# Bullitt's KBG Test Plot



## 01Bullitt

I have decided to do a 1,000 sq ft test plot reno in my back yard this fall. I have decided to go with a Bluebank KBG mono.
I measured out a 40 X 25 area of the back yard, cut from 4 inches down to 2 inches using an old push mower with bagger & sprayed glyphosate about 2 weeks ago. Last year I became curious about KBG and reading through posts about folks growing it in the transition zone. I actually mixed some in with my TTTF seed when I overseeded the back yard last fall. So far the KBG is doing great and actually has less fungus than the fescue. I plan on another round of glyphosate this afternoon and dethatch it in in a couple of weeks. Target seed down is early to mid September weather dependant.


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## Robs92k

I'll be watching this…I'm interested to see how it looks with a nice comparison right next to it.

Cool project, great luck!


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## 01Bullitt

Robs92k said:


> I'll be watching this…I'm interested to see how it looks with a nice comparison right next to it.
> 
> Cool project, great luck!


Thanks! I am super excited to see what the end result will be.


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## 01Bullitt

I sprayed another round of glyphosate last Tuesday afternoon 7/27. Today I decided to dethatch and used a push mower with a bagger to clean up debris.


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## Chris LI

Interesting...I'll be following. :thumbup:


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## 01Bullitt

Seeded some of the Bluebank in test pots. First pic was seeded on 8/7 and second pic was on 8/13. No germination as of today. I thought I might see something today in the one that was seeded on 8/7.


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## 01Bullitt

Finally saw evidence of germination today but was shocked it was in one of the containers planted on 8/13. Still nothing in the other container planted on 8/7 with the peat pellets. I'm hoping I didn't get a bad bag of seed. That's why I planted more on 8/13. Also took the dethatcher around some more to get the seed bed good and loose.


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## CorpRaider

Still nothing in the 8/7 peat pellets?

Following!


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## 01Bullitt

CorpRaider said:


> Still nothing in the 8/7 peat pellets?
> 
> Following!


Nothing as of this morning, I planted one seed per pellet though. I thought I would have at least a couple come up by now. In the containers I planted with potting soil I spread about 8 seeds per container. Only 1 sprout in one container and 2 sprouts in the other so far. :roll:


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## 01Bullitt

This is all the germination so far out of 8 seeds planted in each container. Nothing in the peat pellets. I'm beginning to wonder if I either need to seed 5# per thousand instead of the 2.5 or 3 that is recommended or order more seed from a different company. What would y'all do?


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## 01Bullitt

I decided to uncover a seed in one of the peat pellets today. It appears to be swollen like it's trying to germinate, so I put it back in and covered it up. I also threw some seed down in an area I killed some poa trivialis back in late May. I loosened the soil with a garden weasel, threw seed down and covered with some peat based starting mix. I walked on it to improve seed to soil contact.


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## CorpRaider

Hey, one guy in the KBG pre-germination thread said he had starting seedlings at 11 days after soaking in water for ~5 days and throwing in potting mix, so I'm still holding out some hope.


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## 01Bullitt

Interesting, thanks for sharing.


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## 01Bullitt

I'm seeing sprouting today in the small area I seeded last Wednesday. A positive sign the seed is OK!


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## 01Bullitt

Seed is down! Put 2.5 pounds of Bluebank KBG seed in the test plot.


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## 01Bullitt

Seeing some sprouts today on the test plot.


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## 01Bullitt

More sprouts visible this morning. Temps are starting to warm up this week to low 90's for a few days. Going to continue watering 4 times a day. I bought a wyze smart plug & a rain bird irrigation valve from HD a week ago so I can water the test plot from my smartphone.


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## 01Bullitt

Before I put the seed down on 9/3, I used my new pro plugger to pull 4" cores and dropped them off at my county extension office. The pro plugger was a game changer in collecting samples. I also plan to use it to transplant some KBG plugs next year. I just got the results back from the state lab today. I plan on using a balanced fertilizer in the fall and adding lime in the winter.


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## 01Bullitt

14 days after seed down 7 days after germination. Temperatures are cooler now but still bone dry so I am still watering 4 times a day.


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## CorpRaider

Looks good! You did a good job exposing the soil.


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## 01Bullitt

CorpRaider said:


> Looks good! You did a good job exposing the soil.


Thanks, with this being a small area I had plenty of time to run the dethatcher over it multiple times.


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## 01Bullitt

Ended up getting some much needed rainfall this week. Fall like temperatures forecasted for the next 7 days.


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## 01Bullitt

14 DAG, growth has picked up a bit & the Bluebank is between 1.5 and 2 inches. Probably due to cooler temps and some much needed rainfall this week. I feel a push mow coming up soon!


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## 01Bullitt

Sunday afternoon pics.


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## 01Bullitt

Monday afternoon mow. Took it down to 1 inch using a rotary push mower. I plan to start spoon feeding it a balanced fertilizer soon.


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## 01Bullitt

21 DAG, grass has grown from the 1 inch cut on Monday to 1.5 inches today. Plan to cut it to 1.25 inches this evening.


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## 01Bullitt

I put down 1.5 pounds of triple 17 this morning to supply .25 pounds of NPK and watered it in. Good chance of rain the next 5 days with temps between 75 and 80.


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## 01Bullitt

Got in another cut this evening. HOC was 1.5 inches.


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## 01Bullitt

Cut again at 1.5 inches. Got some henbit & hairy bittercress weed pressure. Going to zap them with some weed b gon next week.


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## 01Bullitt

28 DAG, went ahead and applied some weed b gon to take care of the weeds.


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## 01Bullitt

Weed b gone has went to work killing the weeds. Got a little over an inch of rain last night and the bluegrass is looking good and thickening up.


