# eric1104's Lawn Journal



## eric1104 (Oct 13, 2020)

Hey TLF,

I've enjoyed browsing others' lawn journals and thought I would start my own to document my progress. For a little background, my old lawn was about 6.3k sq. ft. in the Chicago suburbs. I would say that it was a Tier 2 lawn. I did a TTTF reno after fixing drainage issues in the back yard, but left the front as is. This was all before my discovery of TLF. I actually relied on my experience as a kid and used my dad's practices (pre-M, milorganite and post-emergent weed control, but that's about it). It didn't have irrigation, so I was limited in what I could do. I maintained with a Honda HRX, Stihl FS 56R string trimmer, and Stihl BG 56CE blower. Here are a few pictures of the lawn, albeit not great ones:









We've since moved to Michigan and our new house has a much larger lawn (21k sq. ft.), is irrigated, and was looking great in the fall when we first toured the house. In my research trying to educate myself on how to maintain a larger lawn, I came across TLF and have really learned a ton since joining. Here's a couple photos of the lawn when we toured the house in late Sept. 2020:





A little about the yard.... It appears to be a no-mix, but I think it's mostly KBG. I will know more as I have a chance to walk the yard more (we moved in this Jan, and there's been snow on the ground for 90% of the time we've been in the house). There are slopes as well and I will need to adjust to that. We've had an invisible fence put in that still needs to be buried, so hopefully that doesn't cause too much damage. There was also a good amount of snow mold (pink from what I could tell). I didn't take any before pictures, but raked the front with a metal rake and used the blower on affected areas in the back. It doesn't look great right now:

Front: 




Back:






Here's what I found regarding my soil:



*Mower*
I knew that my little Honda would do the job, but would take more time than I have with 2 little ones, so a mower upgrade was first on my list. Needless to say TLF gave me the reel low bug. I seriously looked into a triplex and had asked some questions on the forum (thanks @Pete1313!). I looked for several months, and felt that it was just too much $ for a lower hour unit, and, perhaps more importantly, I wasn't sure how much time I'd be able to dedicate to maintenance with my job and young kids. A walk behind reel was out of the question for me with time being at a premium, so I started looking at rotaries. I spent a lot of time researching and talking to people with commercial/ZTR mowing experience, and decided that I was going to look for a used Exmark walk-behind or stand-on (got some inspiration from @ericgautier). Mostly settled upon the brand because of the cut quality and build quality. I looked for quite some time, and just picked up a 52" Staris (stand-on) with low hours this past week. Pics to follow once it's delivered!

I was recently shown the All-American Sharpener and I picked up one of those as well to keep my blades sharp. I did a decent job before, but I was using a bench grinder and was never happy with the consistency.

*Other OPE*
After we sold the old house, and before we moved into the new one, we were staying at a house that had a ton of trees and a large lot. Since I had volunteered to do the leaves at that house, I quickly realized I needed something a bit more powerful. So I now have a BR 800 CE Magnum. The thing is a beast, and although a little expensive, totally worth the money in the time it saved me in just one season.

I am going to keep the string trimmer for now, I think it should get the job done on the larger lot. I've toyed with the idea of the landscape blade many here use, but don't know if I need it at my planned HOC. We will see.

*Spreader*
I read with interest the Lesco 80lb Spreader/Spreader Mate thread and the TeeJet threads (thanks @Ware!). One of my goals transitioning to a larger lawn was to avoid scaling my costs/inputs linearly. I also wanted to step up my game, so this just seemed like the logical option. I've replaced the tips with the red ones, and have AIXRs, XRs and Turbos on hand for different applications.





*Irrigation*
It's a 12 zone system with original RainBird controller. The best part, is that there is a well dedicated to the irrigation system. I don't know much else, since I haven't found most of the heads. I bought a Rachio 3 and plan to install shortly after startup. I'd like to dial in my irrigation, and plan to calibrate each zone and replace/repair heads as necessary.

I've spent a good amount of time reading the ETo thread and have started using the spreadsheet (thanks @g-man !). When pulling cores for my soil sample a few days ago, I did notice sand about 5-6 inches down, but the soil in the top 4 inches looked good and had nice texture. We will see what I'm working with once I get the results from Waypoint. I did notice that the root depth was not what I had expected - only a couple inches in spots. I will look into this further as I spend some more time on the lawn. Based on my soil type (still unsure about which I have) and an assumed root depth of 4-6 inches, I calculated these numbers regarding how much water my soil can hold.



Based on the cores, I would say my average root depth across the entire yard is closer to 4 inches. Again, I will re-evaluate this assumption. I ordered a texture analysis of the soil sample I just sent in, so that will help refine this as well. I would guess based on appearance it's closer to fine sandy loam. What I am still struggling with... WRT the goal of watering when a 50% deficit is hit, and if I truly have a lower capacity (let's say 0.32 in), am I only going to water 0.16 in at a time? That doesn't seem right, but then again, I've never lived in a place with sandy soil.

