# Wintergreen Couch - Help please!



## AudiLover (Dec 8, 2019)

Hello fellow members! 

So I just recently moved into my newly built home on 28/11/19 and the builder had advised to keep watering the turf about 1-2hrs a day especially with the hot weather at the moment where I am which is around 38 degree days.

After the first week of doing so I felt like the turf was just dying. After several searches on the internet I can see others have stated that this is normal as it needs to establish its roots etc. But still to this day, some parts of the yard are still able to lifted up as if the roots haven't bonded to the ground yet. But some areas of the backyard where its getting shade is slightly getting green grass coming through.

After consistent watering every day since the day we moved in and had it laid, I'm worried as to whether it will bounce back. Several days ago I did put this nutrient stuff on top of the turf called "Garden Mate" from a local place call Earthlife.

I suppose the reason why I'm coming here for assistance is to see if someone can confirm all will be ok or are there actions to need to take?

This is what my current state of grass is today.







Any help would be appreciated as I don't want to lose my turf!


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## erdons (Apr 3, 2018)

Probably just dormant grass that won't do much rooting until you get warmer weather.


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## AudiLover (Dec 8, 2019)

erdons said:


> Probably just dormant grass that won't do much rooting until you get warmer weather.


We are just entering summer now and hot temperatures at the moment of high 30's. Would it still be dormant?


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## jakemauldin (Mar 26, 2019)

I assume that is 38 Celsius? Since you're in Australia. How long has it been that hot? When did they put the sod down?


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## AudiLover (Dec 8, 2019)

jakemauldin said:


> I assume that is 38 Celsius? Since you're in Australia. How long has it been that hot? When did they put the sod down?


Yes it has been that temp in celcius for about a week. I had it laid down on 28/11/19 and been watering like crazy. Some patches if i get really close to it i can see like a single blade of green grass coming through but i'm not sure if the whole patch will follow?


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## dfw_pilot (Jan 28, 2017)

erdons said:


> Probably just dormant grass that won't do much rooting until you get warmer weather.


The OP is in the southern hemisphere, so the seasons run opposite to those in north America. Also, the term '_rooting_' has a different meaning down in Oz,


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## erdons (Apr 3, 2018)

Lol I just read this whole thread and realized he is in Australia... lol


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## erdons (Apr 3, 2018)

I do notice where you lifted that piece of sod it looks like you've got tons of rocks. Might not be the best place for the sod to grab onto, curious if it's like that all over..


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## AudiLover (Dec 8, 2019)

erdons said:


> I do notice where you lifted that piece of sod it looks like you've got tons of rocks. Might not be the best place for the sod to grab onto, curious if it's like that all over..


I honestly thought it was top soil as much as I know nothing about soil.


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## Redtwin (Feb 9, 2019)

If you are seeing some green blades popping up, just keep doing what you are doing. It may take more than a week of high temps for it to take off. I'm assuming couch is the same as Bermuda, right?


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## Kicker (Apr 5, 2018)

my concern would be why is the sod brown to begin with? Since you're on the spring/summer time frame that sod should be green and thriving if it was freshly taken from a sod farm.


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## Redtwin (Feb 9, 2019)

Oooohhh.... good point @Kicker! I was thinking maybe it as cut and put down while dormant.


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## Spammage (Apr 30, 2017)

@AudiLover you didn't by chance put down a root pruning pre-emergent herbicide before the sod was laid did you?


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## AudiLover (Dec 8, 2019)

Redtwin said:


> If you are seeing some green blades popping up, just keep doing what you are doing. It may take more than a week of high temps for it to take off. I'm assuming couch is the same as Bermuda, right?


Yeah there are patches of slight green blades coming through. I think someone did say Bermuda was the same as Couch but never heard of it.


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## AudiLover (Dec 8, 2019)

Kicker said:


> my concern would be why is the sod brown to begin with? Since you're on the spring/summer time frame that sod should be green and thriving if it was freshly taken from a sod farm.


When it was laid down it was green to begin with and it was a hot day. We have had hot days since it has been laid sadly.


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## AudiLover (Dec 8, 2019)

Spammage said:


> @AudiLover you didn't by chance put down a root pruning pre-emergent herbicide before the sod was laid did you?


All i know is that the land was prepped before i moved in and on the day we arrived, the turf got laid the same day. I done nothing to the turf apart from water. As the grass began to fade away, I sprinkled a massive bag of "Garden Mate" on there and it appears to be bouncing back but only in sections.

This is the product here:
https://landscapesuppliestoowoomba.com.au/images/stories/products/Earth_Life/Garden%20Mate%20Info%20Sheet.pdf


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## TN Hawkeye (May 7, 2018)

You may want to look at your water application. If I zoom in on one of the pictures I see a rainbow type sprinkler. Those do not put down very much water and it is very affected by wind. You say you are running an hour or two. Do you know how much water is going down in that time? An hour with that sprinkler is very different than an hour with other sprinklers. You may want to put out some small flat sided containers (called the tuna can test) to see how much water is going down. Especially if you are in a hot drought water is incredibly important.


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## LoCutt (Jul 29, 2019)

If you installed a warm-season grass in the spring/summer, this grass should be green. Perhaps the pallets of grass were not installed until the sod dried out. Irrigation can be very difficult with the contour of your ground (slope) since you get a lot of runoff.

There is a device which is tubular and is stuck in the ground. It is connected to a water source and has feeder holes. I believe this device is made for watering tree root systems, but it might help your thirsty turf. Some of these devices have a "fertilizer container" where various types of "tablets" can be placed so that the water injection carries the nutrients into the soil without runoff.

Once your grass greens up, it will probably absorb the irrigation water better than it does in such a dry state.

Good luck.


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## RDZed (Jul 13, 2018)

@AudiLover,Couple things mate...

38C is 100F and thats HOT af to establish any sodded turf. Under the circumstances, there is still a lot of green under that dried out bit on the top layer. You are probably watering just enough to sustain what you currently have. The rhizomes in the lifted pic are still fat, moist and trying to spread.

Instead of watering 1-2 hours a day one time, you need to buy a cheap hose bib timer (Orbit) and a second oscillating sprinkler/hose/Y-2 way bib splitter and water that area 4-5 times a day in 10-15 min intervals versus a single drenching. Say 10 min at 9am, 10 min at noon, 15 min at 2pm, 15 min at 430-5pm and even 15 min again at 7pm. That way youre doing double duty, keeping what you have moist AND cooling off the sod during high heat times of day.

Turn both oscillating sprinklers perpendicular to the one in the photo. You'll need max water where the drive and sidewalk are because the concrete wicks water fast. Make sure there is ample overspray hitting both concreted areas.

Your sod is not dead. Its gone into heat/drought induced dormancy. You need to break that. Watering more frequently throughout the day will break that dormancy. If you dont, you will continue to retain what you currently have and in periods of dry/hot temps, it will eventually fail.

GL.

Edit: Once you start to see green coming up through the burned bits, hit it with a good Starter Fertilizer, 10-10-10, if available. DO NOT do it now though. You need root/soil contact. Do it when you see progress in lateral growth.

Post pics in a few weeks.


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## RDZed (Jul 13, 2018)

DM me and I'll walk you through it a bit more.


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## AudiLover (Dec 8, 2019)

RDZed said:


> DM me and I'll walk you through it a bit more.


I have emailed you, I hope it finds you


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