# HLG's Golf Course



## HoosierLawnGnome

Don't do it, they said. It's a lot of work, they said.

Trigger pulled.


Following NTEP and Zac Reicher's work on home golf greens from his days at Purdue, I ordered 5 lbs of T1 creeping bentgrass for any greens or tee boxes needed.

Greens top dressing sand is coming in the next few days. The kids will have fun spreading that in the 90+ degree heat, while our house has no air conditioning until next week. :lol:

I'm having a storage shed built for the mowers and equipment, my 3rd car garage is too full of yard stuff.

I don't have a greens mower yet, so we will have to get one on hand in the next few months. I'm a Toro man, looking for a greensmaster 1000 or 1600. They seem to be really hard to come by right now.

Two problems where we want the green: marshy water, and poor sprinkler coverage. The green should go several yardsa above the flag you see here, but thus area gets marshy from slight swales. I'm hoping the sand leveling will help. There is pressure loss in this zone, coming from one head that is broken mainly, but also I think the pressure is low regardless. It's the furthest away.


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## Pete1313

Excited to see this come together! It's something I have thought hard about doing as well.


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## SNOWBOB11

This should be fun.


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## ABC123

The push Mclane can go down to 3/16", can find them for rather cheap.

Sounds like a great project.


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## HoosierLawnGnome

@Pete1313 I may have bitten off more than I can chew 😂😂

5 tons of sand should be here mid morning. Not the most ideal time to be levelling with sand but the turf is growing well right now. I will use it to level the greens area and some subtle swales.

Biggest thing long term is all the extra mowing. My plan is to have a kid or two help keep up with the greenskeeping.

One thing I've noticed with reel mowing longer is you still need to mow more frequently because even though you may not violate the 1/3 guideline by mowing twice a week, the cut blades are longer , dont fall through the canopy as easily, and build up on the surface where they brown and discolor it. And of course on 1.4 acres you cant put on catchers unless you have an extra hour. Watering helps as does blowing.

This time of year I get lots of buildup.

@ABC123 thanks! I had a McLane for a bit, but it wasnt what I was looking for.

@SNOWBOB11 fun? Or expensive? Maybe both?

My wife thought I was crazy many years ago when I ONLY wanted to kill the entire lawn. Now this...


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## john5246

omg that lone baby spruce out there :lol:

didn't want to splurge on a bigger one?


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## john5246

you got a great property there, lots of space without having to see neighbors everytime you walk out


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## HoosierLawnGnome

john5246 said:


> omg that lone baby spruce out there :lol:
> 
> didn't want to splurge on a bigger one?


Ikr! I started it from a tiny sapling for a few dollars. Planted about 10 around the property. In my experience they are as big as the $400 ones in 10 years and healthier.

Really I'm just frugal and like to grow things 😂😂😂

But then i go out and buy another greens mower.🤷‍♂️

Made an offer on a Toro Greensmaster 1000, they took it. It needs a front roller so now I need to figure out grooved or solid.


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## uts

Why not get a riding greens mower with catchers? I know I know it's expensive but that will save a lot of time and you can bag as well. Got to take the time factor in as well!


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## HoosierLawnGnome

uts said:


> Why not get a riding greens mower with catchers? I know I know it's expensive but that will save a lot of time and you can bag as well. Got to take the time factor in as well!


The greens will probably be too small and tight for a rider, but you're right about them saving time and what not.

I postponed the sand delivery until next week. Lots of thunderstorms in the forecast in the next several days. Last thing I need is to turn my driveway into a sand trap.

Wait a minute... maybe....

nah she'd never go for it


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## HoosierLawnGnome

Got a grooved roller om the way now.


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## bernstem

How much are you going to raise the green? If it stays wet, I would worry about being able to mow often enough.


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## HoosierLawnGnome

bernstem said:


> How much are you going to raise the green? If it stays wet, I would worry about being able to mow often enough.


My plan right now is to pick spots that already get decent drainage, level with some sand, plant seed after killing.

That corner pictured is a problem for drainage. I'm probably going to move the hole up and then smooth the grade with sand. It stays pretty dry just 10 ft up and gets more sun.

The other two flags have good drainage already.

-----------'
I bought some tee box markers and a vintage par aide ball washer. Attached a rag and club cleaning tools.

Here you can see my cut quality suffers at the edge. I overlap passes several inches but the edge always pushes up the turf laying the opposite direction. Not sure what can be done. The heads were all cutting edge to edge before I cut this afternoon.


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## jaygrizzle

How many yards from tee box to green?

If you haven't heard of it, check out Some Guy's Backyard. They built a 7 hole par 3 course in their backyard.

https://someguysbackyard.com/


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## HoosierLawnGnome

jaygrizzle said:


> How many yards from tee box to green?
> 
> If you haven't heard of it, check out Some Guy's Backyard. They built a 7 hole par 3 course in their backyard.
> 
> https://someguysbackyard.com/


About 100 yard on the longest.

Right now I have 3 pins, my wife wants to keep all 3, so I may alter the design.

We have a party in a few weeks so I'll wait to start killing grass after that.

T1 seed should arrive today.


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## john5246

HoosierLawnGnome said:


> john5246 said:
> 
> 
> 
> omg that lone baby spruce out there :lol:
> 
> didn't want to splurge on a bigger one?
> 
> 
> 
> Ikr! I started it from a tiny sapling for a few dollars. Planted about 10 around the property. In my experience they are as big as the $400 ones in 10 years and healthier.
> 
> Really I'm just frugal and like to grow things 😂😂😂
> 
> But then i go out and buy another greens mower.🤷‍♂️
> 
> Made an offer on a Toro Greensmaster 1000, they took it. It needs a front roller so now I need to figure out grooved or solid.
Click to expand...

I hear you, I just did the same with some lavender, bought one for $10 from Home Depot and propagated 4 more from cuttings. Saved $40+ which I can put into my lawn budget. There's always something to buy or upgrade.

It's done well for a sapling.


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## HoosierLawnGnome

My certified, T1 bentgrass showed up yesterday.


So did my grooved, front roller and extra bearings.

Now I just need the GM1000.

I tried to find some tupersan (siduron) as a seed down pre emergent, but it's very expensive. I expect each green to be about 1000 sf or less in area. The greens locations dont have anything other than KBG, so I will probably use my fingers as a post emergent.

Sand was rescheduled for early this week. So excited. Going to go thin on it as it is very hot, but my turf is still growing. Will probably put some urea down tonight to boost it a bit.

ETA

I replaced two hunter heads in the irrigation zone covering the middle hole. They had been hit with a reel and torn up. I put in rainbird 5000 which was in the zone originally.

