# Chadwicktr's Tahoma 31 (from sprigs) Journal



## Chadwicktr (May 26, 2020)

It's been great keeping up with other's journals, so I thought I would start one as I transition my yard from centipede/common bermuda/weeds to Tahoma 31.

We purchased in 2019, and the previous owner did nothing to help the yard. From what neighbors said, he let the lawn grow several inches tall and then would scalp it down to the dirt. So the first year, it was mainly patches of weeds, patches of dirt, and sparse patches of common bermuda in the back yard (20k sq ft) and some centipede runners in the front yard (14k sq ft). The neighborhood was built on a tobacco field, so it's very sandy soil.

The first year I bought a tow behind sprayer and knocked out most of the weeds (sans crabgrass) and started hitting the lawn with some fertilizer and bios. The bermuda in the backyard loved it, and the centipede patches in the front yard started to thicken up and send some runners.

3 years and several projects later (fence, new deck, shrubs, flooring, etc), I'm finally getting around to converting the front lawn. The plan is to sprig the front lawn and let it establish. Then in the fall/spring run several rounds of glyphosate in the backyard with ARG in between. And next year harvest sprigs from the front yard for the sprigging the back. I have 360 feet of ditch (corner lot), which I plan to do last...with plugs and maybe some sod on the steep inclines.

Thus far, I've: 
* had some river birch trees removed in the front yard 
* sprayed glyphosate 
* ordered 5 tripod sprinklers and two four valve smart timers 
* ordered a drag mat

Next up:
* scheduled a dingo and harley rake rental
* scheduled an order of mason's sand
* put down lime and starter fert
* scheduled a 300 bushel Tahoma 31 sprigs order 
* rent a lawn roller

*Move in pictures:*




*Yard a year later:*




*River birches removed and glyphosate is doing its thing:*


----------



## WillyT (Jun 26, 2019)

You will look back in amazement! Best of luck to you, holler if you need anything!


----------



## Chadwicktr (May 26, 2020)

Today I worked on my tripod sprinkler setup and the b-hyve app. I have 5 tripods and two Orbit B-Hyve XD Bluetooth 4-Outlet Hose Faucet Timers.

The b-hyve app is supposed to allow a scheduled program to repeat on an hourly interval, but after several tests today, that feature isn't working. The good news is that it does allow 4 programs and within each program 4 start times, so I have at least 16 automatic times I can schedule. I had hoped to use at least 22, and run some on the half hours during the hottest part of the day, but I will have to play around with it now. Other than that, the valves are working great and the app is solid.

I have an irrigation company coming next week for a quote, but if we go that route, it'll probably be next year or thereafter at this point. I'd like to install most of it myself, if I can find someone to install the main line hookup/backflow preventer.



I'm picking up the dingo and Harley rake tomorrow. The mason sand should be delivered as well. 811 came yesterday to mark my power lines. I'm going to use the dingo to hopefully remove any outstanding River birch roots before running the Harley rake and then spreading masons sand. I'm curious how easy it will be to level everything off with the dingo. I used one with an auger attachment to put in 70 post holes last year, and it was a huge time saver.

The drag mat should be arriving this weekend too…figured it might be useful and better to have than not have


----------



## Chadwicktr (May 26, 2020)

Mason sand was delivered today and we picked up the dingo and Harley rake (neighbor was a huge help and lent his F150). I spent about an hour raking up the area where the river birches were; we got an inch or two of rain today so it was pretty easy to pull up most of the roots.


----------



## WillyT (Jun 26, 2019)

Nice!


----------



## mills4090 (Nov 22, 2021)

Awesome!Lookin at a drag as well, let us know how it works.


----------



## Chadwicktr (May 26, 2020)

Spent the morning raking up the big roots. 


Harley raked the rest of the yard two directions so far. Didn't expect so much centipede thatch to be left over so I'll probably need to rake that up. Should have completely scalped it post round up treatments. Live and learn.


----------



## DocTodd (9 mo ago)

Looks great @Chadwicktr !

I'm interested in your watering setup as I'd like to start collecting sprigs from the yard and expanding our bermuda to cut down on costs.


----------



## WillyT (Jun 26, 2019)

Looks good! That dirt and sand will be a big help with getting good soil contact.


----------



## Chadwicktr (May 26, 2020)

Took less than 45 minutes to move 10 cu yards of masons sand with the dingo bucket 😂. Then made two more passes with the Harley rake to finish it off.

Pretty much finished with the dingo. Will hand rake a few leftovers of thatch and a few tree roots.

Will apply lime and starter fert this week. I'm scheduled to pickup sprigs on Friday morning. No rain in the forecast until next weekend.


----------



## Chadwicktr (May 26, 2020)

WillyT said:


> Looks good! That dirt and sand will be a big help with getting good soil contact.


Thanks! I think the hardest part is over 😂😂 I told my wife we for sure aren't moving for a long time now. 😂


----------



## Chadwicktr (May 26, 2020)

DocTodd said:


> Looks great @Chadwicktr !
> 
> I'm interested in your watering setup as I'd like to start collecting sprigs from the yard and expanding our bermuda to cut down on costs.


I have 5 tripod sprinklers hooked up to two WiFi, four valve controllers. I measured it out then tested it and putting them on the perimeter gave me the best coverage and overlap. I only have 6.5 GPM so I'll run them each separately.


----------



## Chadwicktr (May 26, 2020)

mills4090 said:


> Awesome!Lookin at a drag as well, let us know how it works.


It works fine. The Harley rake was faster. I think I'll use the drag more later if I have to level after the grass is in.


----------



## Chadwicktr (May 26, 2020)

Chadwicktr said:


> mills4090 said:
> 
> 
> > Awesome!Lookin at a drag as well, let us know how it works.
> ...


I take that back. I used the drag tonight and it was helpful for two things. 1) it helped grab any remaining thatch/dead grass quickly. 2) it help me flatten out some areas that were rounded.

I ran out of daylight, but will run the drag again tomorrow to finish it off.

I also rescheduled my sprig pickup for tomorrow afternoon. Up next: I need to put out some starter fert, lime, and granular bifen…as well as pickup a lawn roller rental.

Cheers!


----------



## WillyT (Jun 26, 2019)

Looks great!


----------



## Chadwicktr (May 26, 2020)




----------



## Chadwicktr (May 26, 2020)

Awesome day today on the sod farm. They cut the sprigs when I arrived and put them right into my trailer since it was so hot. I got to speak with two of the turf managers (NC State grads) and geek out. lol. They added Tahoma 31 last year, and it seems to be their favorite turf-they've been very impressed so far.

