# GIJoe4500's Failed Reno 2018 Attempt at Recovery



## gijoe4500 (Mar 17, 2017)

Short story long...

I had a decent looking common bermuda backyard that I was mowing around 0.5"-0.75". Front yard was trash looking with a mix of bermuda, St. Augustine, and weeds. Decided I wanted to nuke everything and put down some Emerald Zoysia sod. Six pallets of sod (in Texas in June), and a couple back breaking days later, I had it all down. Everything was looking good, had a decent watering scheduled planned, etc. Piss poor planning on my part though. About 1 week after I got it all down, I had a vacation planned. Was going to be out of town for 2 weeks. Neighbor lady agreed to water for me. She had just put down sod herself about 6 weeks before I did, and knew the importance of watering.

During my vacation, we hit some record high temps in my area. I wasn't too worried though, because it was getting watered (or so I thought). It turns out that she didn't have the time to water as much as we had discussed, and the backyard was completely ignored. The front was only getting watered once every other day. Most of the sod dried out and died. This bugged me, because I had basically thrown away $1500 at this point. I ignored my lawns, barely watered, and let the weeds take over.

So that leaves me where I am today. A patchy emerald zoysia front lawn, and I have no clue what I'll be dealing with in the back just yet. I can still lift the old sod squares up in the back, so nothing ever even started to root.

The "plan".

1. Put down some fertilizer. I'm thinking some fast acting nitrogen, just to see what will pop up. Then, in a couple weeks, some slow release.

2. Start meticulously maintaining the zoysia I do have, to encourage strong growth for future pro-plugger use to spread it throughout the front. I know zoysia spreads slow, but I do have time. I don't want to just throw money at it again.

3. Once I see what I have going on in the backyard, use any zoysia I do have back there, to plug the more bare spots in the front.

4. Reseed with common bermuda in the back, or possibly get a single pallet of some hybrid bermuda, and create plugs with that, to try to get that 1 pallet to eventually fill in the 1200ish sq ft.

tl;dr: Killed off decent looking common bermuda, failed a zoysia sod install, yard looks like trash, developed an attack plan going forward.

If anyone actually read all this, advise is definitely appreciated!


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## gijoe4500 (Mar 17, 2017)

And I'll snap some pictures this evening of what I'm working with.


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## Movingshrub (Jun 12, 2017)

Upside, if you need to bury your neighbor in you backyard, no one would be surprised to see new sod in the back yard.

What's the sqft of the 'good' zoysia and what's the sqft for the area that's toast?

I think you're looking at sprigs, plugs, or resodding.


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## gijoe4500 (Mar 17, 2017)

Movingshrub said:


> Upside, if you need to bury your neighbor in you backyard, no one would be surprised to see new sod in the back yard.
> 
> What's the sqft of the 'good' zoysia and what's the sqft for the area that's toast?
> 
> I think you're looking at sprigs, plugs, or resodding.


Its hard to say right now. I'd probably guess around 60-70% coverage of "good" zoysia. And plugs are definitely going to be in play. Just pulling those plugs from the better part of the lawn..


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## gijoe4500 (Mar 17, 2017)

Ordered a pro-plugger from Amazon. It'll be here Saturday. I am going to skip out on any pre-m this year, because I will be moving soil around a ton anyhow. I'll just attack any weeds as needed around May with some Celcius, as needed.


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## gijoe4500 (Mar 17, 2017)

Here are the sad sad pics. Backyard is total failure. I think I am going to get a single pallet of celebration, and checkerboard or put it in rows or something. Will keep cost down, but give me bermuda to hopefully fill in most of the yard by the end of the season.

The front, I am going to throw some fertilizer down on, to encourage a bit of green up, and see what all is there. Then hit the weeds with Celsius. My pro plugger arrives this weekend, and will be put to use pulling plugs from the better areas to move to the crappy areas. Probably 6" spacing starting at the edge of the "good" working through the bad. I doubt I'll get 100% coverage this year, but I hopefully can make SOME progress.


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## gijoe4500 (Mar 17, 2017)




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## TC2 (Sep 15, 2017)

Interested to know how it goes with the proplugger. I've got a reno in mind that would require minimal prep work and cost but would involve planting around 6,000 plugs so plugging performance would be make or break!