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## 01Bullitt

Put down another 1.5 pounds of triple 17 to supply .25 pounds of NPK.


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## 01Bullitt

Cut again at 1.5 inches.


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## 01Bullitt

Mowed again at 1.5 inches. For the next cut I'm planning on raising the HOC to 2 inches.


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## 01Bullitt

35 DAG, cold front moves in tomorrow afternoon with a chance of rain. High temps going from mid 80's to mid 60's to 70 degrees with lows in the 40's at night. Planning on another .25 pounds of NPK with triple 17 fertilizer tomorrow before the rain.


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## CorpRaider

Lookin' good!


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## 01Bullitt

Thanks! :thumbup:


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## 01Bullitt

Got the test plot mowed at 2 inches and spread .25 of NPK before the rain came this afternoon.


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## 01Bullitt

Cut the test plot again at 2 inches.


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## CorpRaider

What are you doing with your watering of the test plot these days?


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## 01Bullitt

CorpRaider said:


> What are you doing with your watering of the test plot these days?


I'm only watering when I throw down fertilizer each week. It's usually around a quarter of an inch. I've had a few showers here and there but nothing like a normal October. I got .27" last Saturday when the cold front moved through. I'm looking forward to seeing some pics of your progress.


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## 01Bullitt

42 DAG, mowed again at 2 inches. Spread .25 pounds of NPK and watered in.


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## bf7

That is one big test plot! Successful reno for sure. Looks great.

Pete Denny would be proud of another KBG lawn in NC!


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## 01Bullitt

bf7 said:


> That is one big test plot! Successful reno for sure. Looks great.
> 
> Pete Denny would be proud of another KBG lawn in NC!


Thanks! Pete and folks here on TLF that are growing it in the transition zone got me intrigued about KBG. It has been a fun experiment so far.


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## 01Bullitt

Cut the yard and the test plot today at 3.25". This is the first time I have cut the KBG with the riding mower. Not much KBG was cut off since the last mow was at 2".


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## 01Bullitt

Spread 2 lbs. of triple 17 fertilizer for a total of .34 lbs. of NPK ahead of rain heading this way. Good chances of rain this evening through early Saturday.


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## 01Bullitt

49 DAG, push mowed the KBG at 3.25". It had grown to 3.5" since the mow on Wednesday. Recieved a total of half inch of gentle rain yesterday and this morning. Leaves are starting to show color and falling here in Central NC.
Before today's mow

After today's mow 

Neighbor's Maple tree


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## g-man

I think you should mow this at 2in this year instead of 3.25.


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## 01Bullitt

Will do @g-man , thanks for the suggestion!


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## 01Bullitt

Mowed the test plot today down to 2 inches per g-man's recommendation. I triple cut it to take it down a little at a time.


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## 01Bullitt

Got another push mow in at 2" HOC. Turning cold starting Wednesday with highs in the 50's and lows in the lower to mid 30's.


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## 01Bullitt

56 DAG, mowed the Bluebank KBG at 2". Got our first frost this morning with a low of 29 degrees. Rain is supposed to move in tomorrow afternoon through Sunday due to a coastal low moving up the Carolina coast. Went ahead and spread .25 lbs of NPK ahead of the forecasted rain. Temperatures will moderate next week with highs between 68 -70.


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## g-man

Try to do prodiamine next week. With your NC weather, poa a will be a potential. Keep feeding. It is looking good.


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## 01Bullitt

g-man said:


> Try to do prodiamine next week. With your NC weather, poa a will be a potential. Keep feeding. It is looking good.


Will do g-man, thanks!


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## 01Bullitt

Mowed the test plot again today at 2". Temperatures have started to moderate after last week's cold front. The high today was 71 and tomorrow is supposed to be 75. A decent chance of rain returns Thursday night & Friday, then it turns off cooler for the weekend. We didn't get any rain from the coastal low this past weekend, so I ended up watering the fertilizer in that I spread on Friday afternoon.


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## 01Bullitt

Mowed at 2" & sprayed a 4 month dose of prodiamine. Also applied .3 lbs of NPK. 90% chance of rain tonight with accumulation up to a half of an inch. Temperatures forecasted to tumble behind the cold front.


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## 01Bullitt

The much needed rainfall that was forecasted for the piedmont of NC, all but dried up as it crossed the mountains. I ended up with a measly two hundredths of an inch. So I ended up irrigating it this afternoon to water in the fertilizer that was spread yesterday.


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## 01Bullitt

Mowed at 2" yesterday, about a quarter inch was all that was cut off. The test plot and the rest of my yard have really slowed down now with the brief cold snaps and frost. This past Sunday I had a low of 26 with a heavy frost. We are in the low 70's today and tomorrow then it turns cold again for Friday & the weekend.


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## 01Bullitt

70 DAG, pushed mowed at 2" & threw down .25 lbs of NPK. I pulled out the hoses and my impact sprinkler and ran for an hour. It's been a very dry November for central NC, I've only recorded .05" of rain for the month so far. Only about .25 was cut off from the mow. The cold front has moved through and very breezy and chilly.


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## g-man

The color difference is cool to see in the images.


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## 01Bullitt

g-man said:


> The color difference is cool to see in the images.


Yeah, that bluegrass is poppin!


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## 01Bullitt

Ended up getting some much needed rainfall today!


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## 01Bullitt

Snuck in a mow while mulching leaves in the rest of the yard since the sun came out around 1 pm. Cut it down to 2 inches with the riding mower.


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## 01Bullitt

I will continue to monitor, but this is probably the last mow of 2021. I measured before I mowed and had a few sprigs around 2.25 inches. I plan to put out a 40 pound bag of lime soon to raise the PH based on the soil test done a couple of months ago.


