# Ruxie's Lawn Journal



## ruxie88

I used a calendar on my computer realizing there must be a easier way to track progress and actions taken. After viewing others' journal and seeing it's benefits, it only makes sense to start my own in this forum. I'm sure the feedback will help as this is my first home with a lawn.


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## g-man

:thumbup:


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## ruxie88

Dormant seeded with Bewitched KBG and Cochise TTTF (70/30 mix) in a thin area of the front lawn and on the sides of the house.

Seeded pots from 5-weeks ago continue to thicken (70-90% dense). Spoonfed coffee grinds and Jobes Holly Food.

Seeded new pots with Bewitched KBG today.

Continued to add kitchen scrapes, paper products and fireplace ash to compost pile.


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## ruxie88

Newly seeded Bewitched KBG pots are showing sprouts.

Continued adding kitchen scrapes and paper products to the compost pile.


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## KHARPS

How/where are you growing the pots?


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## ruxie88

KHARPS said:


> How/where are you growing the pots?


I grow them indoors by a window that gets lots of sun. One tray contains pots that are 6-weeks old...2 of the 3 have filled in nicely. The other pic are pots that are 10-days old. They are in peat moss pots.


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## ruxie88

Received 2-3 inches of snow and some rain this week.

Got feedback on a damaged area to the back lawn that I noticed a week or two ago. Unsure if it was snow mold or urine damage from the dogs. Leaning toward urine damage. Did a light rake in the area.

Getting good germination from the 2-week old KBG pots. Will definitely need them for the damaged area if there is no growth in the spring.

Dormant overseeds have disappeared.

Continue to add scrapes and fireplace ash to the compost pile.


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## ruxie88

Continued to receive a couple days of snow/rain this past week.

3-week old KBG pots continue to fill in nicely. Added some Holly food fertilizer to them.

Added my last kitchen scrapes to the compost pile. We will see what it looks like in a couple months once it starts to warm up.


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## ruxie88

Got a couple days of cold weather (highs in low 30s) this week and a couple of inches of snow.

Applied Green Cure biofungicide to the KBG pots. Pots are in sprout-n-pout. Hopefully roots are growing and getting deeper.


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## ruxie88

In the high 60s today. Got home from work early and did a light rake in the back yard...felt good! Picked up about 3/4 bag full of leaves, sticks, debris and pulled weeds. At 5:50 pm, soil temp was 52 degrees at 2-3 inches in the back yard.

The low temp will be in the low 50s, so the KBG pots will be left outside. Forecasted to be in the mid 60s tomorrow with some rain.


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## g-man

Great weather for kbg to grow.


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## ruxie88

g-man said:


> Great weather for kbg to grow.


Yes. This is my first full year to do a well-thought out lawn program. I had good germination of midnight KBG for last fall's overseed in the backyard. I'm looking forward to seeing what survived the winter and how it spreads.

I did not have good germination in the front yard, so I dormant seeded. Looking forward to those results.


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## ruxie88

Raked the front yard. Took first ever soil samples and sent to Logan Labs. Easy process with the pro plugger.

Soil temps at 3-4 inches were: back @ 51 degrees; front @ 48 degrees.


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## ruxie88

MSU GDD crossed over today into the optimal range for my area. I put down the pre-emergent today hoping for a little rain tomorrow. Since I have dogs and want to do as much organics as possible, I put down corn gluten meal in the backyard. I dormant seeded in the front lawn, so I used Scott's Starter with mesotrione. It will be interesting to see the difference in efficacy.

Got the soil test results back and discovered I have sandy soil (TEC 5.7 & 8) with above average PH (7 & 7.8). I'm waiting for further guidance to develop the game plan from the test results.

KBG pots continue to fill in nicely. Sprayed them with Essential Plus and spoonfed urea.

Lost patients and topdressed the east side of my house due to twisting my ankle because it was so uneven. Used a combination of topsoil, sand and peat moss.


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## Flying Aces

Fun to see the KBG pots grow. I may have missed this but did you use native soil or some type of potting soil?


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## ruxie88

First time doing it, so I used potting soil. We'll see if it properly transplant.

Being more knowledgeable, next time, I will use a combination of topsoil, sand n compost.


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## ruxie88

Had some days with high temps in the 60s and today is forecasted to be in the 70s. On a couple days, I did go to work with frost on the car and grass. We did not get much rain, so the prem is not fully watered in. We should get some decent rain tomorrow.

KBG pots took a turn for the worse. I left them outside except for the days it was cold at night. In some of the pots, the grass has died. Unsure if I burned it adding to much urea. We'll see if it comes back 

Back is sore from spreading peat moss over the front lawn this morning. If the weather cooperates, I will do the backyard next week...need some recovery time 

I noticed a lot of chickweed and Henbit that came from nowhere in the backyard. I was way to slow to respond to dealing with it. I think this was due to not applying any herbicide last fall. I mixed prodiamine and tenacity, and sprayed the rock bed where it is prevalent and spot sprayed the yard where I saw it.

The area I topdressed/leveled has filled in nicely in one week and color is getting better.


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## ruxie88

Mowed back yard for the first time this season. Some areas close to the patio have seen top growth. I think due to where the dogs urinated throughout winter.

Plan to spread peat in the yard tomorrow before the rain comes.


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## ruxie88

Expecting rain tomorrow morning. I rushed to spread peat on the backyard just finishing before dark.

Got cleaned up, ate and opened up the below for the first time. On the sweet side, but smooth after the first sip. Only thing missing was a Cohiba and an ocean view...but i can imagine!


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## Chris LI

:thumbup:


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## Guest

excited to see how that KBG spreads this spring, I bet your lawn will look a lot different in late May/June


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## ruxie88

macdawg said:


> excited to see how that KBG spreads this spring, I bet your lawn will look a lot different in late May/June


Thanks Macdawg. Starting the season off better than expected. The grass greened up quickly comparing to neighbors' lawn. It is nice to see the 'fruits of your labor'. I wish I can fast-forward a couple months to see how it progresses. I'm terrible at being patient, but must be discipline sticking to my program and all the great advice from this forum.


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## ruxie88

Nice day today after receiving around a quarter inch of rain yesterday.

Pruned the Japanese maple in the front yard which will help get more sun on the grass under it. Walked the yard and with a broom fluffed the areas that had a thick layer of peat moss that compacted a little from the rain...don't want to suffocate the grass. Most was from where I rushed to spread peat Thursday night before it got dark. Entire lawn front and back greened up nicely. There is still not a lot of top growth except in a small area close to the patio.


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## ruxie88

Expecting rain tonight. Sprayed another app of WBG on the chickweed and Henbit in the yard.

Continued thinning out a couple areas in the backyard where I laid the peat a little to thick.

Spoonfed urea to the area I topdressed. It continues to fill in nicely.


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## mowww

Looking good! In the bottom photo is that a shadow or where your lawn ends and the next begins? Good definition.


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## ruxie88

mowww said:


> Looking good! In the bottom photo is that a shadow or where your lawn ends and the next begins? Good definition.


Thanks. It is where the lawn ends. The neighbor did a reno last October/November. I thought it was way to late in the year to do it. I hope it fills in for them.


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## ruxie88

Expecting rain tonight and over the next couple of days.

Mowed lawn today at 3 in HOC. Sprayed Urea (1 oz), Ferrous Sulfate (3 oz), and Citric Acid (1 oz) per 1 gallon/1 K.

Finished edging the beds and spread fresh mulch on all of them.


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## ruxie88

Got about 1/2 inch of rain last night. Sun is out today, but expecting more rain tomorrow morning.

Soil test stated the lawn was deficient in Boron and Zinc. Sprayed 3 tablespoons each per gallon/1K of 20 Mule laundry soap and zinc sulfate. It didn't dissolve well and clogged my sprayer, so I will mix with hot water next time (~60 days from now).


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## ruxie88

ruxie88 said:


> Since I have dogs and want to do as much organics as possible, I put down corn gluten meal in the backyard. I dormant seeded in the front lawn, so I used Scott's Starter with mesotrione. It will be interesting to see the difference in efficacy.


April 13th --- After driving around the area and my neighborhood, dandelions are in full bloom. Soil temp is in the mid to high 60s. Some preliminary observations on the difference between the front and back lawn preemergent efficacy are substantial. To date, I pulled 1 dandelion out of the front lawn. Pulled 8 from the back. Minimal clovers, chickweed and no henbit up front. There was quite a bit of all three in the backyard.


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## Chris LI

Are these applications from last fall, or this spring? Most broadleaf weeds germinate in the fall and aren't noticed until spring, due to their tiny size. Also, dandelions are biennial (bloom and die every two years). If you only dropped Pre M this spring, those would most likely have already germinated. Don't give up on your test. I would give it two full years, before you change any of the variables. The conventional Pre M wil most likely have better efficacy, but the CG can be useful. I've been using it for over 10 years, and it's a good alternative, IMHO.


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## ruxie88

Chris LI said:


> Are these applications from last fall, or this spring? Most broadleaf weeds germinate in the fall and aren't noticed until spring, due to their tiny size. Also, dandelions are biennial (bloom and die every two years). If you only dropped Pre M this spring, those would most likely have already germinated. Don't give up on your test. I would give it two full years, before you change any of the variables. The conventional Pre M wil most likely have better efficacy, but the CG can be useful. I've been using it for over 10 years, and it's a good alternative, IMHO.


Good information...Thank you! I applied the PreM on 3/24/19. I did not apply any PreM last fall which I think is why I have a big issue with the winter weeds.

I thought I read somewhere that CGM last 4-6 weeks. I'm wondering if I should apply another app of CGM in early May to get me through the summer especially since this is the first year I'm doing it. What has been your experience?


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## ruxie88

Mowed the lawn today. Spread a little compost chicken manure. Just finished before it started to drizzle.

Very pleased with the area I topdressed/leveled.


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## Chris LI

ruxie88 said:


> Chris LI said:
> 
> 
> 
> Are these applications from last fall, or this spring? Most broadleaf weeds germinate in the fall and aren't noticed until spring, due to their tiny size. Also, dandelions are biennial (bloom and die every two years). If you only dropped Pre M this spring, those would most likely have already germinated. Don't give up on your test. I would give it two full years, before you change any of the variables. The conventional Pre M wil most likely have better efficacy, but the CG can be useful. I've been using it for over 10 years, and it's a good alternative, IMHO.
> 
> 
> 
> Good information...Thank you! I applied the PreM on 3/24/19. I did not apply any PreM last fall which I think is why I have a big issue with the winter weeds.
> 
> I thought I read somewhere that CGM last 4-6 weeks. I'm wondering if I should apply another app of CGM in early May to get me through the summer especially since this is the first year I'm doing it. What has been your experience?
Click to expand...

