# Grass Tennis Court project



## j1ggy

Hi guys, first time poster here.
I've been following you for some time now, and I have decided to register because I think there's something here for our mutual benefit in the weeks and months to come.

So, I'm writing you from Serbia, a country in Southeastern Europe. And we here have climate that is very similar to parts of USA roughly eastern from Chicago.

Whats so special about my situation is that I have a clay tennis court (red clay) which I have decided to transform to a grass tennis court.
That transition will be taking place in the next week or so, during which time I'll be removing the clay (around 20 tons) and seeding the grass.
The clay has been there for 10 seasons now, and I have decided that I have had enough of maintaining the court thruout the season. It reqiures constant watering, leveling, adding new top layer of clay every spring, then that top layer which is a very fine dust becomes airborne and wrecks havoc in my yard.
We here are used to green fields, yards and parks, so dust isn't a thing that we're very accustomed to, and even more not very found of. Especially when you need around 2 hours per day just to maintain the moisture and levelness of the court.

Here's when I'll try to explain all the details and things you shoul know before we get into the question I have to ask you. I'll be writing in imperial units, but please consider that I'm using metric units all my life so please don't judge me if I make a mistake in conversion I'll do my best not to.
So, the court itself is 36 x 16 meters (40 x 18 yards), with the topsoil removed to a depth of around 70 cm or 30 inches. Then we brought in around 60cm (24 inches) of sand and on top of that we have 10 cm (4 inches) of crushed limestone, then half an inch of sand and on top of that is the clay layer which is 2-3 inches thick, which I'm allready in the process of removal, so I'll have around half of inch left, before I bring in the new topsoil. That topsoil is very rich in nutrients because it was used for growing carrots and is the dirt that comes off during the washing process. It has all the nutrients that the grass would need and is very fine and clean of rocks, weeds and any other "contaminants".

And here come the questions: is the top layer which I'll be bringing in, which will be around 3 inches thick with 1/2 to an inch thick layer of sand and clay beneath it enough for the grass to have a solid root foundation?
Also, I have an irrigation system built into the court which is fed by a pump which draws water from a well.

Question number two: The seed mixture, which is the most important part of my court is a real PITA. Here we don't have the 100% PRG, wich is the most suitable. We do have the following Barenbrug varieties:

https://www.skalagreen.com/novi/trave-rasturaci/barenbrug-rpr-5-1/

https://www.skalagreen.com/novi/trave-rasturaci/barenbrug-sport-classic-51/

My question is should I go the extra effort and order 100% PRG from the UK or is this any of the ready available mixture going to suffice?
You need to take into consideration that the court will be played on around 3-4 hours per day may to september and an hour or so per day in april and october.

I will be documenting all of the stages of the soil / turf preparation and posting the progress here.
Also, do have some understanding if I make some typing errors, because English is my second language.


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## osuturfman

Wow, this an ambitious undertaking! Let me ask some questions to see if I can be of assistance.

*Base*

- As I understand it from your post, you are/will be removing all the clay, sand, and limestone in the top 6" (15 cm) of the court?

- This would leave you 24 inches (60 cm) of good, rich topsoil to build up from, correct?

- You plan to use topsoil as your new rootzone material?

*Irrigation*

- Is this system a typical subsurface "flood" type system for clay courts or do you have sprinkler heads to water the court?

*Seed*

The first link you provided is Barenbrug RPR which is 100% PRG and perfect for your particular project. I would recommend it if it's easily obtainable.

Sounds like a cool project and I'm happy to help in any way I can.


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## g-man

Osuturfman beat me to posting the questions.

One thing i do want to highlight, it is not maintenance free. You will still need to add sand to keep the area leveled and you will need to overseed to repair the areas with traffic wear.


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## j1ggy

OK, to clarify:

I will be leaving the limestone in place, as it will be much easier for me to add an extra few inches of rich topsoil at the expense of a 100 $ (labor here is cheap) then to remove the limestone, which has cost me around 2000 $ to bring in and level to an half an inch.

As it stands now, I'm planing to seed the grass during the next week as the daily temps around here are around 70F and will be for 10 more days or so and I need that time for the seeds to germinate and hopefully the grass can reach 3-4 inches before the first frost. I really hope that I'll be able to mow it at least once before that.
For instance, last year we didn't have frost until january, but that's more of an exception. Usually we'll have frost late in the november or in the first half of december.

My irrigation system is sprinkler based. 
This is the exact model of the sprinkler. I have 6 of the installed.



Also, here's a picture of the court ATM



There's a lot to be done on the court and even more so around it, but I leave that for the spring. Right now, I'm focused on seeding the grass and praying for it all to come together before the winter as I/m not really sure how well will the grass tolerate low temps.

As for the maintenance I'll be really happy to do all the above, as I have read a lot of literature about grass, and do realise it requires TLC. Which I'm happy to provide.


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## osuturfman

You want the grass to be 3-4 inches or 3-4 cm before your first mowing? Typically, grass courts are maintained at or below 0.5 inches or 13 mm. Just wondering what you foresee as the playability of your finished product?

On the rootzone, you'll have approximately 2.5-3.5 inches (6.25 - 8.75 cm) of rootzone material over your limestone? In any case, I would strongly advise against using topsoil and use a sand that would be used in sports field or golf course construction.


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## OnyxsLawn

This is awesome and i'm really looking forward to watching how this turns out. A grass tennis court in my backyard has always been a dream. Here's a bit of info I've come across in researching this:

http://archive.lib.msu.edu/tic/stnew/article/2010aut25.pdf



Tennis courts are a lot different than a putting green or sport field. You'll need a good topsoil that can hold together and be compacted into a hard base.


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## j1ggy

^^ 
The reason behind those 3 inches is the fact that I have read in numerous grass related material that that is the required height of the grass (stem?) for it to be able to survive the winter.
I maybe be mistaken because it may not apply to 100% PRG.

My aim is to have day to day height during summer around half an inch. Because this summer we have had very little rain. To be more precise, we've had two days of rain in the last 2 1/2 moths. And that was a month ago. Also temps here can reach above 100F in july and august. while they can go as low as -10F in but usually don't dip below 20F in january.

The topsoil will be mixed with sand, and sand will be added over the seeds to a depth of half and inch to protect them from cold and birds. Also, I'll be adding sand in the spring to level the lawn.
That was my plan all along.

^
That illustration is not entirely correct as the units are screwed up.

As a side note, if anybody's asking why I didn't do this earlier, blame Connor Ward and his YouTube channel.
I have a lawn in my backyard, which I wanted to level and so I went to YT and searched for that, found his channel and he got me hooked so I went to the lawn and raised my head a little a realised I'm sick of clay and have decided to convert it to grass. Also, I have seen this forum's web address on his T-shirt and so, here I am...