I'm not getting head to head coverage, so I need to figure that out in the next few weeks. Probably pressure loss.


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## HoosierLawnGnome

Cancelled the sand delivery. we have a party in < 2 weeks and don't want any sand showing, plus I'm just not ready to take it on with my real life work load. I also think it will be easier to load it up a ton and a half at a time into my trailer, drive through the yard, and shovel out from there.

We got some good rain over the weekend, so I took a walk in my barefeet out to the middle green area (2), and it's too marshy even where it looks drier. I need to raise it up more. Will be more valuable time spent to purchase a combination of soil and dirt to raise it up 3 inches and fill in low spots around. It may be even better time spent installing a few drainage tiles to the creek rather than trying to fill in the swale that runs the length of the creek. Those trees will inevitably push the creek brim higher over time, so it will be a constant fight otherwise.

The other two greens locations are in good shape drainage and sprinkler-coverage wise.


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## Kallgren

From what I understand, tupersan/ siduron will be one of few choices for pre-emergent on bentgrass, but seems you can apply around seed down.

You might also want post emergent Trimec for Bentgrass. About 1oz, per 1000 sq-ft according to the label for greens.

I'm going to overseed my Penncross with True Putt creeping bluegrass this year.

Smooth rollers from what I've read (maybe the USGA Greens Section Record which is an excellent resource) are recommended for the first year of greens establishment.


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## HoosierLawnGnome

@Kallgren good info, thanks!

I think im going to skip the tupersan for seed down. Its $150 and doesnt prevent much im worried about. Id use it once at seed down and then not again, just not worth it.

Will def check out Trimec. I use triclopyr a lot, and tenacity occasionally, neither of which are for bentgrass.

So, heres my current thought. Paint the green shape. 3 rounds of glyohosate week after next. Scalp. Blow the dead stuff off with my br600.

Top dress hole 2 with soil compost mix. Top dress all with greens sand and level.

Apply bentgrass seed, milorganite, top dress with peat moss, press into soil. Keep it moist.

Wait for germination and mow at .5" ASAP.

Dimension (dishiopyr) can be applied after the 2nd mow to the bentgrass im sowing. It also has a little post emergence control of baby crabgrass, my main concern.

Ill put that down asap and then hit things with a post emergent when safe.

Ill probaby maintain it at .5 until the spring then take it to greens height.

I played around with a fairway design tonight. It helped give me a sense of how big to make the greens. I think ill make triangula, wedge shaped fairways rsther than connect the greens like i did tonight.


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## g-man

HLG, you don't plan to fallow the new soil? Poa a would be my main concern.


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## HoosierLawnGnome

g-man said:


> HLG, you don't plan to fallow the new soil? Poa a would be my main concern.


My plan is to get dimension down as soon as possible before it germinates.

Id have planned to seed this weekend if i didnt have a party next weekend.

I am also not 100% sure ill add soil. Once i kill the area off i may figure sand and peat will level it enough.

Its only 1k Sf, so my worst case scenario is pulling poa annua by hand next spring.

Ill be cutting it close if i dont seed early August!

The other 2 greens ive never seen poa annua in and im only adding sand.


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## georgiadad

You're a gluten for punishment aren't you. lol


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## Kallgren

@HoosierLawnGnome I got my tupsersan for way less, so shop around, I think about half for a lifetime supply (I've only one green). I would apply lighter applications, but more frequently.

Dimension is applied on a test stand, but that is cut at a higher HOC, seems tolerant, but i'm concerned at greens height.


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## HoosierLawnGnome

@georgiadad yes i am haha

@Kallgren ill keep looking. All the tupersan ive found is 140ish for 4 lbs which seems too high.

im planning on .5 in HOC to start. I need to read the guide you posted.


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## Kallgren

I'm by far no expert but when you are at greens height the grass is going to be very sensitive to pre emergent and post emergent applications.

That four lb bag of product is going to last a number of years. Small change compared to the cost of a mower.

Start high sounds like a good plan.


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## HoosierLawnGnome

Kallgren said:


> I'm by far no expert but when you are at greens height the grass is going to be very sensitive to pre emergent and post emergent applications.
> 
> That four lb bag of product is going to last a number of years. Small change compared to the cost of a mower.
> 
> Start high sounds like a good plan.


Good news. Ordered 4 lbs of tupersan for <$100.

Ill feel a lot better with something at seed down.

I thought i read some articles about dithiopyr being ok for some bentgrasses at .5 in after the 2nd mow. Ill have to reread.


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## HoosierLawnGnome

@Kallgren  here is what i was reading about dithiopyr being ok on bentgrass greens



> Also, you can apply dithiopyr, oxadiazon and bensulide for pre-emergence control in cool-season turf. Use the dithiopyr formulation, Dimension Ultra, and the oxadiazon/bensulide combination on bentgrass greens. They are labeled for this use, and they have less activity on root growth. Apply siduron on newly seeded areas; it is labeled for this use. Be careful, though; it is not registered for all bentgrass varieties. Use caution and check the label for tolerant varieties.
> 
> You can also use dithiopyr to extend your application window


Thus my plan was to apply half rate of dithiopyr after a few mows at a half inch HOC.

Im still tryijg tonfind more info. Heck inshoukd just ask the local super what he uses.


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## Kallgren

Yes, I have read the same article. For longer cuts I think you will be ok, particularly with low dose. Half inch is problay closer to fairway height. But hey, I'm no expert.


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## HoosierLawnGnome

Kallgren said:


> Yes, I have read the same article. For longer cuts I think you will be ok, particularly with low dose. Half inch is problay closer to fairway height. But hey, I'm no expert.


No, you're right on 1/2" being a fairway height. My idea is to let the plant grow taller at the start so the roots mature before I get rough on it with a greens height cut and fall treatments with pre-emergents etc.


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## HoosierLawnGnome

tupersan arrived today.

Big party tomorrow night, then it will be time to determine green shapes and spray some glyphosate.


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## Pete1313

Almost go time! Excited to see the results!


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## HoosierLawnGnome

@Pete1313 i am excited too!

My work is going to be almost all from home for the forseeable future. It may never go back to the way it was. Mowing becomes my escape lol.

Two of the greens are too marshy. I think i need to kill them and then level with a greens rootzone mix before seed down. The other just needs a little sand.


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## The Anti-Rebel

https://twitter.com/VTTurfweeds/status/1286670236918460418?s=20


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## HoosierLawnGnome

@The Anti-Rebel thanks! I am looking forward to seeing how it works out. Ine of my greens will get some cg pressure. The other two not as much. I need to reseed a few KBG spots so i may try it there too.

First, i consulted on my creative design department on some shapes.


Then, we dragged a hose out, shaped the greens, and painted a white line outside it.

