming this week and some early roses. Next week should see most of the roses in first bloom. In the garden worked on trimming the boxwoods and some of the back lawn honeysuckle. I need to work on refining the garden beds and mulching (that is late).

Front:






Back:




Bonus:


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## pennstater2005 (Jul 17, 2017)

Looks great @bernstem :thumbup:


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## bernstem (Jan 16, 2018)

Spring is always the best with the lawn and gardens all fresh and blooming. Late summer is where you find out how well you have really done.


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## Millennial Mower (Mar 23, 2020)

bernstem said:


> @Millennial Mower I saw that. I'll probably join. I did get hold of Reel Rollers and placed an order for an Electra, but it will likely be at least a month before they can get it to me. Apparently their battery supplier is in China and was shut down from Coronavirus.


Bummer! I played with the electra at RR and it was really cool.


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## bernstem (Jan 16, 2018)

Did a lot this past weekend. Applied Primo at 0.6 Oz rate. Color is off a touch two days after it and there is some blade tip shredding on the front. I wonder if I am seeing some phytotoxicity from the Primo or maybe just stress from traffic since I was working on the lawn for the past couple days? Maybe both? I did a sulfur application at 4 lbs/M and Nitrogen at 0.5 lbs/M. I'll sharpen up the mower blades and keep an eye on it. Fungicide is due next week, there is still Azoxy and Propiconazole active in the lawn. I did start spot leveling some of the worst areas in the back. The front stays at 1.25 inches. The back is at 2 inches.

Most of the work was in the gardens. Put down 8 yards of mulch after redefining the beds. There is a stone bench at the fron corner of the lawn that I moved and rebuilt. I was pretty much unusable as the garden had encroached on it. You can see it in the first front lawn photo. I'll get some better pictures of it once the roses behind it bloom (which should be soon). Peonies are also getting ready to bloom.

Front Photos:







Back Photos:


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## Pete1313 (May 3, 2017)

bernstem said:


> Spring is always the best with the lawn and gardens all fresh and blooming. Late summer is where you find out how well you have really done.


So true!



bernstem said:


> Applied Primo at 0.6 Oz rate. Color is off a touch two days after it and there is some blade tip shredding on the front. I wonder if I am seeing some phytotoxicity from the Primo or maybe just stress from traffic since I was working on the lawn for the past couple days?


I have seen that in the past as well. The blade tip shredding is a symptom of over-regulation. Maybe back down the rate for the next app and/or increase the reapplication interval.

https://turf.unl.edu/turfinfo/July9%20PGR%20Over-Reg.pdf



> On closer inspection, the leaves are generally free of lesions but have a worn appearance with brown shredded leaf tips. Occasionally, leaves will have leaf spot lesions.


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## bernstem (Jan 16, 2018)

Pete1313 said:


> I have seen that in the past as well. The blade tip shredding is a symptom of over-regulation. Maybe back down the rate for the next app and/or increase the reapplication interval.
> 
> https://turf.unl.edu/turfinfo/July9%20PGR%20Over-Reg.pdf
> 
> ...


I did see that article and that was my thought. I'll probably drop back to 0.3-0.4 Oz rate and see what happens. Could also be fungal, but I'm pretty well covered right now.

Management should get a bit easier with a reel, but that is at least a couple weeks away.


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## Pete1313 (May 3, 2017)

I look forward to seeing that reel in action!


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## bernstem (Jan 16, 2018)

This weekend was a bit busy. Manual reel mow for the front at 1.25 inches as it was quite wet from rain. The back drains better so it was mowed with the Honda at 2 inches. Velista and FAS yesterday, then Kelp, Humic and SLS in the rain when it started. Today was Citric Acid at the tail of the rain to water it in as well. In total, I got almost 2 inches of rain over the past 24 hours on top of almost an inch earlier this week. Good thing I put down Velista.

Front lawn before anything went down and before mowing.







Back Lawn before mowing.


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## bernstem (Jan 16, 2018)

And for anyone following the thread, some garden shots. The lawn photos above were on my iphone. These were with my Canon SLR. White balance was wonky in a few (you would think a pricy camera would be better than my phone, but it isn't) and I wasn't shooting in RAW, so couldn't quite fix them perfectly. You can really see it in the grass color. The picture were all taken at the same time and light, so the grass should be the same color.


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## beardizzle1 (Jun 13, 2019)

@bernstem Looking pristine! Love the color your flowers provide.. what's the bottom pic one?


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## bernstem (Jan 16, 2018)

beardizzle1 said:


> @bernstem Looking pristine! Love the color your flowers provide.. what's the bottom pic one?


That is a black bearded iris. :thumbup:

I have been a gardener before I became a lawn crazy. I am pretty happy with where they are right now. The bearded irises need a bit of dividing and moving around right now. The trees have grown enough that the light isn't quit ideal and I have put off dividing for too long so the irises are under performing flower wise.


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## dfw_pilot (Jan 28, 2017)

Beautiful home, street, and lawn, Bernstem!

If the Swardman doesn't Toro materialize, there Toro are other great Toro options.


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## bernstem (Jan 16, 2018)

dfw_pilot said:


> Beautiful home, street, and lawn, Bernstem!
> 
> If the Swardman doesn't Toro materialize, there Toro are other great Toro options.


I am, for some reason, thinking of John Deere....

A Toro was on my short list. If I had Bermuda, it would be different.

Now if only it would dry out here. The front lawn is too wet to mow (2.5 inches of rain over 3 days) and we are overcast for the next week and getting 0.1 inches of rain every day spread out over the whole day. Good thing I just dropped Velista.


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## dfw_pilot (Jan 28, 2017)

bernstem said:


> I am, for some reason, thinking of John Deere....


Haha! Yes, when you switch to reel, you can mow in a literal downpour. Mowing in the rain or whilst things are wet also helps smooth the lawn. Cheers.