*Game Plan*
I am going to play around with HOC with the new mower and the slopes. I would like to target a lower HOC for a rotary, if possible. 2.5" will be my initial target and then I'll go from there.

Based on some threads and lawn journals here (thanks @Mightyquinn! and others), I've come up with a plan for spraying. I am going to apply a split app of prodiamine (65 WDG) here pretty soon. My goal for the year was to utilize urea as my N source and apply lower amounts every couple weeks along with Main Event for iron. Was thinking of targeting 0.2 lbs N/M and 0.1 oz Fe/M every 2 weeks. I also plan to apply PGR (T-Nex) once I am feeling good about the health of the lawn. Less for cutting back on mowing, and more for the other benefits (increasing density, building root mass). Regarding spring N application, I haven't totally made up my mind for May - I've read here that the target is 1 lb N/M. I was considering applying a granular, like Carbon-X to help get more pounds on the ground.

I think that's about all. Will have some updates as the new mower arrives, irrigation gets up and running, and fence is buried. Looking forward to any input on the game plan and participating in this great community.


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## Ware (Jan 28, 2017)

Great write-up!


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## eric1104 (Oct 13, 2020)

Ware said:


> Great write-up!


Thanks!


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## jskierko (Sep 5, 2020)

Very nice property and landscaping! Would be a fun, albeit challenging, one to maintain.


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## eric1104 (Oct 13, 2020)

jskierko said:


> Very nice property and landscaping! Would be a fun, albeit challenging, one to maintain.


Thanks - I'm looking forward to it!


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## ericgautier (Apr 22, 2017)

Looking forward to your Journal!


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## eric1104 (Oct 13, 2020)

I just received my soil test results from Waypoint and wanted to post for those who are interested. I was very impressed with Waypoint's customer service and turn around time. I do plan to use them again.

I will need to do some research before fully understanding how these values will impact my game-plan for the year. Some initial thoughts:


Surprised by how low K values are (maybe add potassium sulfate and increase both K and S levels?)

Pleased with textural analysis and overall level of organic matter given that I had been concerned about it being too sandy

Wondering about soil pH and lower sulfur levels - maybe should look into AS as my nitrogen source vs. urea

Will need to look into high boron further

Anyway - I would appreciate any input at this stage!


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## eric1104 (Oct 13, 2020)

ericgautier said:


> Looking forward to your Journal!


Thanks! Your quality of cut is what set me down the exmark path.


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## eric1104 (Oct 13, 2020)

After re-reading @Ridgerunner's original soil test thread and the soil remediation guidelines, I think I have a plan. I will aim to increase P and K using sulfate content fertilizers to help address S levels (including working in some ammonium sulfate in addition to urea). This turns out to be basically what Waypoint recommends, but it was nice to confirm this myself.

P: 
current level = 28 ppm
target level = 35-40 ppm
estimated growing season depletion = 3 ppm

*1.5 lbs/M P2O5 *= 13.5 ppm theoretical soil P increase --> should get me to ~38 ppm

Plan to use TSP. Applications spread throughout the season.​
K: 
current level = 57 ppm
target level = 100-125 ppm
estimated growing season depletion = 13 ppm

*3.5 lbs/M K2O *= 63 ppm theoretical soil P increase --> should get me to ~105 ppm

Plan to use SOP as long as I can source it locally. Applications spread throughout the season.​
Due to the pH of the soil, I am going to assume that the iron in the soil is not available to the plant and will stick to my initial plan of foliar applications.

Regarding the measured boron levels, my assumption is that my irrigation water is high in B. Based on my understanding of the ground water in this area (and iron staining), my water likely provides a good amount of Ca and Fe. I'm not sure how water hardness and residual alkalinity of the irrigation water translate to soil conditions, but I suspect it would take a lot of elemental sulfur to reduce the pH of my soil. Therefore, I'm leaning toward leaving that alone this year and hoping the other S sources are sufficient to raise the level somewhat.


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## Ridgerunner (May 16, 2017)

I'm confused by your calculated seasonal depletion rates for P and K. Are you planning to apply only one pound of N/M for the entire season? For every pound of N applied to cool season turf, the turf is predicted to remove (give or take) about 3 ppm of P and 9ish ppm of K.


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## g-man (Jun 15, 2017)

With out pH being 7.6, assume the P using M3 is slight under extracted. Target 50-60ppm. Try to mulch mow to keep the P and K back in your soil.


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## eric1104 (Oct 13, 2020)

Ridgerunner said:


> I'm confused by your calculated seasonal depletion rates for P and K. Are you planning to apply only one pound of N/M for the entire season? For every pound of N applied to cool season turf, the turf is predicted to remove (give or take) about 3 ppm of P and 9ish ppm of K.


