# 2 months and no rooting



## Cramir (Apr 10, 2020)

2 month old Palisades Zoysia not rooting

- medium shade
- ph 6.6
- thin
-cutting at 1" with reel mower 
- I would thing after 2 months I should be able to pull a piece of sod like if I had it installed a week ago.

What could be the causes?


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## Greendoc (Mar 24, 2018)

Nematodes and not enough P and K. When Zoysia sod is installed, a common application for me is 20-20-20 + Exteris


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## Cramir (Apr 10, 2020)

@Greendoc here is a copy of my soil test.

What would you suggest to take care of it? The roots/thinning and the nematodes.


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## Greendoc (Mar 24, 2018)

Exteris + 20-20-20


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## Cramir (Apr 10, 2020)

thank you, out of curiosity, what did you see on the pictures that fought your eye to call the nematodes out?


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## Greendoc (Mar 24, 2018)

How yellow the grass is and how there are no roots breaking out of the original sod into the soil. In 2 months, it should be impossible to lift a sod square off of the ground. Especially in Florida at this time of the year


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## Cramir (Apr 10, 2020)

@Greendoc - even with poor sunlight?


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## ktgrok (May 25, 2019)

And forget your soil test when it comes to phosphorous. I don't know why, but there are a ton of reasons that phosphorous that shows up on soil tests is not actually available to the plant. Has to do with it being bound up by other stuff, etc. Plus, it is imobile, so if the sod roots are not into the actual native soil yet, they can't reach what is there anyway, they are relying still on what was in the dirt they cut out at the sod farm. I avoided and avoided any Phosphorous because supposedly mine is sky high. But when I broke down and actually put some down per @Greendoc advice, my grass responded like gang busters. It obviously needed it. And DEFINITELy get some K down...that is definitely low and grass needs that to do pretty much anything.


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## Greendoc (Mar 24, 2018)

Cramir said:


> @Greendoc - even with poor sunlight?


How poor? I maintain Zoysia with 5-6 hours of sunlight or through trees that have been thinned. In some cases, I need to maintain Zoysia on the sides of properties where the neighbor blocks the sun for half of the day. so the grass only gets about 4 hours of sun.


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## Cramir (Apr 10, 2020)

@Greendoc - I have to big oak trees in my front yard. Filtered light through out the day. Check out this picture:


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## Greendoc (Mar 24, 2018)

I have lawns that get less than that. Zoysia should work in absence of nutritional and Nematode issues


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## Cramir (Apr 10, 2020)

Thank you @Greendoc - I'll let the guy that is maintaining my yard know. Very helpful as always


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## Greendoc (Mar 24, 2018)

You are going to have to DIY this one.


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## Cramir (Apr 10, 2020)

@Greendoc why is that? You don't think that'll interfere with his program?


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## Cramir (Apr 10, 2020)

Which 20-20-20 do you recommend?


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## Greendoc (Mar 24, 2018)

Most lawn guys think they know more than they actually do or are regurgitating the dogma from UF. This is one you will have to take over yourself if you want the results.


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## Cramir (Apr 10, 2020)

@Greendoc i figured that was the case. What 20-20-20 do you recommend?


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## Greendoc (Mar 24, 2018)

Peters, or even the one from Southern Ag is ok. 1 lb per 1000 sq ft. You better get something down for the Nematodes too. 
Lawn guys also are told not to treat for Nematodes.


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## Cramir (Apr 10, 2020)

@Greendoc is that what the exteris is for?


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## Greendoc (Mar 24, 2018)

yes


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## Cramir (Apr 10, 2020)

That's going to be a hard one to find


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## jayhawk (Apr 18, 2017)

I saw similar, when pre-em was put down weeks before sod. (Empire)


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## Cramir (Apr 10, 2020)

@Greendoc I have some scalp spots on that same area that have been there for a month and still look like this (pic attached). Would that be for same reason? Need of P and K and nematodes?


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## Greendoc (Mar 24, 2018)

Those could also be due to shading. Scalping in a shady spot is slow to heal. But the yellowing is of concern


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## Cramir (Apr 10, 2020)

@Greendoc - talked to the guy handling my yard. He believes I'm negative on Nematodes (I'm just going to DIY this one with Exteris) and he said he'll apply 5-2-31 for nutrients, what are you thoughts?


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## CarolinaCuttin (Sep 6, 2019)

Cramir said:


> @Greendoc - talked to the guy handling my yard. He believes I'm negative on Nematodes (I'm just going to DIY this one with Exteris) and he said he'll apply 5-2-31 for nutrients, what are you thoughts?


Has he put down a pre-emergent herbicide? Most companies do this in late winter/early spring depending on where you live. A big dose of Barricade could stop that sod from growing roots.


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## Cramir (Apr 10, 2020)

CarolinaCuttin said:


> Cramir said:
> 
> 
> > @Greendoc - talked to the guy handling my yard. He believes I'm negative on Nematodes (I'm just going to DIY this one with Exteris) and he said he'll apply 5-2-31 for nutrients, what are you thoughts?
> ...


I'm not sure if he has - front and back of the house has received the same treatment. The back is in excellent shape, fully rooted with 6-8' roots and impossible to pull. Front has not rooted and pieces are easy to lift. Both soil tests are very similar. Only difference in environment between front and back is the shade on the front and full sun on the back.


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## CarolinaCuttin (Sep 6, 2019)

@Cramir No way to know without sending off samples, that's what I would do to be sure before buying a nematicide, but if you're sure you can just buy it and hopefully that's the solution. I would get the application history For your property while you're at it though.


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## sk7786 (Aug 29, 2019)

exteris seems to be a pain to get your hands on, any alternatives?


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## CarolinaCuttin (Sep 6, 2019)

sk7786 said:


> exteris seems to be a pain to get your hands on, any alternatives?


Exteris isn't even labeled for nematodes, it's just cheaper than real nematocides which is I guess why people use it. I've never used Exteris, but the real nematocides like Indemnify (same AI as Exteris but different formulation) and Divanem will set you back over $1000.


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## sk7786 (Aug 29, 2019)

yeah but at 350$ after taxes and shipping its still not the most homeowner friendly price.......


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## FlaDave (Jul 10, 2018)

sk7786 said:


> yeah but at 350$ after taxes and shipping its still not the most homeowner friendly price.......


Some members are attempting to get a group buy together in the marketplace if you are interested.

https://thelawnforum.com/viewtopic.php?f=14&t=7035&start=40


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## TN Hawkeye (May 7, 2018)

Welp, never mind. I thought this was a thread about married love making.


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## Cramir (Apr 10, 2020)

@Greendoc - one thing I remember doing against the "new sod rules" is mowing with a reel mover straight to 7/8 a month after install. Grass must have been close to two inches long. Could that be another reason of it not rooting? I've kept it at that hight ever since.


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