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## j1ggy

I have just checked and I'm unable to find Barenbrug RPR seed.
The ones that are ready available are Sport and Super Sport.

But I'm unsure if those will tolerate mowing to half an inch...


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## g-man

Do you have cultivar information for those?

That first one you posted looks really good. I think it was used during the world cup.


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## j1ggy

This is the only info I can find, there's no cultivars info, but they have that star rating:

https://www.barenbrug.biz/supersport

If in the end I do decide to sow this seed, will I be able to perhaps overseed it with RPR next fall, if I decide (or it turns out) that Supersport is not good enough?


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## g-man

It is 50% perrenial ryegrass and 50% KBG. It should be good at 12mm.


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## j1ggy

I'll be making updates in the next few days, because the majority of the work will be done during that period.

So, today I had machines come in and remove the clay:



After an hour of work:



And this is what I'm left with:





If you take a look to the far left at the second pic, I'll be bagging all of the clay in those "jumbo" bags which can contain around 1 ton of dirt.

I'm hoping that I'll have all of the clay gone by this time tomorrow (it's 8:37 PM here) and that I can bring in the top soil and sand on wednesday. Anyway, I'm planing on leveling the whole court to half an inch before bringing it in, so I have less to do afterwards.

I have decided on the grass mixture and it will be 50% PRG and 50% KBG, which I'm really concerned about, so I'm adding a screenshot of the weather forecast for the next 50 or so days and I'm really hoping for your opinion wheter or not is there anything to worry about:


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## Suburban Jungle Life

Any concern with having a layer of limestone under there near the soil surface? I see you removing the clay but what about the limestone? 10cm of limestone isn't something I would just ignore. The 60cm of sand under the limestone is a great base. I do question not removing the limestone. I'm mean, we're not talking about having a lot of lime in the soil, but inches of only lime. I'll let the turf pros weigh in here.


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## crussell

I think you'll want/need more than 3" of root zone material. I would either dig out the Limestone or double your new import material to 6" minimum.

I like your optimism - I don't trust my 5 day forecast, let alone 50!


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## crussell

You should also know - There are more of us that blame @wardconnor for these types of undertakings.


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## j1ggy

I don't trust them guys doing the forecast also, especially when they put a good looking woman on the TV to do it . She's there just to distract us from the fact that they won't get much of it right. :mrgreen:

But this is kinda of what I expect and what is within the historical data.
I know I should have started it about a month ago but I didn't...

Also, I think that I'll have 5 inches of top layer, and then that will be leveled with sand, so I expect around 5-5 1/2 of new material + an inch of the sand and clay mixture that is on top of the limestone.

PS Thank you for all your help so far


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## wardconnor

Holy awesome project. I can not wait to see the outcome.


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## j1ggy

Yup, I'm going to work my a$$ of to pull it out, but come june I'm hoping to have a lawn worthy of envy.

We shall see how it all pans out. 
Right now I'm in the process of laying down the 3/4 inch pipes for irrigation a bit deeper because they were instaled on the top of the limestone and I don't want them to freeze during the winter.

While doing that I've discovered why 2 of my sprinklers were not operating as they should (they would turn and just stop at the end of the half-circle).
Here's a pic to illustrate the problem (to much gunk and scaling) and my solution:


So, both of them were looking like the one in the top row, so I tried washing them with Dawn and sponge to no avail, then I've used my pressure washer and it still didn't do much.
In the end I dipped them in hydrochloric acid (18%) and rinsed with tap water. The end product is in the bottom row.
I swear it does miracles. The only thing to watch out for is to have (at least) latex gloves on.


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## Colonel K0rn

Awesome project. Subscribed to follow the progress!


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## Movingshrub

What part of Serbia? I've been to Belgrade and Novi Sad.

Also, I think I've got a photo somewhere with Boris Tadic'.


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## j1ggy

I'm in Novi Sad suburb. It's a 25 minute drive from the city center.

There's a story here that we like to tell among ourselves. Although Belgrade is much larger (2 mil vs 500 k inhabitants) and the state capital, Novi Sad was always a much "prettier" city with much more history and culture. 
So the saying goes - Belgrade is a nice little town, but in the middle of nowhere - 50 miles from Novi Sad. :mrgreen:

If you're coming any time soon just let me know. Or any of you guys. I'd be happy to show you around.


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## j1ggy

I need your help now.
As it looks right now we'll have temp drop after the weekend and in the middle of the next week it will get as low as 35F during the night.
After that (next weekend), the temp will rise to mid 50's and stay there for some time.

So, the question is - should I plant the seeds tomorrow or the day after, or I'm a better of waiting till the next weekend?
Temps right now are in the mid 70's during the day and I don't know if that drop can bring the soil temp down that fast.
But it's the first few days of germination and I don't want to shock the seeds.


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## osuturfman

Soil temp won't drop as quickly. The sooner the seed is in the ground, the better.


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## j1ggy

I've ran into a logistical problem - I cannot find the top soil, anywhere.
I was losing hope a bit, but then I rang a local guy who's doing a lot of building work and it just happens that he has top dressing that he made for a golf course nearby and it's freaking perfect because it's already mixed with sand. I'm really relieved. 
Esspecialy because I did some work for him few months ago and he gave me a great deal.
4 truck loads which will cover the whole court (40 by 18 yards) in 5 inches of the stuff will cost me 150$. :bandit:


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## crussell

I'm inclined to say you may be light on your quantity of 4 truck loads. Here's what I'm calculating:

40 x 18 yards = 720 square yards (SY)

720 SY x 0.138 (5 inches thick) =100 cubic yards (CY)

Keep in mind this 100 CY is based on compacted volume, known as "bank cubic yards". Typically for this type of material a factor of 1.3-1.4 is used to calculate the loose uncompacted volume, known as "truck cubic yards (TCY)".

100 CY x 1.3 = 130 TCY

By my math you would want about 130 TCY, which should be a lot more than 4 truck loads..?

Feel free to double check my math, and I hope this helps you dial your quantities in.


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## j1ggy

Your math is just a bit off. Here's why and I'll go all metric, because it's easier for me.

The whole court is 36 x 16 meters, 
and I'll leave a strip inside those dimensions of 25 cm from each side, which will give me 35.5 x 15.5 meters.
That brings my total area to 550 sqm. 
Also, bear in mind that the mixture is 60 -70 percent sand which will reduce compaction.