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## Green (Dec 24, 2017)

bernstem said:


> These were with my Canon SLR. White balance was wonky in a few (you would think a pricy camera would be better than my phone, but it isn't) and I wasn't shooting in RAW, so couldn't quite fix them perfectly. You can really see it in the grass color.


I shoot everything at 5,500K and set white balance in the raw conversion. With modern cameras, the white balance is not calculated until the raw conversion. I haven't even messed with gray cards, Expodisc, etc. (white balance metering, where the camera takes a sample of the light). I can't remember the last time I shot jpeg. Heck, my latest posted lawn photos were shot on Kodak film.


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## bernstem (Jan 16, 2018)

Green said:


> bernstem said:
> 
> 
> > These were with my Canon SLR. White balance was wonky in a few (you would think a pricy camera would be better than my phone, but it isn't) and I wasn't shooting in RAW, so couldn't quite fix them perfectly. You can really see it in the grass color.
> ...


My sister-in-law was using the camera and had it set to jpeg. I usually let the camera set white balance, but shoot RAW so I can adjust in post processing. I'm a bit annoyed at myself for not changing it back, I just got lazy. I also take a lot of photos with my phone now they are so good (most of the lawn pictures) and convenient, but the depth of field, focus control, and bokeh are better with a SLR so the garden and flower pictures are usually with the Canon.


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## bernstem (Jan 16, 2018)

dfw_pilot said:


> bernstem said:
> 
> 
> > I am, for some reason, thinking of John Deere....
> ...


Every time I go out there when it is wet, I get frustrated the mower isn't here yet for that very reason...

In the meantime, I'll keep spot leveling the worst spots with sand (mostly in the back).


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## bernstem (Jan 16, 2018)

Lawn is in maintenance mode. It stopped raining and the lawn is starting to dry out, that is good. Added 0.2 lbs of Nitrogen yesterday and the lawn is looking better today. Dropped the back lawn height to 1.25 inches and it seems happy at that height. Spot leveling has helped a lot.







And the garden next to the sidewalk:



First Neptune Rose:


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## Pete1313 (May 3, 2017)

Someday I hope to have some of your gardening ability.. beautiful!


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## bernstem (Jan 16, 2018)

Got a lot done this weekend. Seems like everything came up at the same time for re-spraying. Primo went down at 0.4 Oz. The next day was Kelp/Humic/SLS with a light irrigation. That was followed by Azoxystrobin and irrigation, then Citric acid and irrigation. Final application was Propiconazole - yes, I know growth will be minimal with it stacked on the Primo, but it was time so it went down. Mowing continues at 1.25 on the front and back. The lawn is looking good. The last vestiges of leaf spot seem to have grown out and I have stopped bagging my clippings every mow. The lawn really needs some spray iron and Ammonium sulfate to even out color, but I am out of Iron and it won't be here until later this week. My last fertilizer application was a bit sloppy (you can't really see it in the pictures from this angle).

Front:







Back still needs some leveling:


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## SNOWBOB11 (Aug 31, 2017)

Looks excellent. So uniform.


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## Stuofsci02 (Sep 9, 2018)

Looks really good... Is that around 1.75" HOC?


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## bernstem (Jan 16, 2018)

@Stuofsci02 1.25 inches front and back. I would set it at 1.5, but the Hondas go from 1.25 to 2. If only the Swardman I have on order would arrive... Then I can go to 1.5 for the summer heat and stripe...


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## Stuofsci02 (Sep 9, 2018)

bernstem said:


> @Stuofsci02 1.25 inches front and back. I would set it at 1.5, but the Hondas go from 1.25 to 2. If only the Swardman I have on order would arrive... Then I can go to 1.5 for the summer heat and stripe...


Wow. 1.25 with a rotary is impressive. When your Swardman arrives you should be able to cut at any length if you can get that low with your Honda.


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## bernstem (Jan 16, 2018)

@Stuofsci02 Thanks! I had some areas that required some/a lot of mason sand to get level enough to go to 1.25. I never topdressed, but did do a lot of spot leveling. The front is pretty flat now, but the back had more issues and still has some areas where the turf varies from ~.75 to 1.5 inches that need some more work, but I'm really looking forward to seeing what I can do with the reel. It may have to wait for fall to get much below 1 inch with the summer heat here  . It is supposed to be 90-95 for at least 3 days this week and it is only the first week of June.


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## Chris LI (Oct 26, 2018)

Color and density look phenomenal! It looks like some kind of non-injurious turf sport should be hosted at your house (no cleat marks, please). Maybe croquet, bocce, etc.?
Impressive. It sounds like you are planning to use the Swardman at 1.5". Would you also consider 1.75" or 2"? I will definitely be following.


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## bernstem (Jan 16, 2018)

@Chris LI I think I want to be using it between 3/4 and 1.25 inches. I probably will need to go higher in the summer (2 inches is very reasonable) depending on how the grass responds to low height and heat. Since we get so hot here, one requirement for the reel was the ability to mow easily at 1.5-2 inches, but still have a good cut at 3/4 or so with a drum drive and front roller. I honestly don't see myself going much below 3/4, but it is nice to have a machine that can do it if I want.

The real test of the lawn will be in the next 2 months when it gets hot and humid and KBG gets unhappy.


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## Babameca (Jul 29, 2019)

@bernstem IMO once you go below the 1'' you may never go back. Grass will get thicker and compensate for evaporation with density and will have higher fungi risk when tall. I am sure you will find your walk arounds for the low mow.
It is so addictive...
I am looking forward to follow your challenges and solution in your weather.
The big question is WHEN? Where is the Electra right now?


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## bernstem (Jan 16, 2018)

@Babameca Somewhere in Europe? Maybe over the Atlantic? Confiscated by the admins here for nefarious purposes? It is delayed with slow supply chain from COVID and supposed to get to me some time this month...