This one needs raised up with a few inches of soil and sand to level, then a few sprinklers need to move for better coverage.


This one kinda looks like a cat, no? This one needs sand.


Never mind the dollar spot here... its amazing how much more dollar spot shows up just a half inch shorter cut. This one needs a sand levelling.


Too wet to kill it tonight, it will have to wait for tomorrow.

About 1500 sf in greens altogether.


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## HoosierLawnGnome

The deed is done. Glyphosate with AS and surfactant applied on the greens area after a mow.

Here we gooooooooo


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## SC Grass Loon

This is a cool project, I am subscribing now!


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## Pete1313

No turning back now!


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## HoosierLawnGnome

Here is a guide i found from the people behind T1 on how to establish it.

I really wish i had a smooth roller for the first year. Also, they warn against more than 1.5 lb per K seeding rate.
The point being the guidelines for other bentgrasses like Pencross arent all the same.


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## HoosierLawnGnome

Time to scalp as soon as it dries out. I have a cat-shaped yellow spot in my back yard now :lol:





Also, I may have to alter my fertilization strategy for greens. There's no way the huge, agricultural prill I use everywhere else will work into a greens canopy, and the white, N prill from the DAP in particular takes several weeks to completely disappear even with rain, so it will burn too easily. I may have to source some greens grade fertilizer.

Here are resources from Doug Brede, PhD, breeder of T-1 bentgrass
Establishment and Management Guidelines
OECD "TeeOne" (T-1) information
Crowding Out Poa
T-1 New Cultivar for Golf

Notably, the maintenance fertilization is heavy on K input. I'm using agricultural MOP, which has large, pebble-sized prill, so I may need to source something or potentially do liquid K:


> Yearly nitrogen applications should total 1 to 4 pounds (5-20 g/m2), phosphorous 2 to 3 pounds
> (10-15 g/m2), and potassium 6 to 10 pounds/1000 ft2 (30-50 g/m2). Higher rates in each range
> are used with more golf rounds and sandier soils. Likewise, courses with smaller-than-average
> greens may need to fertilize to compensate for more concentrated wear.]/quote]


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## g-man

XGRN 8-1-8 prills are greens grade or go liquid spray.


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## HoosierLawnGnome

g-man said:


> XGRN 8-1-8 prills are greens grade or go liquid spray.


Thanks!

Did a little scalpy scalp this am with the GM 1000.



This green has several low spots.


I may make one of the greens a little bigger. Too windy for the second app of glyphosate now.

I plan to run out for some composted top soil this afternoon to raise up the marshy hole.


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## HoosierLawnGnome

2nd round of glyphosate applied with a little Ammonium Sulfate and surfactant. I stood the dead stuff up and removed debris with my backpack blower first.

After today's thunderstorms comes a dry stretch which will be ideal for filling in low spots with soil and levelling with sand. As soon as thats done its time for seed.


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## HoosierLawnGnome

Put down 50 bags of topsoil. I thought i bought extra but incould have used more. I may go back for more.

Spread them in the lowest area, smoothed out with a rake, then applied lots of water to settle it down some. I'llprobably go out there occasionally and water it more.

Picked up another bale of peat moss.


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## bernstem

That is a lot of fertilizer - especially Potassium. I wonder if you need that much if you aren't in a sand base for the greens and aren't seeing the traffic of a real green.


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## HoosierLawnGnome

@bernstemhard to tell from my pic, but that is bagged topsoil.

I wanted to pick up more milorganite but Menards didnt have it.

This is the Menards alternative.


Its not good for me. Check out all that calcium! My soil has plenty and a high pH. Hardly any soils around here are short on Ca.


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## bernstem

HoosierLawnGnome said:


> @bernstemhard to tell from my pic, but that is bagged topsoil.


Sorry, I wasn't clear. I was looking at the recommendations from Doug Brede that you mentioned. 6-10 lbs/1000/year of Potassium.


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## HoosierLawnGnome

bernstem said:


> HoosierLawnGnome said:
> 
> 
> 
> @bernstemhard to tell from my pic, but that is bagged topsoil.
> 
> 
> 
> Sorry, I wasn't clear. I was looking at the recommendations from Doug Brede that you mentioned. 6-10 lbs/1000/year of Potassium.
Click to expand...

Oh, for sure that seems like a leaching soil recommendation.

My soil is has a high pH, so that much would be damaging anyways. Ive been at it with 3 or 4 lbs K a year so far.

------------

I added 20 more bags of topsoil to the 2nd green. I'm ready to do my seed down day.

Right now would be good timing.

I have a lot of stubble and some thatch. Not sure its wise to seed bentgrass through that. I may tear it up and get to bare dirt.

@Kallgren did you seed on bare soil?



Some wheel damage in the foreground here


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## bernstem

I would be surprised if the bent cares about short stubble. I would leave it. It will help stabilize the soil.


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## Captquin

When does the water hazard go in?!


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## HoosierLawnGnome

@Captquin there is a creek back there 🤷‍♂️

Following some cues from @Kmartel , i dropped HOC to 3/8 in and scalped holes 1 and 3 with the groomer, then blew off the debris.

@bernstem i like the way it looks scalped at this height - i can see dirt. The higher scalp was too thatchy.

Hole 2 is still too wet from this mornings top soil watering in, so i hope it dries out and can be orepped tomorrow.

The drum doubles as a roller.

Here is one scalped and rolled 


Im glad i didnt add sand. It is unnecessary. Holes 1 and 3 are nice and smooth.

Im hoping to get seed down tomorrow, assuming hole 2 has dried out enough to scalp and roll.


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## SNOWBOB11

@HoosierLawnGnome Looking good. Nice scalp. Good clean seed bed. It's probably going to be easier to germinate the seeds on the soil than sand anyways so probably best you didn't add sand. You can always sand level at a later date.


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## Captquin

Wow. Forum could really use a "like" button functionality!


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## HoosierLawnGnome

@SNOWBOB11 Yeah, I think you're right. Holes 1 and 3 are solid and smooth, no need for sand (yet). Hole 2 is probably not going to be as smooth. It's still a bit wet this morning, so I haven't rolled it yet. In a few hours it will probably be ready.

Today's the day! My plan is to get seed down by sundown.