Thanks for taking a look at my numbers. I used the values (perhaps incorrectly) from one of the tabs in g-man's spreadsheet. I did notice that the "returned clippings" variable greatly impacts the output. For example, if I select not to return clippings, the removed from soil values increase to 63 ppm K and 16 ppm P. Here's a screenshot of the table:


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## eric1104 (Oct 13, 2020)

g-man said:


> With out pH being 7.6, assume the P using M3 is slight under extracted. Target 50-60ppm. Try to mulch mow to keep the P and K back in your soil.


Thanks for the input. I had worried about the pH being on the upper end of this method. Would I assume it's already somewhere in the mid 30 ppm range?

My mower is side discharge, but I do not plan on bagging at all.


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## eric1104 (Oct 13, 2020)

Updated calculations for P and K application based on feedback. For these calcs I am assuming 4lbs N/M.

P:
current level = 28 ppm (maybe higher?)
target level = *50-60 ppm*
estimated growing season depletion = *12 ppm*

*4.3 lbs/M P2O5 = 39 ppm theoretical soil P increase --> should get me to ~55 ppm*

Plan to use TSP. Applications spread throughout the season.

4.3 lbs/M P2O5 x 21 M = 90.3 lbs P2O5
90.3 lbs P2O5 = 196.3 lbs TSP (0-46-0)for season or 1.8 lb/M/month May-Sept​
K:
current level = 57 ppm
target level = 100-125 ppm
estimated growing season depletion = *36 ppm*

*5 lbs/M K2O = 90 ppm theoretical soil P increase --> should get me to ~111 ppm*

Plan to use SOP as long as I can source it locally. Applications spread throughout the season.

5lbs/M K2O x 21 M = 105 lbs K2O
105 lbs K2O = 210 lbs SOP (0-0-50) for season or 2 lbs/M/ month April-August​


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## eric1104 (Oct 13, 2020)

Applied a split application of prodiamine 65 WDG at 5 grams/M yesterday. Perhaps a little early, but we've had warm temps for a few days (greencast is showing 24h averages in the mid 50s, 3 day average is 45F). Also, there is light rain in the forecast that over a few days should total close to 0.5 in. that should water it in for me.


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## eric1104 (Oct 13, 2020)

A lot of action on the lawn this past week... Had the irrigation turned on so I could get the heads marked for the Invisible Fence bury, had utilities marked, took delivery of the new mower, and sourced some products for the year.

I had the company that had serviced the system in the past to come out and open it up for me since there were some parts of the system that did not look familiar to me. A couple of heads have been flagged for replacement, and I'll get to those soon. The real bummer was the valve for zone 2 wouldn't close, and he didn't have time to repair that day, so the system had to be shut back down until he has time to come back. I was able to replace the old controller with a Rachio 3.





The fence was buried Friday, and I thought the guy did a nice job not tearing up the yard given that it had rained overnight. Here's an example of what the cut looks like:



The mower finally arrived. I spent some time cleaning it up, checking it over, and learning the machine. It's a 2019 Exmark Staris with the Kohler Command Pro EFI engine option. It has 260 hrs on it, and is in pretty good shape overall. I did get a full 4yr warranty from the dealer, the oil and hydro fluid were replaced, everything was greased, and checked before delivery. They put on a new set of blades as well. The drive tires appear to have lots of tread life left on them.

I spent some time on Saturday practicing operating it. I had driven sit-on zero turns before, but it had been a while, and I'd never operated a stand on unit. I wasn't so great at first, but after about 10 minutes I got the hang of it. As I built some confidence, I was able to take on the steeper slopes in the yard. The machine seemed to handle them with ease.





It was a bit difficult to find all of the materials I anticipate needing for the season. After spending a couple hours in the car and visiting multiple feed/seed stores, I was able to get 2 50lb bags of SOP, 4 50lb bags of TSP, some KBG seed, and a few bags of urea. I wasn't able to source spray grade ammonium sulfate. I sourced 7 3lb bags of Main Event (10% iron), and some T-Nex PGR (1 gal) online. I should be good for the time being, but I'll keep looking for more SOP and AS. I stopped over to SiteOne today and picked up 3, 50lb bags of elemental sulfur. I've changed my mind and plan to put some down on the lawn shortly. I also have a rhododendron that would probably benefit from a drop in pH.











Finally, I spent some time uncovering the bed edging that looked like it had been let go for a few years. Mostly this was pulling out some grass that had grown into the beds a couple inches. However, there were two areas where the pachysandra had really encroached into the lawn. It took me way more time and effort than anticipated. Here is the worst area. I will seed this spot and the other.


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## eric1104 (Oct 13, 2020)

With the nice weather this weekend I was able to spend some time outdoors. The lawn is starting to come to life with recent warm weather and rain. I applied several granular products - some SOP (0-0-50 @ 2lbs/M; setting 13 on spreader), elemental S (5lbs/M; setting 18 was close, but I'd bump up slightly next time), gypsum along the road (approx 20lbs/M; multiple passes at setting 16 until product was used up), and I did a light (0.15 lbs N/M) foliar urea app. The spray app was mostly for me to try out the sprayer and work on my technique. But also to help push through snow mold damage.