I think it lasts closer to 6 weeks (maybe a little longer), if you follow there recommended rate. I usually intend to make a second drop during the season, but miss it most of the time because my work schedule ramps up to a crazy pace. If you make a second drop, try to do it after the spring flush ends. What rate did you apply the CG at? I follow the recommended rate of 20 lbs/k. I have skimped on it a couple of times and paid the price (dropped only 10 lbs/k).

Also, I use pelletized CG only. One time I tried the granulated product from Jonathan Green. It was horribly dusty and was not effective. I had tremendous breakthrough that year and will never use it again. In fact, I still have a partial bag that I keep telling myself I should throw down, but never seen to do.

I see progress in the photos, keep up the good work!


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## ruxie88

I think it lasts closer to 6 weeks (maybe a little longer), if you follow there recommended rate. I usually intend to make a second drop during the season, but miss it most of the time because my work schedule ramps up to a crazy pace. If you make a second drop, try to do it after the spring flush ends. What rate did you apply the CG at? I follow the recommended rate of 20 lbs/k. I have skimped on it a couple of times and paid the price (dropped only 10 lbs/k).

Also, I use pelletized CG only. One time I tried the granulated product from Jonathan Green. It was horribly dusty and was not effective. I had tremendous breakthrough that year and will never use it again. In fact, I still have a partial bag that I keep telling myself I should throw down, but never seen to do.

I see progress in the photos, keep up the good work!
[/quote]
Thank you.

When determining how much to CGM to spread, I used sqft versus pounds. My backyard is about 2200 sqft. I had a bag of Concern CGM which covers 1500 sqft at bag rate. I had this bag since last fall, but never used it because I overseeded. I got a bag of Jonathan Green CGM which at bag rate covers 5000 sqft. Neither are liquid. Based on my research, I intended to go at a heavy bag rate. So, I spread the entire bag of Concern and used half the Jon Green. At bag rates, that should have been enough to cover approximately 4000 sqft

Based on your comments, I will be placing another app of CGM in 2-3 weeks. Are you recommending I apply at a rate based on pounds versus square footage? Also, did you apply CGM in the fall?


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## ruxie88

Backyard on 3/10/19

Backyard on 3/10/19

Back lawn on 4/14/19. 

Front on 3/31/19 after peat moss topdressing a few days old

Front lawn on 4/14/19. Most of peat moss is gone. Battling weeds...I think mainly Poa T & A


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## ruxie88

Mowed the lawn today. I was surprised by how much top growth there was since the last mow 3-days ago.


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## ruxie88

Expecting a few inches of rain over the next couple of days starting tonight. Spread fast-acting sulfur at a little below bag rate. Also, got Scott GrubEx on the lawn for the year.


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## ruxie88

Received about 1.5 inches of rain over the last two days. All the different species of grass are awake and now growing (top growth) and spreading. Lawn is becoming more dense. Mulched mowed today at 2.5 in HOC.

Spot sprayed weeds with a mixture of Tenacity, Triclopyr, Dicamba and 2,4-D.


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## ruxie88

Not able to do anything in the yard this past week due to rain and work. More rain is forecasted tomorrow morning.

Mulched mowed at 3.25 inch HOC to stay within the 1/3 rule. Spread a 2nd app of corn gluten meal in the backyard mixed with soybean and alfalfa meal. Spread a 2nd app of Scotts starter with mesotrione in the front yard mixed with soy/alfalfa meal.

Started my biofungicide program spreading corn meal over front and back yards. To windy to continue spot spraying the weeds. Seems like every time I walk the yard, I see more POA A...Ugh


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## ruxie88

Wind calmed down right before dark, sprayed Essentials+.


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## Chris LI

ruxie88 said:


> Too windy to continue spot spraying the weeds. Seems like every time I walk the yard, I see more POA A...Ugh


I feel your pain. I received a Fiskars weeder recently for my b day and it did a nice job at removing different weeds (especially poa a). You can work in the wind with that bad boy. It pulls the clump out roots and all, so it's good to backfill the hole with some topsoil. No more worries about those seed heads. :nod:


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## ruxie88

Chris LI said:


> ruxie88 said:
> 
> 
> 
> Too windy to continue spot spraying the weeds. Seems like every time I walk the yard, I see more POA A...Ugh
> 
> 
> 
> I feel your pain. I received a Fiskars weeder recently for my b day and it did a nice job at removing different weeds (especially poa a). You can work in the wind with that bad boy. It pulls the clump out roots and all, so it's good to backfill the hole with some topsoil. No more worries about those seed heads. :nod:
Click to expand...

I will look into that device. There are so many small patches spread throughout the entire backyard, I would have, estimating, 50+ bare patches.  I will continue with the spot spraying with Tenacity every 7-10 days hoping to weaken it where it dies off during the summer heat.

On a positive note, the area I topdressed/leveled has filled in nicely and I don't have to worry about twisting my ankle.


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## ruxie88

Took the day off of work and spend half of it doing lawn care. How life has changed. :mrgreen:

Forecast shows more rain tonight and possible showers just about every day this week. Mowed lawn to 2.25 in HOC. I bagged it figuring I would chop much of the POA A seedheads at this HOC. Color has faded a little, so sprayed urea, ferrous sulfate and citric acid. Lets see how the lawn reacts in a couple days.

Got our four little ones in a pic. :roll:


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## ruxie88

Got a mow in today after work at 2.25 HOC. I bagged collecting Poa A seedheads and any other weed seed. Tenacity spray definitely whitened the weeds making it easier to pull them as I mowed.


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## ruxie88

Trimmed and edged the lawn. Pulled some more weeds especially Poa A.

Already noticed black spots on the leaves of my roses. Sprayed them with Mancozeb.


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## ruxie88

Recieved approximately 1.7 inches of rain yesterday.

Was happy that when I got home and walked the yard, there were no soggy areas. There is significantly less poa a seedheads. Tenacity and hand pulling helped, but still have many bleach spots.

Got a mulch mow in at 2.2 HOC.


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## ruxie88

Spot sprayed weeds two days ago with WBG/CCO mixture. Mulch mowed today at 2.5 in. HOC.

Lawn looks terrible due to Tenacity bleaching (expected). Continuing to battle weeds in the backyard. It seems like a different type of weed pops up every 2-3 weeks. I'm unsure what this latest one is that I noticed for the first time this week. I hope to take a pic of it tomorrow or Saturday to ID.

Due to all the rain and little sun, Weeping Willow tree has black spots on the leaves. I researched and it doesn't seem like there is anything I can do as a curative.


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## Chris LI

I feel your pain. Hang in there. I'm in a similar boat.


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## ruxie88

Expecting a little rain tonight. Threw down organic fertilizer mixture (Soybean meal, Alfalfa meal, Compost chicken manure, Kelp meal and Bone meal) at 7-9 lbs/M. It calculates to about .45 lb N/M. For now, I intend to do this every 2-3 weeks until August since I have a sandy-loam soil.

I must continue to remind myself to be patient as I battle these weeds as evident in the pics where the bleaching is seen. This is a marathon that will last years. Think I can be more aggresive with FAS apps on the front lawn.


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## ruxie88

Trimmed all areas along fence and edges.

Transplanted all plugs (Bewitched KBG) into area that had urine damage over the winter from the dogs.

Continued with the biofungicide program by spraying Companion on the lawn, roses and weeping willow.

With the trays I used for the plugs, I filled with topsoil and seeded with a 60/40 mix of Bewitched KBG/Cochise TTTF.


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## ruxie88

Finally got out in the yard today after receiving over 2-inches of rain over the past couple of days.

Last mow was 6-days ago, so I mulched mowed at 3 in HOC.


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## ruxie88

Woke up to more light rain this morning. Despite all the rain and cool weather, lawn dried out nicely by the time I got home. Sprayed Humic acid and Essential Plus on lawn and shrubs.


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## ruxie88

Power washed front porch and back patio getting all the furniture out and ready for the summer.

Mowed the lawn at 2.5 in HOC.

Bleached areas from Tenacity are disappearing. Still battling weeds, but lawn continues to become more dense. Last week behind the back fence, I used the trimmer to create a 6-foot barrier between my yard and the unkept area. Sprayed PGR for the first time and killed weeds with prodiamine/CCO mixture. Checked it today and there was barely any growth! :shock:  


Bleached areas disappeared and lawn continues to thicken.


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## ruxie88

Got a few bags of all-purpose sand and topsoil from Lowes. Combined it (75% sand/25% topsoil) and dropped it in the area on the side of the house I topdressed/leveled back at the end of March. While it is much better than what it was originally, I want to get it more even. I'm using this as a test area before I start leveling the rest of the lawn.

Sprayed PGR and FAS on the rest of the lawn. First time using PGR on the lawn. Looking forward to seeing the results.


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## ruxie88

Mulched mowed today at 2.5" HOC. Trimmed along fence line in the backyard.

Noticed brownish/red areas throughout the yard. Looks like I overdid it spraying my FAS & PGR mixture from a couple days ago. I was expecting some rain that night to help water it in, but we didn't get any. All the above combined with it being in the 80s caused the grass to look sick. Hope it pops back.


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## Green

Looks good!


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## ruxie88

This pic shows the reddish/brown areas to the left of the tree from over-applying the FAS/PRG mixture. It is spotty, so I think I just over sprayed those areas plus all the other factors.


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## ruxie88

Yesterday, sprayed Permethrin around the perimeter of the house, fences, scrubs and other surface area.

Prior to some light rain that just came through, I spread fertilizer mixture of soybean meal, alfalfa meal, compost poultry manure, charred bone meal, and kelp meal. Added a little blood meal to this one to increase the nitrogen. I estimate it to be about .6 lbs/K. Added three tablespoons each of boron and zinc as well.

Purchased plants and flowers for the pots and plan to transplant them tomorrow.


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## ruxie88

Didn't get much rain this week and last night. Deeply watered the lawn this morning, got the flowers in the pots and planted the crepe myrtle. Hopefully, I won't kill this one.  Pool gets opened this week.

Mowed backyard at 3" HOC. Front still does not need cut due to overspray of PGR.


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## ruxie88

Received over 5 inches of rain over the past 4 days.

Was able to do a lot of work in the yard today. Mowed at 3" HOC. Sprayed Green Cure biofungicide and Essential Plus on the lawn. Trimmed and sprayed PGR on area behind back gate.

Ended doing my least favorite tasks by cleaning the pool :|


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## ruxie88

Mulched mowed lawn at 3" HOC yesterday. Definitely less seedheads and lawn top growth has slowed.

Minor broadleaf weeds in the front yard. Quite a bit in the backyard along with clovers and other weeds. Spot spraying combo WBG and CCO must be the focus over next several days before it gets to hot. Plus, hard to do in the back with the dogs.

Expecting a little rain tonight, so I spoonfed urea on area recovering from FAS/PGR overspray on 5/19.

Pool is opened...Finally.


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## g-man

This is looking great. I like the white fence contrast with the green lawn.


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## ruxie88

g-man said:


> This is looking great. I like the white fence contrast with the green lawn.


