# Dallis in Dallas



## lvlikeyv (Jan 26, 2019)

Well, it looks like I've got a Dallis grass infestation.

This is my first year of lawn care. I've already purchased Celsius, prodiamine, backpack sprayer, and a push reel mower so my lawn budget is all but wiped out and I doubt the Mrs. wants me to drop another $100 on herbicides.

I've read some do a blanket app of Glyphosate when the bermuda goes dormant but 1. I don't want to wait that long and 2. I'm iffy on spraying Glyphosate on my lawn.

Does anyone have any MSMA they would be willing to sell?

Are there any other alternative herbicide for relatively cheap?


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## dfw_pilot (Jan 28, 2017)

How bad is it? Can you just paint some roundup on the blades?


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## lvlikeyv (Jan 26, 2019)

dfw_pilot said:


> How bad is it? Can you just paint some roundup on the blades?


It's fairly moderate. And the bermuda is pretty well intertwined. Knowing myself I'd goof the whole thing up. 
Looking for something I can broadcast.


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## erdons (Apr 3, 2018)

Paint on glyphosate, I got tired of dallis grass and went to town with the glyphosate, about a week in it was dead, now just waiting for my Bermuda to fill in.


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## lvlikeyv (Jan 26, 2019)

How long are we talking to fill in though? Several weeks at least I assume. Couldn't I just blanket MSMA, kill the Dallis, and leave the Bermuda untouched?


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## CenlaLowell (Apr 21, 2017)

lvlikeyv said:


> How long are we talking to fill in though? Several weeks at least I assume. Couldn't I just blanket MSMA, kill the Dallis, and leave the Bermuda untouched?


Yes you could, check the market place for someone doing a split. Other than that painting glyphosate is the only way without damaging your yard. I'm painting now that I don't have as much in the yard.


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## erdons (Apr 3, 2018)

lvlikeyv said:


> How long are we talking to fill in though? Several weeks at least I assume. Couldn't I just blanket MSMA, kill the Dallis, and leave the Bermuda untouched?


We aren't in peak growing time, in summer maybe a month, I've been trying to get MSMA here since last year and haven't been able to.


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## RDZed (Jul 13, 2018)

I brought up MSMA (Target 6 Plus)on a FB page recently and promptly got lambasted. I mean, straight up told I was killing the world...and then banned from the site for even bringing it up. I can buy it 3 miles away here in Va. If used responsibly for spot treatment, it's a great herbicide. If used as a blanket, it will trash everything.

I'm scared to even mention it even though I can buy it right down th street.


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## J_nick (Jan 28, 2017)

@RDZed it won't trash everything. I sprayed it on 35 day old Bermuda seedlings and within 3-4 days you couldn't tell a difference other than the goosegrass was struggling for existence.


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## RDZed (Jul 13, 2018)

J_nick said:


> @RDZed it won't trash everything. I sprayed it on 35 day old Bermuda seedlings and within 3-4 days you couldn't tell a difference other than the goosegrass was struggling for existence.


I know. It's that uninformed people assume a drop in your lawn equates to drinking water contaminations like in fla 20 years ago.

It's a phenomenal herbicide. Just use it as needed.


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## adgattoni (Oct 3, 2017)

We could debate the science/merits of the registration decision, but regardless there's still the aspect of it being a crime to apply products inconsistently with their labels. I don't really care and I doubt a few lawn nerds like us using MSMA on their 10ksqft lawns will result in an environmental disaster, but feels prudent to at least mention that you will be committing a crime doing it...


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## CenlaLowell (Apr 21, 2017)

Celsius, Revolver, surfactant with AMS works as well, but this is an expensive kill. I use this as well, but only in the fall or late summer.


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## dfw_pilot (Jan 28, 2017)

adgattoni said:


> but feels prudent to at least mention that you will be committing a crime doing it...


You've made your point on this issue previously; consider it noted.


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## lvlikeyv (Jan 26, 2019)

CenlaLowell said:


> Celsius, Revolver, surfactant with AMS works as well, but this is an expensive kill. I use this as well, but only in the fall or late summer.