Thanks to a suggestion from a fellow TLF member from Michigan, I was able to source spray grade AS nearby and grabbed enough for the season. I also purchased some Grub-Ex and plan to put that down early May. It was a lot of running around to get everything, but I should be set for the season and now I know where to look next year.

On the equipment side, I picked up an OCDC for the Exmark and plan to put that onto the mower sometime this week. The lawn will probably need a cut by this weekend. I also pulled the trigger on the Idech rotary scissors. I plan to put on the end of my Stihl FS56 trimmer for now and see how that goes. Should arrive later this week.

A few items on my to-do list to kick off the season:

Fix valve for zone 2

Replace 2 heads along driveway

Finish irrigation setup and calibrate

Replace transformer for landscape lighting w/ z-wave controller (more info on this to follow)

Mulch landscape beds


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## eric1104 (Oct 13, 2020)

Was hoping that some of the lighter areas were not poa. It's become clear in the past week that they are. Pulled some today, and will continue pulling. Trouble is, they aren't mixed in and I'd be pulling up fairly large area. What to do? Wait until later in the season, apply tenacity and dig out? Or apply some now and see what I'm dealing with? I've read @TheSwede and @g-man method of low rate tenacity + PGR, so may try that in the fall.

From these photos, it's fairly easy to pick out the poa (worst in second area). It has crept along the side and into the low area in the front, but nothing major. Will dig those areas this spring, I think. Ugh.


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## eric1104 (Oct 13, 2020)

Applied 2.3 lbs/M of TSP (full 50 lb bag) and Grub-Ex on 4/9. After reading more about how chlorantraniliprole needs more time to work down into the soil, I decided to apply earlier than planned.

I also applied another 0.15 lbs N/M or urea and tank mixed in 1 oz/M of Main Event. I applied early in the morning and the dew really helped my spacing. Will be doing this when possible going forward. The iron is noticeable and I plan to continue this dose every couple weeks.



First mow was pretty good, but there were some areas scalped due to low spots and some problematic roots. I removed some raised roots that I hit with the mower blade  ...will need to check the blades and probably sharpen before the next mow. Dug up a couple low spots and added some native soil to raise. Used some sand in a couple more minor areas. Mower after the job was done...gotta work on cleaning up the stripes.



Good news on the irrigation - zone 2 is working fine now and there's no need to replace. Replaced two heads in zone 12 along the north side of the driveway, one rotor in zone 3 that was not engaging, and adjusted the 4 rotors along the road (zone 1). I'm going to do an audit once the ground dries out a bit from the rain we've had and then leave it alone and observe things for a bit.

The rotary scissors came and I installed on my Stihl FS-56 trimmer. Super easy install and plenty of power. These things are sweet! :thumbup:

Finally, I repainted the address letters on the mailbox and re-plumbed the post. Took the Invisible fence sign off the stake they installed and screwed it to the post, so I didn't have a space between the two where I couldn't get the trimmer in. All of the training flags come out in 9 days. Can't wait.

Current status of the yard here. Getting close to needing another cut.


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## eric1104 (Oct 13, 2020)

Cold couple days here and across the country. As I'm typing a light snow is falling. I cut again last Friday at 2.75", used the rotary scissors to trim and edged the walk, and applied 0.15 lbs N/M and 1 oz/M of Main Event on Sunday. Rain washed it off the following morning. The lawn is looking more uniformly green and I can tell the iron apps are working. Starting to feel pretty good about my spray application method, and will likely be increasing my N rate in the next application. Looking like it will need another mow soon. Will post some pictures when I do.

Started to get some seedlings popping up in the areas a threw down KBG seed after cutting back the pachysandra. Hopefully this weather didn't set me back too much in these areas.

Considering de-thatching certain areas where there is build up. I'd like to find a good deal on something used and have been keeping an eye out for a Stihl Yard Boss (MM-55, I believe) with the spring-tine attachment. I have a thatch rake, but it's a ton of work.

Sold my smaller hand-held Stihl blower and am picking up a Milwaukee m18 blower in the next few days. Now that I have the backpack blower, I only put the handheld through light use (drying the cars after washing, blowing off the deck, quick sidewalk cleanup, etc.). I also think my wife will actually use it for small things too, so that's a plus. I'm already invested in the m18 battery platform, so it's the logical choice. I will probably pick up the hedge trimmer later in the season as well when I need it, as my corded hedge trimmer is quite old and in need of replacement.


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## eric1104 (Oct 13, 2020)

Sunday - changed the blades on the mower, and leveled the deck (1/4" rake). The mower was delivered with the tires at 20 psi, and I prefer (and the manual suggests) 12 psi. I think this will help with stripes going forward. Greased the rotary scissors. Sprayed 0.25 lbs N/M and 1 oz/M Main Event. Contemplating my first PGR app, and will likely go with 0.35 oz/M rate at about a 294 GDD interval, and work up from there as needed. Would like to see some of the slower growing areas perk up a bit more before the first PGR app.