Thanks. Definitely glad previous owner put up this type of fence. With this being my 2nd spring in the house, the lawn is significantly better than last year at this point and I'm still enjoying learning/experimenting/making errors.

I just need to figure out the best way to control the weeds in the backyard and not kill the dogs...exposing them to the chemical herbicides and beating them from eating all the flowers . I discovered the hard way that marigolds are a tasty treat to them one day wondering why the hair on their face was yellow and orange. Then noticing the marigolds in the pots are dug up and gone. :lol:


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## ruxie88

Received about .3" of rain last night.

Debated all day spraying herbicides once I got home from work, but decided to hand-pull weeds. Got through the backyard in less than an hour and it was easier than I thought it would be. Feeling good right now.


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## ruxie88

Mulched mowed at 3" HOC. Sprayed Companion.

I still have dark spots throughout lawn. I noticed them a day after FAS/PGR overspray. But, that was 3 weeks ago. Haven't sprayed any since then. Unsure what to do, but will continue to monitor hoping it goes away.


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## ruxie88

Expecting rain tonight and tomorrow.

Threw down organic fertilizer mix. Added Blood meal again to get a little more nitrogen. I estimate .5 lbs/K N.


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## ruxie88

Mulched mowed at 3" HOC. Noticed what looks like Leaf Spot in a few areas of the yard. Not surprising with all the rain we have been getting. More rain expected tonight. While I do have Propiconazole, I'm trying to avoid using it hoping the biofungicdes will prevent spreading and we get less rain. Is there anything else I can do besides using chemical fungicide?

Noticed more flying bugs and cobwebs when walking around the house, so I spraying Permethrin.


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## ruxie88

Mowed at 3" HOC with the bag on.

Noticed more lesions in front and back lawns as well as patches of dead grass (my guess is red thread). Sprayed Propiconazole and spread a bag of Scotts DiseaseEx. Had a bag of cornmeal, so I throw that down as well.


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## ruxie88

Since the rain finally stopped for a few days, the focus remains dealing with fungus. Based on all the pictures I have seen, I'm still going with leaf spot and red thread. I took lawn down to 2" HOC with bag on to help dry it out.

Trimmed the front hedges.

Over the weekend, I sprayed Essential Plus mixed with FS and citric acid. Going to hold off on nitrogen for 1-2 more weeks. Also sprayed CCO in the back lawn.


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## ruxie88

Mulched mowed at 2.5 " HOC. Fungus has dissipated in the lawn. Definitely less leaf spot (lesions). I'm sure the hot weather without daily rainfall is helping.

Sprayed permethrin around the house.


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## ruxie88

Lawn has dried nicely and I continue to see less leaf spot, but still notice a little red thread.

Hardly received any rain since Tuesday from the short thunderstorms that past over the area the last two days, so I watered the entire lawn for the first time this year. Temps have been in the 90s all week.

Mulched mowed at 3" HOC in the front and 2.5" HOC in the back. Edged and trimmed the area behind the fence.


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## ruxie88

Expected some thunderstorms last night, so I spread a fertilizer mixture of soybean meal, alfalfa meal, Coop Poop, Char bone meal, Blood meal and Kelp meal (I estimate about .3 lbs/N per K). Checked this morning and I got very little rain as the thunderstorms passed to the north and south of me. Thunderstorms will be in the area again today, so will hopefully get a little more rain to water it in.

Despite temps continually being in the 90s, I'm happy with how the lawn is holding up. I continue to see less fungus (mainly red thread) in the lawn. There is definitely heat/fungal stress in the lawns around me.


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## ruxie88

Ended up getting very little rain the last two days. Mowed lawn at 3" HOC and watered the lawn as well.


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## ruxie88

There is a higher chance of rain/thunderstorms over the next two days. Mulched mowed front and back at 3" HOC.

I continue to see less fungal pressure, but parts of the lawn are stressed due to the constant temps in the low 90s with high humidity. Color continues to hold up.

My Township EcoCenter has free mulch and compost. Decided to start getting compost, mix some sand in and spread a thin layer of topdressing. Starting on the front lawn and hope to finish all areas by next weekend.


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## g-man

Do they test their compost for heat/weeds? Be careful, sometimes it is not cooked enough and you are planting weeds with it.


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## ruxie88

g-man said:


> Do they test their compost for heat/weeds? Be careful, sometimes it is not cooked enough and you are planting weeds with it.


After hearing concerns in posts months back, I did call to ask about their process. I couldn't get anyone to explain their composting process to me. A few weeks ago when I dropped off some recycling there, I asked the guy at the front desk when the compost was going to be ready. He stated they are waiting for the results of testing to come back before they open it up to the public. That comment made me feel better about using it. I also spread it on my lawn last fall with no issues.

Sprayed Humic acid.


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## ruxie88

Got about .7" of rain Saturday and .5" of rain this morning. A few hours after it stopped, I sprayed PPZ after noticing some new areas of grass with lesions and I think red thread. This is my 2nd app of PPZ 2-3 weeks from the 1st app.

Sprayed AS and FS mixture on weeping willow and some potted plants after noticing some leaves turning yellow.


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## ruxie88

Mulched mowed at 3" HOC. Finished topdressing front lawn with sand and compost.

Sprayed Permethrin around the house and fence line.

Still have some fungal pressure, so I plan to apply DiseaseEx tomorrow morning. There is a high chance of rain Thursday afternoon/evening to water it in.


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## ruxie88

Mulched mowed at 3.5" HOC. Finished topdressing 3/4 of the back yard. Fungal pressure is low due to applying PPZ and DiseaseEx last week. Temps in 90s, relatively low humidity and no rain since last Thursday night helped. Got almost 2 inches that night, so lawn is showing very minimal heat stress.

Temps in the 90s again all week with possible rain forecasted this Wednesday night. Think I can wait to water areas on Tuesday morning that get sun most of the day.


----------



## ruxie88

Decided pretty much do nothing with the lawn all week. Got 75% of the backyard topdressed with a thin layer of compost and sand on Monday night. Today, grass is probably pushing 5 inches at this point. Happy to report very little to no heat stress or fungal pressure. I watered areas on Tuesday that get sun most of the day. Fortunately, I got a little over an inch of rain with the thunderstorms that rolled through Wednesday and Thursday.

Will ride out the heat wave (been high 90s most of the week and expecting the same, if not hotter over the weekend). Plan to mow Sunday evening at my mowers highest setting 4" HOC and throw down a light mixture of organic fertilizer in anticipation of rain and lower temps starting Monday.


----------



## g-man

^+1 I'm doing the same, but at 1in hoc.


----------



## ruxie88

g-man said:


> ^+1 I'm doing the same, but at 1in hoc.


I'm in envy. Let me get my soil right, learn more and reno/reel low is in the future!!!


----------



## ruxie88

I walked the yard this morning when I watered the potted plants. I noticed a handful of small patches with the spider web looking fungus and the grass was brown. All of these were in about a 20'x20' area of the front lawn that gets shade in the morning and sun in the afternoon. Sprayed PPZ on the entire lawn. I will closely watch these areas to see if it spreads and apply another app of DiseaseEx.

Still happy with how the yard is holding up in these conditions.


----------



## ruxie88

Walked yard again in the morning. Noticed more mycelium in the same spots of the front yard as yesterday. Spot sprayed Mancozeb. Unsure if it will help.

Mulched mowed at 4" HOC. Ran out of time, so will plan to apply organic fertilizer mix tomorrow night. Expecting rain and cooler weather over the next couple of days.


----------



## g-man

@ruxie88 dollar spot or pythium blight?


----------



## ruxie88

g-man said:


> @ruxie88 dollar spot or pythium blight?


I wish I took pictures.

After reading articles about both, I'm leaning toward Pythium Blight. I'm seeing it in an area that is the wettest after a good rain taking the longest to dry out and doesn't get sun until late morning this time of year. I do not think my lawn is nitrogen deficient.


----------



## g-man

DS can occur even with nitrogen. Nitrogen helps to push for growth so you can mow the damage away.

PB spreads fast and kills fast. You will feel like a greasy gray dead grass.


----------



## ruxie88

g-man said:


> DS can occur even with nitrogen. Nitrogen helps to push for growth so you can mow the damage away.
> 
> PB spreads fast and kills fast. You will feel like a greasy gray dead grass.


Good to know....Thanks! It will be hard to tell as I will not see it in the morning when the sun come up due to leaving early for work and rain forecasted the next couple of days.

Besides a fungicide, would improving drainage, topdressing with topsoil/sand combo and overseeding new cultivars help?


----------



## g-man

All those are good practices to avoid having to use fungicides. One of the main reasons I'm doing a renovation is to switch to a cultivar that gets less disease.


----------



## Vtx531

Looks like you experiment quite a bit with different HOCs. What one do you think looks best?


----------



## ruxie88

Vtx531 said:


> Looks like you experiment quite a bit with different HOCs. What one do you think looks best?


This is all new to me, but so far I preferred 2.5" HOC. I'm only at 4" HOC due to the summer heat and keeping 1/3 rule. I will stay between 3.5-4" for a couple more weeks to see how I like it. My current plan is to see if I can go down to 2-2.5" HOC for most of Fall.


----------



## Vtx531

I started the season at 2.5" and kept slowly increasing up to 4.0". Sort of chasing the green taller and taller. Then I decided to go back from 4.0" down to 2.5" and it looked all brown and stalky. I will be interested to see if you have the same experience. Im going to stick with a more consistent HOC from now on.


----------



## ruxie88

Vtx531 said:


> I started the season at 2.5" and kept slowly increasing up to 4.0". Sort of chasing the green taller and taller. Then I decided to go back from 4.0" down to 2.5" and it looked all brown and stalky. I will be interested to see if you have the same experience. Im going to stick with a more consistent HOC from now on.


Are you at still at 2.5" now? How long before it rebounded? Are you using PGR?


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## Vtx531

I went back up to 3.0". The stalks had a bunch of shredded brown stems, even with a freshly sharpened blade. So I wanted to let it grow out a bit so the green would block out the brown stems. Seemed like if I keep it at 2.5" it would be forever brown stems. Took about 3 weeks before I actually felt that it looked good again and I'm still at 3.0".

Wondering if next spring, if I want to lower it, I could do it in the very beginning of year with better results.


----------



## ruxie88

Vtx531 said:


> I went back up to 3.0". The stalks had a bunch of shredded brown stems, even with a freshly sharpened blade. So I wanted to let it grow out a bit so the green would block out the brown stems. Seemed like if I keep it at 2.5" it would be forever brown stems. Took about 3 weeks before I actually felt that it looked good again and I'm still at 3.0".
> 
> Wondering if next spring, if I want to lower it, I could do it in the very beginning of year with better results.


From reading other post, it seemed like many had a lot of poa a seed stalks in their lawn this year due to all the rain and an abnormally long cool spring. One of the enjoyable aspects of this hobby is being able to experiment. I view it like golf...Can always try, but will never master it.