They also have issues with common bermuda-they said they spot treat it with roundup. And when they rotate fields, they do three rounds of round up. It was a fun chat.

Got home and spread the sprigs. Took about 2 hours to do 300-350 GA bushels.

Temps were in the mid 90s today so I did a section and then turned on the sprinkler.

Rented a sod roller and made a quick pass at sundown. Will do it again tomorrow with more daylight.

Oh and in the morning I did a few more passes with the drag and then put some lime down. I will broadcast starter fert and bifen tomorrow (tho the water should keep the ants at bay). I plan to put down some RGS tomorrow or Friday as well.

I also got a quote for irrigation. $9800 for 8 zones…I have 6gpm / 60 PSI on a community well which sucks. I may find someone who can do the backflow for me, and then DIY the rest. We'll see.

Can't wait to watch it take off.


----------



## WillyT (Jun 26, 2019)

Good coverage!


----------



## Chadwicktr (May 26, 2020)

Got an early jump on the grass this morning - put down Lesco 18-24-12 starter fert.



I ran the sprinklers through the night…12 min every hour trying to get ahead of this. And then ran them 6 minutes every 30 minutes during the day. They had a hard time keeping up with evaporation during the afternoon but the majority of sprigs remained green.



Ended the day putting down RGS and Bifen-the ants are determined to build even with wet sand. Then ran the sod roller one more time for better soil contact.

No rain in sight, but temps are supposed to drop back into the 80s for the weekend.





For anyone using the B-hyve app with the four valve wifi controlled smart timers, I found a system that is working pretty well for the five tripod sprinklers and two four valve setups. I created 10 saved programs for each timer (each program has 4 start times) that I rotate through the 4 active selected programs. I alphabetized them to make selection easy, but forever reason the app doesn't sort by name. It's working well tho.


----------



## Chadwicktr (May 26, 2020)

36 hours in, and despite yesterdays upper 90s temps, sprigs in all sections of the yard are healthy green. May be hard to see it in the pics, but the sprigs have a very nice green color in the mornings.


----------



## Chadwicktr (May 26, 2020)

Day 3.

Some minor root growth. Still rotating water through each of the 5 zones for 6 minutes from 7am-9pm and then 12 minutes through the night.

B-hyve WiFi timers have been great.


----------



## Chadwicktr (May 26, 2020)

What a difference 12 hours can make. The majority of sprigs are starting to root.



Returned my sprinklers to Amazon and replaced them with the Home Depot model. HD has brass heads that do better with lower GPM. The painted Amazon version kept getting stuck a few times a day when other faucets were in use.


----------



## Chadwicktr (May 26, 2020)

Day 4. Seeing noticeable green popping up everywhere throughout the day now and not just in the mornings. Added a 6th sprinkler due to 20-30mpg gusts. May have lost a small corner section (5x5 area), but we'll see how it looks tomorrow. Sprigs dried out and we're mostly brown by 2pm, but the large interior stems had some green.

Applied the second half of the lesco starter fert. I have sandy soil so plan to apply .5 pound of N every 3.5 days per the UT sprigging guide (https://extension.tennessee.edu/publications/Documents/W160-D.pdf). Site one doesn't carry AN this year, so I guess I will be using Urea.

No rain for 9 days but some rain is expected mid week and the end of the week. Fingers crossed. Even if it is a heavy downpour, the vast majority is tacked down, so I think it would be fine.

B-hyve app has been working great. I just update the active programs every 8 hours and it does it's thing.


----------



## Chadwicktr (May 26, 2020)

Start of day 7. Seeing new growth across the whole yard. Still irrigating 24/7 as it's been in the 90s and no rain for two weeks. Looking forward to week two. Possible rain tonight and Saturday which would be awesome.


----------



## Chadwicktr (May 26, 2020)

Finally got some rain (1/4 inch) after 2 weeks of upper 80s to mid 90s.

Immediately more green results:


----------



## sanders4617 (Jul 9, 2018)

Love the journal! I did a small sprig project a few years back with whatever Bermuda I already had. I wish I could get my hands on Tahoma 31 plugs. I've moved and want to start a nice project, but nothing major like I've done in years past. Figure I could plant plugs, let them fill in.. then start plugging/sprigging year after year.

Can't wait to see your progress! In about 3 more weeks you will be amazed (if you aren't already).


----------



## Chadwicktr (May 26, 2020)

Ended up getting an inch of rain this evening. Applied another ~1/2# N per M after the storm and watered it in.

@sanders4617 thanks! It's been a lot of fun and my 4 year old has enjoyed helping and watching too! Sod Solutions said they could ship plugs when I spoke with them last month-maybe an option for you? Now I'm just endlessly researching and searching for used greensmowers lol.

I'm still trying to figure out my ditch - if I will sod it or plug it. Didn't want to Harley rake and sprig it with the flash floods we get.


----------



## Chadwicktr (May 26, 2020)

Day 8. Loving the results of yesterdays rain. More rain expected this weekend and then upper 90s next week 😁


----------



## Chadwicktr (May 26, 2020)

Ran the sprinklers for 30 minutes at 7am to water in any remaining fert. Then backed off to every hour starting at 1pm due to yesterdays rain. Not planning to irrigate at night any longer.

Dropped by Siteone and grabbed some Celsius for next week and fertilizer. Ended up getting 100 pounds of 40-0-0 for free-a vendor was trying to pitch a non lesco product and site one just gave it to me 😂. Picked up a couple of bags of carbon pro-g [https://www.siteone.com/en/10940cpgtl-nla-lesco-carbonpro-g-soil-optimizer-w-mirimichi-green-tl-only-q/p/633875]as NCSU has had some good publications about it and my soil is so sandy.

Not sure if Celsius will be super helpful as I don't see smooth crabgrass on the label. Will check out my Drive XLR8 label tonight to see if it's approved for sprigs.

Got my water bill. Ended up costing about a dollar an hour to run 24/7 for a week. Not bad!

Can't wait to start mowing the front yard again! Still looking for a good deal on a gm 1600 or flex 2021. Or a JD 220e or 260sl. Slim pickings out there. May just pick up a cali trimmer for the rest of the year.


----------



## Chadwicktr (May 26, 2020)

Day 10. Put down 80 pounds of carbon pro g and 1/2# of N/M.

Most of the original growth has been replaced with new blades. Very pleased with the results so far.

Forecast for the next week looks great for more growth too.