So, the math would be:

550sqm x 0.13m = 71.5 cubic meters of compacted soil
71.5 x 1.2 = 85.8 before compaction

1 truck load is 20 cubic meters, so I'll have to make do without those 5.8 cubic meters.


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## crussell

Ok fair enough! 71.5 cubic meters is 93 CY so we are close, considering the strip you are leaving.

Maybe I should have asked first - Does a "truck load" include truck and trailer?? 20 cubic meters would be a big truck.


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## j1ggy

Here's the truck:










_Sorry for going a bit offtopic_


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## j1ggy

Today we've finished removing the clay and leveling and compacting the clay / sand / limestone mixture. On monday I'm hoping to level all the top soil and on tuesday morning I should have the grass seed planted.

Here's a pic of the soil during the compacting:



As it stands now, I have 2 inches of that mixture and I have 4 inches between the soil ATM and the curb so I'll bring in enough top soil to be level with it.
Also, I've discovered another good news, the limestone is not pure limestone (as in hard, impenetrable layer). 
When we first brought it in 9 years ago I've rralised that it'll leave large gaps between the stones, so we brought sand in to fill and level it.
And now it's all mixed together and I know that's going to be good for the grass roots...
So far so good


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## TN Hawkeye

This is my favorite new thread. I can't wait to see how it turns out.


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## j1ggy

This is how level it all is:


Looking at the picture I needed to have slope from the left side because I have a neighbor's building there. 
What I basically needed is to have uniform numbers in the three vertical columns as they represent the flatness of the surface and I'm really satisfied with those. The numbers around (on the edges) represent the curb height.

Now it's time to bring in the top soil :thumbup:


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## Stuofsci02

Cool.. what measurement is that? Cm?


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## j1ggy

Yup... BTW, I'm a land / construction surveyor, so it's a kind of thing to be a perfectionist...


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## g-man

That explains it! I was thinking, how he got the equipment to do an elevation drawing?


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## j1ggy

I've also made a complete gps survey of the court and the whole lot before any work was done in order to do all of it right the first time.
So I have all of the things covered on the engineering side.
I'm just hoping that I can do the same when it comes to the actual lawn. 
I just need it to establish itself perfectly the first time around. I cannot have any drawbacks because I'll lose the whole season next year.


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## j1ggy

The top soil has been brought in. I should have backhoe loader coming in about two hours to spread it all. With fine leveling done either today or tomorrow morning, as the grass seeds will be here tomorrow :banana:


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## j1ggy

I need just a bit of clarifiaction.
These are the cultivars:

PRG 25%	BARRAGE
PRG 25%	BAREURO
KBG 25%	CONNI
KBG 25%	BARTITIA

What am I looking at? I know that barrage is perfect for my application, bit I don'f know much about the other 3...


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## j1ggy

Ok boys and gals, we've leveled the court



And this is the seed, which is a bit different to what I originally thought:



Today I'll seed the whole court and I'm hoping to see some activity in the next week, especially because the two PRG varieties are known for low temp germination.


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## Suburban Jungle Life

Looking great!! Are you considering doing a selective pre-e? What is your plan for weeds?


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## j1ggy

Thank you!

ATM I'm not planing on doing anything as it's late fall and I shouldn't have any problems with weeds.
I'll do pre-e in the spring, along with some top dressing in may / june. That's all I have planed so far.


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## g-man

When do you plan to start playing in it?


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## j1ggy

Considering that lawns here usually exit dormancy in late february and we usually do the first mowing in march, I'm looking at june, perhaps. And that has a lot to do with KBG as I'm not really sure how long it will take for it to establish itself.

I'd like not to play on it untill I'm 100 percent sure that's its fully established, but I think that will be around september next year and there's no way I can wait that long...


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## Suburban Jungle Life

I would treat it like more like sports turf and lightly seed throughout the year. I'm not sure it'll be "cleated" in unless you wear those shoes but worth a shot... Keeping it watered and fertilized all year with a constant seed bank and I think you'll be quite successful. With your mix of KBG and PRG, constant seeding and fert should give you a solid playing surface. Can you get a soil test in the spring before you put out anything to see what you're working with?


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## j1ggy

Yeah, I'll do that.
What I think I'll do in the next fall is overseed with Barenbrug RPR which is 100% PRG with stolons. Mostly because that's what WImbledon uses. I likemuch more the look of the KBG, but I think it is bound to be eliminated by PRG.
Not sure right now. I'll see when I get to that. 
Right now I've fertilized the soil (yesterday) with 30 pounds of NPK 15:15:15 using broadcast spreader and then mixed it in the top soil. Then I've leveled it all and again spread around 10 pounds of NPK and again mixed it in the top 2 inches and leveled it all.
Today I've leveled all the corners (machine couldn't get there), spread sand all over the topsoil and again leveled. I's hoping I could seed the lawn today, but I ran out of time and there was a lot of wind. I even had some rain in the morning and found out that the drainage works good. I'm just praying for no downpours until the spring.
All is ready for seeding tomorrow with some rolling afterwards and then just hoping for the forecast to hold, because I'm looking at around 70F in the nex two weeks., which I hope will be enough to do at least one or two mowings before the first frost.


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## Robberthoffman

j1ggy said:


> Ok boys and gals, we've leveled the court
> 
> 
> 
> And this is the seed, which is a bit different to what I originally thought:
> 
> 
> 
> Today I'll seed the whole court and I'm hoping to see some activity in the next week, especially because the two PRG varieties are known for low temp germination.


Thats perfectly straight! 👌😳


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## j1ggy

Update:

I've planted the seed (22 pounds) to a 5600 sqf area.
And that looks a bit thin to me.
It does say that the sowing rate is 4 to 5 pounds per 1000 sqf, so I'm on the low end, but here's why (I'd like your opinion on what to do).
I will have some work to do on edges of the court (non playing surface) because I have to form that nice straight line, so I'll have to sow that strips of about 10 inches on the side. And then form them around may, when the lawn is established and I have the freedom to walk on it freely. But I still have some doubts because of the sowing rate, so my options are:

1. Add compost and sand (1:2, or even higher sand content) mixture on top of my soil and wait untill spring and then overseed if needed in march when I should see how well did the lawn establish itself

2. Spread another 5 or 6 pounds (I have 11 in a sealed bag) today and then add compost / sand mixture on top and just roll it and irrigate

I'm leaning towards No.2 as I have enough seed and I have good soil in terms of quality, but I don't want the seeds to be fighting for nutrients.