Monday - Some pics showing current status of the lawn. Some areas in the front that I manually dethatched this weekend are looking brown. It's pretty easy to see all of the problem areas that I will need to address, although the pics of the back are from the deck, and not all of the lighter areas look bad at eye level. Also, fairly easy to see the areas that are lagging behind.

Front: 






Back: 




Some KBG seedlings starting to pop. Forgot to mention I went with a True Blue KBG blend (equal parts Bewitched, Blueberry, and Brooklawn) from Turf Merchants.


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## eric1104 (Oct 13, 2020)

Pulled a bunch of Poa annua since my last post. I needed to even out the ring around the maple in the back yard, so I used some of the good grass to fill in the larger bare areas. I will be getting some mulch this weekend. It's clear that I will be battling poa for a while. The plan is to hold off on my second prodiamine application this spring/early summer, and save the remaining two applications for the fall (July and October). Bonus points if you can find the deer in the background.



Seeded areas where I trimmed back the pachysandra are looking better. 


It seemed to take forever for some of the areas in the yard to completely come out of dormancy. Now that I'm happy with the progress in these areas, I will be putting down my first PGR app soon. Last application (May 5), I doubled my rate of Main Event to 2 oz/M. Tank mixed with 0.2 lbs N/M urea. Very happy with the color at this rate. My natural pace must be slower, because I am using 25.5 gal of carrier on my 21,000 sq ft. This is 1.2 gal carrier/M, so I don't think it's an issue and will keep applying this way. I threw down another application of TSP and SOP as well.

Over the past few weeks we have also been enjoying the dogwood blooms. The red/pink one is my favorite.






Pictures of lawn after a cut this weekend.


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## eric1104 (Oct 13, 2020)

I've also decided, after receiving a few quotes, to do my own insect/mosquito control. With the woods on our property, I am most concerned about ticks and mosquitoes. The information on this forum was great for helping select products. I purchased Talstar-P, Cyzmic CS, Tekko Pro and Excite R to get me started. I also picked up an Stihl SR 200 backpack mister/sprayer.



First application (Talstar-P and Tekko Pro) went well and was very quick. I also used the mister to do a pass around the perimeter. All in, maybe 15-20 minutes. Seems like a no-brainer to DIY this as I will come out ahead financially before the end of the season and will be able to time applications around weather and events.


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## eric1104 (Oct 13, 2020)

I've since applied two spray applications 5/13 and 5/26 of PGR at 0.3 oz/M. I definitely noticed a color difference that I was not seeing just with iron or N. I could probably increase the rate, and maybe I will in the future, but I wanted to put this rate down again and observe the effect once more before making a change. GDD timing was a couple days early, but with rain and Memorial day plans, it was about as close as I could get to good timing.



Sprayed the perimeter and property using the blower for bugs and mosquitoes. This time I used Cyzmic CS and Tekko Pro, for no particular reason.

The lawn is looking nice, and some progress has been made on the seeded spots and areas where I am slowly battling poa. This grass seems to do nicely at a 2.5" bench HOC. Any shorter and I would see some scalping due to some areas of unevenness. It's very hard with my camera to capture the actual color except in certain lighting conditions. The 3rd picture is what it actually looks like in person.


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## mowww (Jan 16, 2018)

Looking very nice @eric1104 ! I think you'll love having a mosquito mister. It has been a life saver for me.


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## jskierko (Sep 5, 2020)

That looks awesome, nicely done!


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## eric1104 (Oct 13, 2020)

@mowww & @jskierko - Thanks guys!


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## eric1104 (Oct 13, 2020)

Seeing some fungal issues in the front yard. I posted over in the fungus ID thread, but I'll include here as well. My guess was dollar spot due to the hourglass shape you can see on several of the leafs. There are a few of these patches in my front lawn.











A closer look:







I also have what I believe to be rust issues, or leaf spot/melting.



Interestingly, the spots I have tentatively identified as dollar spot (above) look a lot like Fig. 28 in the NC State Extension page for leaf spot.


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## eric1104 (Oct 13, 2020)

I had a container of PPZ on hand and decided to apply this weekend. Used the whole container and the rate ended up being 1.3 oz/M. Concerned this rate may be low, but I will live with it for 14 days then apply something else. Applied along with AMS (0.2 lbs N/M) with the air induction nozzles, and immediately watered in. I also applied my monthly SOP and TSP granular and hit it with a shot of foliar iron (Main Event @ 2 oz/M) and N (0.1 lbs N/M from urea). Hopefully I can push some growth and get through this. Disease pressure will be fairly high the next few days with high temps and humidity. Based on GDD models, it looks like my next PGR app will be in a few days (6/11).