I've hit it with Celsius twice with one high app and one low app (maxing me out for the year). It did a great job killing 95% of the weeds. Unfortunately it barely did anything to the Dallis grass. 
Revolver would be even more out of my price point as it is 3x more expensive than MSMA. 
I think I'm realizing why Dallis grass is the devil in weed form. 
Thanks for the heads up on the marketplace, honestly didnt even know that section existed.


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## RDZed (Jul 13, 2018)

lvlikeyv said:


> I think I'm realizing why Dallis grass is the devil in weed form.


It honestly is. Its the one weed I have yearly problems with because all 3 neighbors dont give af about their yards and my bermuda is constantly bombarded with seeds from June to Sept.

Its a battle and I've exhausted all other options.


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## lvlikeyv (Jan 26, 2019)

RDZed said:


> It honestly is. Its the one weed I have yearly problems with because all 3 neighbors dont give af about their yards and my bermuda is constantly bombarded with seeds from June to Sept.


That's very disheartening the read. Are you staying current on prodiamine treatments to prevent new seeds for germinating? Or is the Dallis Grass germinating despite the Prodiamine?

Has anyone blanket sprayed Glyphosate on dormant Bermuda with any success?

From what I've read there is a narrow window between the time the Bermuda goes full dormant while the Dallis is still somewhat active. I believe it is only one to two weeks which is fairly tight window in my opinion.


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## RDZed (Jul 13, 2018)

lvlikeyv said:


> RDZed said:
> 
> 
> > It honestly is. Its the one weed I have yearly problems with because all 3 neighbors dont give af about their yards and my bermuda is constantly bombarded with seeds from June to Sept.
> ...


I do 2 split apps of prodiamine. Mid Feb/ 3rd week of march and again 3rd week of Oct/ Thanksgiving Weekend.

Where im at, there's a Pre emergent lull between June and Sept when the Dallis goes apes***. I could probably do another small app, just not willing to chance it with the grass already being under massive amounts of heat stress.

What makes it worse is its a perennial. It is truly a devil weed.


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## Way2low01 (Mar 9, 2019)

I had it pretty bad in my yard two summers ago. I did a few apps of Target 6 and no trace of it since.


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## CenlaLowell (Apr 21, 2017)

Way2low01 said:


> I had it pretty bad in my yard two summers ago. I did a few apps of Target 6 and no trace of it since.


I feel your pain. I'm still dealing patches here and there. I will get some MSMA from a split and try that instead of painting glyphosate which is tiresome.


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## Spammage (Apr 30, 2017)

lvlikeyv said:


> From what I've read there is a narrow window between the time the Bermuda goes full dormant while the Dallis is still somewhat active. I believe it is only one to two weeks which is fairly tight window in my opinion.


I've read that too, but never found it to be true. I still believe MSMA is the most effective herbicide against it, but the stuff I was dealing with may have been glyphosate resistant. Unfortunately, I too am surrounded by it. Once you kill it and keep a prodiamine barrier, you shouldn't have much if any break through. If you do, it's easy enough to get the paintbrush out.


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## BadDad (Mar 13, 2019)

Glyphosate did nothing to my infestation. I dug them out in front lawn last year. Back yard I tried glyphosate and burning... which was a disaster, it grew like crazy after I used the weed dragon. Do not burn it.


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## CenlaLowell (Apr 21, 2017)

BadDad said:


> Glyphosate did nothing to my infestation. I dug them out in front lawn last year. Back yard I tried glyphosate and burning... which was a disaster, it grew like crazy after I used the weed dragon. Do not burn it.


What! That's new to me. I don't know if the type of glyphosate matters but last fall I sprayed this.

https://www.domyown.com/roundup-quikpro-15-oz-packs-p-1125.html

It worked I killed off a lot of dallisgrass and unwanted centipede it's in my journal.


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## lvlikeyv (Jan 26, 2019)

If I cant get some from a trade, I'm going to bite the bullet. I've already gone this far into it, might go a little extra and be done with it. 
Without MSMA, I'm looking at either several hours of pulling weeds, or painting Glyphosate. At that point, my time only would be worth spending the $$ on the herbicide.


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## JustTulsa (Apr 10, 2019)

Alright -- I believe this is my first post, so I'm glad to finally be able to chime in!

About half of my common bermuda front yard got infested with dallisgrass pretty bad over the three years or so that I was renting it out. Last year, I dealt with it and, as a result, spent quite a bit of time mowing (with how fast dallisgrass grows.)