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## Suburban Jungle Life

I feel, if you have perfect conditions, temp, water, no runoff, no puddling, etc, then you will have good germination and it should reflect the 85% germination or whatever the label says. I'm not good with watering and nature seems to love screwing with me so I prefer to either go heavier at a 1.5x seed or if I have some time, I prefer to seed twice. Once germination begins, I reseed all the empty or low germination spots. If you keep it well maintained, water/fert/fungicide, then i view plant crowding as less of a problem. On low maintenance turf, that's fungus heaven and becomes a fertility problem.


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## FuzzeWuzze

Every rye i've planted out here says 8-10# for new seedings. So that does seem a bit light? Maybe they just want me to buy more seed lol :lol:


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## Suburban Jungle Life

FuzzeWuzze said:


> Every rye i've planted out here says 8-10# for new seedings. So that does seem a bit light? Maybe they just want me to buy more seed lol :lol:


Did you buy coated seed?

He planted a half mix of KBG and PRG. KBG usually has seeding rates around 2lb/M. 4-5 seems like it would be fine with that mix.


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## j1ggy

Yup, that's the trick. I've just followed the manufacturer specs for that specific mixture.

Anyway, I decided not to seed right now. I've just covered the existing seeds with a thin layer of sand (for insulation and to be able to walk on the court without soil sticking to my feet) and made some compost + sand mixture and spread it along the edges to see if can get something going now so I have less work in the spring.
I should have very nice weather in the next few weeks with little to no rain and daily temps of 65 to 75F. 
All in all, I'm very pleased so far...


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## FuzzeWuzze

Suburban Jungle Life said:


> FuzzeWuzze said:
> 
> 
> 
> Every rye i've planted out here says 8-10# for new seedings. So that does seem a bit light? Maybe they just want me to buy more seed lol :lol:
> 
> 
> 
> Did you buy coated seed?
> 
> He planted a half mix of KBG and PRG. KBG usually has seeding rates around 2lb/M. 4-5 seems like it would be fine with that mix.
Click to expand...

Nope its pure 3 way seed, the varieties are all top rated NTEP so not sure why they say to seed so high? 
https://ptlawnseed.com/collections/conventional-lawn-seed-mixes/products/phd


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## samjonester

FuzzeWuzze said:


> Suburban Jungle Life said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> FuzzeWuzze said:
> 
> 
> 
> Every rye i've planted out here says 8-10# for new seedings. So that does seem a bit light? Maybe they just want me to buy more seed lol :lol:
> 
> 
> 
> Did you buy coated seed?
> 
> He planted a half mix of KBG and PRG. KBG usually has seeding rates around 2lb/M. 4-5 seems like it would be fine with that mix.
> 
> Click to expand...
> 
> Nope its pure 3 way seed, the varieties are all top rated NTEP so not sure why they say to seed so high?
> https://ptlawnseed.com/collections/conventional-lawn-seed-mixes/products/phd
Click to expand...

Turf rates are generally higher than lawn rates. It's a tennis court, so it'll have higher traffic levels (even just with personal use). I'm assuming you'll be maintaining it like turf, @j1ggy? More preventative and less reactive treatments for things like fungicides?


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## osuturfman

4-6 lb/M is a common range on 50/50 blue/rye mixtures.  Seed count by species is the key on seed mixtures. See the link from Purdue about KBG/PRG mixtures.

https://turf.purdue.edu/tips/2009/08102009_grassmix.html

KBG has around 1.4 million seeds per pound while PRG has around 240,000 seeds per pound. So to balance the seeding rate based on seed count, you'll see a rate in between typical (3 lb/M - KBG and 10 lb/M - PRG) rates. Also, it's worth noting that Barenbrug uses KBG varieties that inherently have larger seeds and thus lower seed counts which would necessitate an increase in the initial seeding rate.

One other interesting thing about the article linked above is the summary of results in KBG populations two years after establishment of KBG/PRG mixtures. The bottom line here is, if you do want to use a mixture of the two keep it at 85/15 KBG/PRG or higher on the bluegrass ratio otherwise, it's a waste of money.

That said, in this case it made sense to go with this seed mixture for the tennis court because of timing and availability. Introducing more PRG next year will only help the cause as the goal is to have it be the dominant species.


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## j1ggy

@ samjonester

I'll be maintaining it like a turf, for sure. In that sense, I'm planing on buying an Allett mower with cartridges, so I can have the whole line of equipment in one machine as that will take care of a lot of moss and thatch problem for me even before it becomes one. I'm not 100% sure about that, but I'm leaning towards it. If not, I'll go the traditional way and buy separate machines.

As for weeds, I'll be doing pre-m, but I'll have to wait and see how the turf establishes itself in the spring. That's a downside to not seeding the court two months ago. Now I'll have to wait and see if I'll have to do overseeding in the spring , because I will not be able to use pre-m right away. But I'll cross that bridge...

For it's first year, 
in march - considering that I've already fertilised the soil with NPK 15:15:15, I will do a soil test early in the spring and see where to go from there. I'll do just the regular mowing at about two inches and apply fertilizer if needed (based on the soil test results). I'll probably lightly topdress areas that I can see are lower whilst adding seeds.

In april I'm hoping to gradually begin to lower my mower and continue rolling / compacting it with my 250 lbs roller.

Come may I will be adding sand to level the turf as much as I can and I will be leaving the clippings from a few mows on it, just to make sure I have some organic nutrients on it. I'll also continue rolling it with a heavy roller. I'll also add some fertilizer.
This is the month that I'll probably paint the lines on the court and put my net up. Hopefully, I'll step on it with my racket in my hands. 
But it will all have a lot to do with the weather. Sometimes we get 70 degree weather in late february / early march, and sometimes (like this year), we've had snow and 40 degrees in late march. While we had 50 degree weather in december and january.
I'm just hoping for a normal weather and that's just all, if we get an early spring - I'll be very glad.
And that will be the most crucial period of the whole project.

I dare not plan any further, as it will depend on a lot of factors, but I'm genuinely looking forward to all of it..


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## piotrkol

Very exciting project, I also seeded my lawn with RPR and KBG mid September so I will follow your updates closely. Keeping my fingers crossed for success!


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## g-man

One of the main issues we have helping our European members is finding products, mainly prem and fungicides. If you guys could share your sources and names it might help someone else in the future.


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## j1ggy

Well, I have a lot of friends in agriculture and they mostly use products from Bayer, Syngenta and BASF.
For the specifics, I'll have to look more into it.
But I've used this from Bayer on bermuda grass:
https://www.amazon.com/Advanced-704100-Bermudagrass-Control-32-Ounce/dp/B001D25Y0K
And it worked very nice.
If anybody's asking, I don't like the creeping types of grass, and I had a mixture of KBG on my front lawn, so I had to remove it.