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## 01Bullitt

It was nice & 74 degrees today. Although the test plot didn't grow much, I got the itch to give it a clean cut with the riding mower. HOC was 2 inches and I spread .25 pounds of NPK and watered it in for an hour since it's been bone dry around here.


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## 01Bullitt

Bought a 40# bag of lime today and spread it on the test plot. It was 70 degrees again today and a cold front will move through tonight dropping high temperatures to the upper 40's for a few days. Very dry with slim chances of rain the next 7 days. Very unusual weather pattern for this time of year.


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## 01Bullitt

Bluebank KBG color is amazing in the evening after sunset!


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## 01Bullitt

I spent this afternoon cleaning up debris from the yard & test plot. We recieved 3 inches of rain from thunderstorms, 1 inch of snow & 50 mph wind gusts from a storm system early Monday morning. It was like a tropical storm & blizzard in 1 day. High temperatures during the week of Christmas until January 2nd were 68-77. Lows were around 55-60 degrees. I ended up mowing the test plot today to mulch up the leaves that were on top of it.


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## 01Bullitt

The KBG is still holding its color well. We have had several days with below average temperatures for the month of January. We also had a total of 4 snowfalls. I gave it a quick mow today with the push mower to mulch up some leaves that had blown in. Data is from my PWS and yes it was really 78 on 1/1!


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## 01Bullitt

Pushed mowed the test plot today. The bluegrass is starting to grow again with the recent warmup.


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## Wile

01Bullitt said:


> Bluebank KBG color is amazing in the evening after sunset!


I'm glad I had bluebank in my mix 😍


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## 01Bullitt

I put down .34# of NPK before the rain hit last night. They were calling for a half inch of rain but so far I have recorded 1.75 inches.


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## 01Bullitt

Put down a 1/2 pound of NPK before the rain hit this afternoon.


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## moedank

That color is fantastic! What is your irrigation strategy for the summer?


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## 01Bullitt

moedank said:


> That color is fantastic! What is your irrigation strategy for the summer?


Thanks, I plan to not irrigate it and let it go dormant to see how well it comes back in the fall.


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## moedank

01Bullitt said:


> moedank said:
> 
> 
> 
> That color is fantastic! What is your irrigation strategy for the summer?
> 
> 
> 
> Thanks, I plan to not irrigate it and let it go dormant to see how well it comes back in the fall.
Click to expand...

I appreciate that you're doing this. I'm quite interested. ksturfguy did something similar on a smaller test plot a couple of years back.


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## 01Bullitt

@moedank you're welcome! Thank you for the kind words and for following my experiment.


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## 01Bullitt

Double cut the test plot this evening at 3 inches.


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## 01Bullitt

Put down another half pound of NPK this evening before the rain that's forecasted for tomorrow. This finished off my bag of triple 17 I had leftover from last year. I plan to spray miracle gro in my backpack sprayer for the month of April.


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## 01Bullitt

Mowed the test plot & lawn at 3.5 inches today.


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## bf7

I think this thread is enough proof that your entire yard should be bluebank


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## 01Bullitt

bf7 said:


> I think this thread is enough proof that your entire yard should be bluebank


LOL, thanks! Maybe one day, I sure do love the color and spreading capability it has.


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## 01Bullitt

I ended up mixing .25 lbs of miracle gro in a gallon of water and applied it in my backpack sprayer yesterday. This gave it a foliar application of .06 N.


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## 01Bullitt

Fresh mow for the test plot today. I decided not to fertilize anymore until fall.


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## g-man

I would not starve a young lawn.


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## JerseyGreens

+1 to what Gman said. BlueBank is a hungry cultivar (all KBG is in reality) and when it's well fed it spreads like wildfire.


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## 01Bullitt

Thanks guys for your insight, I will plan on spoon feeding it again soon. The reason I stopped was it has warmed up into the mid to upper 80's here lately. What month or high temperature would y'all recommend stop feeding it?


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## JerseyGreens

01Bullitt said:


> Thanks guys for your insight, I will plan on spoon feeding it again soon. The reason I stopped was it has warmed up into the mid to upper 80's here lately. What month or high temperature would y'all recommend stop feeding it?


During the dog days of summer you can stick to feeding it some foliar N (0.1 - 0.2 lbs N per K) during PGR and/or fungicide apps.


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## 01Bullitt

Thanks for the guidance @JerseyGreens & congratulations on receiving lawn of the month!


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## 01Bullitt

Applied .3 pounds of N today ahead of the rain forecasted here this afternoon. High temperatures are forecasted to cool down right much after today and stay below normal until next weekend.


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## 01Bullitt

Applied .2 pounds of N today. Forecast is calling for rain showers starting tonight thru Saturday as a low pressure system moves inland off the coast. My neighborhood had a near miss with a tornado last Friday evening. I caught a brief video of it before taking cover. Look just to the left of white house right above the trees in full screen mode.


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## 01Bullitt

Applied .2 pounds of N ahead of thunderstorms this evening.


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## 01Bullitt

Fresh mow today, it's been in the low 90's this past week. So far impressed with how it's handling the heat.


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## jskierko

Impressed is an understatement! This needs to move from "test plot" to "full yard plot". Color about as good as you could ask for.


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## 01Bullitt

jskierko said:


> Impressed is an understatement! This needs to move from "test plot" to "full yard plot". Color about as good as you could ask for.


Thanks, Maybe one day!


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## moedank

I'm looking forward to seeing how it handles sustained high temperatures and normal weather precipitation from late July through early September. I understand that this is new grass compared to the surrounding mature fescue, so some waterings/treatments may be needed to help it get through its first summer, but I hope the long-term lawncare variables are mostly the same between the two grasses to get a true low maintenance comparison.