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## gijoe4500 (Mar 17, 2017)

TC2 said:


> Interested to know how it goes with the proplugger. I've got a reno in mind that would require minimal prep work and cost but would involve planting around 6,000 plugs so plugging performance would be make or break!


I moved a couple plugs yesterday, just to try it out. Sucker works fantastic. Just need to see how the plugs take now. And only time will tell that. I'll keep this post updated on that.


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## gijoe4500 (Mar 17, 2017)

Picked up some dithiopyr at Home Depot. Between that, and some Celsius, it should get the weeds back under control. I've started calling around for prices on celebration as well for the back. What's the "better" pattern if I am laying out a 450sq ft pallet, to spread into a 1200 sq ft lawn? Check board? Full rows with gaps between?

Is there a better?


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## Topcat (Mar 21, 2017)

gijoe4500 said:


> Picked up some dithiopyr at Home Depot. Between that, and some Celsius, it should get the weeds back under control. I've started calling around for prices on celebration as well for the back. What's the "better" pattern if I am laying out a 450sq ft pallet, to spread into a 1200 sq ft lawn? Check board? Full rows with gaps between?
> 
> Is there a better?


If I were doing a sod install I'd avoid gaps like the plague. So I'd get enough sod to fill the entire space with no gaps. The Bermuda will certainly fill the gaps. But Gaps will lead to a bumpy lawn which will require a lot of leveling to get rid of.


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## gijoe4500 (Mar 17, 2017)

Unfortunately, I don't have the cash to resod the whole thing. But I will do my best with some shovel work to keep it all as level as possible.


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## Colonel K0rn (Jul 4, 2017)

Don't feel bad about the condition of your yard. My neighbors have green yards, which is carpet grass, and centipede. But then again, there's a bermuda yard that I keep an eye on that had beautiful color last year and the golf course in town that I've been gauging my yard against. We had snow for the first time in 8 years, and today's high was 65°F. There are some pretty large brown patches in my yard that aren't covered by poa, with more and more of the Royal Bengal bermuda that I planted last late summer that is waking up. The bermuda by my pool has had to been mowed twice already, which I'm pretty sure is Common.

I'm hoping that I gave the newly planted seed enough time to store up enough carbs for the winter, which was unseasonably cold.

Here's the interesting thing though; the back yard where I have had to mow is the only area that I treated with PGR, and it survived the winter and my dogs very well. Other areas that have spots have done well also. I'm certain that those areas that had increased root development spurred on by the PGR aided in the growth, and survivability. The front... well I'm optimistic. I see more green every day. I'm just holding out for a few more weeks, and then I'll have to reassess whether or not I'll give it another go next year, and just let whatever survived go as best as it can. The nice thing about the seed is that it's inexpensive, and a heck of a lot cheaper than sod. You should seriously consider seeding it with a cultivar that you want.


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## gijoe4500 (Mar 17, 2017)

@Colonel K0rn they don't make seed for any cultivar that I would want, unfortunately. It's all hybrids that are sterile.


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## Movingshrub (Jun 12, 2017)

@gijoe4500 what cultivars are you considering?


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## gijoe4500 (Mar 17, 2017)

Movingshrub said:


> @gijoe4500 what cultivars are you considering?


Celebration bermuda. And I have more time than money. So its not a big deal for me to dig out spots to drop the sod into, to keep it all fairly level with everything else. I had sodded the whole thing last june, and that sod died from massive amounts of heat, and under watering while I was out of town for 2 weeks. So i "might" be able to easily dig out the old sod where I want to drop in the new stuff, and keep it all level fairly easily. Then, I can work on a combination of the sod spreading, and using a pro plugger, to get the celebration to spread over the next 2 years.


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## Movingshrub (Jun 12, 2017)

You may want to *really* consider stolonizing/sprigging. It's much more economical. It won't lead to that uneven up/down situation you're going to run into if you lay sod in stripes or a pattern. The catch is - it has to stay wet. However, if you've not in a hurry, it's a significantly better deal than laying sod.

Also, I'm hoping others are going to chime in - Do you still want to put down pre-em if you're about to put down sod? Won't that impair rooting for new turf?


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## Ware (Jan 28, 2017)

Movingshrub said:


> ...Also, I'm hoping others are going to chime in - Do you still want to put down pre-em if you're about to put down sod? Won't that impair rooting for new turf?