----------



## j1ggy

What do you think would be an optimal sized reel lawn mower for my court?

I'm looking at:
14" (which I will be cumbersome to work with), 17" or 20" .
And every single one of them I'd need to get from the UK, delivered by a courier to Germany and then transported by a friend to me.
It's really not easy to find a reel lawn mower anywhere near me, especially with QX cartridges by Allett / ATCO / Qualcast.
The shipping alone will be around 350 $ for the 20 inch Balmoral of the UK ebay.

Mind you, I'm planing on leveling my side and front lawn, so I'd have around 5000 sqft + the court. Let's say around 10000 sqft if I decide to cut it all with reel mower. Although I think that the yard will still be done by a rotary, I'd like to have a mower that I can rely on to do all in reasonable amount of time.


----------



## wardconnor

TN Hawkeye said:


> This is my favorite new thread. I can't wait to see how it turns out.


This.


----------



## Ware

wardconnor said:


> TN Hawkeye said:
> 
> 
> 
> This is my favorite new thread. I can't wait to see how it turns out.
> 
> 
> 
> This.
Click to expand...

Yes, how did I miss this topic? :thumbsup:


----------



## g-man

^ World Series 
@Ware @wardconnor 
Check this one out too. https://thelawnforum.com/viewtopic.php?f=27&t=6807&p=116293#p116293


----------



## j1ggy

Oh, look what I've found today:


It'll have a special place in my memory. I've always wanted a grass court and this is a big thing for me.

Considering that we'll have around 10 or so days with this 70F weather, I should be able to get it mowed before the first frost and encourage some more root growth.
I'm just hoping it will not get really low after those 10 days, because I want a chance for KBG to germinate.


----------



## ABC123

For a mower have you thought about a rear roller rotary? Uk has a few options of these but a true greensmower would scalp much less.


----------



## g-man

He has a rear roller rotary.

I would go with the 20in reel. Wider makes nicer stripes. Too wide (heavy) might be hard to handle in a smaller yard.


----------



## j1ggy

It doesn't have a roller but I'll add one in the spring and try with that.
I don't think that scalping is going to occure because the turf needs to be and will be reasonably flat, so I think I'm covered there.
What I am worried about is the yellowish tint of the grass blades. So I'm not 100% sure on what to do.
I still think that my Honda rotary(waiting for delivery any day now) is going to be adequate, but I may wait until the spring to see.
I forgot to mention that, did I? I bought a used Honda that has the ability to go low. I didn't buy it for that specific reason. I bought it because I have 15000 sqft of grass to mow (including the 6000 sqft court) I liked it because it has three speed hydro transmission, blade stop, wheel bearings and has HOC 1/2 of an inch. So I'm planing on putting a roler behind the rear wheels for it to be able to do stripes.
Here's a link:
https://www.honda.co.uk/lawn-and-garden/products/lawnmowers/hrd/specifications.html#hrd536tx
I know that model numbers are different here to what they are in the US, but I think it's 217... And it's really expensive for a rotary. Really. So I decided to go second hand and got me a 2016 model from a guy I know which is in very good condition.


----------



## g-man

Sorry, I'm getting your thread confuse with another one.


----------



## j1ggy

Haven't made un update in more then three weeks, mostly because I was pissed at myself for not doing all of this two months before, but I was still watering the seeds two to three times per day (it wasn't really hot here) as the soil didn't need much more.
I haven't been able to mow the grass as the temps have droped considerably and I was kinda down... In a span of a week we've had 65F and sun, and three days ago we had 40 mph winds and temp of just 35F which felt like 25F. So the grass wasn't really happy. Only thing it was happy with is that we've had regular rain, so my presence wasn't really needed.
Due to that I haven't really checked up on it in like 5 days (I don't live there (yet?)), and today I drove my car into the yard and lo and behold, this is the sight I was left with, right after I picked up my jaw from the gorund:



The pic was taken with my phone (Galaxy S8) and I thought of you guys...


----------



## g-man

Awesome!


----------



## osuturfman

Any thought given to putting growth covers on for the winter?


----------



## j1ggy

I forgot to mention that I've thrown down around 2.5 lbs of urea two weeks ago. And it seems to have done the trick.
I'll take a picture tomorrow during the day, because I haven't really seen it during the daytime in at least 7 days, and I'll post it here.
But, there's still some bare spots and KBG hasn't really got a chance to develop. But I'm not really worried. 
I'll just overseed in the spring (late feb or early march).
We don't have that harsh transition from winter to summer and the grass here really likes it. We have at least two to three months of temps between 65 to 80F, before it hits 100F for a month or two (mid june to mid august).
So I have march, april and may for establishment.

I'm just thinking about doing a reno on my lawn, but I'll leave that for the next fall. I'll just use some pre-m, topdress and overseed to see if I can go to within a satisfactory result during the next season. If not, reno is what I'll do...

As for growth covers, I'll have to check. My wife has already brought that up, but I'd not be able to find one here, so I'd have to improvise, I think...


----------



## j1ggy

It's now been 31 days since seeding and we've had cold weather these last two weeks.
Yesterday we've had our second snow of the season (which only lasted a few hours), and we've had a few days of frost, so I don't hope to see much more growth.





I'm just wondering, since I haven't had a chance to mow it, should I do it if the weather permits? We should be having some 50F weather in the next 10 days or so, and the ground should dry up a bit for me to be able to mow.

I'm just wondering what's best for the grass. To mow or not to mow, that is the question...


----------



## g-man

What is the current grass length and what do you want to mow to?


----------



## j1ggy

I'd say 2 to 3 inches.
I don't have any particulat height in mind, I'm just wondering if it'll be of any use / benefit...
But in any case, I won't be cutting more that 1/3 or 1/4 of the grass. And due to different germination times, I still think that cutting at 2 inches won't clip more than 30 percent of the grass.
My only concern / doubt is if that will help or not (getting through the winter, root formation etc.).


----------



## g-man

I would mow it at 2in and keep it there.


----------



## j1ggy

That's what I thought. If I do it now, maybe it'll promote some root growth, and if it doesn't it won't hurt.
Thank's a lot


----------



## Robberthoffman

How does your tennis court look now?
Just curious


----------



## j1ggy

I'm sorry for not noticing your question earlier.

This winter has been very strange or at least very different to what we're used to here.
We've had like 15 inches of snow in 24 hours in the second week of december, than a week of sub zero (celsius) temps and then some more snow, and I've only been able to actually see the grass once.