Seed down day plan:


Roll and scalp hole 2
Blow dry greens with backpack blower, removing remaining debris and standing up stubble
mix up 1.8 lbs T-1 seed with half a bag of milorganite in a 5 gallon bucket
for each green:
Apply milorganite / seed mixture
Lightly water the surface
Roll it, walk all over it with knobby shoes (USGA recommends running over it with a machine with knobby tires, as the pressed in tread marks will germinate better. My greens are too small to drive my tractor on without turning up soil, so shoes will suffice. This is also where tiny bodies with little feet are helpful!)
Apply peat moss 
Water with a very light misting, roll, repeat as needed
Apply tupersan @ 3 oz / K rate, using soil drench nozzle, maybe mix in some propiconazole
Deep, slow watering to an inch

Some good reference links I've been using:
USGA collection of guides
USGA tips and tricks - especially page 19!!!
Tupersan label

From the Tupersan label


> apply Tupersan after planting, before seedlings have emerged, higher rates for high clay / organic soils, water in with 1/2" to 1" irrigation


From tips and tricks:


> Tip 2: Mix seed with a non-burning, organic fertilizer to
> ease spreading.
> Tip 5: Improve seed-to-soil or sprig-to-soil contact by
> walking-in the sprigs or seed with knobby tires.


They recommend raking in the seed to the top 1/2" soil, but since I'm top dressing with peat moss, I'm going to skip that - same thing, and I don't risk uneven germination from seed redistribution


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## badtlc

HoosierLawnGnome said:


> That and it's mostly fast release N.


Is water insoluble N slow or fast release? I thought it was slow and that water soluble N was fast release. I had interpreted that fertilizer label as there is 4% nitrogen (0.5% fast release & 3.5% slow release).


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## HoosierLawnGnome

badtlc said:


> HoosierLawnGnome said:
> 
> 
> 
> That and it's mostly fast release N.
> 
> 
> 
> Is water insoluble N slow or fast release? I thought it was slow and that water soluble N was fast release. I had interpreted that fertilizer label as there is 4% nitrogen (0.5% fast release & 3.5% slow release).
Click to expand...

I reread the label and apparently misread it the first time. You're right about WIN vs WSN.

Its mostly slow release. Ill edit. Good catch.


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## HoosierLawnGnome

Ever been so tired you couldn't post?

That was my day yesterday.

What I did yesterday:

Measured out 1 lb 14 oz T1 bentgrass


Mixed in a 5 gallon bucket with almost a full bag of milorganite 


Spread 80% of the bucket on the greens, topped with peat moss, walked all over it. Made sure to drop seed and peat on the perimeter.






Hole 2 was still too wet. I scalped what i could and seeded anyways. The dirt that is 6 in deep wont be dry for days. I'll reseed if needed.


Finally, i mowed the entire lawn.

Mixed up 3 oz tupersan and applied to the greens area plus an area im reseeding with KBG. Probably a 2 oz per K rate on the greens. I'll need to reapply sooner.

Ran the half inch water cycle this morning to water it in.

Some lessons learned:

you need a drop spreader to apply bentgrass evenly
if you use your greensmower to roll, do it manually, no engine drive, it tears up the prepared surface
tupersan is super powdery and easy to inhale. 1 tsp = 1/4 oz

I need to get prodiamine down next.


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## 440mag

This ... is ... freakin' ... AWESOME, man!!!!!!!

I mean; flat out and straight up, Dayummmmmmmm!


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## HoosierLawnGnome

My daughter made the junior high golf team &#128076;

Her: my dad is building a golf course in our back yard
Golf coach: &#129300;
Her: seriously
Golf coach: &#128580;
Her: no seriously 
Golf coach: &#128559;
Me: &#129335;‍♂&#129396;

Tweaking sprinkler program.

Silly me put a green right over a sprinkler head. It was way cockeyed so i dug it up, levelled it, dropped some more seed on the damage.


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## HoosierLawnGnome

No germination as of last night.

Here come thunderstorms.

my greens are doing ok diverting water, but no way to tell if seed is getting washed out.

I am hoping for germination to kick in the next few days.

If its a bust i have plenty of seed to reseed.


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## HoosierLawnGnome

Germination!

We got an inch of rain this morning and the sun came out, perfect conditions.

Green 2 had a decent smount of shifting, it will probably need some reseeding where we had a lot of washout.

Areas to germinate first are where there is good stubble with a very light peat topping.

Green 1



Green 2



Green 3


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## g-man

Look at all that poa a! Just kidding. Congrats.

I would wait for this next line of storms to move thru before dropping more seeds.


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## HoosierLawnGnome

g-man said:


> Look at all that poa a! Just kidding. Congrats.
> 
> I would wait for this next line of storms to move thru before dropping more seeds.


Oh I sure hope not!! I will bet $1000 I get some from the bagged topsoil!

And yeah tonight looks intense. Hopefully enough will dig in and not get washed out.

Green 2 had about half washout. Looks nice and level now. Good thing is there isnt standing water now.


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## DbShep

Looks good. I seeded a 1200 sq ft green at the end of May and my wife thought I was crazy crawling on my hands and knees out there to see if it was germinating. I have had multiple spots of top dressing and overseeding wash out with the way our rain tends to fall lately, (seems it only comes 2" per hour increments).


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## Kallgren

Looking great, I seeded on bare soil (~70% sand if my material supplier got it right) and had huge rain the following day wash most out I think the stubble is going to be a positive to hold the seeds and soil in place.

You might want to consider a fungicide program. I must have had some brown spot or bentgrass dead spot as a portion of my putting green died off in this high heat high humidity.

Check
//ag.umass.edu/turf/fact-sheets/dead-spot-on-bentgrasses

and

//extension.umass.edu/turf/proguide for some useful information.

I will be overseeing with True-Putt to put some diversity in my green.


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## HoosierLawnGnome

@Kallgren Yeah, my plan is to apply propicanizole after it's germinated. I need to time it when i can blanket spray the rest of the yard too.

Also, will probably need to spray tenacity around the perimeter to stop the washed out bentgrass from infiltrating my kbg.

@DbShep they are a bit smaller than KBG seedlings!

I just went out 10 minutes ago and i can see a lot more now.

Mother natures rain and sunshine are the best!


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## Zcape35

Looks awesome, fingers crossed that the seed stays in place!


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## DbShep

You'll do just fine. I initially got some good germination and unfortunately failed to get the water quite right in another area. About 3 times I lost top dressing and over-seeding to heavy rainfall. What worked for me was making a mix of sand, soil, and peat to put down as a top dress to hold my seed. I have one spot that needs some attention yet and the rest is looking pretty good. Watch out for damping off, it is very easy to over-water once the grass is past germination because you will have some spots still germinating needing water while others are growing and needing less water. Another problem I ran into in the last month or so is cutworm, (I live in farm country), and I wish I caught it sooner as it will delay my cutting down to playing height by a few weeks.

This is how my bentgrass looks after seeding on May 20th.


----------



## HoosierLawnGnome

@DbShep looks fantastic!

The areas i filled in with soil got pretty washed out and will need reseeded. I will wait for things to dry out a bit before reseeding and compacting things. Still pretty soggy.