----------



## Chadwicktr (May 26, 2020)

Day 12

Loving the look of Tahoma. Beautiful blade texture.

Seeing lots weeds and crabgrass pop up. Drive XLR8 label says it can be used at anytime at or after sprigging so I think I may hit it with some of that to knock down the crabgrass quickly. And then a bit later use Celsius.

Temps are forecasted in the upper 90s for the next 5 days. Expecting to see a ton of additional growth by next week.

Got a fun new toy and reel mowed the backyard (common bermuda) at 3/8. (Excuse the ant hills; it had been 4 weeks since I applied bifen and if I don't apply every two, they rebuild 😡).


----------



## clbphllps (Aug 20, 2019)

Great update, those sprigs are exploding with growth! I'd sell you my 220E if you were closer (I have a few, one with 11 blades and another with 7). They're great machines although I end up using the 260 since it is much faster.

I am very curious to see how quinclorac works out but my assumption is that it would work fine since you've for sprigs. I found seeded Bermuda is easily damaged prior to the grass maturing and growing stolons.


----------



## Chadwicktr (May 26, 2020)

@clbphllps thanks! It's been a lot of fun to watch. Yes, after doing my backyard with a 20", I'm pretty sure I'll get a 260 or 1600 

Looking at the hourly morning and evening temps, I'm probably limited to Celsius for the foreseeable future. We already have July like humidity, so I don't see drive being effective during the darker hours with such a heavy dew.


----------



## Chadwicktr (May 26, 2020)

Day 13. I love the color! And it's now sending runners. Thriving in the 90s/70s degree heat.

Will apply another .5# N/M tonight. And weather permitting spray Celsius tomorrow.


----------



## WillyT (Jun 26, 2019)

Already looks better than the neighbors &#128514;


----------



## Chadwicktr (May 26, 2020)

Day 14

@WillyT 😂


----------



## Chadwicktr (May 26, 2020)

Day 16.

Got a nice .1 inch sprinkle last night. Temps are still in the 90/70s and look to be that way next week as well.

Applied Celsius at the full rate on Wednesday. But I don't expect to see much impact on the crabgrass. I applied without surfactant or oils and it appears to roll off the leaves pretty easily (photo below) with my tow behind course nozzles. I applied it with 2gals of water per 1k for drenching coverage. But I don't think it helped.

It's going to drop to the low 80s this weekend. So I'm going to plan on a Drive XLR8 app with MSO. I'll also add some liquid iron to help with the tip burn. I just hate crabgrass and want to kill it off 😂


----------



## Humbert810 (8 mo ago)

Chadwicktr said:


> Day 16.
> 
> Got a nice .1 inch sprinkle last night. Temps are still in the 90/70s and look to be that way next week as well.
> 
> ...


I think you will be surprised how well it actually handles the crabgrass even with the hydrophobic qualities of the crabgrass and no surfactant. I applied Celsius to mine not too long ago with no surfactant and saw the same thing. A week later the crabgrass is devastated.


----------



## Chadwicktr (May 26, 2020)

@Humbert810 thanks for the info. Good to know. Maybe I'll wait another week to see. It has hairs all over the entire stem and some on the blades, so I'm pretty confident it's large / hairy crabgrass, which Celsius is labeled for.


----------



## clbphllps (Aug 20, 2019)

Man this is coming along great. You're coverage is excellent, feels like it should be solid in only a few weeks.


----------



## Chadwicktr (May 26, 2020)

@clbphllps thanks! I'm still watering morning and night and throwing down 1/2# N/M every 3 days. It's sending runners in every direction so I'm hoping by the 4th it's 90% there.


----------



## Chadwicktr (May 26, 2020)

Day 18

Four days after the Celsius application it appears the crabgrass isn't growing and may be starting to wilt. 👍🏻

Yesterday I applied another round of N, RGS, and micronutrients. The color of Tahoma with lots of iron is absolutely gorgeous.


----------



## WillyT (Jun 26, 2019)

Oh yeah! &#128526;


----------



## Chadwicktr (May 26, 2020)

Most of the crabgrass is getting hit hard so I did the first mow at 3/4 inch.

Son helped me lube the chains yesterday. Trimmer is running quieter now. Backlapping kit arrives later this week, but it's cutting paper well after a slight adjustment.

Seeing really good fill in for 2.5 weeks in. Temps are back in the 90s mid week.


----------



## Humbert810 (8 mo ago)

Chadwicktr said:


> Most of the crabgrass is getting hit hard so I did the first mow at 1/2 inch.
> 
> Son helped me lube the chains yesterday. Trimmer is running quieter now. Backlapping kit arrives later this week, but it's cutting paper well after a slight adjustment.
> 
> Seeing really good fill in for 2.5 weeks in. Temps are back in the 90s mid week.


Sometimes patience is my worst enemy. Looks like the Celsius is starting to work. Give it some time you will be amazed, as I was.


----------



## Chadwicktr (May 26, 2020)

Day 21

Applied another .5# N/M yesterday.

Also realized my trimmer was the high cut model, so ordered new chains to convert it to the standard height as well as the handle bar extension kit. Will go from 5/8 to 3/8" on the lowest setting.

@Humbert810, yeah, I guess I was skeptical since it lists large crabgrass as a difficult to control weed that may require MSO and multiple applications. Glad at least it is suppressing or controlling it for now!


----------



## clbphllps (Aug 20, 2019)

I bet it's more effective against crabgrass since you're hitting it so soon after germination. This is really looking killer man, it's a very fast grow-in with all that N you're throwing down! I'm planning on doing this rate too, probably starting a week after broadcasting sprigs.


----------



## Chadwicktr (May 26, 2020)

Day 23

Mowed again at 3/4" last night. Seeing really good fill in. Also found some torpedo grass growing from some rhizomes that got cut up from the Harley rake. Pulling everything I can, but will def spray Drive XLR8 in a couple of weeks if we get a cooler day.

Temps back in the 90s/70s again. We haven't had a good rain in two weeks but looks like it may rain again mid next week.


----------



## Deltahedge (Apr 1, 2020)

Great journal! I love to see progress photos of a sprigging job gone right! I will probably do something similar in the future on my lot.


----------



## Chadwicktr (May 26, 2020)

Thanks @Deltahedge!

Day 25.

Yesterday I spent about 5 hours turning my California Trimmer into the standard height model from the high cut. I also added the handlebar extension kit. I'll post more about that in another thread later. Glad I only had to do it once! This allowed me to drop the HOC another 1/4 inch.