If the kbg tends to die off more each summer and requires more TLC (frequent smaller nitrogen applications, etc.) in the fall to regrow back into shape then I'll probably stick with my fescue. If it can decently hold its ground during the summer with *mostly weather precipitation* and rebound just fine with only 2-3 larger fertilizations in the fall, which is what I do, then I'll convert and try my own test plot. I hope it does. Your plot looks great thus far.


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## uts

moedank said:


> If the kbg tends to die off a lot more each summer and requires more TLC (frequent smaller nitrogen applications, etc.) in the fall to regrow back into shape then I'll probably stick with my fescue. If it can decently hold its ground during the summer and rebound just fine with only 2-3 larger fertilizations in the fall, which is what I do, then I'll convert and try my own test plot. I hope it does. Your plot looks great thus far.


I think it will be difficult to assess that with any grass in its first real year of establishment especially kbg which takes more time to mature.

That said, I think the key is the amount for KBG. You can achieve it either with multiple small fast release fert or a few large slow release ones.


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## moedank

uts said:


> I think it will be difficult to assess that with any grass in its first real year of establishment especially kbg which takes more time to mature.


I hear you. I acknowledged that in my first paragraph.


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## 01Bullitt

@moedank my intentions are to treat the same as existing grass. To see how it handles the heat and drought conditions of summer without irrigation. Also, if it goes dormant it will be interesting to see if it bounces back in the fall. Our dry months are approaching soon in NC, so stay tuned to see the results!


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## moedank

How is that grass holding up?


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## 01Bullitt

moedank said:


> How is that grass holding up?


It is starting to go dormant. High temperatures have been in the mid to upper 90's with very little rain. Only 6 tenths of an inch of rain for June. Good chances of rain on Monday & Tuesday.


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## 01Bullitt

Test plot has pretty much gone dormant and the fescue in the rest of the yard is not far behind. High temperature yesterday at RDU airport was 102! My PWS recorded a high of 96.6 yesterday and it's been a hot and dry July so far. It will be interesting to see if the KBG will make a comeback in the fall. Stay tuned!


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## 01Bullitt

Well we ended up getting 1.5 inches of rain over this past weekend & so far today we have received 3.8 inches! Maybe this will revive the bluegrass.


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## Chris LI

01Bullitt said:


> Well we ended up getting 1.5 inches of rain over this past weekend & so far today we have received 3.8 inches! Maybe this will revive the bluegrass.


This will be interesting. From experience in my yard, kbg bounced back from summer dormancy more quickly than TTTF.


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## g-man

What is rain?


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## 01Bullitt

g-man said:


> What is rain?


LOL, I hear you. I was beginning to wonder the same thing myself.


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## 01Bullitt

Chris LI said:


> 01Bullitt said:
> 
> 
> 
> Well we ended up getting 1.5 inches of rain over this past weekend & so far today we have received 3.8 inches! Maybe this will revive the bluegrass.
> 
> 
> 
> This will be interesting. From experience in my yard, kbg bounced back from summer dormancy more quickly than TTTF.
Click to expand...

You ain't kidding, it's already making a comeback!


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## 01Bullitt

Fresh mow today on the test plot. I'm amazed how quickly it bounced back after some much needed rainfall.


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## JerseyGreens

Seeing this bounce back gives me hope...we need rain badly.


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## Chris LI

JerseyGreens said:


> Seeing this bounce back gives me hope...we need rain badly.


I find kbg amazing. It's always criticized for being water hungry, but I think all grass needs irrigation to look presentable. It seems to be more resilient than people give it credit for.

Fingers crossed. 🤞 I checked my 3 weather apps and have precipitation totals from .15 to .55 inches predicted for Monday.


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## moedank

Nice recovery. Looking good.


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## 01Bullitt

moedank said:


> Nice recovery. Looking good.


Thanks!


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## 01Bullitt

Fresh mow on the test plot today. The dark green color is back. Highs have been in the lower to mid 90's with very little rain.


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## g-man

I was in Raleigh for work this week and we had some serious downpours but it was very localized. I was also at the airport when the emergency landing event occurred.

The test plot is looking great.


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## 01Bullitt

g-man said:


> I was in Raleigh for work this week and we had some serious downpours but it was very localized. I was also at the airport when the emergency landing event occurred.
> 
> The test plot is looking great.


Hope you had a great workweek in the tarheel state! I had storms all around me but never a direct hit. That all changed at 2 am this morning when we had a heck of a storm roll through. A lot of cloud to ground lightning and heavy rain. Ended up with 1.19 inches of rain. That was a tragic situation that happened with the co-pilot.


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## 01Bullitt

Test plot going dormant again due to heat & lack of rain. I had heavy rain all around me last week but jut a few sprinkles or brief showers at my location. Cooler temps this weekend through the upcoming workweek. Chances of rain on Monday & Tuesday.


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## lawn-wolverine

01Bullitt said:


> Test plot going dormant again due to heat & lack of rain. I had heavy rain all around me last week but jut a few sprinkles or brief showers at my location. Cooler temps this weekend through the upcoming workweek. Chances of rain on Monday & Tuesday.


Thanks so much for sharing your "labor of ❤love" with us ! I am enjoying following it.
Rock on sir!


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## 01Bullitt

@lawn-wolverine You're welcome and thanks for the kind words! I have enjoyed every minute of this experiment & sharing my results with everyone. :thumbup:


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## JERSEY

cant wait to see you your bluebank recovers. dont panic on it. its a great experiment !

Plenty of people here giving you good advice.

What I can tell you, is my kbg.(assorted blends including midnight)..loves Nitro! It responds to strong shots, the small shots dont give it much of a move. dont be afraid to feed it strong when it gets cool and good rains. Im not telling you what to do. Just sharing my experience.