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## Babameca (Jul 29, 2019)

@bernstem They did not have in stock in Georgia?


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## Chris LI (Oct 26, 2018)

bernstem said:


> (2 inches is very reasonable) depending on how the grass responds to low height and heat. Since we get so hot here, one requirement for the reel was the ability to mow easily at 1.5-2 inches, but still have a good cut at 3/4 or so with a drum drive and front roller.


These are some of the reasons that I'm interested in the Swardman. The ability to go to 2" combined with all the other features, including the cartridge setup to send out for sharpening and cartridges for other uses is a huge plus for me. I'm still saving due to the price tag. Thanks for the reply.


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## bernstem (Jan 16, 2018)

@Babameca They did not have them in stock. I was told it was delayed for two reasons: 1. Batteries were not being made in china because of COVID so they had to wait for them. 2. Shipping was delayed by COVID.


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## bernstem (Jan 16, 2018)

Not much happening on the lawn. Mostly settling down from spring and getting ready for summer. Nitrogen application rates have dropped dramatically. Applied FAS last night at about 7PM at the 4/3.4 Oz rate. Couldn't do it during the day with the 93 degree heat. Today was Ammonium Sulfate sprayed at 0.16 lbs of Nitrogen and then watered in. Color is great on the front. The back is lagging a bit on color. The front has been getting Citric acid at 1 lb/M every 2 weeks and had a Sulfur application earlier this season. The back has not had either and I'm leaning toward the pH work on the front having an effect.

Front Lawn:







Annoying canine overfertilization on the top of the hill. That will get plugged if it doesn't recover...
:evil: 


Requisite hand picture:



I like this angle:



Back:





And.. the garden photo. Eyeliner Asian Lilly:


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## Stuofsci02 (Sep 9, 2018)

Looks really great. Looking forward to seeing with the higher FAS rate... my color really popped at the half rate..


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## Wiley (Dec 2, 2019)

Turf looks great! can't wait to see it with the Swardman.


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## bernstem (Jan 16, 2018)

I missed last weekend's update. I was off wakeboarding with the family. A lot has happened, though. I applied Primo at 0.3 Oz/M, and AS at 0.16 lbs/M. The lawn was looking good on 6-14 with just a touch of off color, but on 6-15 it developed what looked like a mild case of leaf spot in the front. The back was worse, but I didn't want to apply any more fungicide and the Propiconazole and Azoxystrobin should have still had activity, so I waited it out. Plus I wasn't sure if it was disease or heat + Primo/AS.

6-14







6-15


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## bernstem (Jan 16, 2018)

By 6-17, it was looking worse and I saw some early morning Mycelium that looked like Dollar Spot (I should have taken some photos, but forgot). The off color was stable, so I decided to wait until the weekend to treat. Azoxy/Propi were going to be at 3 weeks at that point, so it worked well timing wise. You can also see some heat damage/dormancy along the blacktop driveway.

6-17


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## bernstem (Jan 16, 2018)

This weekend was Velista at 0.5 Oz/M yesterday. Today was Humic powder at 1 Tbsp/M, Kelp Liquid at 1 Tbsp/M, SLS at 1 dry Oz/M, and Citric Acid at 1 lb/M on the front. The lawn is starting to look better. The brown is getting mowed off, and I haven't seen any progression even before the Velista, but that will cover Leaf Spot, Dollar Spot, and Summer Patch. Barring resistance it seems to be the perfect summer fungicide for KBG. I still am not 100% that the brown was fungus rather than chemical injury, possibly related to Propiconazole + Primo + AS + heat. I'll get some Iron down at 4 Oz/M and AS at 0.1 lb/M this evening. The lawn right now:

6-21













And, of course, some garden photos. Daylilies are blooming now.







The hazing glow on the daylilies was there before I post-processed the picture.


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## bernstem (Jan 16, 2018)

Had a couple mid week photos. Not much happening right now other than maintenance mode. The Swardman Electra is delayed again; it is looking like at least another month. I just hope it gets here this season right now.

I'm starting to see a bit of what might be Summer Patch in the back. The front is doing well by contrast. That is unusual since the front is typically more affected. I have been running a little experiment to see if aggressive pH modulation decreases Summer Patch. It should, and preliminarily seems to be working. The front and back are getting everything the same with two exceptions. The front is getting Citric acid at 1 lb/M every 2 weeks and got Elemental Sulfur at 5 lbs/M this spring. I have noticed that color is better in the front, and disease pressure seems to be lower. I am tempted to start Citric acid and Sulfur in the back, but I am going to hold off until fall. I am curious to see what happens.

It is very hard to see in photos, but I tried. If you squint very hard you can see some drought stress and a slight frog eye appearance. It could certainly be something else, but I am suspicious.



And a few more interesting photos:





Along with the unedited versions for comparison and so people can see how much you can manipulate images (my lawn pictures are not edited for effect, my flower pictures are often edited in case anyone cares):





And another picture that makes the lawn look really dark:


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## Stuofsci02 (Sep 9, 2018)

That is a lot of citric acid. Where are you buying that?


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## bernstem (Jan 16, 2018)

@Stuofsci02 I buy it on Amazon because I am lazy. https://www.amazon.com/Milliard-Citric-Acid-10-Pound/dp/B00GNBHPAS/ref=sr_1_7?crid=32S3LGR4Z9LH2&dchild=1&keywords=citric+acid&qid=1593174838&sprefix=citric%2Caps%2C159&sr=8-7


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## Stuofsci02 (Sep 9, 2018)

bernstem said:


> @Stuofsci02 I buy it on Amazon because I am lazy. https://www.amazon.com/Milliard-Citric-Acid-10-Pound/dp/B00GNBHPAS/ref=sr_1_7?crid=32S3LGR4Z9LH2&dchild=1&keywords=citric+acid&qid=1593174838&sprefix=citric%2Caps%2C159&sr=8-7


I also buy from amazon. I can get the same here, but largest bag is 10 lb and it is 39.99 CAD. So about $30 US... I would need 8 lbs per application which would be pretty steep.