Mowed at 1/2 inch tonight. This scalped some of the larger sprigs that had been built up, but it's supposed to rain 3 of the next 4 days, so I figured it would be a quick rebound. I also applied another round of N. The next application I'm due for the second round of starter fertilizer.

I also have a few areas where common bermuda is coming back from some old roots / rhizomes. I've been pulling them out by hand, trying to get as much as the roots as possible, but pretty soon I'll start hitting them with roundup. I just can't bring myself to that point yet 😂

Once I get full coverage and a developed root system, I'll plan to use PGR (probably next year). I am also planning to get a greensmower so I can maintain it lower than 1/2 inch. Will try to stress out any common that sneaks in as much as possible (both adjacent neighbors have common and my backyard is healthy common as well.)

The fill in over the last week has been remarkable.

Before the 1/2 inch cut. 


After the 1/2 cut



Comparison. 3/4 cut on left from 3 days ago. 1/2 cut on right.



Love the blade texture! Really glad I went with Tahoma 31 over celebration.


----------



## clbphllps (Aug 20, 2019)

Dude looking great! I have some Arden coming back through into mine. I only sprayed glyphosate twice and used the tractor to rip out the old grass but as you know, roots and rhizomes are deep. I'd guess I would've had to spray roundup 4+ times over a month to kill it proper if that would even be enough.

Since Arden is seeded, I'm planning to try triple threat most likely next year. I saw a fellow do this and it seemed to work great. Check out the "precautions" section:
https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=https://assets.greencastonline.com/pdf/media/goosegrass-turf-information-sheet.pdf&ved=2ahUKEwjAj4_3yc34AhWBDkQIHVV9BjcQFnoECAQQAQ&usg=AOvVaw0hN3RFXieYRmBY3LT8pFBd


----------



## Deltahedge (Apr 1, 2020)

clbphllps said:


> Dude looking great! I have some Arden coming back through into mine. I only sprayed glyphosate twice and used the tractor to rip out the old grass but as you know, roots and rhizomes are deep. I'd guess I would've had to spray roundup 4+ times over a month to kill it proper if that would even be enough.
> 
> Since Arden is seeded, I'm planning to try triple threat most likely next year. I saw a fellow do this and it seemed to work great. Check out the "precautions" section:
> https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=https://assets.greencastonline.com/pdf/media/goosegrass-turf-information-sheet.pdf&ved=2ahUKEwjAj4_3yc34AhWBDkQIHVV9BjcQFnoECAQQAQ&usg=AOvVaw0hN3RFXieYRmBY3LT8pFBd


I have a small section that had Tifway 419 that I tried to kill for a Zoysia renovation. I sprayed glyphosate 3 rounds, watering for 2 weeks in between each round. I also sprayed Clethodim twice, also waiting 2 weeks between those applications. Even this was not enough to keep the Bermuda from coming back. I think @HungrySoutherner has been in a battle with common Bermuda for years, and said the common stresses out the lower you cut it. But even cutting low, I think he said the only way to get rid of it is to nuke those sections.

@Chadwicktr I only had 500 sq ft where I was trying to pull the Bermuda out by hand, and even on a section as small as 500 sqft, it was impossible to hand pick. I think roundup on a paintbrush might do the trick.


----------



## clbphllps (Aug 20, 2019)

@Deltahedge I don't think too many folks are aware of the Princep+simazine combo. Adding pennant Magnum makes it even more effective. I'll do some test patches in my pure Arden side and on the tahoma side to ensure it wrecks the former but not the latter. Assuming that shows good, I'll treat the whole yard. The pictures I've seen make it appear very effective.


----------



## Chadwicktr (May 26, 2020)

@clbphllps -- when Sean Smith went that route, IIRC, the common bermuda struggled/died, but I believe the enhanced common varieties were more resilient and survived. He eventually nuked everything 4 times with Fusilade/Roundup/AS and did rye grass in between seasons. Last I spoke with him, he didn't have any issues after he resodded.

@Deltahedge-- yeah, I have about 25-50 sq feet that it's coming in at. Most of my yard was centipede in the front, which crowded out the common. But there was a spot by the old tree that had some common in.

Reading through this thread, I may start using Fusilade instead of roundup to paint on the common.

I'm also hearing Pac Low (PGR) is working really well to stress out/crowd out the common in a hybrid. I'm guessing my sprigged yard won't be ready for PGR until next year though.


----------



## clbphllps (Aug 20, 2019)

I've heard similar on PacLow and the label does say to avoid spraying common with it. I'll be doing both most likely, assuming tahoma a doesn't crowd it out on its own.


----------



## Lawniac (Jul 25, 2020)

Excellent journal. That Tahoma 31 is awesome! Keep up the good work!


----------



## Murf300 (Aug 31, 2020)

I just found this thread this morning. I had no idea that is how you did sprigs. I assumed that you literally individually placed sprigs around the yard. Which I thought sounded insane. This makes a lot more sense now. I am over in Wilson, so I am following this now. Your results look impressive.


----------



## Chadwicktr (May 26, 2020)

@Murf300 glad it helps! Sod farms have a machine that slices in the sprigs, covering 2/3 of the sprig, but I couldn't find any residential tools to do this, so I just had to water constantly the first 10 days. The vast majority of "broadcasted sprigs" survived. The only issue I had was on day 3 it was upper 90s and 30mpg gusts, and I had a small corner dry out. A couple hours in, I added a 6th sprinkler, but I lost a few (5x5 foot section).

@Lawniac thanks!!


----------



## Murf300 (Aug 31, 2020)

Where did you rent the Dingo and Harley rake?


----------



## Chadwicktr (May 26, 2020)

@Murf300 sunbelt rentals. You can get a dingo from Home Depot here with a bucket and auger attachments, but not the Harley rake.

Well worth the investment.


----------



## Chadwicktr (May 26, 2020)

Had a nice two hour drizzle. Ended up getting .15 inches. In the last 2.5 weeks, we've gotten .40 inches of rain 😬


----------



## Murf300 (Aug 31, 2020)

I'm glad you're getting some over in Raleigh. When it heads over here, it splits, and goes north, and south of us and we end up with almost nothing. If we have gotten an inch in the last two months, I would be shocked.


----------



## clbphllps (Aug 20, 2019)

Do you think you'll need to run a gtc, verticutter, dethatcher, or the like to break up any clumps? I'd guess that I have far more clumps than you do and was wondering what the best approach is to deal if not just reel mowing consistently.