What I saw is that the grass is green, it's not brown like most of the surrounding grass and a lot more of the seeds have germinated. One of the good things is that the frost has loosend the ground a bit, so it shouldn't be a problem to do some dormant seeding in a few weeks, as the seeds will have really good contact with the soil. I have some sand left from the fall, so I'll use that to cover the seeds before rolling.

Bottom line is that I'm really looking forward for the spring


----------



## j1ggy

I just thought to conclude this topic by posting the final result.
Ofcourse, there's still some work to be done to the lawn and its surroundings, but the important thing is that the poeple see that it is achievable with A LOT of hard work and dedication:






I will need to aerate and reseed in about two to three weeks, so I can have a really thick lawn by the spring next year, but I had some ups and downs this year and I'm very pleased how it all turned out...


----------



## weed_wizard

Awesome, great job!


----------



## j1ggy

Thank you! I have some bermuda grass problems, but I cannot get Tenacity here, so I will have to make do with Callisto, which is also made by Syngenta, but it's an agricultural product so I'll have to adjust. Fortunatly, we don't have any restrictions on using those in a residental area and I have a good isolation of about 100 yards in any direction...
If my reserach is right, Tenacity is modeled after Callisto and all I have to do is adjust.

I've also read an old topic on the matter here and googled a bit, but I still have to do a bit of research...


----------



## Suburban Jungle Life

j1ggy said:


> Thank you! I have some bermuda grass problems, but I cannot get Tenacity here, so I will have to make do with Callisto, which is also made by Syngenta, but it's an agricultural product so I'll have to adjust. Fortunatly, we don't have any restrictions on using those in a residental area and I have a good isolation of about 100 yards in any direction...
> If my reserach is right, Tenacity is modeled after Callisto and all I have to do is adjust.
> 
> I've also read an old topic on the matter here and googled a bit, but I still have to do a bit of research...


Callisto and tenacity look to be the same % ai. You could use it at the same rates.


----------



## FuzzeWuzze

Yessss finally a payoff, i had wondered all spring where you were and lost track of the thread after you went silent on it last year


----------



## j1ggy

Nah, I just had a lot of work, and I haven't really been able to paint the lines, since I needed a machine to do it, and I had hard time sourcing one and just ended building one myself.
Anyway, here's a few nighttime pictures:


----------



## g-man

When was the first game? What do players think about it? It looks so cool.


----------



## j1ggy

Well, the first impresions are really, really great!
Only a handful of friends and family members have tried the court so far, but all of them play tennis a lot and all of them are blown out of their minds...
I wish I could paste you the links to their Facebook and instagram posts, so you can see for yourself, but every post in serbian.
The fact that this is the only grass court in a 500 mile radius is a big talking point.

Even Novak Djokovic gave an interview before he went and won the Wimbledon this year in which he said that he trains on hardcourt as there is no grass court anywhere near.
And I guess every person I know has read that and now they all are bringing it to my attention 

Anyway, I have two spots of dried out grass where the net posts are, as the concrete foundation is about 3 to 4 inches below the surface and I'll need to water those spots more. I've only been able to tell that, since I was on a vacation and watering was cut down a bit, while the temps here are relentless for the last month or so with daytime being in the range of 90 to a 100 degrees F. And it shouldn't get any lower in the next two weeks. My point being that the grass is holding on rather well. Above my expectations, to be honest.

Now, I should aerate, overseed and probably topdress in about two weeks, so I can have a really thick lawn by the next spring. Although I think that just by verticutting I could get the result I want, I don't want to take any chances.

It's really rewarding right now. We should have a bbq party this saturday and I'm really looking forward to that.


----------



## hammerhead

Great work @j1ggy ! Looks fantastic.
Could you elaborate a bit why you chose a PRG only lawn? Also, do you think you could go a notch lower on the HOC. Looks like your surface is quite level.
You should build some more courts and rent them out to tennis players


----------



## j1ggy

It's not a PRG only lawn. Here's why: I've seeded the lawn with a mix of KBG and PRG (Barenbrug Supersport), after that (this spring) I overseeded with a RPR Sport mixture by Barenbrug, which I also tend to overseed with in about two weeks. PRG being as agressive as it is, will takeover in a few years, but right now it's all blending really well and it has a uniform color.
ATM, I'd like it to be a bit darker and I should fertilize with some UREA, but I don't want to that because of the above mentioned overseed. 
I plan to topdress, verticut and overseed in the next three weeks. And as I plan to play on the court for two weeks from today, that leaves me with about a week's window to do all that. And I really need to do that now (this fall), as I plan to use the court ASAP in the spring and won't be able to wait untill late april / may (intensive growth) to level / topdress.
I may cut down on on those two weeks of playing time, just to be safe and not regret anything, as I already made a mistake by seeding REALLY late last year (10/25). Well, it's not a mistake per se, as I got the idea of lawn tennis court early in October, but nonetheless... The whole court is fairly level. I have about an 6/8 of an inch deviation accross the whole court, which I plan to bring to a level surface in two topdresses, one now and one next spring. I will strive to have a +- 0 deviation, but I will be pleased with a surface that is close to that...

As far as HOC goes, I kept it at 22 mm (9/10 of an inch) mainly because I wanted to help the grass survive the summer without putting to much stress on it by lowering the mower.
But I plan to cut at about 1/2 an inch or 5/8 day to day. Right now I'm mowing every three days. During the intensive growth I've mowed every other day.


----------



## j1ggy

Just a quick question - should I spray Tenacity / Callisto now? I have (maybe) 20 or 30 spots of bermudagrass, but I plan to spray the whole lawn and I'm wondering on how to correctly apply it, since I will be verticutting and overseeding in 2 to 3 weeks.
Or should I just wait and spray it on the day I put the seeds down?


----------



## Greasmatta

j1ggy said:


> I have just checked and I'm unable to find Barenbrug RPR seed.
> The ones that are ready available are Sport and Super Sport.
> 
> But I'm unsure if those will tolerate mowing to half an inch...


There is a Swedish supplier who also ship outside Sweden. They are experts and preferred supplier to Swedish soccer federation.

https://www.jordelit.se/tee-och-fairway/170-rpr-8712238995141.html

https://www.jordelit.se/4-grasfro#

You can also give them a call. They have a fantastic support with extreme knowledge. I called once just for one 25kg bag. Even then the expert took the time to talk to me for like 15 min about grass seeds etc. (He talked i listened  )


----------



## Suburban Jungle Life

j1ggy said:


> Just a quick question - should I spray Tenacity / Callisto now? I have (maybe) 20 or 30 spots of bermudagrass, but I plan to spray the whole lawn and I'm wondering on how to correctly apply it, since I will be verticutting and overseeding in 2 to 3 weeks.
> Or should I just wait and spray it on the day I put the seeds down?