This is a 1.5 hour drive from my house, but it is in the area where all the good products are. I could go and pick up.

https://bulkfoodwarehouse.ca/products/citric-acid-bulk.

Right now I am mixing 0.25 oz per K as part of my FAS/Urea-Fe apps as it keeps the Ferrous from oxidizing.


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## bernstem (Jan 16, 2018)

@Stuofsci02 It probably depends what you are trying to do with the Citric Acid. If it just to change pH on spray solutions, you don't need much. If you are trying to lower the pH of the soil solution like I am, then bulk would help. I am currently only treating 5k square feet, so cost isn't too high, but for 30k it might be a different story. Next year, assuming all goes well in the front, I'll probably be buying in 50 lb bags, but for now the flexibility of the smaller size works well.


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## Stuofsci02 (Sep 9, 2018)

bernstem said:


> @Stuofsci02 It probably depends what you are trying to do with the Citric Acid. If it just to change pH on spray solutions, you don't need much. If you are trying to lower the pH of the soil solution like I am, then bulk would help. I am currently only treating 5k square feet, so cost isn't too high, but for 30k it might be a different story. Next year, assuming all goes well in the front, I'll probably be buying in 50 lb bags, but for now the flexibility of the smaller size works well.


I am just using for pH adjust of my foliar solution, but was interested in what you were doing. I only give my front 8,000 sqft the royal treatment. The back gets what it gets... My pH is higher too and was thinking options to lower it.


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## bernstem (Jan 16, 2018)

Boring lawn weekend. Just mowing and PGR at 0.3 Oz/M. Color is off a bit from summer stress. Only 4 weeks or so until recovery can start...

So far the front is doing well. The sidewalk strip has some browning/dormancy from the tree sucking up water as fast as I can apply it, and I wish the shaded areas were thicker. Other than that, the hill along the driveway is doing well, and Summer Patch seems to be minimal so far.

Front:








Back:





Summer Patch concern area:


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## bernstem (Jan 16, 2018)

PGR continues at 0.3 Oz rate. I am continuing low dose nitrogen at 0.1 lbs/M every 2 weeks. Overall the lawn is doing well. Summer Patch is way down compared to previous years. The front is showing some signs, but the back continues to be a bit worse. No real dead areas at this point, but definitely some drought symptoms showing up too early. Fungicide was applied this weekend. Cleary's and Azoxystrobin. Also Humates, Kelp, Aminos, Citric Acid, and Ammonium Sulfate at 0.5 lbs/M (0.1 lb/M Nitrogen)









Back (with dog spots...I'll patch them when it starts to cool off):





Dollar Spot Mycellium:


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## bernstem (Jan 16, 2018)

Lawn is currently in survival mode. I moved the HOC up to 2 inches with 98 degree weather coming. Plus life was getting in the way of lawn. I would like to be at ~1.5-1.75, but the Honda only does 1.25 and 2. If the Swardman ever shows up, I'll be able to cut in between.

Other than that, some more Summer Patch in the back. The front continues to look better, but has some Summer Patch showing up. I think the work to bring the pH down is paying off. Dollar Spot is hiding at the moment and I haven't seen any more Mycellium. Risk is at 50%, down from 75%. The only thing applied this weekend was Primo at 0.4 Oz/k. I would like to drop Iron, but temps are going to be high and color is good. Moving to 2 inches helped.

Front:









Back:



You can see Summer Patch in this picture. It is the areas that look like drought stress.



Summer Patch close up:



Summer Patch at the top with a dog spot at the bottom for comparison.


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## Stuofsci02 (Sep 9, 2018)

I hate summer patch..


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## Babameca (Jul 29, 2019)

For where you are it looks amazing! How do you know it is summer patch. I am still amazed how you guys identify some fungus types...


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## bernstem (Jan 16, 2018)

Babameca said:


> For where you are it looks amazing! How do you know it is summer patch. I am still amazed how you guys identify some fungus types...


I don't comment on fungus ID threads often because it is hard on the internet, but It is easier in person (though still not easy). It took a few seasons to figure out what was going on in my lawn, and,I suppose it could be something else, but It looks like summer patch, acts like summer patch, responds to summer patch treatments, appears and resolves when summer patch should, and my soil conditions are prone to summer patch (heavier soil with highish pH). I probably should send a sample some day to a lab, but even labs aren't 100%.

If you look at this picture, I outlined the "frog's eye" appearance:





In this one, you can see the drought like appearance of the grass with some die out in the area:



This is a close up showing no leaf lesions, just dead grass:


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## bernstem (Jan 16, 2018)

Stuofsci02 said:


> I hate summer patch..


Yeah, nothing good about it, but I have been pretty happy this year with the Citric Acid and Sulfur. There is a definite difference between the front and back.


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## HoosierLawnGnome (Sep 28, 2017)

Sorry about the SP  Still looks great though! I bet Average Joe doesn't even notice it....


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## Pete1313 (May 3, 2017)

Agreed, still looks good! Also, good descriptions on the summer patch symptoms.


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## Babameca (Jul 29, 2019)

@bernstem I 100% agree, fungus ID should be fungus investigation. Great explanation (investigation) for SP.


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## bernstem (Jan 16, 2018)

Another boring weekend in the lawn. Good news is that the Swardman is on its way. Hopefully it will get here this week! The lawn is at 2 inches. I'll probably drop to 1.5 when the new mower arrives. Applied Cleary's and Ammonium Sulfate this weekend. The lawn is due for Humic and Kelp, but I was busy and didn't get to it. Maybe this week. Summer Patch damage is stable, but the spots are slowly dying off in the back. I have some very mild symptoms in the front that you can't see in the picture. Weather going forward should be hot and wet. The Cleary's should suppress Dollar Spot and the frequent rain and slightly cooler temps will help the Summer Patch areas get through the heat. August is almost here, so time to start getting ready for fall.