Doing some research, it's clear that the fungicide options for homeowners are very limited. At least for DS and LS, Daconil (Chlorothalonil) and Secure (fluazinam) would be good options and offer low risk of resistance. Not that I can't source them, but they are not labeled for home use. I think I'll go with Cleary's 3336F next. Not sure what after that, since Azoxy won't help my specific fungus issues.


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## g-man (Jun 15, 2017)

Xzemplar is a great option for DS.


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## Babameca (Jul 29, 2019)

Velista may be your 3rd rotation option, covering DS and Anthracnose as well as BP, IMO the 3 that are going to be at the front line every summer.


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## eric1104 (Oct 13, 2020)

Thanks @g-man and @Babameca - I appreciate the advice....looks like a group 7 is the way to go. I will shop around for pricing and apply that one next. If you guys don't mind, I have a few follow-up questions: 1) Should I apply Xzemplar/Velista at curative rate? 2) Do you think I should wait the full 14 days after the PPZ app (1.3 oz/M) or cut that interval shorter due to the lower rate and high disease pressure at the moment? 3) Because Xzemplar/Velista are listed as xylem-mobile systemics, I should apply similar to PPZ or azoxy by using a coarser spray and watering in?

I have considered allowing the lawn to come out of regulation and rebound to push through the disease before applying PGR again. I haven't been able to find much on this topic. What I've seen has more to do with allowing for rebound to carry turf into a football season with high wear conditions. Leaning against doing this since my lawn isn't that bad, but it's crossed my mind.


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## Babameca (Jul 29, 2019)

1.3oz is mid range rate. I would follow the label for rates/frequency. Fungus makes us panicking all. DS is a small problem IMO. Some would let it simply fade away with weather changes.
1. I would go at prev rate. You can always come back and apply sooner
2. If your problem gets worse, reset timing. If it does not invade further, hold up as per label for DS ate rate applied.
3. I water in Velista with 1/8 to 1/4 water after application. It goes up, but not down. That covers you for root damaging fungus too. If you ONLY target DS, do a foliar app. AI nozzles, even coarser, prove to deliver great foliar coverage by 'splashing' off the leaf surface. They are the new 'wind proof' all around nozzles.


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## eric1104 (Oct 13, 2020)

Babameca said:


> 1.3oz is mid range rate. I would follow the label for rates/frequency. Fungus makes us panicking all. DS is a small problem IMO. Some would let it simply fade away with weather changes.
> 1. I would go at prev rate. You can always come back and apply sooner
> 2. If your problem gets worse, reset timing. If it does not invade further, hold up as per label for DS ate rate applied.
> 3. I water in Velista with 1/8 to 1/4 water after application. It goes up, but not down. That covers you for root damaging fungus too. If you ONLY target DS, do a foliar app. AI nozzles, even coarser, prove to deliver great foliar coverage by 'splashing' off the leaf surface. They are the new 'wind proof' all around nozzles.


Thanks for the info and perspective re: DS being a relatively minor issue. Admittedly, I started to see it progress and panicked. I feel good now that I have ID'd the fungus, and understand what can happen and my control options (and have some on hand if I need to take action). Knowledge is power.


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## eric1104 (Oct 13, 2020)

Been a while since I've posted any updates. Regarding the dollar spot issue, I ended up buying some Velista, but never applied. I ended up waiting a week and felt like things were going to be fine. In retrospect, some areas may have been caused by deer urine, as I have more deer visiting my yard than I initially thought.

With the exception of some irrigation system troubles, things have been uneventful. We were at the lake over the week of July and I came home one day to mow, only to find a zone valve stuck open. I closed the shutoff valve, and was going to deal with it after vacation. After returning home the valve worked fine and has not given me issues since. The irrigation water from the well has a fair amount of iron, and all of the grass and plants (and brick/rocks) in the area were dark orange for quite a while after. I sprayed some Iron Out with success on walkway. Some other issues presented themselves, but thankfully only minor tweaks/repairs were necessary.

On cruise control with the lawn - in the routine of spraying approximately every 2 weeks with 0.1-0.15 lbs N/M form Urea, 1.5 oz/M Main Event, and 0.3 oz/M T-Nex. Applying about 2lbs/M of SOP and TSP each month. Letting the Rachio do it's thing, and only stepping in when necessary. Mowing about 2x/week, 2.5" HOC. I'm generally happy with how things are going.













I planted some spirea that seem to be doing well. A dwarf variety, so they shouldn't get too big.



Otherwise, just enjoying the summer and spending time with the family.


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## eric1104 (Oct 13, 2020)

Since last post, I've been keeping on top of my PGR apps, spoon feeding N and adding P and K according to my soil test results. Yesterday will probably mark my last PGR app of the year, perhaps last fert app as well.



My annual totals:



Overall, I've been really happy with the grass for most of the season. The last couple weeks have been incredibly wet and unseasonably warm, which is giving me some fungus issues on top of some mower damage. By far it's the worst the lawn has looked. I'm not totally sure what the fungus is, but I added some Velista to my tank mix yesterday to hopefully correct. Temps are forecasted to drop in the next few days and that should help and I hope it dries out too.