I don't think mesotrione will kill the bermuda grass. It'll turn it white maybe but it'll survive. I recommend topramezone mixed with triclopyr. Mesotrione is great when seeding to help prevent other weeds from germinating.


----------



## j1ggy

OK

This is what I have available:

http://www.fitofarmacija.rs/en/proizvodi/herbicidi/garlon_3a.html

https://www.agro.basf.co.za/en/Products/Overview/Campus%C2%AE.html

The later one under the name Clio, but I guess it's just a naming thing, since the active ingredient is the same.

So I should mix those two?

I have already tried Callisto / Tenacity on the existing bermuda a few months back, and it did turn white after a few days, but I think it did survive.
I didn't think much of it, as I thought that maybe my dosage isn't right, because I've used Callisto. But now I'm puzzled.
If I use those two from the above links, will they take care of the of the other weeds (as a pre-m, as I don't have any other weeds), or should I also spray Callisto / Tenacity as a pre-m?


----------



## Suburban Jungle Life

j1ggy said:


> OK
> 
> This is what I have available:
> 
> http://www.fitofarmacija.rs/en/proizvodi/herbicidi/garlon_3a.html
> 
> https://www.agro.basf.co.za/en/Products/Overview/Campus%C2%AE.html
> 
> The later one under the name Clio, but I guess it's just a naming thing, since the active ingredient is the same.
> 
> So I should mix those two?
> 
> I have already tried Callisto / Tenacity on the existing bermuda a few months back, and it did turn white after a few days, but I think it did survive.
> I didn't think much of it, as I thought that maybe my dosage isn't right, because I've used Callisto. But now I'm puzzled.
> If I use those two from the above links, will they take care of the of the other weeds (as a pre-m, as I don't have any other weeds), or should I also spray Callisto / Tenacity as a pre-m?


Those a.i. are the right products to combine. This is a post-emergent spray (don't water it in) to selectively kill bermuda but also many other broadleaf and grassy weeds. I would read the label for pylex to see the rates to use of both. You'll have to do the conversions to match up the rates and the measurement types (english to metric). I wouldn't do this if you are seeding. I think it is a 3 week interval for this if you want to seed. This is also best done in the summer when the bermuda is actively growing and will take the biggest hit from the herbicide. It will probably yellow your cool season grass though. FYI.

If you are seeding, use the callisto/tenacity as a pre-emergent. So, spray it and water it in. It'll stop weeds from germinating. If you don't have any weeds and don't think you will, you could skip it. This product lasts about 1 month so if you need more time, you can spray it again and then later switch to prodiamine or some other pre-emergent.


----------



## j1ggy

Hmmm, so I could spray it, say, tomorrow and then wait 3 weeks to seed? And I will do spot application as it really isn't to bad and I think I don't need to spray the whole lawn. And you know what's funny? I only have bermuda on one half (maybe even 1/3) of the lawn. I'll take a few pics, so you can see for yourselves...

I will probably topdress in about two weeks, leave a one week window for the grass to recover a bit from all the stress produced by draging my leveling "device" accross it, and then verticut and seed.

Did I get that right? 
Or should I verticut and then seed and then topdress the next day, so the sand acts as a protective layer? Mostly because I wish to not disturb the topdressing layer too much, as I need it as level as I can get it to be.

This is what I level with:


And this is the lawn exactly four weeks later (I fertilized with UREA on the same day I topdressed)


And I have upgraded the leveling "device" with half a dozen (maybe more) 2 feet long brushes attached (drilled and bolted) to the other side (the one that is facing up on the fisrt pic).


----------



## Suburban Jungle Life

The pylex label says to do 2-3 apps. 3 is probably ideal. They also state it won't necessarily kill it all and you should repeat this program for a few years. I'm not sure 1 app is going to make a big difference. If it's on 1/3, I would probably spray to 1/2 of it so you catch all the runners. Maybe start this process next year or whenever your summers are?

As for leveling, I'm not an expert on that but if you want it super smooth, I would seed first and let it grow for 2-3 weeks assuming it's rye since that's fast. Then, level with sand. I think if you level first and then use a verticutter or anything to disturb the surface, it may not be as level. I guess you could seed then level but I wonder how uniform the seed distribution will be if you drag and move sand over it. Hopefully others can chime in on this.


----------



## j1ggy

Thank you.
I will do an application and post the results.

Against my own wishes and thoughts on process of overseed, I threw down UREA last night. 10 lbs on my 6000 sqf.

I plan to go on as follows:

1. Shock the grass by mowing at about half an inch, but making sure I don't damage the crown
2. Verticut in two directions in about 10 days as it appears that the temps will drop to mid 70's
3. Throw down Barenbrug RPR Sport seed
4. Topdress the lawn according to a plan I make after I do a survey and make an elevation drawing

I do plan to topdress the whole lawn, but I will vary the thickness of the sand. I'm still in the process of thinking should I mix the sand with some compost / topsoil, just so it compacts better. I may have to do an experimant on a much smaller scale, as I cannot have places with an inch of sand, which will be hard to compact as the whole court needs to have an uniform bounce. I'm still trying to find the best possible solution...


----------



## PokeGrande

Looks awesome! Kudos!


----------



## j1ggy

Thank you!

Well, here's one way to enjoy your lawn:



Partagas Serie P No 2 and a glass of Hennessy XO, beforehand I had a nice cup of medium roast espresso from Ethiopia. Nothing beats it IMHO.

As I said to my children's godfather today, I could just lay on that lawn and take an afternoon nap. The only thing you hear is some birds and wind rustling through the leaves... I swear to God, it takes the edge right of...

Anyway, I've surveyed the whole lawn, the sand was brought in today and tomorrow I'll do some leveling / topdressing. There are parts that need an inch of sand, but I will not be able to fill that much, as I'd smother the grass and even worse it'd make the ball bounce very low as the sand isn't the firmest type of soil. I had an idea to mix 2 parts sand to 1 part topsoil / compost, but I still won't be able to level it to perfection as I will still be smothering the grass. So I'll just bring in half an inch now and half an inch in late April / early May next year...
Oh, and I did some verticutting last weekend. I swear it ripped so much dead grass and some week green grass that I'd thought I'll have nothing left once I'm done. But today, a week later the lawn looks sooo much better.



And here's the lawn after I vacuumed it with my ride on mower. It took me three full catchers and still I managed to vacuum only about 80-90%.

But I still got some cool stripes (this is 1 inch tall):


----------



## j1ggy

Hi fellas, haven't been here in while but I'dblike to wish you all a very good year...