Look forward to following your journal.


----------



## ruxie88

I was able to spread some fertilizer last night before the rain came. Looks like I got close to 2" of rain so far. Expecting more today and tonight.


----------



## ruxie88

Mulched mowed Wednesday at 3.5" HOC. Fungus from earlier in the week did not spread.

Decided I will focus this fall on continuing to improve my soil, aggressively attack weeds to include poa a/winter weeds and fall nitrogen blitz. Tonight, sprayed mixture of Tenacity, WBG & CCO on lawn with NIS.


----------



## ruxie88

Mulched mowed at 3.5" HOC. Last rain was Monday night into Tuesday morning. Back in the 90s and may get some rain midweek. Decided to water area of lawn that gets sun most of the day.

Finally finished topdressing back lawn with mixture of topsoil and sand. First attack on the weeds has been successful. Battlefield damage assessment still in progress. Preparing for next attack in a 7-10 days.


----------



## ruxie88

Only received approximately quater inches of rain yesterday.

Mulched mowed today at 3.5" HOC. Sprayed PPZ and Essential+.

Lawn has seen better days. Brown in lawn is from weed kill, fungal kill, dogs and heat stress. Looking forward to fall.


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## ruxie88

Got back late last night from a few days in Key West. I thought Jersey was hot and humid. Spent most of my nights at Irish Kevin's and Sloppy Joes. Good times!

Gave the lawn some much needed water. Hope we get some rain over the next couple of days cause it needs a good drenching. Mulched mowed at 3" HOC, trimmed and edged. Sprayed FAS and Green Cure biofungicide.


----------



## ruxie88

Got a little over 2.5" of much needed rain on Wednesday and Thursday. Temps have been in the high 80s.

Mulched mowed today at 3" HOC.


----------



## ruxie88

Over the weekend, edged and trimmed the area behind the back fence. PGR is working great for that area.

Sprayed 2nd app of Tenacity, WBG and Triclopyr with NIS. I'm very happy with the results of the 1st app especially in the backyard.

Sprayed Permethrin around the house and fence line.

Watered areas that gets full sun.


----------



## ruxie88

Mulched mowed at 3" HOC.

Expecting rain tomorrow, so I spread elemental sulfur mixed in with organic fertilizer mixture. Probably the last organics for the year.

Backyard is looking rough. Due to pee spots, heat stress, herbicides and topdressing. Front is surviving.


----------



## ruxie88

Got very little rain today, but thunderstorms may pop up everyday this week. Fungal pressure will significantly rise over the next couple of days. Spread DiseaseEx today at preventative rate.


----------



## ruxie88

Only got around .3 to .5 inches of rain this week with temps in the mid to high 80s. Expected to be in the 90s with high humidity over the next few days. Fungal risk is very high. I will look for mycelium tomorrow morning. DiseaseEx is already down. PPZ may be sprayed based on what I see tomorrow.

On Thursday, bagged mowed the backyard at 2.5" HOC. Starting to take it down for an overseed in a few weeks.

Mulched mowed the front at 3" HOC. Planning to do Fall Nitrogen blitz there. The couple bare spots I have will be plugged with KBG sod I've been growing.


----------



## Green

Keep at it...looking good despite the pee spots. Should be in really good shape a month after the overseed.


----------



## ruxie88

Thanks. I was hoping to not overseed. But due to the spots from the dogs and the FF dying from heat stress, it makes sense. Going to overseed with TTTF and PRG.


----------



## Green

ruxie88 said:


> Thanks. I was hoping to not overseed. But due to the spots from the dogs and the FF dying from heat stress, it makes sense. Going to overseed with TTTF and PRG.


What percent PR by weight are you considering using? (I've been using between 5% and 25%, depending.)


----------



## g-man

@ruxie88 Overseed? why? I dont see the need from your lawn images. Plug the dog pee spots with other areas of the lawn.

Also, your tree in the backyard looks like it is having some trouble.


----------



## ruxie88

g-man said:


> ruxie88 Overseed? why? I dont see the need from your lawn images. Plug the dog pee spots with other areas of the lawn.
> 
> Also, your tree in the backyard looks like it is having some trouble.


Thanks for asking! I want to overseed for a couple reasons. It is only about 1/3rd of the backyard. The dog pee spots are many. To many to plug. Part of the area is thin and primarily FF. There is a lot of FF as well because that area use to have a lot of shade due to large trees that were cut down or aggressively trimmed. Introducing TTTF and PRG will help thicken it and better survive summer heat. Lastly, it will help sharpen my lawn skills for a possible reno next fall.
Which tree? All trees are doing well. What am I missing?


Green said:


> What percent PR by weight are you considering using? (I've been using between 5% and 25%, depending.)


Unsure. I haven't given it any thoughts or researched. Quite a bit of FF has died due to that area going from a lot of shade to a lot of sun. Plus, it is thin. I think I want to go between 25-50%.


----------



## g-man

The tree on the left has half the leaves red and the other half green. Or is it the sunset?


----------



## ruxie88

g-man said:


> The tree on the left has half the leaves red and the other half green. Or is it the sunset?


Ahh. I initially did a double-take. It is from the sun setting.


----------



## ruxie88

Over the last two days, watered lawn. Heat and humidity are oppressive and will be for a couple more days. Bagged mow back at 2.5" HOC and trimmed. Noticed mycelium in the front Saturday morning, so I sprayed PPZ.

The following is my timeline for overseed. Any thoughts are appreciated.

Overseed 2019 (About 1000 sq ft in the backyard)
Drop HOC to 1.5-2.0" - Bag mow ( D-10: Aug 15th - 25th)
Dethatch (D-10: Aug 24th - 25th)
Add amendments, micros and level (D-5: Aug 31st - Sept 3rd)
Bag mow (D-1: Sept 7th)
PGR & Tenacity & water in (D-1: Sept 7th)
Seed down (TTTF/PRG) press in soil (D-Day: Sept 8th) 
Peat moss (D-Day: Sept 8th)
Add fertilizer (D+7: Sept 14th - 15th) 
Spray Tenacity (D+29: Oct 5th - 6th)
Spray Prodiamine (D+60: Oct 27th)


----------



## Green

ruxie88 said:


> Unsure. I haven't given it any thoughts or researched. Quite a bit of FF has died due to that area going from a lot of shade to a lot of sun. Plus, it is thin. I think I want to go between 25-50%.


Why not throw in 10% by weight of a shade tolerant KBG cultivar or two along with the others, since it's mostly FF right now? (Assuming it's not full sun now the entire year.)

I would not go higher than 15% TTPR seed and the rest TTTF if you want a balanced mix that's shade tolerant. I did 25% PR with my KBG this Spring, but that gives around 50% or more PR in the lawn (which I wanted in that area for fast germination and durability). But I only used 10% PR in the front areas with 75-80% TTTF and the rest (10-15%) KBG. PR and FF both seem to have a way of increasing in amount in the lawn over the first few years after seeding...they throw up a lot of blades and roots, too. You probably have more than enough FF already there, which will get stronger and thicker with the germination watering, even if it looks dead (assuming the roots are intact).


----------



## ruxie88

Green said:


> ruxie88 said:
> 
> 
> 
> Unsure. I haven't given it any thoughts or researched. Quite a bit of FF has died due to that area going from a lot of shade to a lot of sun. Plus, it is thin. I think I want to go between 25-50%.
> 
> 
> 
> Why not throw in 10% by weight of a shade tolerant KBG cultivar or two along with the others, since it's mostly FF right now? (Assuming it's not full sun now the entire year.)
> 
> I would not go higher than 15% TTPR seed and the rest TTTF if you want a balanced mix that's shade tolerant. I did 25% PR with my KBG this Spring, but that gives around 50% or more PR in the lawn (which I wanted in that area for fast germination and durability). But I only used 10% PR in the front areas with 75-80% TTTF and the rest (10-15%) KBG. PR and FF both seem to have a way of increasing in amount in the lawn over the first few years after seeding...they throw up a lot of blades and roots, too. You probably have more than enough FF already there, which will get stronger and thicker with the germination watering, even if it looks dead (assuming the roots are intact).
Click to expand...

Since the trees have been cleared, that area will get 7-13 hours of sun from May-Oct.

I was debating adding in some KBG. May go 70%-TTTF, 15% PRG & 15%-KBG.


----------



## Green

ruxie88 said:


> I was debating adding in some KBG. May go 70%-TTTF, 15% PRG & 15%-KBG.


That's what I would do...and prepare the ground by thoroughly getting all the dead grass out first. The Groundskeeper II rake is awesome for that. Some of your fine fescue will probably come back too, but you definitely want the dead parts out. :thumbup:


----------



## social port

ruxie88 said:


> Over the last two days, watered lawn. Heat and humidity are oppressive and will be for a couple more days. Bagged mow back at 2.5" HOC and trimmed. Noticed mycelium in the front Saturday morning, so I sprayed PPZ.
> 
> The following is my timeline for overseed. Any thoughts are appreciated.
> 
> Overseed 2019 (About 1000 sq ft in the backyard)
> Drop HOC to 1.5-2.0" - Bag mow ( D-10: Aug 15th - 25th)
> Dethatch (D-10: Aug 24th - 25th)
> Add amendments, micros and level (D-5: Aug 31st - Sept 3rd)
> Bag mow (D-1: Sept 7th)
> PGR & Tenacity & water in (D-1: Sept 7th)
> Seed down (TTTF/PRG) press in soil (D-Day: Sept 8th)
> Peat moss (D-Day: Sept 8th)
> Add fertilizer (D+7: Sept 14th - 15th)
> Spray Tenacity (D+29: Oct 5th - 6th)
> Spray Prodiamine (D+60: Oct 27th)


Hey ruxie,
Your plan looks pretty good to me, but for the sake of feedback:
I would skip the peat moss unless you have a lot of bare areas. The existing grass should help to keep the seeds moist.
I would plan to dethatch closer to your seeding date. Maybe it is a good idea to dethatch on the 25th. But I think dethatching just before seed down is more important. At that point, it is more about opening up the soil a bit rather than getting thatch. If you have a lot of thatch, maybe you need to do two times.
I would certainly plan on rolling the seed into the ground -- using a roller, using a riding mower, or just walking on the overseeded area.
Finally, I would wait until your first mow before adding the fertilizer.


----------



## ruxie88

social port said:


> Hey ruxie,
> Your plan looks pretty good to me, but for the sake of feedback:
> I would skip the peat moss unless you have a lot of bare areas. The existing grass should help to keep the seeds moist.
> I would plan to dethatch closer to your seeding date. Maybe it is a good idea to dethatch on the 25th. But I think dethatching just before seed down is more important. At that point, it is more about opening up the soil a bit rather than getting thatch. If you have a lot of thatch, maybe you need to do two times.
> I would certainly plan on rolling the seed into the ground -- using a roller, using a riding mower, or just walking on the overseeded area.
> Finally, I would wait until your first mow before adding the fertilizer.