Early this spring, I nuked it with glyphosate before my bermuda came out of dormancy and it was totally effective. I actually bought a jug of MSMA before the glyphosate blanket spray, too, assuming that I would need to use it. Haven't even had to open the lid yet.

Although the glyphosate killed off 99.5% of the dallisgrass, I do still have a few little sprigs of it coming up, which I've been pulling as I see them. Negligible, really. Between my sideway and curb, I have, however, noticed a few clumps appearing. I may put a tiny bit of MSMA on them if they get out of hand.

Guess I'll be back when I have more info!


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## Bunnysarefat (May 4, 2017)

There is a method where you take an empty milk jug, cut a hole in the bottom, put it over the weed flush with the ground and put your glyphosate spray in the top. This prevents collateral damage. But those spots could take a while to recover so just be ready.

Also, the cheapest method is to just dig them up. I see people say they are pulling dalisgrass, perhaps freshly germinated can be pulled but established stands certainly cannot be pulled. You have to dig the whole thing up.


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## FlowRider (Apr 7, 2019)

I had Dallis grass and crab grass all over my yard last summer.

I bought 41% Roundup and blue dye, and mixed in the label amount of Quinclorac.

Spot treated my yard, which took awhile. I just put the cone tip right on the center of the weed and squirted it.

It killed the Dallis grass, crabgrass, and it also killed the Bermuda.

I had blue polka dots all over my yard, which then turned into straw dots.

Then the winter came, and no one could tell.

Scalped it all off in March, and no one would ever know.

Put down Dithiopyr and I have seen one Dallisgrass plant this season.

No crabgrass yet, but if it comes up I have several things for it.

I'd hit it with Roundup at high concentrate levels, maybe add some Quinclorac, and clean it up now.

Killing weeds and growing nice turf is a process that takes time and persistence to see results, and may take a full year of season changes to get results. I hate pulling weeds so I prefer to spray them, kill them off, and then get the grass to take it over.

Spray those weeds, and feed your grass, mow it right, and water it right, and your lawn will get much better.


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## dfw_pilot (Jan 28, 2017)

Man, that's awesome. Plus, that's the benefit of having Bermuda: NWT and it's healed fast. (Nitrogen, Water, Time)


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## FlowRider (Apr 7, 2019)

dfw_pilot said:


> Man, that's awesome. Plus, that's the benefit of having Bermuda: NWT and it's healed fast. (Nitrogen, Water, Time)


Thanks, @dfw_pilot!

The honest truth of the matter is I have learned a lot from this website and forums, and I would like to thank you, @Ware, and @Mightyquinn for the knowledge you three gentlemen have imparted.

I really have learned so much that I did not know before, and I have really tried to comprehend what you three have stated.

My yard has never looked better, it has been much easier to get it back into presentable shape, and I have actually enjoyed the journey to getting it back to healthy turf more than I ever thought was even possible.

I owe each one of you guys each a virtual case of your favorite beer.

And that goes for @Greendoc too!

 :nod: :thumbup:


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## dfw_pilot (Jan 28, 2017)

:thumbup: :thumbup: :thumbup:


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## Mightyquinn (Jan 31, 2017)

Thank You for the kind words @FlowRider :thumbup:


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## cglarsen (Dec 28, 2018)

@Greendoc

Is MSMA actually a water contamination problem at label rates? I read that EPA banned after finding groundwater contamination at several golf courses that used it regularly but I wonder if it has been used at heavy rates historically.

I'm dealing with Dallis and Crabgrass this year and considering pulling the trigger on Target 6 but I do have well water and hate to think the arsenic may leach through the soil profile.


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## CorgiTurf (May 27, 2018)

They put a ban on it for a reason. 
No matter what selective chemical you spray on dallis, it's going to be a sequential application. Even MSMA will be 2-3 apps. 
Utilizing revolver, Celsius, dismiss south you can obtain complete control.


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## CenlaLowell (Apr 21, 2017)

Revolver, Celsius, and a surfactant with AMS will work but not in the peak growing season for dallisgrass. I'm painting glyphosate for now. I have a few spots of dallisgrass I see ever now and then. Alot of people are discussing MSMA I will try to get some on a split and spot spray in my Bermuda to see the results.