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## bernstem (Jan 16, 2018)

Well, very disappointing news. I finally got my Swardman from @Reelrollers, but it was DOA. They are going to take it back, but they have informed me that there are no new new Electras until next year. I was offered an Edwin, but between the Covid delays, UPS losing the mower for almost a week, and a dead mower the entire process has been beyond disappointing. I'm don't feel Reel Rollers is at fault, but not being able to use the mower I ordered May until almost a year later is disheartening.

Any suggestions on what to do? Edwin? Something else?

'm not opposed to a greens mower, but the entire hassle of finding one used and servicing it seems time consuming. While I have time (sort of), I kind of don't want to deal with the hassle. I do 100% want a drum mower that will stripe well. The dethatch/scarify function with a simple cartridge swap is also very appealing. I want cut heights from ~1/2 to 1.5 inches, and will probably spend most of my time cutting at 7/8-1.5 inches. I obviously don't mind spending some money on the mower - Swardman's are pricy.

Feel free to comment on my thread in the equipment section: https://thelawnforum.com/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=21067&p=302495#p302495 This one is mostly for me to journal what happened and deal with the disappointment in writing.


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## Matthew_73 (Jul 9, 2019)

Living just a few miles north. I've been debating on a 85/15 tttf blend of kbg. or all kbg ??? Thoughts?


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## Chris LI (Oct 26, 2018)

Edit:

I moved my post to the other thread as you stated in your request above. I got caught up in reading and missed it. My apologies.


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## bernstem (Jan 16, 2018)

Matthew_73 said:


> Living just a few miles north. I've been debating on a 85/15 tttf blend of kbg. or all kbg ??? Thoughts?


KBG is challenging in St. Louis. TTTF is going to be easier by a long shot to keep happy and healthy and I generally recommend a blend of TTTF/KBG or 100% TTTF. If you go with all KBG, be prepared to run a preventive fungicide program.


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## Matthew_73 (Jul 9, 2019)

Thxs. I'm only adding kbg to fill in areas. Thxs.


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## bernstem (Jan 16, 2018)

Temps dropped this week. Looks like fall is coming. I dropped AS at 0.4 lbs/M a week ago. Kelp, Humates, Aminos, and Manganese went down this past weekend and the lawn responded well. The Summer Patch pH experiment is also officially over as I dropped Sulfur on the front and back. Until now, I have not done anything other than AS to lower pH in the back. There is definitely less disease pressure in the front (which usually has more Summer Patch). The front got Sulfur this spring and Citric acid every 2-3 weeks at 1 lb/M.

Now I just need a reel mower. The replacement Edwin for the Electra should be here at the beginning of September. I'll probably stay at 2 inches for now to encourage spreading into the disease damaged areas and help the shade areas recover from summer. All things considered, the lawn is looking better at this point of summer than it has in several years.

Required Flower Photo. I need to start taking these with the SLR instead of my phone. The artificial background blur is just weird sometime with the portrait mode. You can really see in this picture that the blur is post-processed in on the bottom and bottom left of the picture. It kind of melts my brain looking at it.



Front:







Back:


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## Babameca (Jul 29, 2019)

Nice!!! My 'WTF is this' patch starting recovering as well.


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## Slingblade_847 (Apr 13, 2020)

@bernstem 
See you have been using a manual reel mower until your swardman arrives. What brand/model of manual reel are you using, do you like it, do you wish you had another manual?


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## bernstem (Jan 16, 2018)

@Slingblade_847 I have been using a Honda HRX, sorry. I do have a Fiskar's Momentum, but it is too much work for 10k of lawn.

Waiting for the Swardman is the single most frustrating part of the lawn this year. :evil:


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## bernstem (Jan 16, 2018)

OK, small rant. What is it with small lawn care supply company crappy QC? I ordered some Carbon-X 24-0-4 and was shipped Dimension. That is just the most recent example. So far this season, 40% of the companies I have ordered online lawn supplies from have had problems. It seems to strongly correlate with company size. I really would prefer to support small businesses, but it is certainly frustrating when they ship the wrong stuff and it can take days for them to respond to phone and e-mail. I wonder if we should have a review section on the site, but that would probably just devolve into frustrated people bitching with nothing positive.

Anyway, the lawn. Temps are creeping up this weekend. It should only be for a few days, so I'm going to continue Nitrogen. I wanted to apply the Carbon-X this weekend since it is going to rain and temps are dropping later this week, but that is on hold until the retailer gets back to me. I'll have pics later this weekend, but the plan is Primo at 0.3 and Ammonium Sulfate at 0.2. It might still be a touch hot for Iron and color is good so that probably won't restart until next weekend.


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## SNOWBOB11 (Aug 31, 2017)

You'd think smaller companies would take more time to get things right but often that's not the case. It can be frustrating when you know exactly what you want to order, do everything right and a company ends up botching things up and takes forever to get you what you ordered.

Your rudbeckias look great by the way.


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## bernstem (Jan 16, 2018)

@SNOWBOB11 Thanks! Black Eyed Susans, at least for me, are super easy to grow and rewarding. I should post a picture of that area of the garden from farther away - it needs some work, but since I also get to choose the pics I can highlight only the good areas.


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## bernstem (Jan 16, 2018)

Weekend pictures. Applied Primo at 0.3 Oz/M and AS at 1 lb/M. I mixed them, but the AS seemed to affect solubility of the Primo leaving the tank coated with residual surfactant. I won't be doing that again, and I'll be re-applying early. Weather is going to be 95 tomorrow, but then cool off. The lawn doesn't need it, but I'll irrigate in the AM to help with the heat. I mowed yesterday at 2 inches and took off 1 inch. Looks like mowing will be twice weekly going forward. I'll probably drop the HOC in about 2 weeks.