Appreciate the advice SP!

My thoughts on the peat moss were to cover the seed keeping it moist, add organic matter to the soil and help lower PH. I planned to do it for my entire lawn(only 4800 sq ft) adding OM.
Makes sense about dethatching closer to seed date. I will adjust.
Since the overseed area is only approximately 1000 sq ft, the wife and I will get our steps in that day in order to have good seed to soil contact.
Was debating the fertilizer to either drop at D+7 or D+14. Is there another indicator beside time?


----------



## ruxie88

ruxie88 said:


> social port said:
> 
> 
> 
> Hey ruxie,
> Your plan looks pretty good to me, but for the sake of feedback:
> I would skip the peat moss unless you have a lot of bare areas. The existing grass should help to keep the seeds moist.
> I would plan to dethatch closer to your seeding date. Maybe it is a good idea to dethatch on the 25th. But I think dethatching just before seed down is more important. At that point, it is more about opening up the soil a bit rather than getting thatch. If you have a lot of thatch, maybe you need to do two times.
> I would certainly plan on rolling the seed into the ground -- using a roller, using a riding mower, or just walking on the overseeded area.
> Finally, I would wait until your first mow before adding the fertilizer.
> 
> 
> 
> Was debating the fertilizer to either drop at D+7 or D+14. Is there another indicator beside time?
Click to expand...

Read your feedback again. You are stating that first mow is a better indicator on when to drop fertilizer. Is AS to much for young grass? Should I go with a starter fertilizer? Thanks.


----------



## Green

I agree with Social Port above regarding first mow and fertilizer (or sometimes the second, depending upon how early you mow). Whether to use something with P or not as starter fert. would depend on your soil tests. You can't go wrong with Milorganite at the first mow because it covers all bases and is so slow and sustained.


----------



## social port

ruxie88 said:


> ruxie88 said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> social port said:
> 
> 
> 
> Hey ruxie,
> Your plan looks pretty good to me, but for the sake of feedback:
> I would skip the peat moss unless you have a lot of bare areas. The existing grass should help to keep the seeds moist.
> I would plan to dethatch closer to your seeding date. Maybe it is a good idea to dethatch on the 25th. But I think dethatching just before seed down is more important. At that point, it is more about opening up the soil a bit rather than getting thatch. If you have a lot of thatch, maybe you need to do two times.
> I would certainly plan on rolling the seed into the ground -- using a roller, using a riding mower, or just walking on the overseeded area.
> Finally, I would wait until your first mow before adding the fertilizer.
> 
> 
> 
> Was debating the fertilizer to either drop at D+7 or D+14. Is there another indicator beside time?
> 
> Click to expand...
> 
> Read your feedback again. You are stating that first mow is a better indicator on when to drop fertilizer. Is AS to much for young grass? Should I go with a starter fertilizer? Thanks.
Click to expand...

ruxie, I think you have a good plan here. Adjusting your fertilization plans probably won't make or break your efforts. But I do like the idea of waiting a little longer for applying N. I favor giving grass seed more time to germinate. Therefore, I delay fertilization and mowing until my lawn is begging me for it. So I rely on feedback (i.e., amount of growth) from my lawn rather than setting a date. I would not want my existing turf to start rapid top growth while I still have viable seeds in the ground and little seedlings that are just taking their first breaths. You are using a growth regulator, so this concern may not be very applicable to you (I don't know, as I don't use it).

As far as starter fert vs AS...in general, I am a fan of giving new grass a little dose of phosphorous. During establishment, I am most concerned about the development of roots rather than top growth. For this reason, I do like like starter fertilizer, but I also like a balanced fertilizer because that gives me everything when the new grass is up and ready to grow with the established grass. But ultimately, soil testing is the best guide on that matter.

Also, I just read Green's post. I also like to throw in a little milorganite whenever I can :mrgreen:


----------



## Chris LI

I'm not trying to hijack your thread, but I am also a fan of Milo at seeding for the same reason as @Green . I've always tried to hold off on fert until significant germination has occurred. However, I would always fret about walking over the seedlings, causing damage, just to fertilize them. I always saw it as counter productive. But, if I dropped starter fert at seed down on an overseed, I thought the existing turf would get too much of a boost with the quick release N in starter fertilizer. Milo at seed down solves that problem.

Also, I found a study a few years ago that showed significantly higher establishment rates when biosolids were applied at seed down. Unfortunately, I never bookmarked it or saved it, if it was a pdf, and have occasionally looked for it, unsuccessfully. I do recall that it had aerial photos of road shoulders with the control and test areas. I'm pretty sure that it was conducted by a state DOT, somewhere in the midwest.


----------



## ruxie88

Chris LI said:


> I'm not trying to hijack your thread, but I am also a fan of Milo at seeding for the same reason as @Green . I've always tried to hold off on fert until significant germination has occurred. However, I would always fret about walking over the seedlings, causing damage, just to fertilize them. I always saw it as counter productive. But, if I dropped starter fert at seed down on an overseed, I thought the existing turf would get too much of a boost with the quick release N in starter fertilizer. Milo at seed down solves that problem.
> 
> Also, I found a study a few years ago that showed significantly higher establishment rates when biosolids were applied at seed down. Unfortunately, I never bookmarked it or saved it, if it was a pdf, and have occasionally looked for it, unsuccessfully. I do recall that it had aerial photos of road shoulders with the control and test areas. I'm pretty sure that it was conducted by a state DOT, somewhere in the midwest.


@Green, @ Social port & @Chris Li, I appreciate all the guidance. My soil test in the spring showed that my soil was deficient in P and K. Throughout the spring/summer, I consistently used organic fertilizers (grains) relatively balanced with P & K. Hopefully, my soil is better off now. I ran out of most of the individual grains I used. I have a bag of organic fertilizer which is slow release. I will mix in char bonemeal (0-12-0) and composted chicken manure (2-4-3) to boost P & K. Since I will need less of the organic fertilizer, that will decrease the amount of N as well. If I drop that at seed-down, it won't be available to the grass for around two weeks.


----------



## ruxie88

Received at total .4-.5 inches of rain over Wednesday and Thursday. Temps dropped starting Friday into the high 70s and low 80s with nights in the 60s. It will be like this most of the week. There is still some fungal pressure, but no major damage.

Over the weekend, dethatched front yard and bagged mowed at 3" HOC. Dropped HOC to 2.0" in the area of the back yard that I will overseed in a couple weeks. Trimmed the area behind the fence and sprayed PGR.

Sprayed Essentials+ and Companion on entire lawn.


----------



## Chris LI

Chris LI said:


> Also, I found a study a few years ago that showed significantly higher establishment rates when biosolids were applied at seed down. Unfortunately, I never bookmarked it or saved it, if it was a pdf, and have occasionally looked for it, unsuccessfully. I do recall that it had aerial photos of road shoulders with the control and test areas. I'm pretty sure that it was conducted by a state DOT, somewhere in the midwest.


I found a DOT study that fits the bill. It wasn't from the midwest, but from Rhode Island in conjunction with U of RI. It is titled "Development of Salt Tolerant Grasses for Roadside Use". The study number is FHWA-RIDOT-RTD-07-2A. The authors are Brown, Gorres, and Sawyer in 2011. I will try to link it in another post, as it's in pdf format, but didn't want to lose the info, while trying to do so. I think it's a good read in general.


----------



## ruxie88

Chris LI said:


> Chris LI said:
> 
> 
> 
> Also, I found a study a few years ago that showed significantly higher establishment rates when biosolids were applied at seed down. Unfortunately, I never bookmarked it or saved it, if it was a pdf, and have occasionally looked for it, unsuccessfully. I do recall that it had aerial photos of road shoulders with the control and test areas. I'm pretty sure that it was conducted by a state DOT, somewhere in the midwest.
> 
> 
> 
> I found a DOT study that fits the bill. It wasn't from the midwest, but from Rhode Island in conjunction with U of RI. It is titled "Development of Salt Tolerant Grasses for Roadside Use". The study number is FHWA-RIDOT-RTD-07-2A. The authors are Brown, Gorres, and Sawyer in 2011. I will try to link it in another post, as it's in pdf format, but didn't want to lose the info, while trying to do so. I think it's a good read in general.
Click to expand...

Thanks Chris. I will reconsider introducing Biosolids as part of the regime next year.


----------



## ruxie88

Hardly any rain this week. Had to break out the hoses to water entire lawn.

Throughout the week, sprayed Humic acid and FAS. Bagged mowed front at 3" HOC. Bagged mowed back at 2" HOC.

Started dethatching the backyard today. Was not happy with the Sun Joe, so I used the dethatching rake. Only got about 1/4 of the yard done (~700 sq ft). I was exhausted and stopped when hands started cramping, plus I ran out of time. I was surprised/disappointed with how much thatch/dead grass I pulled out. I focused this year on the basics...keeping to 1/3 rule mowing, adding OM, organic fertilizers and watering every few days. Didn't have to start watering until late July due to good amount of rain received prior to that.

I'm open to suggestions on what should do different next year.


----------



## Chris LI

I started spraying blackstrap molasses this summer, which may help with thatch reduction. I was using it in conjunction with kelp, humic, baby shampoo and little fish fertilizer, as a foliar feed (I was looking for the molasses to feed the microbes and add some K, without piling on N and causing fungus). I think it helped overall and the lawn seems to have less thatch.


----------



## ruxie88

Chris LI said:


> I started spraying blackstrap molasses this summer, which may help with thatch reduction. I was using it in conjunction with kelp, humic, baby shampoo and little fish fertilizer, as a foliar feed (I was looking for the molasses to feed the microbes and add some K, without piling on N and causing fungus). I think it helped overall and the lawn seems to have less thatch.


Yes. I debated adding molasses, but didn't. That along with the others you suggested will be considered. Thanks!


----------



## ruxie88

Did some more dethatching this morning. Finished the area of the yard I will be overseeding next week.


----------



## ruxie88

Got about .4 inches of rain Monday. Continued to manually dethatch the yard the last couple of days. Got about 70% done. For tonight, I mowed at 2" HOC. Leveled a small area in the overseed area that was very uneven with topsoil and sand mixture.

Dorian should bring some rain on Friday. Planning Thursday night to spray PGR and micros on overseed area. Prodiamine will go down everywhere else.


----------



## ruxie88

Bagged mowed overseed area at 1.5" HOC. Topdressed couple small uneven areas with topsoil/compost/sand mixture. Rented a roller and rolled the topdressed areas. Installed temporary fencing to keep the dogs out and sprayed Tenacity.

All ready for seeds down tomorrow.


----------



## g-man

Try to run a rake after dropping the seed and then the roller if you still have it. Getting the seed into the soil is key.

By the way, the pool looks tempting to jump in after a day of yard work.