----------



## Chadwicktr (May 26, 2020)

@clbphllps I don't think so. I haven't noticed any major clumps. I am probably going to verticut later though to harvest sprigs. I also need to do another round of masons sand in a couple areas from the huge downpour I had on day 7.

@Murf300 I get it. We had three or four storms just miss us or only give .05 where areas nextdoor got an inch.


----------



## Chadwicktr (May 26, 2020)

Day 28!

Four weeks in photos:


----------



## clbphllps (Aug 20, 2019)

Man I love seeing the progress, I know you're thrilled! Do you think that grabgrass will need a follow-up or is it smoked?


----------



## Chadwicktr (May 26, 2020)

Day 29


----------



## WillyT (Jun 26, 2019)

Looking like a lawn!


----------



## Chadwicktr (May 26, 2020)

We got .40 inches yesterday early AM. Man it seemed to help push growth like crazy today. There are runners everywhere.

Mowed again today - 5/8 seems to be the best height right now with some of the bare spots still filling in.

Also applied another round of RGS and a micronutrient and Bifen XTS. I don't plan to buy those LCN products again-will probably use all site one products going forward-so just using up the 2.5 gal containers I had from last year. And applied another round of N.

There's a 40-80% chance of showers for the next 7 days with temps right around 90. Looking forward to seeing how long it takes to close the gaps.

Never been so happy to see that I will need to start edging soon 😂. That stolen was just hitting the edge of the sidewalk yesterday morning.


----------



## Chadwicktr (May 26, 2020)

clbphllps said:


> Man I love seeing the progress, I know you're thrilled! Do you think that grabgrass will need a follow-up or is it smoked?


Most of it was suppressed, some was controlled, a very small percentage is growing. If I can time the weather, I'll do another round with MSO in the next week or so.


----------



## WillyT (Jun 26, 2019)

Looks like it's happy!


----------



## Chadwicktr (May 26, 2020)

Day 31

Mowed again at 5/8. I don't think I can go longer than every 2 days right now given the amount of N it's getting.

Watering long in the early morning and it's still looking great by 7pm in spite of the mid 90s. Will probably drop the 8pm watering going forward.

Will switch back to another round of starter fert tomorrow per the UT extension guidelines.

Lowes had Lesco fert on clearance for $27 bucks a bag. Grabbed 350 pounds for the rest of the season.


----------



## Redtwin (Feb 9, 2019)

Unbelievable!!! What day are you on? I'm too lazy to scroll back and do the math.


----------



## Chadwicktr (May 26, 2020)

Redtwin said:


> Unbelievable!!! What day are you on? I'm too lazy to scroll back and do the math.


Day 32 today!


----------



## Vandy (Sep 2, 2020)

Filling in nicely! I managed to grab some of that lesson stuff as well from Lowe's.


----------



## Chadwicktr (May 26, 2020)

Day 33. Got a nice .40 inches of rain last night. Def need to mow every 48 hours or less now.

@Vandy thanks!


----------



## clbphllps (Aug 20, 2019)

I love the how dense tahoma gets. It's like the bare spots are slowly being suffocated by ever expanding green marshmallows


----------



## typed by ben (Jul 12, 2021)

Check out all that sun!


----------



## Chadwicktr (May 26, 2020)

@clbphllps I know right!
@typed by ben it's def been a sunny summer this year.

Start of week 5! Almost there.


----------



## Murf300 (Aug 31, 2020)

The speed and quality of this coverage amazes me.


----------



## Chadwicktr (May 26, 2020)

@Murf300 me too! I'd never do it any other way

Day 37. We finally got a nice .95 soaking last night.


----------



## Chadwicktr (May 26, 2020)

Rain is finally picking up. Got another .60 of rain today and more on the way.

Took advantage of the wet soil to dig out some common. With sandy soil I can use a long flat head to loosen things up and then easily pull out roots and rhizomes…some are so crazy long. Neighbors probably think I'm nuts 😂. I got about half of a 5 gallon bucket. Need to spend another few hours to get the rest - there is a section where the centipede was scarce. The sprigged Tahoma sits above the rhizomes so it's a good time to do it.


----------



## Chadwicktr (May 26, 2020)

Woah. What two days of rain and the return to starter fert will do.

Day 40.


----------



## Chadwicktr (May 26, 2020)

There was still a decent amount of suppressed crabgrass from the Celsius spray ~4 weeks ago and tempts were in the upper 70s this evening so knocked out a quick round of Drive XLR8, MSO, and Bifen XTS.

Much better absorption on the crabgrass blades with the MSO.


----------



## Chadwicktr (May 26, 2020)

Day 41

Curious to see if the drive XLR8 will cause any discoloration this week.


----------



## Twodollarblue (May 26, 2020)

Great looking turf @Chadwicktr. I am just always amazed at how fast bermuda establishes/fills in from sprigs. My zoysia can't fill in a dog burn over the course of a summer without being plugged.


----------



## Chadwicktr (May 26, 2020)

@Twodollarblue thank you! That's one of the reasons I switched from centipede. Three kiddos can be rough on the yard 

Start of week 6! Spent some more time pulling out common. I've got most of it out for now, but some near the corner which I'll probably hit with roundup later.

Went with a full pound of N/M yesterday as we have some events going on this weekend.


----------



## Chadwicktr (May 26, 2020)

Reviewed my water bills for the first 6 weeks

Total of roughly 64,000 gals used for irrigation at about $400 bucks.

Bear in mind I think it rained about 5-6 days during that period. And only two storms topped .25 inches.

Not bad IMO

Here on out I only plan to water if it's heat stressed or after fertilization/ bifen XTS.


----------



## Chadwicktr (May 26, 2020)

Day 45

Essentially filled in at this point. There are a few very small sections that are slightly bare, but full of stolens, so in a few more days I think I'll have full coverage.

3 days after drive XLR8 and the crabgrass is dead.

I couldn't keep up with the growth mowing every two days - not sure if it was the return to starter fert last Wednesday and Saturday or the decent rains we got last weekend, but I'm going to need to do a height reset. I'm going out of town the last week of the month so will scalp right before I leave. Hopefully I can catch it in time by the time I get back.

Since I'm back to the normal 30-0-10 vertical growth seems normal again.

Got another .40 inches of rain tonight.

Tried my first morning mow in the dew-loved it and will probably try to cut in the morning going forward.

