# Bug pumpers lawn journal



## Bug pumper (Jul 2, 2018)

Figured I should probably start one of these journals, better late then never I suppose.

My front lawn was a pretty decent lawn, what I would call a 30 footer. Any closer and a keen eye would really see what's going on. A world of Bent grass and Poa mixed in with Scott's sun and shade mix.
This is how my lawn looked in 2018





Spring seeding is very common here in my area of the PNW. After lurking around here and some other places a little too much, and a successful reno in the back in 2017, I decided this spring was on. But life gets in the way and spring came and went. I made the choice to early July that I was going to roll the dice and do a late summer reno as the whole fall seeding concept is very new to me.

It took 3 applications of Glyphosate to knock back everything to my satisfaction. 
Sorry no photos wasn't really thinking sharing photos of a dead lawn with anyone LOL. 
July 27 I brought in a pickup box full of topsoil to level out some low spots.
July 28 seed down, Starter, Tenacity. 
Aug 2 first signs of sprouts

Aug.3 photo


Aug.7 photo


First cut was Aug.14 which I just knock back the thriving areas to re seed some of the weak areas and along the driveway edge which I struggle with washout from the sprinklers. No photos of first cut.
Also applied bag rate of Milorganite.

Aug.21 I received my N-ext bio stimulant pack 
And applied RGS, Humic, Air-8 and micro green. Native soil is clay and poor drainage I have high hopes for better drainage over time. 
Aug. 29 pulled out my home made striper for the first time. Cut at 2"


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## Bug pumper (Jul 2, 2018)

Aug. 30 applied FAS 2oz/k 
Also .25lb N of AMS.

Yesterday Sept. 6 before the mow. 
I am loving this Tall Fescue and how evenly these cultivars are growing together. Lawn is 2.5-3" here.




After the mow, my first go at double fats.


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## Bug pumper (Jul 2, 2018)

Posted this on the cool season thread right before I decided to get my rear in gear 
For a journal.

Hopefully someone can help me ID this grass. I think it looks like Poa Annua but I'm just learning my way through weed Identification.

Also the way it's more spread out in the grass instead of bunching up.

It's only in this one corner of the lawn. 
Grass is SS1002 Tall fescue.


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## g-man (Jun 15, 2017)

It does not look like POA a. Did you apply round up to the topsoil before dropping your seeds?


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## Bug pumper (Jul 2, 2018)

I did not. Only thing I did was Tenacity at seed down.Probably where it came from, it's just strange I'm either not noticing it yet or it's only in this one corner. 
I'm going to try hand pulling some areas and see how far I get, I've reseeded some very small bald spots all over in the area recently but nothing where the big patches are infested. So should be good to spray Tenacity.


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## Bug pumper (Jul 2, 2018)

So I'm still convinced that at least some of this grassy weed is Poa. Starting to see seed heads now. These are the most mature seed heads I could find.





The weather is unstable for next few days so hoping to spray Tenacity in my next dry window. Also getting antsy to put down a pre emergent with all these seed heads popping up everywhere.


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## Bug pumper (Jul 2, 2018)

Had a short window today to get some Tenacity down, before it starts to rain tomorrow night for the next week. Aching to cut the front as it needs it but that grassy weed was growing faster then the fescue standing proud so hopefully I got a good application down. Time will tell...


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## cfinden (Aug 7, 2018)

@Bug pumper looking great. I hope that weed isn't Poa Triv. Looks like some sorta Poa to me tho.

What your username mean? Are you an exterminator? Haha

I'm really curious to hear what you think about the N-ext products, especially Air-8.


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## Bug pumper (Jul 2, 2018)

@cfinden 
I'm not sure it's Triv, I was under the impression seed heads aren't usually found on Triv. I'm still not sure if I'm dealing with one grassy weed or 2 very similar ones. Hard not to pull them out when they're just staring me down but I know better now that I got a chance to spray them...

The name Bug Pumper comes from a ghost shrimp that lives in the sand along the beaches of the Pacific Ocean. They make fantastic bait for fishing. Steelhead fishermen just call them bugs for short. You have to go out at low tide and suck them out of their burrows with a bug pump. 
I have river water in my veins. I actually quit my career and started a new job working 4 on 4 off so I could fish more. I don't really use bugs all that much, just during steelhead season. It's a name I've just used for forum handles for awhile.

Edit: I haven't noticed much of anything with N-ext to be honest. Kind you only had one app. Did notice some green up in the back lawn a couple days after, I assume from the micro green. I've done drainage in the back but the front can be swampy in spots. I'm not sure any amount of products will ever change this, but it's worth a shot, I bought into LCN


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## samjonester (May 13, 2018)

Looks great! Nice work! The most recent set of weed pictures are poa a, but I'm not sure if the first set is the same.


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## Baretta (Apr 8, 2019)

Very nice. What do you use for irrigation? Looks like you are dominating the neighbourhood. :thumbup:


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## Bug pumper (Jul 2, 2018)

@samjonester 
Thanks it took really well. I was thinking the same thing with the weeds. It must have not been a complete kill because I used the same topsoil in the back yard to level some low areas. Either that or it just never had a chance to take due to the established grass.

@Baretta 
Unfortunately there isn't much competition in my culdesac. As I'm sure you know lawn nuts like us are far and few between in the lower mainland.

I just use oscillating fan type sprinklers that have an adjustable sweep. I have a 4 zone timer and lots of hoses as the wife has 2 veggie gardens at opposite ends of the house. Lucky for me I was able to keep her garden alive during the reno LOL!