----------



## ruxie88

g-man said:


> Try to run a rake after dropping the seed and then the roller if you still have it. Getting the seed into the soil is key.
> 
> By the way, the pool looks tempting to jump in after a day of yard work.


Thanks for the reminder. Today, roughed up soil with a rake, seeded with Cochise, Bewitched & Aspire (50/30/20). I then rolled the seed into the soil and topped with Peat. Finished it off with a good watering after setting up the sprinkler system.

As with every day after yard work, it ended with a jump in the pool.


----------



## social port

Good luck, @ruxie88. I think this is going to turn out well.
Did you use Cochise IV?


----------



## ruxie88

social port said:


> Good luck, @ruxie88. I think this is going to turn out well.
> Did you use Cochise IV?


Thanks SP. It was Cochise IV. I forgot to mention that I decided to spread a slow release fertilizer with the seed. I combined it with charbone meal to add more P to the fertilizer.


----------



## ruxie88

Been watering 3x per day. Had two days this week in the high 80s/low 90s. Got about .3-.4 inches of rain yesterday. 
Today, Day 5 after seeds down, we have babies.


----------



## ruxie88

D+7 update. Good germination throughout overseed area. PGR worked good, but I don't think I can wait another 7-days without mowing. For this upcoming week, will continue to water 3-times per day. A mow may be required at some point.

Finally finished dethatching the rest of the backyard. Bag mowed at 1.5" HOC and sprayed Prodiamine. The front is bouncing back from dethatching and I think rust. Bag mowed at 2.5" HOC and sprayed PPZ. Started fall nitrogen blitz dropping 2 lbs/K of AS.


----------



## ruxie88

D+10. First mow at 2" HOC. Good germination throughout. Still watering 3 times per day.


----------



## ruxie88

No rain all week. Cool temps in the beginning of the week. Mid to high 80s at the end of week. May get in the 90s today and tomorrow.

D+14, more germination and areas becoming thicker. Area by the gate is the only area with poor germination. Reseeded yesterday. Spread AS at 1.5 lbs/K in the rest of the lawn. Fungal pressure is high in the front lawn. Sprayed PPZ and Mancozeb. Transplanted sod in some bare spots on the side of the house and replanted a potted plant into the ground. Watered everywhere.


----------



## ruxie88

Only a trace of rain all week. Temps have ranged from highs in the 70s to high 80s a couple days. May get some rain tonight.

3-weeks since seeds down. Very happy with overseed results so far. Mowed for the 2nd time yesterday at 2.5" HOC. I will start mulch mowing every 3-4 days now. I think it will be ok to start watering 2-times per day versus 3-times. Spread starter fertilizer and mixed in boron and zinc. Spread DiseaseEx.

Mulched mowed front today at 3" HOC. Waiting for more AS to arrive, so I got a bag of 12-12-12 and mixed in boron and zinc, and spread that today. If little rain comes tonight, I will water in tomorrow morning. Also, spread DiseasEx.


----------



## ruxie88

Mid 90s today. Mulched mowed overseed area at 2" HOC. Lots of top growth since last mow 3-days ago. Very pleased with how well it filled in and thickened. I did notice some fungus, so I sprayed PPZ. It already started to sprinkle as I finsh writing this. Much needed light showers expected throughout the night and all day tomorrow😊.


----------



## g-man

That color looks great.


----------



## ruxie88

g-man said:


> That color looks great.


Thanks. Very happy with that as well!


----------



## ruxie88

Got about .5" of rain Wednesday night and throughout Thursday. Went from high temps in the mid 90s to highs in the low 60s the next day. Mulch mowed the front at 3" HOC. The color is getting better, but very obvious where I have fungal pressure and FF stressed from the heat.


----------



## social port

Wow, the backyard is looking great, @ruxie88


----------



## ruxie88

social port said:


> Wow, the backyard is looking great, @ruxie88


Thanks SP


----------



## ruxie88

D+28, Mulched mowed overseed area at 2" HOC and the rest of the back at 2.5" HOC. Removed the temporary fence and trimmed. I replaced it and think I will keep it up until the end of the growing season. I still notice some fungus, but hopefully with the cold temps (in the low 40s last night), it will take care of it.

Plan to water every 1-2 days depending on the weather.


----------



## ruxie88

Weather has been cooler. Fungal pressure has decreased. Got very little rain yesterday, but expecting more over the next couple days.

Mulch mowed overseed area at 2" HOC and front at 3" HOC. Sprayed Feature for the 1st time. Looking forward to see if I get a response from the lawn.


----------



## Green

Good to see the overseed was extremely successful. Great outcome.


----------



## ruxie88

Green said:


> Good to see the overseed was extremely successful. Great outcome.


Thanks Green. Glad I decided to do it. Built my confidence to do a full reno next year. Just need to determine type of grass.


----------



## ruxie88

Busy over the past week, plus took a short vaca to Nashville.

Over the past week, mowed a few times before and after the trip at the same HOCs. May have had first frost in the morning while I was gone, but soil temps are still in the high 50s/low 60s though. Applied 2 lbs/K of AS and got about an inch of rain the next day. This is my last until after The Pause.


----------



## g-man

Great color.


----------



## Biggylawns

I'm not sure were you are located but I'm in Monmouth county and I didn't have any frost. I wake up before sunrise due to my little ones and have been checking.


----------



## ruxie88

g-man said:


> Great color.


Thanks G-man. There could be many reasons, but the lawn is responding nicely to multiple AS apps especially in the front. The color of the grass is the best it has ever been. Could have been the Feature app as well.


----------



## ruxie88

Biggylawns said:


> I'm not sure were you are located but I'm in Monmouth county and I didn't have any frost. I wake up before sunrise due to my little ones and have been checking.


Good to know. I'm in Mercer county (Hamilton Square). I was checking weather back here when I was in Tenn. It was showing a frost warning with the temperature around 37 degrees.


----------



## Green

ruxie88 said:


> Biggylawns said:
> 
> 
> 
> I'm not sure were you are located but I'm in Monmouth county and I didn't have any frost. I wake up before sunrise due to my little ones and have been checking.
> 
> 
> 
> Good to know. I'm in Mercer county (Hamilton Square). I was checking weather back here when I was in Tenn. It was showing a frost warning with the temperature around 37 degrees.
Click to expand...

Yeah, probably not...we went down to 36 here last week and again the other night, but did not have frost yet. That may change soon.


----------



## ruxie88

Green said:


> Yeah, probably not...we went down to 36 here last week and again the other night, but did not have frost yet. That may change soon.


 :thumbup:


----------



## ruxie88

Got about 2 inches of rain over the last week. Expecting more rain tonight/tomorrow.

Top growth definitely slowed. Mulch mowed once this week at 2.5" HOC. Transplanted some sod I had growing to some bare spots. Sprayed mixture of Humic, Feature & Miracle Grow.


----------



## Green

Strong performance...maybe you won't want to kill it all after all next year!


----------



## ruxie88

Green said:


> Strong performance...maybe you won't want to kill it all after all next year!


We will see next spring. I won't reno the back due to the dogs especially how well the overseed came out. I'll do the other half of the backyard next fall. 
If I reno, it will be the front yard. My motivation to do it would be appearance and introducing newer varietals that will better resist disease. Much of the front gets a good amount of shade, but I don't like FF. Got a few months to figure it out


----------



## Green

I've actually been disappointed with some of the newer varieties in some specific ways...for example, the Bewitched seems very prone to rust, and TTTF is pretty prone to Brown Patch. I get rust every year between August and November, and it's worst in the areas with the best varieties, I guess because they grow slower.


----------



## ruxie88

Green said:


> I've actually been disappointed with some of the newer varieties in some specific ways...for example, the Bewitched seems very prone to rust, and TTTF is pretty prone to Brown Patch. I get rust every year between August and November, and it's worst in the areas with the best varieties, I guess because they grow slower.


Interesting and disappointing at the same time. I've read about your rust issues and I know you were very disciplined about spraying biofungicides even though they say combat rust with nitrogen. I will read more over the winter on who had successful renos of certain varietals I'm considering and any struggles they may have had afterward especially in areas like Jersey where, during the summer, it is hot, humid and most rain comes at the worse time...in the afternoon/early evening.

I have my homework assignment.


----------



## ruxie88

Received a good amount of rain throughout the week. Temps were all over the place. Highs in the 70s one day, but most of the week was highs in the 50s. Had first frost this morning. Soil temps still in the mid 50s.

Probably due to the rain and warm weather, had good growth during the week. Yesterday, mulched mowed at 3" HOC to stay within 1/3 rule. Mulched a lot of leaves as well. Plan to mulch mow tomorrow taking it back down to 2.5" HOC.

Noticed some clovers or chickweed, so I spot sprayed mixture of Triclopyr, Tenacity (low dose) & AS with NIS. I'm scheduled to get Prodiamine down on the overseed area this week. I hope it is not to late.


----------



## Chris LI

Wow, that shot of the backyard looks fantastic! It came a long way from this summer. :thumbsup:


----------



## Scagfreedom48z+

That back yard color is very impressive, beautiful.


----------



## ruxie88

@Chris LI @Scagfreedom48z+ Thanks. Both of your yards look awesome! Wish I could keep the dogs off the grass all the time. I'm really liking Feature vs FAS. Grass also responded nicely to AS, as I was primarily using organics during the spring/summer.


----------



## Chris LI

ruxie88 said:


> @Chris LI @Scagfreedom48z+ Thanks. Both of your yards look awesome! Wish I could keep the dogs off the grass all the time. I'm really liking Feature vs FAS. Grass also responded nicely to AS, as I was primarily using organics during the spring/summer.


I'm being lazy right now (but am reserving time to cull through your journal when the snow is falling  ), so what makes you favor Feature over FAS? I used Feature a little this year and bought AS this fall to experiment next spring. I figured that I would mix the two together for a similar app. Is that what you were doing?


----------



## ruxie88

Chris LI said:


> ruxie88 said:
> 
> 
> 
> I'm being lazy right now (but am reserving time to cull through your journal when the snow is falling  ), so what makes you favor Feature over FAS? I used Feature a little this year and bought AS this fall to experiment next spring. I figured that I would mix the two together for a similar app. Is that what you were doing?
> 
> 
> 
> I prefer Feature due to ease of mixing it. The first couple times using FAS, I burnt the grass  . The next couple times using lower dosage, I noticed no difference. There could have been other factors, but not worth the risk if there are other easier options.
> I did not overseed the front. Once I started using AS there, I noticed a significant increase in top growth compared to how it was growing in late spring/early summer. The lawn quickly bounced back getting more dense as well. Again, there could have been other factors.
Click to expand...


----------



## Chris LI

Thanks for the insight. Sorry to hear about the toasted grass.


----------



## ruxie88

Received a few mornings of frost this past week. Soil temps are down in the mid to high 40s.

Over the weekend, mulch mowed at 2.5" HOC. Mulched more leaves than grass, but there was still some top growth. All transplanted plugs survived so far. Color is holding good.