At this point the neighbors have switched from curious … to astonished how quickly it filled in and how good it looks. Including one asking if they could walk on the grass and feel it. 😂

Planned out next steps after chatting with @cglarsen - I will harvest some sprigs/stolens in the spring and use germination blankets (12x500 cut to size) to hold the sprigs down in the ditch which is 9000 sq feet (~350x30). Then once that is established, do my backyard which is another 15k sq feet or so. Hoping I can harvest and recover and harvest again from the front yard. If not, I'll get a few pallets this time and make some.

On the fence between a 3100d/2653b or just going with a robotic lawn mower for the back. Excited to see what Toro has to offer next year!


----------



## cglarsen (Dec 28, 2018)

@Chadwicktr Your hard work is really paying off. Nice job. I think there are robo mowers in the future for both of us. Even with the the triplex it's a lot of work keeping up and I think the automowers will keep it looking better (minus the stripes) esp. wrt color. Looking forward to that Toro debut too, otherwise Husqvarna with the boundary wire it is.


----------



## Chadwicktr (May 26, 2020)

Start of Week 7

Didn't need a HOC reset-just had some stress from the Drive XLR8 app. Glad I waited until week 6 to spray Quinclorac!! But it decimated the crabgrass.

Ordered round up pro and fusilade to start the first of four rounds on the backyard and ditches. Can't wait to sprig those next season. Will use some non root pruning pre-em that go around 😁







Quinclorac stress on Monday from last Wednesday's app:


----------



## Highlife159 (May 19, 2021)

Chadwicktr said:


> Will use some non root pruning pre-em that go around 😁


If you wanted to buy some ronstar or generic oxadiazon I would be willing to buy some from you if you wanted to split it.


----------



## Capra (6 mo ago)

What a fantastic transformation ! This definitely has my mind racing and Monday Ill be calling the turf farm to see if they sell sprigs ! In 60 days you have amazing results, Well done.


----------



## Chadwicktr (May 26, 2020)

@Capra good luck! You can always make your own sprigs, more labor intensive but cheaper and you will get an even faster fill in like @WillyT and @clbphllps had. Sod farm sprigs are cut up smaller.


----------



## Chadwicktr (May 26, 2020)

Day 60. Just got back from a week long trip and the Tahoma was long and shooting out seed heads. Planned on scalping before I left, but temps were forecasted in the upper 90s with no rain so held off. Ended up getting the most rain of the season last week…~2 inches or so.

Went ahead and scalped it down to 3/8 of an inch. Put down 1 pound of N/M.

Will apply roundup/fusilade on the rest of the yard soon to prepare for next years sprigging.


----------



## clbphllps (Aug 20, 2019)

Your neighbors are losing their minds right now lol


----------



## Chadwicktr (May 26, 2020)

@clbphllps you nailed it. Got some funny stares as people drove by lol.


----------



## Chadwicktr (May 26, 2020)

Five days post scalp and things are greening up again. No rain in sight so put the sprinklers back out.

Super excited to go look at an older but maintained 3100d sidewinder tonight. It's the wider version, but was used at a school and maintained at STI so will probably get it.


----------



## Chadwicktr (May 26, 2020)

Cranked up the irrigation as we haven't received any rain for over a week. Greening up a bit more. Went back to 5/8 as I didn't get a perfect scalp at 3/8 with all the clippings.

Brought home the 3100d. Everything seems solid. Spent Saturday morning locating and lubing the 34 zerk fittings. A few things to work on:

1) I need to find someone to relief grind. Not cutting paper unless I crank it down hard and there is no relief angle so it's full contact with the reel blade right now. I found someone who does a spin, but then I can't backlap and toro recommends a relief grind for less strain on the machine.

2) forward traction is strong. I can climb a steep incline and it tops out at 10-11 mph in transport mode. But I can't get the full 3.5mph in reverse and it doesn't want to climb in reverse. Not a huge issue, but will be helpful for the ditch. Manual says it has a swash plate that reverses the hydraulic flow - thinking it may be a linkage issue from the pedal. TBD

3) they were using mobile DAE 26 hydraulic fluid. Need to call around to see if I can source some

4) will change the oil. Surprised to learn it uses 10w-30

5) determine how much grease the rollers require. Manual says the reel bearings are sealed, but I don't know if the rollers are, and I'm not getting any pressure or excess grease when I pump

6) replace the ground terminal. It's stretched and doesn't make good contact every time

7) adjust the HOC and attitude - they had it set as high as it could go for the sports fields.

Once it's all dialed in, I'm excited to give it a go. Should greatly cut down on mowing times, but can already tell I'll be spending more time on it in the garage vs the california trimmer.


----------



## Murf300 (Aug 31, 2020)

How is the new mower?


----------



## Chadwicktr (May 26, 2020)

Murf300 said:


> How is the new mower?


It's good! I'm only cutting my backyard with it until I get the reels sharpened. I've spent a bunch of time reading the operators manual, service manual, reel manual, parts list, reel parts list, etc.

I ordered a new bedknife bar adjustment "screw" as the middle reel one was stripped. Cutting much better now. Scheduled to get the blades sharpened in a couple of weeks. Unfortunately nobody relief grinds around here. Need to make a gauge so I can fine tune the HOC and attitude. Ordered an oil filter and some hydraulic fluid.

Still runs at 11-12 mph in transport mode but only about 1.5 mph in reverse so I think I need to adjust some linkage. Not urgent but would like to adjust in the off season.

Climbs and hugs the ditch with ease which is awesome.

Trying to figure out if I'll disassemble and powder coat the reel assembly or just replace them down the road.


----------



## Murf300 (Aug 31, 2020)

Yeah, I'd say your warranty has expired on that screw. Hopefully you don't run into many more issues, although I do find it satisfying to take something neglected and bring it back to something to be proud of.


----------



## Chadwicktr (May 26, 2020)

@Murf300 for sure. I saw some nice machines with 1500 hours but they were out of driving range and more than I wanted to spend on my first triplex. The previous owner had been logging 200 hours a year and kept up with all the routine maintenance so I'm hoping it'll continue to run well for the next few years. It's a beast of a machine.

I enjoy working on it, but it definitely takes some time getting familiar with. Adjusting three reels is much more involved. That's for sure 😂😂 but I love cutting my 12k backyard in 6 minutes or less.


----------



## DocTodd (9 mo ago)

Chadwicktr said:


> …I love cutting my 12k backyard in 6 minutes or less.


 Seriously?!?! Impressive


----------



## Chadwicktr (May 26, 2020)

Got in a nice morning mow yesterday. We had a bbq and lawn games with a bunch of friends so had been mowing every 36 hours this week.

Will do the next round of fusilade and roundup pro on the rest of the yard this week weather permitting.