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## Stuofsci02 (Sep 9, 2018)

Grass looks great... Primo did not mix with AS? This should be the same as T-Nex which I have mixed with AS many times.. Was there anything else you mixed?


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## bernstem (Jan 16, 2018)

@Stuofsci02 I have mixed it before with lower concentrations of AS with no issues, but this time the AS concentration was higher. My only thought was that the pH being lower with a higher concentration caused issues. It is easy enough to just spray separately, so it isn't worth it to figure out if it was the mix or something else.


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## Stuofsci02 (Sep 9, 2018)

bernstem said:


> @Stuofsci02 I have mixed it before with lower concentrations of AS with no issues, but this time the AS concentration was higher. My only thought was that the pH being lower with a higher concentration caused issues. It is easy enough to just spray separately, so it isn't worth it to figure out if it was the mix or something else.


Yeah maybe.. I have only ever added 2 oz per K AS with my T-nex application...


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## Slingblade_847 (Apr 13, 2020)

@bernstem any updates on the swardman? I want your first reel mow on my calendar. Lol.


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## bernstem (Jan 16, 2018)

@Slingblade_847 Should be here next month. Hopefully in the first half...

Weather is heading back to 90s for the weekend, but I'll probably drop the Honda to 1.25 on Sunday. The plan would then be to get the reel to ~7/8. I slacked off last weekend on photos, but will have some this weekend.


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## bernstem (Jan 16, 2018)

It has been a while since I have updated, so lots going on. It got cooler for a while which the lawn really like. I dropped CarbonX 24-0-4 at 1 lb/M a week ago to see if the hype is all that. It seems solid. I didn't get a huge growth burst so it seems to be a pretty steady release of Nitrogen which is nice. My plan is to continue with small doses of foliar AS every 1-2 weeks on top of the CarbonX. The AS went down at 0.1 lbs/M yesterday. I re-applied Primo at 0.3 Oz/M last week as well so that may also be factoring into the slow growth.

There are some really hot temps coming and I was seeing some early disease pressure so Propiconazole and Azoxystrobin went down at preventive rate last weekend. Also dropped the Extreme blend from K4Less at 4 Oz/M yesterday. Maybe that will help with heat tolerance.

The back is looking a little drought stressed lately at the tree drip line. Not much to do but more water. I don't think it is disease, but rather the tree roots.

Pictures

Front:






No Flowers today:


Back:


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## bernstem (Jan 16, 2018)

Heat wave passed and it looks like great lawn weather going forward. Unfortunately, days are getting shorter just as the weather is getting perfect for bluegrass. Yet another problem with growing bluegrass in St. Louis.

I dropped the HOC back to 1.25 and the lawn looks good. The front is has some mild browning scattered (dollar spot, over regulation, or heat maybe). I'll continue Propiconazole at preventive rates so another application today. Primo will also go down, but it is overdue by almost a week.

The back is still recovering from Summer Patch and gives more credit to the benefits of aggressive pH reduction to reduce it. The area under under the giant Oak on the left struggled the most in the past week with the heat. Though it gets sunlight since the canopy starts so high, the tree just sucks water and nutrients from the ground.

Front:




Back:


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## Slingblade_847 (Apr 13, 2020)

@bernstem looking good!

There is something to be said about your front lawn. It's like KBG in its true form, and the "blue" really comes through. I know <1" HOC is all the rage, and you have a swardman coming (hopefully soon), but your front lawn looks fantastic, sir.


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## bernstem (Jan 16, 2018)

@Slingblade_847 The front is definitely darker than the back, though some is the direction of sunlight in the photos. I really think the aggressive pH reduction measures have reaped benefits in the front. I did not apply Citric Acid or Sulfur to the back as a control and you can really see the effect.


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## Slingblade_847 (Apr 13, 2020)

@bernstem very interesting on the pH. What did you start at, what are you currently at, and how did you go about amending with no citric/sulfur? If it's already in this journal, I'll backtrack. Interested as my pH is around a 7.5.


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## bernstem (Jan 16, 2018)

@Slingblade_847 I started at ~7.5 at the beginning of this year. The primary reason for the aggressive pH efforts was to reduce summer patch. I started this year in the spring with 5 lb/M of Sulfur on 5/1. I then started Citric Acid at 1 lb/M every 2-3 weeks on 5/15 and continued until 7/5. I applied a second 5 lbs/M of sulfur on 7/29.

My base soil pH was 5.7 - 6.2 10 years ago. I amended it with lime to get to 6.8, but it ended at the 7.5 level primarily through top dressing with high pH compost (oops). I also have an area through the middle of the front lawn where the geothermal wells were dug up that had a lot of limestone added from the well digging. That area has had a high pH since then.

I will retest in the spring so don't know exactly where I am right now.


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## Slingblade_847 (Apr 13, 2020)

@bernstem

Ha! I misread the previous post. You didn't apply citric/sulfur to BACK. What an ebb and flow of your pH. Obviously I'm waiting for a lawn to establish before I start amending. Also, I've added almost 1.5 of cubic yards of peat moss. Not sure if that impacts pH or not. But I'll do my soil sample in the spring, and see where I am at. Keep up the good work.


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## bernstem (Jan 16, 2018)

@Slingblade_847 Peat Moss is acidic and will lower pH, but 1.5 yards over 7k probably isn't going to do much.


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## Slingblade_847 (Apr 13, 2020)

@bernstem actually, just applied to the reno area of about ~3.5k sqft. Still, rather low amount, and I agree with you it's probably low impact. Thanks for the detail on rates above. Come spring, I'll see where I'm at, and can only hope by this time next year I have a lawn looking something similar to yours!