I myself added some tttf to my turf last year, and it helped the overall health.adding some deeper root structure into the yard.........but just recently in the 95-99 weeks of heat/no real rains, it got thin and some areas of dormancy. I did Minimal watering this year as a test. The kbg does brown up faster than the TTTF. My plan is to start hitting it with granular (0.75-1.0lb n) in a week or so (depending on conditions) and spraying FAS.

The fall nitro blitz works and I stay green almost all winter.


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## 01Bullitt

JERSEY said:


> cant wait to see you your bluebank recovers. dont panic on it. its a great experiment !
> 
> Plenty of people here giving you good advice.
> 
> What I can tell you, is my kbg.(assorted blends including midnight)..loves Nitro! It responds to strong shots, the small shots dont give it much of a move. dont be afraid to feed it strong when it gets cool and good rains. Im not telling you what to do. Just sharing my experience.
> 
> I myself added some tttf to my turf last year, and it helped the overall health.adding some deeper root structure into the yard.........but just recently in the 95-99 weeks of heat/no real rains, it got thin and some areas of dormancy. I did Minimal watering this year as a test. The kbg does brown up faster than the TTTF. My plan is to start hitting it with granular (0.75-1.0lb n) in a week or so (depending on conditions) and spraying FAS.
> 
> The fall nitro blitz works and I stay green almost all winter.


Thanks so much for the encouragement & sharing your experiences with KBG. I can't wait to start hitting it hard with some N this fall. Once it thickens back up this I plan to use my pro-plugger and transplant some KBG plugs in some thin spots in my lawn.


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## CorpRaider

My SPF-30 is responding similarly to the heat and lack of rain.


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## 01Bullitt

CorpRaider said:


> My SPF-30 is responding similarly to the heat and lack of rain.


Hopefully we can get some decent rain soon. The rain they were calling for yesterday and today has been a bust. I ended up with a measly .13 inches! At least it has cooled down though.


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## moedank

The drought and heat really hit it but overall I'm impressed, especially since it's not mature yet. It will handle the summer even better next year. I'm curious to see how quickly it recovers once fall hits and it starts getting pounded with fertilizer.


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## 01Bullitt

moedank said:


> The drought and heat really hit it but overall I'm impressed, especially since it's not mature yet. It will handle the summer even better next year. I'm curious to see how quickly it recovers once fall hits and it starts getting pounded with fertilizer.


I agree, I was blown away the way it came back in July after some much needed rain. I figured I may have lost it since it was so young but it proved me wrong. The forecast is calling for chances of storms starting Friday night through early next week. I am hoping I will receive some decent rain to see if it will respond the same way it did in July.


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## CorpRaider

I've got one maybe 5x5 patch of SPF-30 that I'm concerned may be dead. It was too thick in that area after seeding and I thought was struggling with some fungus. I need to snap a photo so I can have before and after in case it miraculously comes back to life. I guess I will start growing a few "plugs" with the left over seed in case that section is dead. I want to do pre-m this fall so no seeding for me.


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## 01Bullitt

CorpRaider said:


> I've got one maybe 5x5 patch of SPF-30 that I'm concerned may be dead. It was too thick in that area after seeding and I thought was struggling with some fungus. I need to snap a photo so I can have before and after in case it miraculously comes back to life. I guess I will start growing a few "plugs" with the left over seed in case that section is dead. I want to do pre-m this fall so no seeding for me.


Definitely snap a photo and keep us updated if it comes back. I'm curious and hopeful it will. :thumbup:


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## 01Bullitt

I ended up getting some much needed rain (1.05") yesterday & early this morning. Maybe this will revive the bluegrass again.


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## 01Bullitt

Looking somewhat better after the rain but still got a ways to go. Left work today to a heavy downpour and of course nothing at my house.


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## Chris LI

01Bullitt said:


> Looking somewhat better after the rain but still got a ways to go. Left work today to a heavy downpour and of course nothing at my house.


Mother Nature can be so cruel. I'm in a similar spot with no rain. I'm sure someone in the downpour area you mentioned, dropped seed during the last week, and is on the flip side with too much precipitation.


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## 01Bullitt

You're right about that. Week after week it seems like the same locations keep getting hammered with precipitation while areas like mine are staying dry.


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## jskierko

Do you have any bare areas where you can throw a handful of seed? Guarantee you can dupe Mother Nature into thinking you truly care about those seeds and they will be washed away be a deluge... I've realized that 5-10% of the total lawn care package is superstition.


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## moedank

jskierko said:


> Do you have any bare areas where you can throw a handful of seed? Guarantee you can dupe Mother Nature into thinking you truly care about those seeds and they will be washed away be a deluge... I've realized that 5-10% of the total lawn care package is superstition.


I don't know if he intends to reseed, at least this fall. I think the main purpose of this plot is to see how well the KBG can reestablish itself after the summer struggle while receiving minimal or equivalent care as the surrounding fescue. This helps us transition zone folks compare the pros and cons of TTTF vs KBG. It's been noted how this year isn't truly a fair comparison since the plot is newish grass, whereas the surrounding fescue is mature.

Bullitt, how do you plan to care for the plot this fall?


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## jskierko

moedank said:


> jskierko said:
> 
> 
> 
> Do you have any bare areas where you can throw a handful of seed? Guarantee you can dupe Mother Nature into thinking you truly care about those seeds and they will be washed away be a deluge... I've realized that 5-10% of the total lawn care package is superstition.
> 
> 
> 
> I don't know if he intends to reseed, at least this fall. I think the main purpose of this plot is to see how well the KBG can reestablish itself after the summer struggle while receiving minimal or equivalent care as the surrounding fescue. This helps us transition zone folks compare the pros and cons of TTTF vs KBG. It's been noted how this year isn't truly a fair comparison since the plot is newish grass, whereas the surrounding fescue is mature.
> 
> Bullitt, how do you plan to care for the plot this fall?
Click to expand...