----------



## wilsonline (Dec 18, 2021)

Impressive lawn renovation. I thought seeding would be faster. But I was wrong. Well, maybe with Bermuda lol. But I seeded zoysia here and it took about 55 days to look like a decent lawn.
This was so much faster and the final result so much better. awesome. 
.
I only have 2 k sqft. I found Tahoma 31 on Amazon the other day. Wonder if that would work here with some shade, not much on the front lawn, but some more on the side lawn. Maybe plugging the front only. IDK. pretty cool to see this new high-end cultivar on Amazon. I seeded my zoysia lawn in March and I'm already tempted to kill it. lol 
I have a few vases with different cultivars here and so far I loved the fine-bladed zoysia. Bermuda tends to "jump" out of the pot. lol. I will start mowing now to see how it grows on a lawn.


----------



## Chadwicktr (May 26, 2020)

@wilsonline thanks! If you have shade, I'd stick to zoysia in that part of the yard. The Tahoma under the tree canopy survives, but it's thin. I couldn't talk my wife into letting me take out all the trees 

I'll never seed warm season again lol.

Plugs take longer than sprigs. Are there any sod farms nearby with Tahoma?


----------



## Chadwicktr (May 26, 2020)

Threw down some leftover Lebanon turf on Sunday that I had purchased for the former centipede yard.

Nice dew this morning. We also received about an inch of rain on Sunday and growth took off.


----------



## WillyT (Jun 26, 2019)

Looking real nice!


----------



## Chadwicktr (May 26, 2020)

@WillyT thanks man. Appreciate everything you documented in your journal. It's been a fun project.


----------



## Chadwicktr (May 26, 2020)

Did some spot treatments of fusilade / roundup pro max on the ditch (first round was three weeks ago). Used the wand extensively for the first time to hit the grass between the shrubs. Didn't get too close last time because I wasn't sure what the lawn renovation rate would do to them, but did a test area last time and had no damage.

Pardon the backyard weed mess-haven't touched the it since June. And my trailer had been sitting in the same spot for weeks. Ran the first round of fusilade and roundup pro max. So glad to kill off the last area of common bermuda.

Last pic is my east property line. Edge of the Tahoma sprigs and the common bermuda on my neighbors side. I'm curious how this line will play out next year. I don't see it from the house, so it's not a big deal. But may run a line between the iron survey stakes and sod right to my property line in the future. Neighbor isn't super friendly, so I didn't get close with roundup and sprigs.


----------



## WillyT (Jun 26, 2019)

The ditch is looking crispy! Hope that goes well for you.


----------



## Chadwicktr (May 26, 2020)

Yes! I'm a big fan of fusilade. Only .53oz of fusilade and 1.6oz of roundup pro max per M for the renovation rate.



WillyT said:


> The ditch is looking crispy! Hope that goes well for you.


----------



## Chadwicktr (May 26, 2020)

It's fun to go back and look at before and after. Enjoying the process!


----------



## WillyT (Jun 26, 2019)

Woah!


----------



## Humbert810 (8 mo ago)

WillyT said:


> You will look back in amazement! Best of luck to you, holler if you need anything!


This post aged well :lol:


----------



## WillyT (Jun 26, 2019)

Humbert810 said:


> WillyT said:
> 
> 
> > You will look back in amazement! Best of luck to you, holler if you need anything!
> ...


😂 sure did!


----------



## Falcon64 (May 29, 2019)

Has your CalTrimmer choked down and just stopped spinning the reel when trying to scalp or mow low?


----------



## Chadwicktr (May 26, 2020)

Falcon64 said:


> Has your CalTrimmer choked down and just stopped spinning the reel when trying to scalp or mow low?


Scalping at 3/8 yes after a week long vacation. Had to make several passes.


----------



## Chadwicktr (May 26, 2020)

Scheduled to get my 3100d reels sharpened next week. Couldn't find anyone to relief grind within 4 hours. So just getting a spin. That said, on the lookout for an older Nearly 555sri or a Foley 635.

Hadn't been using the 3100d on the Tahoma until yesterday when I couldn't wait any longer. Dropped the HOC to around 5/8. I'm at a bit more than light contact, but figured 10k sq ft wouldn't be the end of the world. Got a decent cut, in a very short amount of time. Getting some lines perpendicular to my mowing direction, not sure if it's because the reels are dull, or if I need to adjust the a reel speed. Looking forward to getting it dialed in.

Worked on the 3100d a bit:
- Changed the engine oil (Mobile Delvac 15w-40 synthetic) and filter (never seen a manual suggest changing the filter every other oil change--go figure) 
- Mobile DTE 26 hydraulic fluid to be delivered later today. Thanks amazon  
- Swapped out the ground battery terminal (old one was lose and couldn't be tightened any more)
- got some angle iron from Home Depot and ordered a digital gauge to make my own accu-gauge

Up next:
- Looking at getting a foldable shop crane to take off and move the reel carriages. 
- Still need to figure out the reverse. Forward traction is strong. I can climb a steep incline and it tops out at 10-11 mph in transport mode. But I can't get the full 3.5mph in reverse (maybe 1mph or so) and it doesn't want to climb in reverse. Not a huge issue, but will be helpful for the ditch. Manual says it has a swash plate that reverses the hydraulic flow - thinking it may be a linkage issue from the pedal.
- order two hydraulic hoses. All but two have recently been replaced
- take off the right front tire and get a slow leak patched. May just order new front tires next year since they have a lot of weather cracking.
- order some key spare parts to have on hand when needed-- bearings, seals, o-rings, etc.


----------



## Chadwicktr (May 26, 2020)

Haha - I was nervous on day 3 when it was 95+ and my irrigation wasn't keeping up like I thought it needed to. It's been an awesome process. I definitely am pleased with the results, especially when I got quotes for a sod install and it was $11-16,000. 


WillyT said:


> Humbert810 said:
> 
> 
> > WillyT said:
> ...


----------



## livt0ride (Jan 10, 2021)

Those lines are likely from the front roller maybe? Just guessing. Your current walk behind has a smooth roller, right? I see those from my 1600 that has a grooved roller from time to time.


----------



## Chadwicktr (May 26, 2020)

They could be, but they are perpendicular to my mowing direction. So if I'm mowing E to W, the lines are running N to S. So I'm not sure how that would happen? If it's the grooved rollers, wouldn't they run parallel to my mowing direction?

I do have a smooth roller on the california trimmer.