From another Dithiopyr label:

_Before making the first application of Quali-Pro Dithiopyr 40 WSB, ensure that turfgrasses have developed a good root system and a uniform stand, and have been mowed at least two times following seeding, sodding, or sprigging. Turf injury may result if Quali-Pro Dithiopyr 40 WSB is applied to turf that is not well-established, or has been weakened by weather-, pest-, disease-, chemical-, mechanical or other factors which lead to turf stress._​


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## gijoe4500 (Mar 17, 2017)

That's for the heads up. Didn't even consider that. I'll just use the pre-m on the front yard, which has zoysia that I am just trying to get to spread.

And I haven't considered stolonizing/sprigging at all. I'll do some research on that to see if it is a viable option.


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## Movingshrub (Jun 12, 2017)

Start here - https://extension.tennessee.edu/publications/Documents/W160-D.pdf

Stolonizing is what I'd suggest, over sprigging, but the terms are often incorrectly used interchangeably.

Summary of what's involved. 
Kill off everything with several applications of glyphosate. Figure out how to get chopped up version of the cultivar you want to plant. Spread it over the whole yard. Apply fertilizer. Water small amounts (a few minutes) hourly for several weeks ( amount of water goes down each week). Freakout cause it looks like it's dying. Three weeks later, sigh of relief as it turns green and starts to spread. Apply fertilizer. Apply fertilizer. Apply fertilizer. Apply fertilizer. Apply fertilizer. Apply fertilizer. Cut like crazy. Enjoy.


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## gijoe4500 (Mar 17, 2017)

The watering hourly wouldn't be an option for me. I have to go to work, and don't have a sprinkler setup. I suppose I could possibly set something up with a hose timer, but I'll have to look into that as well.


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## gijoe4500 (Mar 17, 2017)

@Movingshrub

I have been doing a lot of looking, and calling around, and am not having much luck finding a stolon/sprig vendor in my area. But I do have another possible way to fill in the yard without as much bumpiness. What if I were to just lay that 1 pallet of sod normally (butting together into 1 large square). Then, after it gets properly established (6-8 weeks), start pulling plugs out of that to spread out to other parts of the lawn.

The way I am processing this in my head, is it allows me to:
1. keep things relatively cheap (under $200)
2. introduce a little more sand into my soil by filling in the pulled plugs with it.
3. avoid the bumpiness of the checkboard pattern I was initially considering.

Thoughts?


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## Mightyquinn (Jan 31, 2017)

gijoe4500 said:


> @Movingshrub
> 
> I have been doing a lot of looking, and calling around, and am not having much luck finding a stolon/sprig vendor in my area. But I do have another possible way to fill in the yard without as much bumpiness. What if I were to just lay that 1 pallet of sod normally (butting together into 1 large square). Then, after it gets properly established (6-8 weeks), start pulling plugs out of that to spread out to other parts of the lawn.
> 
> ...


I think it's a very doable option :thumbup:


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## Colonel K0rn (Jul 4, 2017)

Look at J_nick's renovation post from last year for a good example of sprigging.


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## J_nick (Jan 28, 2017)

Colonel K0rn said:


> Look at J_nick's renovation post from last year for a good example of sprigging.


I think he means Movingshrub's reno, I seeded Riviera.


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## gijoe4500 (Mar 17, 2017)

J_nick said:


> Colonel K0rn said:
> 
> 
> > Look at J_nick's renovation post from last year for a good example of sprigging.
> ...


That's what I figured. Movingshrub had a great sprigging/stolonizing thread!


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## gijoe4500 (Mar 17, 2017)

Ordered my 1 pallet of celebration. I'll pick it up on Friday morning. That will give me 3 evenings to get everything prepped as best I can. Thursday evening, I'll give the area a good soaking, so its damp, but not muddy, when I drop the sod on Friday.


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## Movingshrub (Jun 12, 2017)

Good luck. Hope it turns out well. Is this going in an area with existing turf or empty/dirt?


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## gijoe4500 (Mar 17, 2017)

Movingshrub said:


> Good luck. Hope it turns out well. Is this going in an area with existing turf or empty/dirt?


Hopefully empty/dirt. I put down sod last year, in June. And it all died. So I'm going to see if that old sod will lift out easily enough with a flat shovel. I'm pretty sure it will. I'm going to give lifting it out a shot tonight and will report back with pictures.