Oh yeah, I got ya. I was just saying that's a surefire way to draw some rain if you need it. Just like washing your car when there's no rain in the forecast. It's bound to rain and spoil your hard work


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## 01Bullitt

jskierko said:


> moedank said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> jskierko said:
> 
> 
> 
> Do you have any bare areas where you can throw a handful of seed? Guarantee you can dupe Mother Nature into thinking you truly care about those seeds and they will be washed away be a deluge... I've realized that 5-10% of the total lawn care package is superstition.
> 
> 
> 
> I don't know if he intends to reseed, at least this fall. I think the main purpose of this plot is to see how well the KBG can reestablish itself after the summer struggle while receiving minimal or equivalent care as the surrounding fescue. This helps us transition zone folks compare the pros and cons of TTTF vs KBG. It's been noted how this year isn't truly a fair comparison since the plot is newish grass, whereas the surrounding fescue is mature.
> 
> Bullitt, how do you plan to care for the plot this fall?
> 
> Click to expand...
> 
> Oh yeah, I got ya. I was just saying that's a surefire way to draw some rain if you need it. Just like washing your car when there's no rain in the forecast. It's bound to rain and spoil your hard work
Click to expand...

Lol, you got that right. Maybe I need to wash my car more often and throw some seed down in the yard!


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## 01Bullitt

@moedank I plan to hit it hard with nitrogen when fall arrives to thicken it back up. I'm thinking 0.5 pounds of N every 2 weeks. I plan on doing another soil test too to see if the ph & phosphorus levels have increased since last year.


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## 01Bullitt

I wanted to share these pics for comparison of the test plot. The test plot is located near a tree line so it's probably the driest part of my lawn. The following spot is where I killed a patch of poa triv. & seeded with Bluebank KBG before I seeded the test plot last year. See 1st page of my journal on the 8/25/21 post. This spot is in the part of my lawn that stays moist the longest. As you can see this spot is thriving along with the fescue.


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## 01Bullitt

Rain hitting the same areas again!


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## Chris LI

...and missing you, of course! I'm in the same boat and feel your pain. I like seeing folks like you successfully cultivate kbg in NC. Although, I'm much further north from you, I struggle to grow kbg, because I live across the street from a shopping center (on the north side) which is along a 6-lane highway with two-lane service drives on each side (10 lanes total). Prevailing winds blow across the highway and shopping center. That's a lot of asphalt and concrete, which fuel a blast furnace, along with natural high humidity.

Half my roots are from SW Virginia, and my sister went to NC State, so there's a little added camaraderie.

I hope we all (who need it) get some rain soon, and folks living in flooded areas dry out.


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## 01Bullitt

@Chris LI I hope you guys up north get some rain soon, y'all are in a drought situation worse than we are in NC. Half of my roots are also from SW Virginia, Russell county to be exact. I go and visit them a few times a year. I love that area, it's beautiful & it's like stepping back in time because it's so peaceful. What county or area is your family from in SW Virginia?


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## Chris LI

Pulaski County. The last time I visited my Great-uncle was in April of '21. It was great to get back down there because I hadn't visited in a few years. My Dad was always homesick, and I understood why.


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## 01Bullitt

We had a cold front come through yesterday evening. When I got home from work the sky was dark and lightning just to my northwest. Pulled up the radar to see the line of precipitation headed toward me. The line of precipitation dried up once it got to my area and most of it went north of me by a few miles. So as August comes to an end I got a total of 1.39 inches for the month. Forecast looks hot and dry for the next 7 days.


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## CorpRaider

Man that's a bad break, I got a pretty decent slow rain and cooler this morning with dew hanging around a while.


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## 01Bullitt

Still waiting for rain at my location. Had heavy downpours just 1.5 miles west of me yesterday. Decent chances of rain in the forecast this afternoon thru Saturday. Test plot is looking very rough right now.


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## Chris LI

01Bullitt said:


> Test plot is looking very rough right now.


Sorry to hear that. I think this will be the real test. I think it has a good chance of a full to near full recovery. Truly a good "test plot" experiment. Kbg can be very resilient, once the heat eases and natural rain occurs, as exhibited during this summer, where you had a cool/wet spell. Do you plan on doing the Fall N-blitz?


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## 01Bullitt

@Chris LI Thanks, I agree this will be the real test. I'm hoping for the best that it will make a comeback like it did in July. I received a few showers yesterday evening & early this morning for a total of .23". I do plan to drop a half pound of N every 2 weeks once things cool off here. I looked at your journal this morning to see you are finally getting something in the rain gauge. Enjoy your day off and hope you get a nice gentle soaking rain.


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## 01Bullitt

Ended up with a total of .32 inches of rain, not a lot but I'll take what I can get. Pulled soil samples yesterday afternoon and plan to drop them off at the extension office.


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## 01Bullitt

Ended up getting a little rain over the weekend and some more today. Test plot looks somewhat better. Cold front moves through tonight and the forecast for the rest of the week is calling for highs around 80 and lows in the upper 50's.


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## 01Bullitt

Soil test results came back today. PH, phosphorus & potassium levels have increased since last year. Still dry around central NC & no rain in the 7 day forecast. Test plot still looks the same as last week's post.


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## 01Bullitt

Got a little over a tenth of an inch of rain last night from a fast moving thunderstorm. That puts the monthly total so far for September at .87". The forecast for the end of the week is to get some much needed rainfall from the remnants of hurricane Ian. I spot sprayed some common bermuda that was making a comeback from last years kill with generic mesotrione.


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## moedank

Have your thoughts about kbg and low input maintenance changed due to the low precipitation this summer and fall? How much of a window do you think is left for it to repair and refill the dead areas without manual irrigation?