Green 1. Great germination, some heavy where it washed into slight depressions. Pretty even overall.



Green 2 Washed out a lot of topsoil i added. More sparse germination. Some ruts from runoff that will need leveled. Need to do a better job of compacting soil when i reseed. Also, the washout buried my cup lol.


Green 3. Even germination. New topsoil washed out and probably needs reseeded.


Plan for all 3 greens is to get fungicide down, paint the perimeters with Tenacity and prodiamine to kill bentgrass that got washed into the KBG.


----------



## HoosierLawnGnome

Got propicanazole down tonight on the greens.


----------



## HoosierLawnGnome

Reseeded the washed out, added topsoil area on green 2, topped with peat moss, stomped in by foot, watered.

Watered only green 1 today. Overcast, a little cooler, great germination weather.

Green 1 increasingly germinating. Good coverage.

Green 2 is still damp and soft.

Green 3 has the most advanced germination with the exception of the area to which topsoil was added.


----------



## DbShep

Damp and soft might struggle. Just enough water to keep it wet but no puddles.


----------



## HoosierLawnGnome

DbShep said:


> Damp and soft might struggle. Just enough water to keep it wet but no puddles.


Yeah, its all the new, muddy topsoil and peat moss mixed together thst retained all the rain, and has never dried out.

I haven't watered it in 2 days.


----------



## HoosierLawnGnome

I can already tell im going to need a whip to dry off these greens in the morning. 
Look how much water is being retained just by those seedlings. 😯


----------



## DbShep

I have a lot of dew on my green in the morning and rinse it with a light watering rather than whipping.


----------



## Kallgren

This is getting exciting! Keep us updated on progress and local weather. It's been hot and humid with very little rain here in Hudson, NH.


----------



## Tlox

Looking good! You keep getting washed out and I have had 1" of rain since the 4th of july


----------



## HoosierLawnGnome

Reseeded green 2 today. Top dressed with peat moss. Walked and stomped all over it, the soil is much firmer now. Then i ran over the soft spots with my tractor. My feet made better indentations in the soil than the tractor since my 200 lb sexiness is spread out more on the tires.

Green 2 has maybe half coverage.

I dug out the cup. It was buried in an inch of topsoil i added, so it had washed around quite a bit.


I blanket sprayed prodiamine, 24d, triclopyr, and AS on the KBG. Nice, still day. Hopefully no drift to hurt the greens, i tried to keep the spray away.

No rain in the forecast, so i should be able to water it in in a controlled way so prodiamine doesn't wash into them.


----------



## DbShep

HoosierLawnGnome said:


> Reseeded green 2 today. Top dressed with peat moss. Walked and stomped all over it, the soil is much firmer now. Then i ran over the soft spots with my tractor. My feet made better indentations in the soil than the tractor since my 200 lb sexiness is spread out more on the tires.
> 
> Green 2 has maybe half coverage.
> 
> I dug out the cup. It was buried in an inch of topsoil i added, so it had washed around quite a bit.
> 
> 
> I blanket sprayed prodiamine, 24d, triclopyr, and AS on the KBG. Nice, still day. Hopefully no drift to hurt the greens, i tried to keep the spray away.
> 
> No rain in the forecast, so i should be able to water it in in a controlled way so prodiamine doesn't wash into them.


Roll the green using your greens mower with the reel turned off. You can tip it back to balance the weight on the back roller. You'll get the full weight of the unit spread over a roller that is relatively small in diameter.


----------



## HoosierLawnGnome

5 days after germination, and greens 1 and 3 are strong. Green 2 is ok. Some of the spots i reseeded are showing germination from the first seeding. Perhaps the seed is pushing through the soil that got washed around.

Green 1. Wow this is really even and consistent. I need to start thinking about that first mow and establishment fertilization. Wish I'd made this green bigger.


Green 2. Lots of washout, but im seeing more and more fuzz. Watering by hand and hose sprinkler. The timer i used from my previous renovations is on the fritz.


Green 3. Great germination except for the levelled area.


Thinking about spreading dry ammonium sulfate lightly on 1 and 3, watering it in.

Almost time for a haircut!


----------



## Pete1313

Lookin good HLG! You will be putting on them in no time! What will be the HOC for the first mow?


----------



## HoosierLawnGnome

Pete1313 said:


> Lookin good HLG! You will be putting on them in no time! What will be the HOC for the first mow?


I have it at 3/8 inch right now. I'm seeing some plants with 2 blades, and some are taller than that on 2 of the greens so it is time to snip snip this week.

Ive been following the t1 guide i posted that was written by the developing PhD. They advocate rolling it once the ground is stable, then mowing as soon as possible.

Im getting some weeds in the bagged topsoil areas I added, mostly crabgrass. Need to get more tupersan down, but ive been pulling by hand so far.

Applied 1 lb per K MOP and 1 lb per K DAP tonight. The guide said to start fertilizing 5 days after emergence so here we go. Watered it all in afterwards.

Temps are dropping this week, still dry in the forecast. Great weather so far. I'll be looking to hit things with urea end of the week.


----------



## HoosierLawnGnome

I took some more oblique pictures at a distance so you can see how they are filling in nicely.

Ignore the rest of the yard, all the cores i pulled while aersting and thatch inremoved is still settling down and it looks fugly.

Green 1. Soil is pretty firm. I drove on it today and it didn't leave tracks. No turns of course.


Green 2. More and more germination showing in the areas I reseeded. Too soon to be my reseeding germinating. Not that it's dried off and i can control water it's taking off. Definitely had some damping off in spots.


Green 3. Furthest along. Some tillering begun and about half an inch tall in spots. I drove over this as well today in the tractor while spreading fertilizer. No tracks, so it's probably solid enough to mow soon.


----------



## HoosierLawnGnome

Ran over Green 1 with the greens mower, then mowed a few strips. Too wet. The peat formed a mat that stuck to the drum. I tried to patch the spots back up.

But it definitely took some off, so i need to get mowing once the soil dries and roots dig in a bit more.


More washout on Green 2 after this morning's rain.



I did some reseeding of thin spots on 1 and washed out spots on 2.


----------



## Kallgren

Now will be the time to be patient.


----------



## HoosierLawnGnome

Weed pressure beginning.

Mowed green 3 the other day. Added some seed to the bare spot, adjusted watering.


Green 2 is showing more germination. Added more seed to thin spots. Crabgrass coming in.



Green 1 needs a haircut, only has a wee bit of thin areas, but i added a little seed anyways. Had 2 weeds.

Hot and dry this week. Watering backed way off.


----------



## HoosierLawnGnome

Put some starter out on the greens and watered it in.