They are gone today. 



livt0ride said:


> Those lines are likely from the front roller maybe? Just guessing. Your current walk behind has a smooth roller, right? I see those from my 1600 that has a grooved roller from time to time.


----------



## livt0ride (Jan 10, 2021)

Chadwicktr said:


> They could be, but they are perpendicular to my mowing direction. So if I'm mowing E to W, the lines are running N to S. So I'm not sure how that would happen? If it's the grooved rollers, wouldn't they run parallel to my mowing direction?
> 
> I do have a smooth roller on the california trimmer.
> 
> ...


Ah yeah. Interesting. I didn't pick up on the direction. They don't look like what I've seen with others experiencing issues with too many blades with a higher height of cut. How many blades are on your reels?


----------



## Chadwicktr (May 26, 2020)

@livt0ride 8 blade. My guess is that it's because the reels are dull, but we'll see.


----------



## typed by ben (Jul 12, 2021)

PITA question but why does your house have two front doors? MIL suite?


----------



## Chadwicktr (May 26, 2020)

Haha! No worries. The original owner built an attached office; it could be converted to a MIL suite tho if we added a shower in the bathroom. 👍🏻



typed by ben said:


> PITA question but why does your house have two front doors? MIL suite?


----------



## Chadwicktr (May 26, 2020)

Enjoying the fat stripes. Slowed down my mowing speed and no more perpendicular lines. The mow speed restriction on the pedal has been disabled. Guess I should fix that 😂

Put down the last round of starter fert.

Day 7 on the backyard fusilade/roundup pro max treatment. Getting crispy.


----------



## livt0ride (Jan 10, 2021)

Such a good look


----------



## JRS 9572 (May 28, 2018)

@Chadwicktr what a transformation. Awesome!


----------



## Chadwicktr (May 26, 2020)

@JRS 9572 thank you! Next spring can't come fast enough so I can do the rest


----------



## Chadwicktr (May 26, 2020)

Added some live edges around the pin oaks last week. Trees were planted 17 years ago, and were planted pretty high above the surface, so couldn't round them down as much as I would have liked due to fibrous roots.

Also, did a second broadcast round of fusilade/roundup in the ditches. Had very few bermuda stems pop back up, but had a few, plus some broadleaf weeds. Will do rye in a few weeks.

Backyard is looking crispy two weeks post application. Did a quick mow at 3/4 inch to knock out some of the dead blades. Had some crabgrass in the backyard, so will need another round to knock out the bermuda that was shielded.


----------



## clbphllps (Aug 20, 2019)

It looks like February in your back yard, I love it! And the fence posts will be awesome to stare and drive towards, easy to get those stripes crispy.


----------



## Chadwicktr (May 26, 2020)

It's been a great season. Although I hate to see it end, I'm excited to finish the rest of the yard next spring.

Dropped off my 3100d reels last week for a spin grind. Good grief moving those around was a huge pain in the back. 160 pounds or whatever is no joke. It was a mistake to use my SUV, I should have rolled them into my utility trailer. That said, it was worth the effort…getting a much cleaner and healthier cut now-no blade damage from them getting crushed. Still looking for a used foley or neary so I can DIY them and put on a relief angle.

Mechanic at the course was a big help. Got some good recommendations on local vendors if and when I need them. Custom hoses, valve work, etc. They only spin grind and on new reels they don't backlap until the relief angle is gone so they don't cone the reels. Interesting philosophy when compared with the manufacturing recommendations.







Definitely had mower envy 



Drove by my old neighborhood and saw an automower. They had a lower cut than everyone else there, but wasn't super clean.


----------



## Chadwicktr (May 26, 2020)

A few updates. 1) front yard looks good after 4 inches of rain and 40 degree nights. 2) power raked and seeded rye in the backyard and ditch.


1) after a dry Sept, Ian came through with 4 inches of rain and some wind. Yard is doing well in spite of the cooler 40 degree nights. Avoiding root pruning pre emergent this fall because I want to go hard using it as a source for sprigs early next spring. Looking forward to seeing how long it will be before it goes dormant.




















2) Rented a power rake (started with a slit seeder but the carb was off and fouling the plug) for the ditch and backyard. Seeded 200 pounds of rye. It’s been a good exercise to perfect my sprinkler placement for next year’s sprigging. I’m going to do it in two phases. The ditch (9000 ft.²) and then the backyard (13,000 ft.²). I wish I could do it all at once, but I’m limited to 6gpm.

There was no common Bermuda left in the ditches after 2 rounds. I only got one round down in the backyard and so there are some small remnants of common Bermuda which were shielded by crabgrass or just because it’s super resilient that I’ll have to kill next spring. I’ll do that section second.


----------



## Chadwicktr (May 26, 2020)

Two frosts this month and no rain or irrigation for 4 weeks. Color is holding strong but starting to show some signs of drought stress. Solid chance of rain tonight, but if it doesn’t, I’ll turn on the sprinklers.

Picked up a bluebird slit seeder to harvest sprigs next year, and used it for some more over seeding. It’s working great and I’m glad to not have to rent from HD again. Got a new set of blades for it when I just need to verticut too.

Rye came in great. Tried chitting this year and found that super helpful. Overseeding was also a good opportunity to fine tune sprinkler placement and settings. Will give it a round of glyphosate in the spring and sprig the ditch next.


----------



## WillyT (Jun 26, 2019)

Looks like you have been busy! Happy with the pre germination?


----------



## Chadwicktr (May 26, 2020)

Yes! Won’t do it any other way again. Mixed with milo to broadcast. it’s just faster. Less irrigation. Etc. works great when we have our wild temps swings in the fall. 


WillyT said:


> Looks like you have been busy! Happy with the pre germination?


----------



## Dono1183 (Oct 11, 2021)

How'd you spread the seed after pre-germination? Was it messy or pretty easy?


----------



## Chadwicktr (May 26, 2020)

I mixed 50 pounds of seed with 3 bags of milo in a wheel barrow (I did this in thirds). Super easy. Just don’t wait too long after it germinates it roots in a bucket very quickly. Ask me how I know 😂



Dono1183 said:


> How'd you spread the seed after pre-germination? Was it messy or pretty easy?


----------



## Dono1183 (Oct 11, 2021)

LOL! Cool man. Thanks for the heads up on how you did it. Soooo.... was the bucket solid roots lol?


----------



## Chadwicktr (May 26, 2020)

Four nights in the mid 20s and we are fully dormant! Didn’t see much if any color change in the low 30s so super pleased with the cold hardiness.

Looking forward to the next round of sprigging!


----------