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## 01Bullitt

moedank said:


> Have your thoughts about kbg and low input maintenance changed due to the low precipitation this summer and fall? How much of a window do you think is left for it to repair and refill the dead areas without manual irrigation?


Based on my current observations I would say an all KBG lawn without irrigation here in the piedmont of NC does not look promising. Maybe a mix of KBG & TTTF is more reasonable without irrigation. I am still very anxious when I receive some decent rainfall how much of a comeback it will make before winter gets here which is usually around Thanksgiving or shortly after. So there is still some time for it to spread & repair If the weather cooperates.


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## g-man

I think the stress test of no irrigation on a young lawn is not ideal. A two or 3 year old lawn, sure.


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## 01Bullitt

g-man said:


> I think the stress test of no irrigation on a young lawn is not ideal. A two or 3 year old lawn, sure.


I agree, hopefully it will bounce back after we get some rain this weekend. Then next year will be a better drought test since it will be older. That is my hope anyway. The current forecast is calling for 3-7 inches of rain this weekend for Central NC with hurricane Ian. I took an overhead pic and marked it to compare when it starts filling back in.


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## 01Bullitt

Rainfall totals so far from Ian are 3.2" and more to come as the remnants meander over NC through the weekend. I had wind gusts at 50 mph yesterday on my weather station. Looking forward to the test plot and the rest of my lawn greening back up.


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## 01Bullitt

Test plot is showing signs of recovery. Plan to start feeding it again soon. Probably will have to manually water it in with my impact sprinkler. No rain since Ian moved through last weekend and no rain in the 7 day forecast.


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## 01Bullitt

Chance of showers & storms overnight through tomorrow morning. Spread .2 of N this evening.


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## 01Bullitt

Ended up getting. 82" of rain on Monday ahead of the cold front. Test plot is making a slow but steady comeback.


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## situman

Prob need a light dethatching or raking. So much matted down dead material will hinder spreading.


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## 01Bullitt

situman said:


> Prob need a light dethatching or raking. So much matted down dead material will hinder spreading.


I thought about that too, but it appears it is breaking down to add organic matter to the soil. Thanks for the suggestion!


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## Chris LI

01Bullitt said:


> I thought about that too, but it appears it is breaking down to add organic matter to the soil. Thanks for the suggestion!


I definitely agree with @situman with dethatching. It should wake the kbg right up. Funny, I just hit a couple of small patches of thinned/thatchy kbg this morning with my new Groundskeeper II rake. I'm hoping that it helps with spreading and tillering. I love that rake! I'm going out to mow in a little while and will be side discharging with a Gator blade to mulch it up along with clippings and leaves to send the OM back into the soil to break down with the relatively warm temps.


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## 01Bullitt

Chris LI said:


> I definitely agree with @situman with dethatching. It should wake the kbg right up. Funny, I just hit a couple of small patches of thinned/thatchy kbg this morning with my new Groundskeeper II rake. I'm hoping that it helps with spreading and tillering. I love that rake! I'm going out to mow in a little while and will be side discharging with a Gator blade to mulch it up along with clippings and leaves to send the OM back into the soil to break down with the relatively warm temps.


Congrats on the Groundskeeper II rake, I've read & seen a lot very good reviews about it. Thanks for the suggestion, I will give the test plot a good raking this week. I have the gator blades on both of my mowers and most of the time I have the mulch plug in so I'm returning as many nutrients as I can back into the soil.


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## moedank

This was an interesting test. Thanks again for doing it.

Your kbg, with only mother nature as the water source, handled its first summer quite well. Likely, its toughest test. Yes, a decent amount died off but a lot survived. I'm certain if this fall's precipitation had started earlier and been more frequent, it would be even further along with its recovery. This makes me think several strategically timed deep waterings will be enough to get my kbg, albeit dormant, through summer without much die off.

Did those trees next to the plot provide much shade? If so, roughly how many hours and what time of day?


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## 01Bullitt

moedank said:


> This was an interesting test. Thanks again for doing it.
> 
> Your kbg, with only mother nature as the water source, handled its first summer quite well. Likely, its toughest test. Yes, a decent amount died off but a lot survived. I'm certain if this fall's precipitation had started earlier and been more frequent, it would be even further along with its recovery. This makes me think several strategically timed deep waterings will be enough to get my kbg, albeit dormant, through summer without much die off.
> 
> Did those trees next to the plot provide much shade? If so, roughly how many hours and what time of day?


You're welcome, the tree line is on the east side of my property & provided shade from sunrise up until 11am. Then it was in full sun from around noon until sunset. So for the summer it got roughly 5 hours of shade in the morning & 8+ hours of full sun in the afternoon & evening. It would have fared better if that was reversed where it got afternoon & evening shade.


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## 01Bullitt

Mowed the test plot & spread 1.5 pounds of 34-0-0 to give a feeding of .5 pounds of N. Had to irrigate it in it's been a dry fall here.


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## Ben4Birdies

I’m very curious how long it will be before your test plot gets filled back in. I’ve got Bluebank as part of my reno mix and been doing 0.5lbs of N with AMS each Saturday for the last 3 weeks and been seeing a really good response of spreading.


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## Chris LI

Did you rake out the thatch, as you were planning to do?


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## 01Bullitt

Chris LI said:


> Did you rake out the thatch, as you were planning to do?


As much as I could, a lot of the dead material still has roots that the rake just won't pull up. I was able to pull a few of them up by hand though.


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## 01Bullitt

Ben4Birdies said:


> I’m very curious how long it will be before your test plot gets filled back in. I’ve got Bluebank as part of my reno mix and been doing 0.5lbs of N with AMS each Saturday for the last 3 weeks and been seeing a really good response of spreading.