I need to mow 1 and 3.


----------



## HoosierLawnGnome

Green 2 finally has germination about everywhere.

I need to pack down the surface again prior to forecasted rain coming Friday.

Im hand pulling weeds and still need to get more tupersan down. Will probably throw in some propiconazole too when I do.


----------



## HoosierLawnGnome

I applied Handicide 76 to the greens.😁

They are 100% weed free at the moment.

Green 1 is solid. I need to mow the more mature spots, but I think I will raise HOC a little. Last time i cut them at 3/8", and it scalped some material off the surface where water rippled the peat moss.


----------



## Tlox

Mowing right now won't hurt the new grass? I'm about at your stage with my bentgrass but it feels like I would be pulling the barely rooted seedlings out of the ground if I tried to mow. My first cut will be at 1/2". I was thinking on leaving the HOC at 1/2" while it really establishes and then lower it down next spring


----------



## HoosierLawnGnome

Tlox said:


> Mowing right now won't hurt the new grass? I'm about at your stage with my bentgrass but it feels like I would be pulling the barely rooted seedlings out of the ground if I tried to mow. My first cut will be at 1/2". I was thinking on leaving the HOC at 1/2" while it really establishes and then lower it down next spring


I am generally following the management guide for my species of bentgrass, written by the devloping scientist


> The first mow should occur as soon as the surface is physically capable of supporting the weight of a mower, without damage. Never let the stand grow to 1 inch (25 mm) tall before mowing.


I scalped a few spots my first try, the surface was unstable. A week later its fine. That was more due to an uneven surface and ripples of peat moss.

I mowed greens 1 and 3 today again at 3/8 in. I skip the thinner or ungerminated spots.

The risk of roots tearing is there so I go slow, try to mow straight, turn off the greens, minimize time, maybe life the front up a little so it doesnt dig grooves easily.

Green 1 before mow


Green 1 after mow


Green 3 closeup before mow. 


Green 3 after mow


Mowing makes it mad, sends it sideways 

Green 2 hasnt been mowed.


----------



## Tlox

Thats great, looking awesome. Looks like I should be getting the first mow sooner than later on mine. Hope to make mine mad and send it sideways!


----------



## SNOWBOB11

Looking good. I like green 3 picture. You can really get a idea of how the young bentgrass looks.


----------



## HoosierLawnGnome

Not sure if I regret not seeding more heavily at first or not yet.

I followed the guide, so i seeded at a bit over 1 lb per K. Other guides for species of bentgrass like Pencross recommended higher rates.


----------



## Tlox

I seeded at 3.5 lbs/1000 sf with penncross. This is at 10 days post seeding


----------



## HoosierLawnGnome

@Tlox thats looking good!

My T1 guide said anything above 1.5 lbs per K was futile 


> Applying more than 1.5 lbs. seed per 1000 ft -- Does not make up for seeding errors Nor does it allow for the green to open sooner for play. In fact, it may delay opening day because the overly dense plants are immature. Excessive seeding rates produce turf that is less stress tolerant and more susceptible to damping off.


That 1 lb per K has done fine where I seeded into stubble. Where it washed out or came in contact with bagged topsoil its germinated poorly.

Eta: I've done a bunch of renovations, and the more I've done, the lighter I go on seeding. The main reason being avoiding overcrowded, fungus prone stands. My first renovations struggled with fungus and it was expensive to fix. Too much love and closeness. 🤣

Id rather fight weeds and thin turf than fungus.


----------



## Tlox

I always try to figure for about 80% germination rate, loss to birds and some unforseen level of incompetence from me


----------



## DbShep

I seeded at 1.5lbs / 1000 ft on May 20th. This is 1 month after seeding.



This is a picture taken last night, (I had a battle with cutworms and I'm thinking of seeding and top dressing with peat in the damaged spots)


----------



## HoosierLawnGnome

Put out a little urea and watered it in, about 1 lb per K, while fertilizing the rest of the turf. Less on green 2 as its immature in spots.


----------



## g-man

Is a POA a green plan B for green #2?


----------



## HoosierLawnGnome

g-man said:


> Is a POA a green plan B for green #2?


Hahaha nooooo

But i did go crabgrass picking again today

I think it finally has good germination everywhere. The storms that came through today didnt shift the soil, and the surface didnt pool, so that new topsoil seems to finally have settled with some seedlings.

I have the same germination problem on green 3 with a spot of bagged topsoil.

In short, horrible germination on the bagged topsoil I added.


----------



## g-man

That's the pain with topsoil. It needs some time to bind and hold up against rains.


----------



## HoosierLawnGnome

Mowed the greens again. Mowed parts of green 2 for the first time.

My daughter wanted practice with me for her match tomorrow so I dropped a flag in green 1 and we played 3 holes.


----------



## bernstem

Bagged soil is hit or miss. I hate the stuff, but sometimes you don't have much choice if you only need to fill a small spot.


----------



## HoosierLawnGnome

bernstem said:


> Bagged soil is hit or miss. I hate the stuff, but sometimes you don't have much choice if you only need to fill a small spot.


Yeah, a major grade change is the only reason to add topsoil in my opinion.

I will say with the bagged, it was much easier to spread without damaging the yard getting it in on a huge truck. Also easier to store.

The stuff from Menards was less expensive but had a lot more debris than the bags from my other source.

Im glad i did it overall. The green 2 has smoothed out and there was no pooling a few hours after last weeks rain.

I'd say topsoil needs a month to sit, seek its own level, and settle down before its stable enough for seed.


----------



## HoosierLawnGnome

Added more seed to thin spots. Good week to germinate grass ahead.

The urea from 4 days ago has really pushed top growth, particularly green 1 that's most mature. 
Gonna try to get a little urea down every 5 days per my guide now, in lesser amounts.

Finally, completely mowed and rolled green 2. Still getting crabgrass pressure a bit.

When i ran the blades it knocked down some peat ridges. Those ridges form every time it rains and then smother whatever is under them. 


I think the mowing is helping smooth things out, pack it down, get the plant to push around. There are a few spots that look like real greens.


----------



## DbShep

What cut height are you at again, 0.5"? Mowing certainly helps send the grass horizontal, though I found it took quite some time before it started to fill in thick like a green. Keep in mind that when golf courses grow new greens, they take a full year to open them for play. It's a bit like watching a pot boil but the biggest thing I think you should keep on your radar at this point is to watch for damping off. You are at a point where some of your grass is established and other areas are reseeded and still germinating. It gets really easy to over-water and you may need to change to a program where you hand water the seedlings so you aren't throwing too much water on your established grass. The grass blades need to dry off between water cycles.


----------



## HoosierLawnGnome

I'm cutting at 3/8".