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## bernstem (Jan 16, 2018)

We have had some very hot weather the past week with daytime highs of 90+. The back yard doesn't like it, but the front is going strong. HOC stays at 1.25 inches with the Honda. I want to get some AS down, but am waiting for temps to drop a bit. That should happen this week. Hopefully work and life will allow me enough time to get some lawn work done.

Anyway, pictures:


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## bernstem (Jan 16, 2018)

Weather finally cooled off, and the lawn is responding. Dropped Ammonium Sulfate at 0.15 lbs/M, Primo, and Propiconazole this weekend. Pictures will be coming later, but the front and back density and color is improving. I plugged a lot of urine spots in the back and a few in the front by the sidewalk, but it will take some time to recover. Pics are coming. I wanted to switch to the SLR, but the battery was dead so they are delayed.


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## bernstem (Jan 16, 2018)




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## bernstem (Jan 16, 2018)

Got the Swardman yesterday after a LONG wait. So far it is worth it. I cut the back at ~7/8 inch yesterday. The front I cut today at ~5/8. That is far lower than I could have gone with the Honda. There is a bit of a learning curve, but not much honestly. And it stripes great! Only a single cut due to time, so no checkerboard.

The lawn is recovering from summer. The front is doing great. The back is lagging. I'm hopeful that some spoon feeding and TLC will get the back recovered fairly quick. I have been plugging urine spots now that it is cooling off, and working on a bit of spot leveling for the worst areas, but the Reel mower is, as expected, much better at low cutting. Since last update, I am continuing AS at 0.15 every week and applied Propiconazole last weekend. The lawn could use a light dethatch, but the scarifier cartridge isn't here yet and a power rake will be a bit too aggressive I think. For now, I'll wait. The scarifier should be here in 2-3 weeks.


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## bernstem (Jan 16, 2018)

Forgot to add the cause for the yellow spots in the back...



And her new sister who isn't big enough yet to kill the grass.


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## Pete1313 (May 3, 2017)

Congrats on the swardsman! About time! The wavy stripes look great! Cute pups!


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## Slingblade_847 (Apr 13, 2020)

@bernstem My Man!!! I've been waiting for the arrival. Looks stunning. I'd also imagine it will green up some more once it's used to the 5/8. Congrats, brother. Looking forward to this as the cool weather arrives in your area, but will also miss the solid blue/green color you achieved.


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## bernstem (Jan 16, 2018)

I think the color will darken a bit as it gets used to the lower cut. I am bringing it up to 3/4 inch in the front which will help. 
I will take the back down to the same. Even with the lighter color, it is still darker than anything else in the neighborhood. The reel just makes the domination that much more apparent.

The next step is a second set of curves opposite the ones already there. The back, I think, will get a diamond pattern.


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## SNOWBOB11 (Aug 31, 2017)

Your lawn is looking excellent at that hight. I like the pattern. Congratulations on the mower. I'm sure this will make you mow even more often now.


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## bernstem (Jan 16, 2018)

Thought I would leave a few thoughts on the Swardman here. I don't have any experience with other reel mowers, so can't compare to them. It is quiet. Even with the gasoline engine, it is very quiet. At low to moderate RPM the engine is very smooth. At very low and high RPM, there is a bit of roughness, but that settles down with some load on the engine. The cut is, as expected, clearly better than the Honda. Less tearing and more even in cut. Even with freshly sharpened blades, I couldn't get this clean a cut with the Honda. As expected, it also cuts much lower easier. I cut the front at 5/8 inch and there was no scalping. I couldn't get below 1 inch with the Honda without scalping. It stripes much better, but any drum mower would stripe better.

The grass catcher is a good size and I have to empty a similar amout as when using the bag on the Honda. I can get the cather about 3/4 full before it starts leaking out. It does throw more into the right side of the catcher, but that is a function of how a reel mower works.

I have not had to adjust the reel yet, so we will see how that goes.

I did have the height adjustment slip a bit between mows, so that is definitely something that needs monitoring, and has been noted by other users. The marked height seems to be accurate based on grass height. I also had to tighten the drive cable a touch, but that is routine maintenance. If it needs to get much longer, though, I will run out of room on the adjustment nut and have to shorten the cable. That looks like it may be a bit of work as both ends of the cable are crimped on.


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## bernstem (Jan 16, 2018)

Mowed the back down to 3/4. The front didn't need anything as it was 5/8. Applied AS at .15 lbs of N/M, Manganese at 0.5 Oz/M and Iron Sulfate at 4 Oz/M. The back is starting to fill in.



Fish Eye


Normal


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## bernstem (Jan 16, 2018)




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## Chris LI (Oct 26, 2018)

It looks great! I'm glad that you finally got your Swardman. The color looks fantastic, with great uniformity. I'm living vicariously through you, and looking forward to your adventures.


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## bernstem (Jan 16, 2018)

@Chris LI The swardman definitely cuts nice! I'm working on thickening up the back where the dogs have made a mess of the lawn and a few thin areas in the front next to the front garden where there is a lot of shade. I'm also plugging a lot of areas in the back. I think I am well over 30 plugs pulled so far. A proplugger makes plugging so much easier it is crazy. Right now it is my favorite lawn tool after the Swardman.

On an aside, fall planting season is here. So far I have 5 new roses in the garden with 6 more coming this week. I'll be doing a bit of moving things around to try and clean up the back and side gardens a bit. They have been neglected, but much of the garden is shaded and it is just not as interesting to build a shade garden.


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## bernstem (Jan 16, 2018)

Primo and Propiconazole today. Carbon-x yesterday. Getting early leaves dropping even though temps have been hot. It remains dry as we haven't had rain in 3 weeks. I applied Fe at 0.4 Oz/M and AS at 1.6 lbs/M last week. I didn't see much darkening, but the front had some burn from the Fe so I 'm waiting for that to grow out.