This photo doesn't show ANY of the sprinklers but it's the best I can do. One sprinkler at the end of the hose running from street to tree, and a sprinkler on property border and driveway edge shooting in, and one behind where I was standing doing a narrow strip. Was able to get full coverage this way except for a problem spot under the rhodo which I hand watered every day after work and somehow still came in with the August heat. 
I can't imagine some of these studs on here with their 10-30,000sq/ft lots trying to get it done. Much respect to them.


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## Bug pumper (Jul 2, 2018)

Was hoping to re edge the middle island garden bed today, as I took some of it back for more lawn and a more symmetrical shaped bed. It was a very lopsided boomerang shape before. Instead with the pouring rain the kids and I just checked out the domination line after school.


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## Baretta (Apr 8, 2019)

I use 2 oscillating Gardena sprinklers. Even bought the Gilmour Pattern Master LCN uses. This year I bought a 5 pack of sprinkler spikes off Amazon and picked up some Orbit pop-up 12' radius sprinklers. They are super cheap and a couple of short hoses. Maybe something like that might work for you. Rainbird has longer range ones. I currently use them for a narrow section over by the trees. See page 1 of my journal. I have to move my oscillating a total of 6 times usually only on Sunday waterings during restrictions.

Looks like doom and gloom there today. Nice wheels by-the-way...like the colour.


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## g-man (Jun 15, 2017)

Blue car in the garage, what is it?


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## Chris LI (Oct 26, 2018)

g-man said:


> Blue car in the garage, what is it?


My guess, '65-'67 Mustang.


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## Bug pumper (Jul 2, 2018)

@Baretta 
@g-man 
@Chris LI

That's Thelma (named after my Granny after she scratched the new paint with her honking rings as she patted the fender in awe LOL)

Its a 66 mustang coupe. I'm 34, I've had it since before I was legal to drive it at 15. The reason I was broke most of my young adult life.It's got a N/A 302 stroked to 331ci. Been thinking long and hard about turning it into a Harley Road Glide lately... wife would kill me.
Is there any threads in general discussion vehicle related? Haven't seen one. Here's a couple better pictures 
Needs a new interior bad. Like hog rings cutting holes in my shirt bad hahaha.


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## Chris LI (Oct 26, 2018)

Nice ride! I would keep the car to take your wife and kids around in. The RG wouldn't work. Lol Seriously, I turned down a free Ironhead Sportster a few years ago, when my Brother-in-law upgraded to a FB, and I don't regret it. I've seen too many bike accidents to get on another one.


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## Bug pumper (Jul 2, 2018)

So last night I used the MSU turf weed ID tool. 
Came to the conclusion that the weed is Orchard Grass which only Gly is known to control as far as I can read up. This morning after noon I'm on my daily patrol, and I'm seeing some bleaching from the Tenacity. 

Also while on MSU I read up on rippled leaves leaning to Poa Annua. All the grassy weeds I can find have this 

This photo is one I took earlier in the week but shows the ripples I am talking about. 
Feeling a little more optimistic now then I was before. Anybody with a guess or input is much appreciated, my weed ID skills are still
Very much developing.


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## Bug pumper (Jul 2, 2018)

Haven't posted any shots of the back yard. Back yard is a PRG/KBG mix but realistically more like 90-95% PRG. Lawn has a beautiful dark green colour to it which isn't really showing in these iPhone photos. 
Photos from a couple weeks ago. Lawn rust just starting to creep in and I'm ignoring it at this point.




I've ignored rust on the old front lawn 2 seasons in a row and it has always managed to grow out without issue. This is my first time dealing with rust in the back. 
Photo from Friday shows how much the rust has spread out. Also seeing small dinner plate sized areas popping up in other areas. Tough to see in photos but the large area in first photo is getting back enough I'm seeing die off and can see soil through the grass in some spots.


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## Bug pumper (Jul 2, 2018)

So I did what any Red Blooded Canadian would do. 
I crossed the Border and picked up some of that sweet sweet nectar.


I won't be using all of it this year so it will be nice to have some on hand at first sign next year. We don't really get the big diseases up here like our neighbors to the south do, but rust is one I get every year. 
Also, the moles must die.


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## Bug pumper (Jul 2, 2018)

Not a lot to report with the new reno up front these days. Looking forward to next spring to get a good over seed on the front. Still seeing some bleaching from my Tenacity app that I did in early September. Pretty sure I went a little heavy handed as I knew it was probably my last chance to have it grow out before winter.

September was just rain and cool weather followed by more rain. Not much fun to mow with my poor draining soil. Definitely doing some damage the last couple mows in the turns but I don't really care I can fix it next spring.
Applied N-ext bio stimulant pack a few days ago at the max label rates.

Mowed TTTF at 2" last night at a desperate attempt to remove the rest of the bleaching. You can see closer to the driveway the colour loss where I was most heavy handed.


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## Butter (Nov 14, 2017)

@Bug pumper Looking good! Any chance of seeing that home made striper?


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## Bug pumper (Jul 2, 2018)

@Butter 
It's a little red neck but it stripes great.







It's filled with 3/4 clear crush as it's drainage pipe so the sand would just come out the holes. Sounds like a rock tumbler when it's on concrete. 
Dam thing won't break but when it does version 2.0 will be filled with sand and it will be 2 pieces to help with the super tight turns.


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## Butter (Nov 14, 2017)

@Bug pumper Ain't nuthin' wrong with *******!


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## Bug pumper (Jul 2, 2018)

You bet! What I like about this setup is I can take it off the hook in seconds.


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