Got Prodiamine down on the overseeded area (~60 days past germination). Should get watered in Tuesday.


----------



## ruxie88

Temperatures continue to be below average. Got a little rain midweek with some flurries. Soil temp has dropped to low-mid 40s.

Removed temporary fence that was used to keep the dogs out of the overseeded area. Bagged mowed at 2.5" HOC. Mulched a lot of leaves and added to the compost pile. Color is definitely fading. There was still a little top growth, so I decided to wait until next week to drop the winterizer.


----------



## ruxie88

This past week, temps remain a little below average. Got a little rain throughout the week. Soil temps remain in the low to mid 40s.

Mulched mowed yesterday at 2.5" HOC...mainly leaves with very few clippings. Decided to drop AS as my winterizer on the front lawn. Got about an inch of rain since last night. Color continues to fade and a type if grass is going dormant.


----------



## Green

ruxie88 said:


> Color continues to fade and a type if grass is going dormant.


Zoysia? It has finally gone totally brown here. I passed about 20 Zoysia lawns the other day.


----------



## ruxie88

Green said:


> Zoysia? It has finally gone totally brown here. I passed about 20 Zoysia lawns the other day.


Not sure Green. My knowledge figuring out the different types of grass is not that good. I will look closer later in the week. I see it more in the backyard, so it could be due to the dogs. Would PRG or FF go dormant quicker? Or is it most likely a warm season grass that is mixed in the lawn?


----------



## ruxie88

Haven't done anything in the yard for the past two weeks. Soil temps are in the low 40s.

Mulched mowed at 2.5" HOC. Mainly mulched leaves especially in the front, but there were still clippings.


----------



## Green

ruxie88 said:


> Green said:
> 
> 
> 
> Zoysia? It has finally gone totally brown here. I passed about 20 Zoysia lawns the other day.
> 
> 
> 
> Not sure Green. My knowledge figuring out the different types of grass is not that good. I will look closer later in the week. I see it more in the backyard, so it could be due to the dogs. Would PRG or FF go dormant quicker? Or is it most likely a warm season grass that is mixed in the lawn?
Click to expand...

Probably a warm season grass or weedy warm season grass, if not due to dog pee.


----------



## ruxie88

Mild winter so far with high temps in the high 50s for a few days over the past couple weeks. Receives 5+ inches of rain this month. Raked the yard a couple times in December picking up leaves and dead grass, and adding to the compost pile.

I'm already noticing dead spots in the backyard due the dogs urinating. Did a little extra raking there to prevent matting.

Have a happy New Year!


----------



## ruxie88

Continued to be a mild winter throughout January. Long range forecast is predicting winter to remain mild in February and March in my area. Received very little snow and few inches of rain. Temps were above average.

Raked leaves and cleaned up sticks throughout the month. Plan to dormant seed within the next couple weeks.


----------



## ruxie88

Started pots for transplanting later in the spring. Used peat pots, Scott's topsoil and topped with peat moss. Beyond KBG seeds from SSS were planted. Added 10-10-10 fertilizer. Plan to keep indoor by a window facing south.


----------



## Mark B

ruxie88 said:


> Started pots for transplanting later in the spring. Used peat pots, Scott's topsoil and topped with peat moss. Beyond KBG seeds from SSS were planted. Added 10-10-10 fertilizer. Plan to keep indoor by a window facing south.


Exactly what I did yesterday!  Peat pots are great, no fiddling about with taking the soil out of the pot etc, just whack it in where its needed!

I also did 3 side pots as a small test. One with 100% native soil, one with seed sown on native soil and a bagged topsoil topdress, one with bagged topsoil. (I had weird germination issues last fall on my reno, so I'm hoping that I can rule out any soil problems with this test. Maybe I simply overwatered the failed areas during germination stage and rotted the seed.)


----------



## ruxie88

Good germination after two weeks. Watered today mixing in Extreme Blend.


----------



## Chris LI

Nice! Seeing your pots is an inspiration. I need to get some pots going! I'm sure yours appreciated a little time outdoors in the sun today. :nod:


----------



## ruxie88

Chris LI said:


> Nice! Seeing your pots is an inspiration. I need to get some pots going! I'm sure yours appreciated a little time outdoors in the sun today. :nod:


If they liked yesterday, they loved today's weather of sunny and almost 60 degrees! C'mon spring.


----------



## ruxie88

Weather remained mild during February. No snow and average rainfall. Temps were above average.
3-week old pots are good. I may add more seed next week to some of them.
Starting to notice a little top growth in the lawn especially in the backyard.


----------



## ruxie88

Sent off soil samples today. Cleaned and organized the garage.

Lawn is definitely greening up and there is good top growth throughout. Happy to not see any winter weeds in the lawn, but there are some in the beds. Pots are a month old and filling in nicely. Been primarily bottom watering, but watered today with a balanced fertilizer as they enjoyed the sunny 60 degree weather.


----------



## ruxie88

Busy day outside enjoying the nice weather.

5-week old pots continue to fill in nicely.

Throughout the week, I topdressed the lawn with a light layer of sand. Today, I spread a mixture of Xsoil and andesite. Spring seeded the rest of the backyard I didn't get last fall after fencing it off from the dogs and set up sprinklers. Seeded with Valkyrie (TTTF), 5-Iron (PRG Blend) and Beyond (KBG). Mixture percent was about (60,20,20).


----------



## ruxie88

Another nice day to be outside.

Mowed the backyard at 2" HOC. Have seen decent top growth. Winter weeds are significantly less than last year, so it looks like the focus on killing weeds in the fall worked well. Sprayed corn gluten meal in the backyard as my pre-em.

I'm not seeing the same top growth in the front yard most likely due to getting more shade. Prodiamine probably going down Tuesday before the next round of rain.


----------



## ruxie88

Expecting some rain tonight and tomorrow morning. Sprayed Prodiamine on the front lawn.


----------



## ruxie88

2nd half of March has been cooler with more rain. Scraped frost off the car windows this morning, but in the 60s by the time I got home.

Mowed today at 2" HOC. I hope to keep it at this height until the hottest part of summer.

Top growth in the back yard is similar to growth during peak season. Unsure if it is spring flush or XSoil. I doubt it was the corn gluten meal. I'm now seeing good top growth in the front yard.

Pots need a haircut.


----------



## ruxie88

Finally able to get out after several days of cold, rainy and/or cloudy days. Mowed at 2" HOC. Definitely broke the 1/3rd rule. Must start mowing every 3-4 days.

I noticed minimal weeds throughout. Will deal with those once it warms up a little. POA A seedheads have started showing.


----------



## ruxie88

Cut the area behind the backyard fence creating a 6 ft barrier, Grass was around 6 inches with a good bit of weeds. Sprayed Prodiamine, Tenacity and Triclopyr mixture in the same area.

Next few days should be nice with temps in the 60s. Rain expected midweek. Plan to cut the lawn tomorrow, The day before the rain comes, I will start the monthly regimen of spraying a mixture of extreme blend, liquid kelp/seaweed, humic and molasses.

Picked up a few bags of Oceangro. Going to try that for the first time this year when I start fertilizing.


----------



## ruxie88

Spot sprayed lawn with Tenacity w/ NIS yesterday on Poa A.

Expecting some rain tonight and tomorrow, so I sprayed mixture of extreme blend, liquid kelp/seaweed, humic and molasses.


----------



## ruxie88

Over the weekend, bag mowed at 2" HOC and edged. Pulled Poa A that was whitened by the Tenacity. Still minimal weed pressure.

Top growth is slowing compared to the last 2-weeks. May drop fertilizer next weekend. Will drop Quick-acting elemental sulfur midweek.

Pots got trimmed and have filled in nicely.


----------



## ruxie88

Weather got cooler this week with about 2" of rain. Had to scrape frost off the car windows this morning.

Spot sprayed Poa A with 2nd app of Tenacity, and spread quick-acting elemental sulfur and GrubEx throughout the week.


----------



## ruxie88

Temperatures remained below average with almost 2" of rain this past week. Mowed twice at 2" HOC.

Fertilizer was spread the night before some rain. Did a combination of Crop Master (9-18-27) and Oceangro. I calculated it to be around .5 lbs/K of N.

I had powdery mildew form in the pots. Got rid of it with organic Stylet Oil. I'm also noticing what I think is early season melting out due to the consistent cool temps and rain. I was hoping not to use fungicide this early in the year. I may start my biofungicide program as temps get higher later in the week.


----------



## ruxie88

Temperatures warmed up nicely with a couple days of rain. Getting in a routine of mowing twice/week. Still at 2" HOC. 
Noticed good top growth after the fertilizer drop.

Started biofungicide program spraying Serenade. Can you notice where I sprayed Tenacity? :roll:


----------



## Chris LI

ruxie88 said:


> Can you notice where I sprayed Tenacity? :roll:


I feel your pain. I can't decide if I want to go through a month+ of that again, this spring. I got my weeder tool back from my friend yesterday, and I may just skip the Tenacity and go to town pulling Poa A, like I did last year. Did you tank mix it with Triclopyr? I may spray the combo, but it always seems like I get it looking pretty good, and then make it all ugly again with the hopes of a long term gain.


----------



## ruxie88

Chris LI said:


> ruxie88 said:
> 
> 
> 
> Can you notice where I sprayed Tenacity? :roll:
> 
> 
> 
> I feel your pain. I can't decide if I want to go through a month+ of that again, this spring. I got my weeder tool back from my friend yesterday, and I may just skip the Tenacity and go to town pulling Poa A, like I did last year. Did you tank mix it with Triclopyr? I may spray the combo, but it always seems like I get it looking pretty good, and then make it all ugly again with the hopes of a long term gain.
Click to expand...

I did for the 2nd application. While ugly for a month+, there is less than last year.


----------



## Chris LI

Thanks for the feedback.


----------



## ruxie88

Weather turned cold this week with a couple nights in the 30s. Rained a couple times. Mowed twice at 2" HOC, trimmed and edged. I enjoy cutting at this height and the grass looks good.

Sprayed mixture of Extreme Blend, liquid fish/seaweed and Feature today along with Companion biofungicide. Spread molasses as well.


----------



## ruxie88

Temps will be in the 80s the next couple days. It will be interesting to see how the lawn holds up until the rain comes Monday. It is still at 2" HOC.


----------



## ruxie88

Enjoyed a long day in the yard. Looks like the rain will not come for several days, but it will cool off. Broke out the hoses and watered the front this morning and will water the back tomorrow.

Mowed at 2.5" HOC starting the process of raising it for the summer. Prior to watering, I dropped fertilizer adding in 20-Mules Borax. Decided on a combination of Crop Master for the P and K, Oceangro and introduced XGRN. It ended up being around .5 lbs/k N of quick and slow release.

Transplanted KBG pots.

Noticed some fungus in the front lawn, so I sprayed Armada.