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## RDZed (Jul 13, 2018)

CorgiTurf said:


> They put a ban on it for a reason.
> No matter what selective chemical you spray on dallis, it's going to be a sequential application. Even MSMA will be 2-3 apps.
> Utilizing revolver, Celsius, dismiss south you can obtain complete control.


I've been spot treating with Target 6.6 for a few years now and it's one shot one kill. Never needed to make a second app, even on mature plants in mid summer. 2 pumps with a HD $2 Zep Pro Sprayer and the grass is yellow in 2 days and dead in 4.


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## cglarsen (Dec 28, 2018)

@RDZed Good info. I'll try this. Do you or @CenlaLowell have any source on purchasing a volume less than 2.5 gallons? Can't seem to find it any smaller.


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## CenlaLowell (Apr 21, 2017)

cglarsen said:


> @RDZed Good info. I'll try this. Do you or @CenlaLowell have any source on purchasing a volume less than 2.5 gallons? Can't seem to find it any smaller.


Marketplace is the only place to find a split. I split Revolver with another member last month. Splitting MSMA with another member now. Anything I'm spot spraying I'm splitting and if I'm blanket spraying I'm buying the whole bottle.


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## jayhawk (Apr 18, 2017)

Certainty?


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## Greendoc (Mar 24, 2018)

Certainty does not work. Note that the labeling calls for application between applications of ...........MSMA


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## RDZed (Jul 13, 2018)

Greendoc said:


> Certainty does not work. Note that the labeling calls for application between applications of ...........MSMA


Yeah, I dont get the "between MSMA apps". Just double up MSMA apps ffs. Lol.

I've NEVER had to make more than one app of MSMA, and that is the UBER weed in my yard during my growing season.

This is my neighbors Dallisgrass and TTTF yard. Its 9 feet away from my (foreground) Bermuda. I've fought this fight for 15 years...


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## RDZed (Jul 13, 2018)

I've told him 10,000 times that if it goes to seed, I'm going to be pissed, yet it happens every...single...summer.

Dallis grass is the devil. Crabgrass is just a nuisance.


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## ThomasPI (May 18, 2019)

Unreal you'd think some thing short of Napalm would work.


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## Greendoc (Mar 24, 2018)

I know of three herbicides that make MSMA a super treatment. 1. Sencor(Metribuzin) 2.Simazine 3. Image(Imazaquin). When MSMA was legal on residential lawns, I would apply a combination of Simazine, Image, and MSMA. No such thing as grassy weeds or Nutsedge. That would even clean up a salad garden that had been mowed and weedwhacked for the last 10 years prior to my touching it. Only for Bermuda and Zoysia. Not for other warm season lawns


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## Greendoc (Mar 24, 2018)

RDZed said:


> I've told him 10,000 times that if it goes to seed, I'm going to be pissed, yet it happens every...single...summer.
> 
> Dallis grass is the devil. Crabgrass is just a nuisance.


The treatment for Dallis in TTTF is expensive but it works. Pylex


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## RDZed (Jul 13, 2018)

Greendoc said:


> RDZed said:
> 
> 
> > I've told him 10,000 times that if it goes to seed, I'm going to be pissed, yet it happens every...single...summer.
> ...


I agree. The problem is him giving a s---. He's a 65 year old retired lawyer that doesn't care. This is when my lax HOA should step in. You can have a crap lawn that wrecks everyone else's lawn around you but God forbid I keep my boat in the driveway longer than 7 days...and I live on water.

You can lead a horse to water...


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## Greendoc (Mar 24, 2018)

Do not start me on HOAs. I have dealings with HOA's.


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## cglarsen (Dec 28, 2018)

Greendoc said:


> I know of three herbicides that make MSMA a super treatment. 1. Sencor(Metribuzin) 2.Simazine 3. Image(Imazaquin). When MSMA was legal on residential lawns, I would apply a combination of Simazine, Image, and MSMA. No such thing as grassy weeds or Nutsedge. That would even clean up a salad garden that had been mowed and weedwhacked for the last 10 years prior to my touching it. Only for Bermuda and Zoysia. Not for other warm season lawns


Pray thee tell us more on this as far as dosage (for old time's sake)....


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## TN Hawkeye (May 7, 2018)

wrong thread.


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