The heavy shade area in the front behind the bench and roses with Maple tree shade as well. It is thin, but starting to recover with cooler temps. I added a few plugs to help speed things up.


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## bf7 (May 11, 2020)

Your yard looks incredible! Not sure how I didn't find your journal sooner. Your blend in the front is the closest thing I've seen to my reno on this website. I have included Prosperity and Moonlight SLT, which I believe was bred from Moonlight. I picked these cultivars first and foremost for the blue tone, and man, do I love what I see from your lawn! Excellent blue hues.


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## bernstem (Jan 16, 2018)

@bf7 My front is actually Moonlight SLT, I just shortened it for the signature. The biggest factor in the dark green color is a balanced soil with the right pH. My Sulfur and Citric Acid applications this year made a huge difference in the color. Before them, the front was closer to the back in color. My soil Iron levels are also very high (~400 ppm). Now if I could get the front heavy clay to soften up a bit it would be great. The soil gets very dense after about 3-4 inches and I can barely dig into it after ~6 inches.


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## bf7 (May 11, 2020)

Nice! I think our soils are fairly similar. Are you doing any humic apps? Screwdriver goes in easily for me 6+ inches after a about a year of humic. Except where the builder decided to bury a bunch of rocks :x

My iron was ~300 ppm which is also considered high. I think it helps explain the deep color I'm seeing so early in my reno.

Will be fun to see how the Blue Velvet in my Prosperity / Moonlight blend compares to your Award and Solar Eclipse.


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## bernstem (Jan 16, 2018)

I do use Humates, but I don't think they do much on my lawn. The base soil is 20% clay, 70% silt, 10% sand. It is pretty dense.


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## bernstem (Jan 16, 2018)

Mowed and cleaned up edges today. Leaves appear as soon as I blow them off.


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## bernstem (Jan 16, 2018)

I have been working on getting the fall gardening done. There are a lot of hostas in the back that needed to be moved as the tree shading them died. I'm working on getting some roses into the space since it is now full sun.

The lawn is in maintenance mode. Dethatched and mowed on Saturday. Mowed again yesterday. Pics from after the mow.


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## bernstem (Jan 16, 2018)

Lawn has been doing well with the warm week. I raised the HOC from 5/8 to 3/4 as I am tired of mowing every other day. I also increased PGR from 0.3 to 0.4 Oz/M which should help a bit. CarbonX went down a week ago. I have been very happy with the grass performance with it. Seems to be well regulated and even Nitrogen release. I haven't been using Ammonium Sulfate as the grass is growing at ~1-1.5 inches/week with the Carbon X even under regulation.

The past couple weeks have also been a lot of gardening. I put in a dozen roses in various areas. I have also been thinning my bearded Irises and filling in some of the neglected gardens in the back. 










Thin area in the front with too much shade:



Back Garden work in progress:


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## Stuofsci02 (Sep 9, 2018)

Looks really good.. I love the property!


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## bernstem (Jan 16, 2018)

It has been cool and rainy here. We almost had a frost last week, but it stayed above freezing. Last Nitrogen was Carbon-x a month ago. I have been pretty impressed with the steady release and growth with it. I think it is time to get back on the Ammonium Sulfate as the lawn is still going well. I now face the annual debate on when to stop Nitrogen.

Mowing moved up a bit to one inch so that I can mulch leaves with the Honda if needed rather than blowing them off before mowing.

Last Fungicide was a month ago, and Primo was 2 weeks ago at 0.4 Oz/M.

The lawn is really liking the current fall weather. Damage areas are filling in well. You can see it best in the back Summer Patch recovery as the front didn't have much damage.

Front was mowed with the Swardman at 1 inch:









Back was mowed with the Honda at 1.25:


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## bernstem (Jan 16, 2018)

A couple comparison shots from 6 weeks ago:


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## Captquin (Aug 22, 2019)

Following


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## bernstem (Jan 16, 2018)

The lawn continues to show good growth. I am not down to cutting every 3-4 days with the cooler temps, but the lawn is still growing, though shaded areas are showing less growth. The plugged areas are also really starting to fill in.

I dropped 8-1-8 on the front. Yes, late season Potassium may be bad, but I am Potassium deficient and don't really get snow cover or winter diseases. I also want to see how stabilized Nitrogen does with our mild winters. I am hoping that this will persist in the soil and continue to feed if it warms enough over late fall/early winter. I will also be trying a section of the back lawn with methylene urea at Green's suggestion to see how it does in comparison.

Fungicides have stopped, and the last Primo was 3 weeks ago. It will be due in about a week. I'll have to see what conditions are, but I will likely re-apply.

I have been mulching leaves with the Honda about half the time and blowing them off half the time depending on how long I want to take. These pics were with the Reel after blowing the leaves off.

Front: 








This is the area of deepest shade in the front. It is a bit thin, but starting to fill in with the cooler temps.



Back:



Lots of canine damage:


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## Green (Dec 24, 2017)

bernstem said:


> I dropped 8-1-8 on the front. Yes, late season Potassium may be bad, but I am Potassium deficient and don't really get snow cover or winter diseases.


Good move.

I knew I had some fertility issues, but suspected it was Nitrogen deficiency. After bouncing ideas in a thread, i now suspect Potassium was the culprit. It all makes sense now, from quick Summer wilt between waterings that would come on suddenly, to the rust disease after the middle of Summer, to the color loss now after just one hard freeze. Unfortunately I'm going to have to wait until March or April to begin to fertilize with 0-0-50. I would have a snow mold disaster if I dropped any consequential K now (history of moderately bad snow mold here). I'll have to live with poor color again this Fall and Winter, just like the past two years (yeah, apparently the deficiency was building up for a few years). But come the end of March, I will both lead and front-load next year with Potassium at 1 lb/M per month.


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## Babameca (Jul 29, 2019)

Looks great! You are in prime time now, where, we had our first snow cover....


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