----------



## ruxie88

I like my neighbors, but I'm finally seeing the fruits of my labor. Motivating.


----------



## ruxie88

Spend most of the day in the yard. Bag mowed front at 2.5" HOC.

Decided to bag mow the back at 3" HOC due to a continued increase in Brown patch/Melting out. Sprayed Armada mixed with a little humic.

Despite the fungus and minor weed pressure in the back yard, I'm happy with how the lawn looks.


----------



## ruxie88

Received very little rain this week. Watered the lawn over the the weekend. Saw good top growth prior to both mows this week. Slow release N from XGRN and Oceangro kicked in. Today, bagged mowed front at 2.5" HOC and the back at 3" HOC.

Recovery from fungal pressure (brown patch/melting out) looks a lot better after using Armada.


----------



## ruxie88

Hot and humid most of week. Received about 1.2 inches over a couple days of rain.

Throughout the week, sprayed mixture of Extreme Blend, Kelp/seaweed and molasses. Did another app of Armada. Due to rain, only mowed today....7 days since last mow. Bagged it at 3" HOC.

Lawn is recovering nicely from Brown patch.


----------



## Green

Looks like it's going well!


----------



## ruxie88

Green said:


> Looks like it's going well!


Thank you. It is going well with less effort. I'm seeing the benefits of focusing on improving my soil and killing weeds last year!


----------



## Green

ruxie88 said:


> Green said:
> 
> 
> 
> Looks like it's going well!
> 
> 
> 
> Thank you. It is going well with less effort. I'm seeing the benefits of focusing on improving my soil and killing weeds last year!
Click to expand...

Sounds good. :thumbup:


----------



## ruxie88

Hot (90s) early in the week and cooled to high 70s later in the week. In the 50s at night. Only received about .2-.3" of rain.

Mulch mowed at 3" HOC. Dropped another .5-.75" of water over the weekend. Tried WeedRot (organic herbicide) for the first time on a little chickweed and clovers in the back. It killed the weeds very quickly, but also turned the grass white...similar to Tenacity. We'll see if it comes back. I probably was a little heavy spraying it.

Happy to notice minimal fungus.


----------



## g-man

That's an interesting product. It is citric acid with SLS. I wonder what the MOA is.


----------



## ruxie88

Hot and dry last week. No substantial amount of rain for a couple weeks. Dragged hoses to water twice last week.

Bag mowed at 3" HOC. Dropped 3 lbs of XGRN and 3 lbs of Oceangro per K for a total around .4 lbs N/K. Spots where I sprayed WeedRot are becoming less noticeable. Even though I don't notice any significant fungus, I dropped DiseaseEx at preventative rate. Forecasted to be hot and humid this week.


----------



## ruxie88

Continued hot and dry weather pattern last week. No measurable amount of rain until Saturday and Sunday totaling about .7 inch.

Very little top growth due to heat stress and little water until the last couple of days. Color has rebounded some from the rain except for the fine fescue. Mowed the back today at 3.25" HOC. While not necessary, I may mow the front tomorrow after work if no rain comes through. I'm not seeing any fungus.


----------



## Green

ruxie88 said:


> Sprayed mixture of Extreme Blend, liquid fish/seaweed and Feature today along with Companion biofungicide. Spread molasses as well.


Have you been using Companion a while? How do you like the results against Brown Patch, Rust, and Red thread? Does it smell bad?

I've been using only Serenade and have about 1/3 of the 2.5 gallon bottle left from last year. I was considering buying a gallon of Companion to rotate with it, instead of another big bottle of Serenade.

And I believe Companion also comes with a fertilizer in it, which is nice.

I have Brown Patch starting up, and get Rust every year, late Summer to Fall.


----------



## ruxie88

Green said:


> ruxie88 said:
> 
> 
> 
> Sprayed mixture of Extreme Blend, liquid fish/seaweed and Feature today along with Companion biofungicide. Spread molasses as well.
> 
> 
> 
> Have you been using Companion a while? How do you like the results against Brown Patch, Rust, and Red thread? Does it smell bad?
> 
> I've been using only Serenade and have about 1/3 of the 2.5 gallon bottle left from last year. I was considering buying a gallon of Companion to rotate with it, instead of another big bottle of Serenade.
> 
> And I believe Companion also comes with a fertilizer in it, which is nice.
> 
> I have Brown Patch starting up, and get Rust every year, late Summer to Fall.
Click to expand...

I started having brown patch throughout the lawn after a few weeks of rotating between Serenade and Companion. I did not see the fungus getting any better, so I switched to synthetics. I did not notice any smell with Companion. I actually preferred it over Serenade.


----------



## Green

ruxie88 said:


> I started having brown patch throughout the lawn after a few weeks of rotating between Serenade and Companion. I did not see the fungus getting any better, so I switched to synthetics. I did not notice any smell with Companion. I actually preferred it over Serenade.


Thanks. I want to order some to try it. But it seems the dealers are mostly out of stock now.


----------



## ruxie88

Got 3+ inches of rain this week. 2+ inches from TS Fay. Mowed at 3" HOC. Sprayed mixture of Extreme blend, Feature and kelp/seaweed.

Notice what I think is PB throughout the lawn. One spot was advanced with the grass being very slimey. Sprayed Armada.


----------



## ruxie88

Got a couple inches of rain over past couple weeks. Been hot and humid. Lawn bounced back nicely with the rain. Been battling fungus so I rotated to DiseaseEx and Cleary.

Been mowing once per week at 3" HOC. Front yard minus the reno area looks good. Backyard is suffering due to summer heat, fungus and the dogs.


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## ruxie88

August started off with high temps and a decent amount of rain. Consistently battling fungus mainly PB from what I can tell especially in the backyard. Sprayed Armada and Mancozeb this round. Spread combo of XStress and Oceangro twice over the last 30-days. Each time amounted to about .25 lbs of N.

Temperatures are forecasted to start dropping, so I'm going to start mowing twice per week. Dropped HOC down to 2.5". I definitely do not like the grass at a high HOC. While disappointed with small areas in the back, overall the lawn has maintained good density, color and did not flop over. Very minimal weed pressure at this time compared to previous years.


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## ruxie88

It has been a tough end of July/August. Backyard struggled due to high heat, very little rain, fungus and dogs. I won't be able to overseed due to French drains being installed around the pool and a new pool liner installed soon after. I will push nitrogen over the fall to see how much it fill in.



I dethatched the front lawn that is not part of the reno and fertilized. All areas were mowed at 2.5" HOC.


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## Chris LI

Maybe you can start some pots to transplant, once the french drains and liner are done. I feel for you. Mine held on for half of August and took a beating in the usual spots. As usual, work gets insane for me during the summer, and I couldn't give it the maintenance/TLC that I wanted. I'm trying to hit it with extra biosolids (Bioplex) and maybe some liquids, before I switch over to the Fall N blitz. Also, in the queue is Rgs and Air-8...just spitballing some ideas. I think the N-Ext products definitely helped with density and overall health.


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## ruxie88

Chris LI said:


> Maybe you can start some pots to transplant, once the french drains and liner are done. I feel for you. Mine held on for half of August and took a beating in the usual spots. As usual, work gets insane for me during the summer, and I couldn't give it the maintenance/TLC that I wanted. I'm trying to hit it with extra biosolids (Bioplex) and maybe some liquids, before I switch over to the Fall N blitz. Also, in the queue is Rgs and Air-8...just spitballing some ideas. I think the N-Ext products definitely helped with density and overall health.


I appreciate @Chris LI. I will throw down all that I have to promote growth over the next 2-months. I think my soil is pretty good due to all I've done this past year+. It has to be something else. I'm leaning toward dogs because my front/side yard is significantly better. We will see how it ends up by November. Thanks.


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## ruxie88

Mowed at 2" HOC. Spread 2 lbs/k CarbonX and 1 lb/k Oceangro. Sprayed mixture of Extreme Blend, molasses and Feature. Spot sprayed some patches of clovers with mixture of Tenacity and Triclopyr with NIS.


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## ruxie88

Dethatched front and back with SunJoe. Got rid of a lot of dead grass and raised quite of bit of long grass. Mowed again at 2" HOC. Sprayed liquid kelp/seaweed and watered.


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## ruxie88

Expecting rain tonight and tomorrow. Sprayed Prodiamine.


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## ruxie88

Mulch mowed twice this week at 2.5" HOC. I think I will keep it at this height until the final mow.

Spread CarbonX and AMS (about .55 lbs N/k).


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## ruxie88

Day 1 of french drains along with other repairs being installed.


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## ruxie88

French drains done. New pool liner installed. It's going to be tough growing grass. Spread 80/20 mix of TTTF/KBG.


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## ruxie88

Continued mulch mowing at 2.5" HOC.

Got good germination in all the renovated areas.


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## ruxie88

Mulch mowed twice this week at 2.5" HOC. Fertilized with a combo of AMS and Oceangro (.5 lbs/k N).

Reno area continues to fill in nicely.


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## ruxie88

Was away on a short vacation. Before vacation, spray mixture of Extreme Blend, molasses and Feature. Mulch mowed at 3" HOC staying in 1/3 rule yesterday. Expecting rain tonight, so I spread 2 lbs/k AMS and 1 lb/k CarbonX (.6 lbs/K N)


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## ruxie88

Mulched mowed today at 2.5" HOC. Reno area continues to fill in nicely. Spot sprayed weeds with WeedRot.


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## ruxie88

Mulch mowed at 2" HOC.


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## ruxie88

Good amount of rain this past week which dropped a lot of leaves. Mulched mowed them with the rotary at 2" HOC. Soil temps down in the high 40s/low 50s.

Very happy with how it filled in with no overseed. Minor weed pressure in the reno areas from the french drain install.


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## ruxie88

No rain this past week+, but had several days of temps in the 70s. Soil temps climbed to the mid-high 50s.
Sprayed mixture of Tenacity, Triclopyr and AMS about 6-days ago in the reno area. Dropped Macro/Micro fertilizer (24-4-8) at .55 lbs N/k today just before rain.
Mulch mowed at 2" HOC.


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## ruxie88

Bag mowed last couple times at 2" HOC to pick up the leaves. Still getting a small amount of clippings. Soil temps in the mid-40s. Color is holding. I'm past the peak of a little bleaching from Tenacity.


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## ruxie88

Received a good amount of rain over past couple weeks. Bag mowed Reno area at 1.5" HOC getting up a lot of leaves. Top growth has pretty much stopped. Color is holding nicely.

Haven't done much in the back. I thought last post that bleaching from Tenacity app on 11/5 would have been at its worse. I was wrong. I think due to colder weather, the bleaching was more pronounced about 3-weeks after spraying. We'll see if it stays like this the whole winter. Besides those areas, color is much better than last year at the same time.


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## ruxie88

Haven't done much in the yard this month. Raked leaves and picked up sticks a couple times. It was covered in snow for about 8-days.

Color looks better than the last two years at point.


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