I have a certain thing going on on my lawn and I'd like your help.
My grass is still very much green, but I have some brown patches, which idk what to do about, if anything.
Temperatures have been around freezimg for the last few eeeks and I haven't really checked on mine court and this is what it looks right now:



Should I worry? I'd really love to start mowing in around two months...


----------



## g-man

That's a fungus. Looks like a snow mold from this distance.


----------



## j1ggy

A stupid question - does the snow mold require that there was actual snow? Because we haven't had any this season.
And most of the seasons we don't, since we're only 250ft above sea level and in a plain...
The weather was foggy with high humidity and lots of cloud coverage for at least two weeks.

Should I do anything about it now, or wait for the spring? If so, shoud I worry about any long term effects.

I assume that's because I haven't used any herbicides this fall, because I did some leveling and overseeding and didn't want to disutrb the new grass..


----------



## The Anti-Rebel

could also be necrotic ring spot.


----------



## bosox_5

That's what I thought too

https://www.extension.purdue.edu/extmedia/BP/BP-116-W.pdf


----------



## osuturfman

The Anti-Rebel said:


> could also be necrotic ring spot.


Necrotic ring spot only affects Kentucky Bluegrass and _Poa annua_. This looks to be Waitea patch or yellow patch, as I believe this is 100% perennial ryegrass.

Asoxystrobin (Heritage) for chemical control is your best option in either case.


----------



## j1ggy

Actually, it's a 50/50 blend of KBG and PRG (Barenbrug Supersport). That was my initial seed combo when I first seeded. But all overseeding after that was done with Barenbrug Regenerating PRG.
In either way, PRG will take over, which is my goal...

I'll take some closeup's today and post here, maybe that will help...


----------



## timtimotej

I found this very helpful to diagnose disease.
https://www.turffiles.ncsu.edu/diseases-in-turf/

Pre m in europe:
callisto sc480(mesotrione), 
BASF aqua stomp(pendimethalin)

Fungicide: 
Ortiva(azystrobin), 
Artea plus(propiconazole)both syngenta.

I can't get callisto in Slovenia &#128557;. 
Where in Serbia are you?


----------



## Sfurunner13

Just read through this thread, wow! Amazing job, looks fantastic!


----------



## j1ggy

Did my second moving, brought HOC down to 30mm, threw down some urea and stocked on the EU version of Milorganite.

Anyway, more then words


----------



## AlexH

That is a beautiful photo :thumbup:
Great job!


----------



## j1ggy

Here's some quarantine content. HOC at 20 mm (6/8"):







Although it looks good, I'm having some earthworm issues. Which I hope I have resolved with imidacloprid a few days back. I'll just have to wait and see.

And I do realose they are very beneficial, at this HOC they are a major p.i.t.a. and even more, they'll create and uneven surface, which is unacceptable...


----------



## timtimotej

What is your EU miIo? I use Biogrena(from Italy)as an organic fert. it contains lots of humic acids, fulvic,...
For earthworms you can use Topsin M- thiophanate methyl it's fungicide but works against earthworms.


----------



## timtimotej

https://archive.lib.msu.edu/tic/turfx/article/1998mar3b.pdf

Check this for earthworms suppression.

Topsin M worked for me. There are still castings, but only few here and there. 
I applied 7g/100m2 of thiophanate methyl.


----------



## j1ggy

Tnx for the suggestions, I will try them out.

I'm using products from a Dutch company, when it comes to organic fertilizers:

https://www.memon.nl/Products/Professional-Market/SIFORGA-5-3-8


----------



## lfrancis

@j1ggy looking good! How are you finding the RPR Sport performing for wear tolerance and colour vs your other PRG blends?


----------



## j1ggy

My HOC is at 17mm or 5/8", which is as low as I will go. Now, at that height the color is a bit lighter then at 1".
Bear in mind that it still RPR and KBG mixture lawn as my first seeding was done with Barenbrug super sport and I overseeded with RPR.
Oh, and RPR germination time is ridiculous. I had a few patches made by the earthworms, so I repaired those with RPR and it germinated in 3 or 4 days. It's been a week now and its going like crazy. But temps here are perfect at around 70 F with some sun and rain. So it's really beneficial.

Here's a pic:


----------



## KadeCarter

This is absolutely GORGEOUS. I am very jealous. Thank you for sharing the end product! The hard work and dedication you've put in to this point look to be well worth it! Keep up the good work and keep sharing!


----------



## j1ggy

It appears that I've managed to burn my grass with UREA.
I've thrown down the same amount that I usually do, but what I didn't do is water properly. I have continued to water it every fourth day, without taking into consideration that temperatures have risen dramatically in a span of just 2 days and we're having 35°C daily highs, low 20s nighttime temperatures.

UREA was applied 13 days ago and the high temps started 8 days ago. During that time, I've only watered on sunday (5 days ago), since we had rain untill last tuesday.













Some help and info would be appreciated, mostly as to what I can expect in terms of the recovery...

PS Wheather forecast says that we'll have more of the same in the next 2 weeks. Maybe some thunderstorms...


----------



## g-man

@j1ggy I do t see urea damage. I see drought damage. The irrigation every 4 days could be part of the problem. 35C (95F) is hot enough to need around 6mm of irrigation per day. You should target 12mm of water every 2 - 3 days.

What to do now? Get a hose and water those areas. A lot of water to see if they recover. Try not to step/play in those areas (if possible) and throw some seeds. Do an irrigation audit to make sure the sprinklers are all working with even coverage. Measure how long to run your system to get the 12mm of water everywhere.


----------



## j1ggy

Ok. Some good news.

As to why I had the problem in the first place is due to the fact that I didn't change the pump timer.

I realised my mistake a bit late. Although the grass is not dead, nor shall I allow anyone on the grass in the next week or so, I'm wondering should I raise the HOC? I'm at 22 mm or 6/8". I brought it up by about 7 mm to compensate for the heat two weeks ago...

I spoke with a university professor, who has written a book on grass, and he basically told me the same thing. We this kind of heat, suspend all fertilizing and water every other day for as long as the temps don't drop.

So, I plan to listen to you guys and wait and see. I'm just sorry I didn't take a pic of the court 10 days ago, as it was worthy of a cover on a magazine.
People were coming to see it and were saying that they're having chills.


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## g-man

Keep it at 22mm. That's what I have mine at too and we're are heading to 33C temps. The grass uses the same amount of water that 22mm or 30mm.

If you want to get into more water knowledge, read the irrigation ET guide in the irrigation folder.


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## j1ggy

Will do! Thank you for all your help


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