There was some damping off on green 2. It subsided and i have some sprouts there now.

I'm not watering for germination any more, its staying wet enough on its own with my normal irrigation. Sometimes I water it in the afternoon a bit if i see it drying out, but in general the drying out has helped germination.

1 and 3 just need growth pushed and a bit of seed here and there.

2 is weeks behind.

The advantage I have over a golf course is I only get a tiny bit of traffic daily, maybe. I do more damage to it mowing than walking on it to putt a ball, which is to say, no damage.

No spikes this fall, no running, no twisting, and we aren't good enough to make divots on the green yet very often &#128514;

So, I'll probably let them play hole 1 and 3 occasionally, especially in a month when we aren't on a course 5 days a week already.


----------



## Owens01

This is awesome


----------



## HoosierLawnGnome

Mixed up a cup of ammonium sulfate, propiconazole, and tupersan, then sprayed them on the greens last night.


----------



## Tlox

Hows everything looking now?


----------



## HoosierLawnGnome

I'll try to get some pics up. They've filled in pretty well. 3 weeks, no rain. Ive held off on fertilizer too, just too dry.


----------



## HoosierLawnGnome

3 weeks without rain have exposed my irrigation problems.

Here is a picture from this morning after we finally got a little rain




Put out DAP and urea last night.


----------



## DbShep

Is that a Bayco Model 2 I spy? I restored one earlier this year to sit beside my green, though the ears that the towels hang from were broken off.


----------



## DbShep

On second look, it may be a Par Aide


----------



## HoosierLawnGnome

Its a Par Aide. I didn't do anything tonrestore it other than paint some 2 in pvc for it to sit on. I bought a head cleaning tool and towel offf amazon for cheap to attach.


----------



## HoosierLawnGnome

Greens are filling in nicely and developing thst mat in areas. Weed pressure is minimal.


----------



## Tlox

Looking good!


----------



## DbShep

Looks good! What is your cutting height at currently? I got stalled on mine because of the damage I had from cutworms, then....dew worms became my nemesis! The castings were beating me up and keeping my seed from germinating, (the worms were disturbing the seed and leaving castings that were squishing down and smothering the new growth). I managed to get some liquid Sevin and applied it last night. I was happy to find zero worm castings this morning and this afternoon while I wait for my girls to get off the school bus, I'll shake some seed in the bare areas. Hopefully it will germinate in the next while before it gets too cold up here. I'm currently cutting at about 0.2" which is just barely puttable but fun for chipping. Once the damage grows in I'll lower more with a target of between 0.125" and 0.156".

Green view



Here is the worm damage, (it is better than weeks ago but a bit like watching a pot boil). The dew worms would emerge through the bare patches and leave castings on them which was slowing recovery. I'll seed these spots tonight.


----------



## HoosierLawnGnome

@DbShep I'm cutting at the same height, 3/8" I believe. Its not really puttable yet, but it's mature enough to take traffic so we can play on it. It needs to thicken more but it has come a ways. I need to be applying more N!

@Tlox thank you!


----------



## DbShep

HoosierLawnGnome said:


> @DbShep I'm cutting at the same height, 3/8" I believe. Its not really puttable yet, but it's mature enough to take traffic so we can play on it. It needs to thicken more but it has come a ways. I need to be applying more N!
> 
> @Tlox thank you!


I keep reminding myself that the seed has only been down four months. So overall I am happy with the progress even though I made some mistakes that caused set backs along the way. Next will be getting it ready for winter! It was a great distraction from the madness of the world and what I needed though.


----------



## HoosierLawnGnome

DbShep said:


> HoosierLawnGnome said:
> 
> 
> 
> @DbShep I'm cutting at the same height, 3/8" I believe. Its not really puttable yet, but it's mature enough to take traffic so we can play on it. It needs to thicken more but it has come a ways. I need to be applying more N!
> 
> @Tlox thank you!
> 
> 
> 
> I keep reminding myself that the seed has only been down four months. So overall I am happy with the progress even though I made some mistakes that caused set backs along the way. Next will be getting it ready for winter! It was a great distraction from the madness of the world and what I needed though.
Click to expand...

Yours looks great!


----------



## g-man

@HoosierLawnGnome how are you managing to maintain the shape of the green with the reel mower? Mainly the cat ears?


----------



## Tlox

Castings are my nightmare right now too. I have tea seed oil fertilizer coming which should be a good remedy.


----------



## HoosierLawnGnome

Tlox said:


> Castings are my nightmare right now too. I have tea seed oil fertilizer coming which should be a good remedy.


I spent a lot of time in buffalo a few years back!

Can you get an insecticide? Cutworms must be a more nothern problem to deal with.

@g-man i just cut a few directions into them along the edge. I need to tighten uo the lines though.

Ironically, bigger greens may have been easier to deal with.

And, the DAP prill is still sitting on the turf, so that creates a fertilization challenge.


----------



## DbShep

Tlox said:


> Castings are my nightmare right now too. I have tea seed oil fertilizer coming which should be a good remedy.


I've heard the application rate is quite high which makes it hard to water in and creates a scenario where it cakes onto your rollers. I'd like to try it still but can't get it up here.


----------



## Kallgren

Looking very nice. My True Putt creeping bluegrass overseed isn't all that spectacular. I've been wrestling with areas where I have over-irrigated and areas where it is dry.


----------



## Tlox

DbShep said:


> Tlox said:
> 
> 
> 
> Castings are my nightmare right now too. I have tea seed oil fertilizer coming which should be a good remedy.
> 
> 
> 
> I've heard the application rate is quite high which makes it hard to water in and creates a scenario where it cakes onto your rollers. I'd like to try it still but can't get it up here.
Click to expand...

 The bag says 6-12 lbs per 1000 sf. Ill split the difference and go 9. Applying it tonight so we shall see how it goes.


----------



## Tlox

HoosierLawnGnome said:


> Tlox said:
> 
> 
> 
> Castings are my nightmare right now too. I have tea seed oil fertilizer coming which should be a good remedy.
> 
> 
> 
> I spent a lot of time in buffalo a few years back!
> 
> Can you get an insecticide? Cutworms must be a more nothern problem to deal with.
> 
> @g-man i just cut a few directions into them along the edge. I need to tighten uo the lines though.
> 
> Ironically, bigger greens may have been easier to deal with.
> 
> And, the DAP prill is still sitting on the turf, so that creates a fertilization challenge.
Click to expand...

For general old earthworm worm castings I havent read much that works from an insecticide. The tea seed oil is supposed to irritate their membrane and encourage them to vacate the premises. There used to be chemicals available but they have been taken off the market. I havent had much issue with cutworms yet.