Yeah, Bluebank seems like a fairly aggressive spreader. I believe what's holding mine back is the lack of rain so far this fall.


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## Ben4Birdies

01Bullitt said:


> Yeah, Bluebank seems like a fairly aggressive spreader. I believe what's holding mine back is the lack of rain so far this fall.


Do you have a hose and sprinkler? Maybe do a test on an area of the plot to see how much supplemental watering will help your recovery.


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## Jim the Gardener

01Bullitt said:


> Soil test results came back today. PH, phosphorus & potassium levels have increased since last year. Still dry around central NC & no rain in the 7 day forecast. Test plot still looks the same as last week's post.


The sample ID for both tests is "TSTPL." Is the top one the older one and the bottom one the most recent? If the bottom one is the most recent, isn't it interesting that with a pH of 5.9, that no lime is recommended at all? Seems like a good pH target would be around 6.2. Also, with your potassium beyond optimum, I wonder why they're recommending the use of 5-10-5 which will add still more potassium.


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## Jim the Gardener

With so many cultivars of KBG available, were there some reasons why you chose Bluebank?


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## 01Bullitt

Ben4Birdies said:


> Do you have a hose and sprinkler? Maybe do a test on an area of the plot to see how much supplemental watering will help your recovery.


Good idea, I do have an impact sprinkler and used it to water in my fertilizer application this weekend. I will be using it to water in my next application next weekend as well if it doesn't rain. Just today the NWS issued a statement that a tropical system is forming and forecasted to bring 1-2 inches of rain to NC on Friday & Saturday.


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## 01Bullitt

Jim the Gardener said:


> The sample ID for both tests is "TSTPL." Is the top one the older one and the bottom one the most recent? If the bottom one is the most recent, isn't it interesting that with a pH of 5.9, that no lime is recommended at all? Seems like a good pH target would be around 6.2.  Also, with your potassium beyond optimum, I wonder why they're recommending the use of 5-10-5 which will add still more potassium.


Bottom is the most recent, I assume one reason they aren't recommending lime is because it had only been about 9 months since the lime application. For some reason NCSU recommends a 5.8 - 6.5 pH for mineral soils. I'm happy with a 6.0 - 6.5. The fert recommendation is the NPK ratio that most homeowners will find at a big box store. I went with a 34-0-0 that I can get locally at a fertilizer plant.


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## 01Bullitt

Jim the Gardener said:


> With so many cultivars of KBG available, were there some reasons why you chose Bluebank?


Yes, it had a high NTEP score at the Raleigh site and the awesome pics that JerseyGreens shares of his Bluebank lawn.


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## 01Bullitt

Spread another .5 lb. of N this evening ahead of some much needed rainfall from TS Nicole. Forecasted to get between 1- 2 inches of rain.


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## 01Bullitt

Ended up getting 1.8 inches of rain from TD Nicole. It's been a warm fall here, broke some high temperature records at GSO & RDU this week. That will all change tomorrow night as a cold front moves through. High temps will be around 50 & lows around 30 for Sunday & the upcoming workweek.


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## 01Bullitt

Got another round of rain yesterday and ended up with 0.6 inches. November total so far is 2.5 inches. Test plot is responding well to the rain & nitrogen.


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## 01Bullitt

Mulched mowed the yard & test plot over the weekend.


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## 01Bullitt

Another mulch mow today. Forecast is calling for rain tonight & in the morning. Spread .5 of N this evening. Highs have been around 65 degrees the past two days.


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## 01Bullitt

We ended up getting a good bit of rain early this morning. It's supposed to clear up this afternoon with a high around 60. The next 5 days are forecasted to be warm with highs between 60 & 65. Lows in the mid 30's to lower 40's.


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## 01Bullitt

Ended up getting 1.25" of rain yesterday morning. Another chance of rain arrives on Wednesday with high temps in the 60's until then. Highs will top out in the low 50's for Thursday & Friday.


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## Ben4Birdies

01Bullitt said:


> Another mulch mow today. Forecast is calling for rain tonight & in the morning. Spread .5 of N this evening. Highs have been around 65 degrees the past two days.
> View attachment 3919


Glad to hear you’re adding N and getting some nice temps and rain. Are you mowing frequently?


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## 01Bullitt

Another round of rain came yesterday morning (11/30) for a daily total of .66". The total for November total was 5.12".


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## 01Bullitt

Ben4Birdies said:


> Glad to hear you’re adding N and getting some nice temps and rain. Are you mowing frequently?


I'm mowing it about every 7 to 10 days. It's growing but not at a very fast pace.


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## 01Bullitt

Got another mulch mow in this evening after work. Also spread another .5 lbs of N. Forecast calls for another round of rain tomorrow morning.


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## 01Bullitt

Another mulch mow today, oak trees in the back yard still shedding leaves. HOC was 3" & we recieved 0.5" of rain this past week. Rain chances increase Wednesday & Thursday next week so I am planning another fertilizer drop right before the rain moves in. Test plot is still slowly growing & spreading.


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## appsdeacs

how much N have you supplied to the plot this year so far?


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## 01Bullitt

appsdeacs said:


> how much N have you supplied to the plot this year so far?


So far this year I have supplied 3.5 pounds of N. Plan on dropping another half pound today or tomorrow.


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## 01Bullitt

Just got done spreading the .5 of N. Rain was starting fall as I finished up. This may be the last application until spring. This week has been chilly & next week looks down right cold.


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## 01Bullitt

Ended up getting 2" of rain from the last storm system. Got in another mulch mow today courtesy of an oak tree still shedding leaves.


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## Ben4Birdies

That’s quite the improvement. I was looking back at your past pictures and it’s looking a lot thicker and greener!


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## 01Bullitt

Happy New Year! Haven't done anything since my last post but wanted to share a pic of the current status.


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