Here's the worst area and a close-up of a couple spots.







It's funny, because in the past my lawn has looked the best this time of year. It's not all bad though, here are some shots of the areas less affected. The color is off on these last 3 shots....not sure how to fix this, but in person, all of it looks like the first one.


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## g-man (Jun 15, 2017)

That has the gray look of PB.


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## eric1104 (Oct 13, 2020)

@g-man Crap... I was hoping that wasn't the case. I see PB isn't listed on the Velista label. Should I go at it with Azoxy at curative rate? Don't have any on hand, but can order and it get it down within a few days. As I mentioned, conditions will be changing. This is my 10-day:


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## jskierko (Sep 5, 2020)

I would definitely be putting azoxy down if I were in your situation. I would also be nixing the nitrogen application for the season, especially in areas that have high amounts of shade (which it looks like the area in question is by some mature trees). I had a similar problem pop up in my front yard last week, looked more like powdery mildew. The area in my yard faces due north and gets 1-2 hours of morning sun tops. When I looked back on it, it made sense as I was applying the same amounts of N to a fairly shady area as I was to areas with full sun. We had several days of rain and it never got a chance to fully dry out= recipe for disaster. If you want, in addition to the azoxy, you can try to manually aid in drying the turf out in the shadier areas by dragging a hose or rope over the grass to knock the dew off each morning.


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## Chris LI (Oct 26, 2018)

jskierko said:


> If you want, in addition to the azoxy, you can try to manually aid in drying the turf out in the shadier areas by dragging a hose or rope over the grass to knock the dew off each morning.


...just like whipping the greens!


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## eric1104 (Oct 13, 2020)

Thanks for the tips/input @jskierko! I ordered a gallon of azoxystrobin and will see when it arrives. So not sure if I will end up applying, but good to have on hand. Busy week ahead, and I've seen improvement with the stoppage of rain, lower temps/humidity, and (perhaps) Velista doing its work. I did use the hose to whip off dew with a spare hose in that area, which may have contributed as well.

Great point about the problem area being shaded. This being my first year spraying on this established turf, I am learning as I go and figuring out what works and what doesn't. I have another couple areas with some issues due to excess shade/moisture that I need to reassess for next season.

Strongly considering a preventative fungicide program for next season. Also thinking about how I might execute on a more localized program (fert and fungicide). Although this sounds like a lot more effort because that would mean splitting up my N and PGR/iron apps I presume.

Glad to have this rain (>3" in past 2 week, measurable rain 11/14 days) and temps/humidity in the rear view mirror.


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## eric1104 (Oct 13, 2020)

It appears spring is finally here in Michigan. Almost all the snow has melted off the lawn and it's time to kick off the 2022 season!

*2022 Game Plan Updates*
I learned a lot last year managing the lawn and yard for the first full season, and hope to build on my successes and failures this year for a better overall result. For the most part, my plan hasn't changed:

_Nutrients_

3 lbs N/M from urea for the season
Main event/FEature (~1.5 oz/M) and PGR (0.3 oz/M)
Elemental sulfur, P & K still TBD based on soil test results


I have a few bags of Main Event left from last year and a case of FEature. Very interested to see if I can tell a difference between the two products.​
_Insecticides_

Grub-Ex (chloranriliprole) @ label rate - 2 30lb bags for me early in the season
Mosquito treatment and perimeter spray (monthly)
0.8oz/gal Cyzmic CS and 1 oz/gal Tekko Pro​

_Fungicides_
The main change I plan to make is the addition of a preventative fungicide program. For a starting point, I had an unused gallon of azoxystrobin (group 11) I bought at the end of last season, and about 2/3 container of Velista (group 7) leftover from last year. To that I wanted to add 2 more MOAs, and settled on thiophanate-methyl (gourp 1) and propiconazole (group 3). My goals with this plan were 1) cost effective, and 2) minimal propiconozole (DMI) since I will be applying PGR.

Here's a picture of my notes:



And my proposed program, with dates:



I may adjust timing or MOAs to meet conditions/pressure throughout the year. Missing from the program is Velista. I may mix this into the rotation when dollar spot pressure is high. I was able to find a good price on a 2.5 gal container of Quali-Pro TM 4.5F ($169+ tax, free shipping).



In addition, I'm planning to use a azoxy/propi combo application 2x late in the season to help limit the snow mold damage I've observed this spring and last. I don't know exact numbers, but we had snow cover for the majority of the winter here.​
*Equipment Updates/Repairs: *

_Accelerator Bagger_
At the end of last season I ordered an accelerator bagger. It made quick work of removing leaves from the lawn as long as I didn't let them pile up. The aluminum construction makes it light enough to easily carry when full, and the hinged back panel allows for really quick emptying. I plan to use it for spring/fall cleanups or if there is a need to bag clippings for any reason.