----------



## DbShep

Tlox said:


> HoosierLawnGnome said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Tlox said:
> 
> 
> 
> Castings are my nightmare right now too. I have tea seed oil fertilizer coming which should be a good remedy.
> 
> 
> 
> I spent a lot of time in buffalo a few years back!
> 
> Can you get an insecticide? Cutworms must be a more nothern problem to deal with.
> 
> @g-man i just cut a few directions into them along the edge. I need to tighten uo the lines though.
> 
> Ironically, bigger greens may have been easier to deal with.
> 
> And, the DAP prill is still sitting on the turf, so that creates a fertilization challenge.
> 
> Click to expand...
> 
> For general old earthworm worm castings I havent read much that works from an insecticide. The tea seed oil is supposed to irritate their membrane and encourage them to vacate the premises. There used to be chemicals available but they have been taken off the market. I havent had much issue with cutworms yet.
Click to expand...

The liquid Sevin, (Carbaryl), worked great though I do want to start a cultural program to discourage them. I think they will be easier to manage when my thatch layer is thicker and there are no bare spots for them to pop up through.


----------



## fifthcircle

I'm new here.... So, HI! 😁 I love your approach to the home course! I might try to get at least one tee/fairway next year.

Can you point me in the direction of some useful turf management info for home bentgrass green maintenance?

We moved into our new house this summer. The previous owner has a killer backyard croquet pitch, that I'm pretty sure is bentgrass. Right at 2K²ft. I need to get it dialed in for next year, because he was watering it a TON, and was basically a soaked sponge of thatch. I've started by core aeration, removing the plugs, and adjusted watering down significantly. I've started adding in N, but it's late in the season now. We just had frosty grass this morning! (Nebraska)


----------



## HoosierLawnGnome

fifthcircle said:


> I'm new here.... So, HI! 😁 I love your approach to the home course! I might try to get at least one tee/fairway next year.
> 
> Can you point me in the direction of some useful turf management info for home bentgrass green maintenance?
> 
> We moved into our new house this summer. The previous owner has a killer backyard croquet pitch, that I'm pretty sure is bentgrass. Right at 2K²ft. I need to get it dialed in for next year, because he was watering it a TON, and was basically a soaked sponge of thatch. I've started by core aeration, removing the plugs, and adjusted watering down significantly. I've started adding in N, but it's late in the season now. We just had frosty grass this morning! (Nebraska)


There are several posts early in this thread with info on managing the bentgrass variety I have.

A croquet pitch is generally bentgrass, so it should be easy to convert to a golf green if so. Golf greens are generally mowed at shorter heights, but you'll still need the same general equipment.


----------



## HoosierLawnGnome

Havent posted in a while.

Top growth slowed, and I let the greens grow out to a few inches. I cut them down to a little over a half inch this week. Sprayed FAS.

No weeds really. They took a color hit but have filled in nicely.




The light spots in the KBG are from growing too long and getting scalped. Also a few clover spots I've treated.


----------



## SNOWBOB11

The greens have filled in well since your last update. Bluegrass is looking mint.


----------



## DbShep

Looks good! It has been 20 degrees Celcius for the past two days in my area. Last year we had 4" of snow. I mowed my lawn, green and approach and chipped around for an hour waiting for my kids to get off of the bus. It'll be time to put things to bed for the winter pretty soon.


----------



## HoosierLawnGnome

@SNOWBOB11 Thanks, yes, it really did fill in well. It sure didn't like the scalp job I did to that lopped off a few inches down to .5 haha, but I think it will be just fine come spring. Still a few thin areas, but letting it grow out helped overall.

It is not a golf course playable surface.

The KBG has done very well. I'm at 1 1/4"ish, and the grass really does well this time of year at that height. Ironically, the places where I haven't trimmed and its grown out have become rust diseased. If you'll recall, I always have to kill rust when they harvest the surrounding fields. This year I applied fungicide once in the late summer, and have just kept up with the mowing. I haven't fertilized as much as I'd planned either.

@DbShep Driest September on record here. Like .2" of rain compared to 3-4" normally, it was that bad. And then we had some heat. This week has been ideal - mid 70s, cool at night, so I spot sprayed winter weeds like clover and oxalis. 2 days later, they are toast.

I still have some trimming and edging to get caught up on. A bit behind really.


----------



## g-man

My two side yards that get shade from the neighbors house have rust right now. Too late in the season to do much about it.


----------



## HoosierLawnGnome

g-man said:


> My two side yards that get shade from the neighbors house have rust right now. Too late in the season to do much about it.


Yeah, i always get some every year too no matter what. This stuff is on blades that are very long and haven't been cut in a month.

10 sf of rust on over an over an acre? Meh, it'll die soon enough, not worth it. I'll trim that area back next time.

With my kids getting into HS sports and activities, I'm once again finding myself with less time to tackle tiny tasks like that too.

Cold snap coming will soon really shut things down faster.


----------



## HoosierLawnGnome

I've been crazy busy, so I haven't posted much out here, but the turf is going strong. The greens filled in nicely. I'm cutting them pretty high, and actually my 15 year old boy was chomping at the bit to cut them, so I showed him how. He cuts them 2-3X a week which is going to be ok for where I want them. You really should cut them lower and every day to get the real golf green experience.

My daughter made the gold team last fall.

End of season 2020:


Start of greenup 2021:


My son is hands down the best 15 year old greenskeeper in the US of frickin A


----------



## jnarlock_19

HoosierLawnGnome said:


> I've been crazy busy, so I haven't posted much out here, but the turf is going strong. The greens filled in nicely. I'm cutting them pretty high, and actually my 15 year old boy was chomping at the bit to cut them, so I showed him how. He cuts them 2-3X a week which is going to be ok for where I want them. You really should cut them lower and every day to get the real golf green experience.
> 
> My daughter made the gold team last fall.
> 
> End of season 2020:
> 
> 
> Start of greenup 2021:
> 
> 
> My son is hands down the best 15 year old greenskeeper in the US of frickin A


Hashing up this old post. How are those greens looking this year so far? Curious what it looks like, close to a year down!


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## HoosierLawnGnome

So, the golf course quality has taken a hit. I've been in graduate school for the last year. Beds got out of control. Had to let the lawn grow out because I couldn't cut it every other day and succeed as a father, husband, employee, and student first and foremost.

This spring I'm having the beds professionally redone. Weeded, mulched, edged, the whole nine yards. I graduate the end of July, so I hope I can jump back in to this hobby with fervor again.


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## HoosierLawnGnome

Started getting the greens back in shape end of last month. Wow. I have a lot of work to do!

One green in particular is heavily matted. Lots of stolons and what not.


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## Ben4Birdies

How did your fall season turn out this year?


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