​
_Trimmer_
Over the winter a found a Stihl Kombi (KM-91R) powerhead with string trimmer and brush cutter attachments for a great deal on FB marketplace. I scooped them up, cleaned up the powerhead and replaced the brush cutter with the rotary scissors. This will give me more power, and the ability to easily switch to the string trimmer. The string trimmer will be nice to have for certain areas of the property where the rotary scissors are not well suited.



​
_Pole Pruner_
To assist with trimming taller branches (more on this below), I picked up a Stihl PP-101 pole pruner. It's essentially pruning shears on a 7ft pole. I've been impressed with how lightweight and east to use this has been.

​
_Chainsaw_
Last fall I was shopping for a chainsaw to do some cleanup work. I wanted something smaller, but with adequate power. I narrowed it down to the Stihl MS 261 and Echo CS-501P both with 18" bar. As I always tend to do, I look around for a used version for a week or two before buying new. Someone was selling a fairly beat-up looking MS 260 Pro (old version of the MS 261) with 18" bar for $150. I had read that the pro saws are quite durable and couldn't resist the deal. I cleaned it up, replaced air and fuel filters, replaced the chain and clutch (although I could have probably just replaced the springs, my dealer had the assembly on hand, but had to order the springs), and now it's running incredibly well. Here's the before/after pics.







​
_Spreader_
At the end of last year, the spreader mechanism uncoupled from the axle on the Lesco. It was late enough in the season where I was only spraying, so I assigned the repair to winter. My local SiteOne was really helpful in helping to identify and order the part. It turned out to be the small pin (No. 20 in the diagram) and only cost me $0.28.

​
*Spring Work - Completed and Planned*

_Spring clean-up:_ raking debris, branch/stick pickup.

_Tree trimming: _
We have a nice apple tree in our front landscaping that has good foliage and a beautiful spring bloom (the tree in the front yard pics). Last year after the spring flush, there was a fungal disease evident. Leaves turned yellow with brown spots and the tree dropped these diseased leaves almost all season long. Not so much that the tree looked bad, but it was clearly struggling. I did some research, and the solution was to trim the tree for better airflow. I've started thinning out the tree and am pleased with how it looks so far. I will need to spend some more time with the pole pruner to complete the task.

I also plan to remove the lowest section of branches on the maple in the middle of the back yard (everything below the red line). I had trouble getting enough sunlight in that area last season, and trimmed a very large branch from the maple at the edge of the woods. That helped some, but I need to do more.



If this doesn't work, I may be removing the tree altogether at the end of this year or early next year.​
_Mulch:_
I skipped it last year because it wasn't in desperate need and I had a lot going on. It's overdue this year and I will be getting some quotes in the coming weeks.​
*Finally, here's the current state of the lawn:*

_Back Yard_









_Front Yard_


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## g-man (Jun 15, 2017)

What fungus are you trying to prevent in Michigan? I would be concern with using azoxy so early in the season since it promotes Dollar Spots.


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## eric1104 (Oct 13, 2020)

@g-man Last year I ran into dollar spot, leaf spot/melting out, and pythium blight.

I'm also concerned about using azoxy for that reason. I had considered combining with propi for the first application. Open to any and all advice on this.


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## eric1104 (Oct 13, 2020)

2022 soil test results arrived today:



Here's the 2021 result:



Looks like things are moving in the right direction. I was expecting K to increase more since I applied about 5 lbs/M K2O last season??


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## Wile (Sep 17, 2020)

Beautiful property and great to have another West Michigander journal to read! @g-man why does early azoxy promote DS? First I've heard of this.


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## g-man (Jun 15, 2017)

It comes from research and what golf course noticed. See page 16, top paragraph: http://www2.ca.uky.edu/agcomm/pubs/ppa/ppa1/ppa1.pdf


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## eric1104 (Oct 13, 2020)

Thanks @Wile! Had a read through your journal and will be following along this year. The collars/rough you have are awesome!

I posted an updated preventative fungicide plan on the fungicide thread in hopes of getting some feedback. Still thinking about how best to handle things.


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## Wile (Sep 17, 2020)

Thanks! The thread hasn't gotten much love on our questions. The only thing I think to consider is moving your azoxy apps to a time where it's warmer and wetter. Like 60-70 degrees and rainy. I noticed a couple of your apps overlap before 28 days. I think you could get more coverage in late fall. Are you doing the fall nitrogen blitz? That may change your app schedule a bit too. I focus on propi at that time to help as a pgr. Then, I'm planning to lay some azoxy when temps are favorable to brown patch for all the new tissue growth with blitz.


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## eric1104 (Oct 13, 2020)

Thanks for the input! Great thoughts about azoxy timing. The only reason I was trying to use it early was because of the melting out I experienced in some spots early last year. I think I'll just use the Velista for that.

I really like the idea of using propi when the rate of top growth is high to help limit over-regulation.


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## eric1104 (Oct 13, 2020)

Put down prodiamine on 4/5 along with a low rate of AMS and Main Event. Right before overnight rain to water in.


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