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## Mightyquinn (Jan 31, 2017)

Just FYI, it's not a bad idea to lay the fertilizer down before you lay the sod down as it will be readily available to the roots.

Can't wait to see the progress of this. What did you finally decide to do with laying the sod?(checker board, alternating rows or one area and transfer plugs from it)


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## gijoe4500 (Mar 17, 2017)

Mightyquinn said:


> Just FYI, it's not a bad idea to lay the fertilizer down before you lay the sod down as it will be readily available to the roots.
> 
> Can't wait to see the progress of this. What did you finally decide to do with laying the sod?(checker board, alternating rows or one area and transfer plugs from it)


I'm going to do 1 chunk at 450sqft, pretty much dead center in the lawn. Then start pulling plugs in May, unless I screw something else up, and the sod doesn't take. haha

And I'm definitely going to put down some fertilizer under the sod. Was thinking 0.5 lbs N/1k in milo. Couldn't find too much information on exactly how much I should be putting down, and didn't want to over do it. Any experience or advice on that?


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## Mightyquinn (Jan 31, 2017)

I would put a starter fertilizer down in place of the Milo as it will be more readily available. The Milo may take some time to feed the grass.


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## gijoe4500 (Mar 17, 2017)

@Mightyquinn t What qualifies as a starter fert? I just thought that was done gimmick from Scott's. I do have a 16-16-16 I can put down. Or is it more fast release N vs slow release?


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## Mightyquinn (Jan 31, 2017)

gijoe4500 said:


> @Mightyquinn t What qualifies as a starter fert? I just thought that was done gimmick from Scott's. I do have a 16-16-16 I can put down. Or is it more fast release N vs slow release?


The 16-16-16 you have will work just fine. Starter fertilizer usually has a high phosphorus content to help promote root growth and establishment.


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## gijoe4500 (Mar 17, 2017)

Perfect. Thanks!


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## gijoe4500 (Mar 17, 2017)

I laid out my 450 sq ft rectangle. Tried to keep the same L/W ratio as the yard. Stuck it right in the middle. Using a combination of a grubbing hoe and a square shovel, I'm slowly getting the old sod pieces pulled up. Some come easy, some don't. The weeds had rooted well. Got a little over half of it done. Will do the other half tomorrow. Thursday will get the fertilizer app, as well as a good soak to damping the soil for installation on Friday.


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## SCGrassMan (Dec 17, 2017)

There's a huge silver lining here - you can dig up your yard to put in irrigation and not worry about damaging the grass!

My two cents, and I realize I'm spending your money, is do irrigation and sod. Credit card, home equity line, creative tax return, whatever you gotta do... but do both at the same time. Don't waste your time with weed killing and fertilizing and plugging and all that. You'll be much happier with the end result.

Does the neighbor know how bad they screwed up?


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## gijoe4500 (Mar 17, 2017)

@SCGrassMan Yes, the neighbor knows how bad she screwed up. She felt bad about it, but in the end, its my own fault for not scheduling things to do it all myself. In-ground irrigation isn't happening. After the last round of sod failed, I am lucky to be able to spend what I am to drop a single pallet of sod, to nurse it into full health to fill in the entire yard. Watering with a hose end sprinkler isn't too bad. I did it with some seeded common bermuda that actually looked pretty dang good before I decided to kill it all off last summer to go to a "better" grass.

Here is what it use to look like. And the brown area to the right that looks less than stellar, I even had gotten that to fill in. I was maintaining a 0.5"-0.75" HOC with an uneven lawn. I should have just left it alone and worked towards making everything ever better, using that common bermuda. lol. Hindsight is 20/20.


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## gijoe4500 (Mar 17, 2017)

Old dead sod is out. Going to Lowe's to pick up some 3-4-2 fertilizer to put down before giving the ground a good soak. I'm ready for this process to be done, so I can focus more on keeping the grass alive.


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## SCGrassMan (Dec 17, 2017)

Your lawn looks about like the common areas in my HOA - its been neglected for years. They've just been cutting it, without fertilizer/weed killer or preventer and with the irrigation turned off. We just did prodiamine so I have to wait a bit, but I want to overseed the crap out of it with a variety of different kinds of bermuda seed.


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## gijoe4500 (Mar 17, 2017)

SCGrassMan said:


> Your lawn looks about like the common areas in my HOA - its been neglected for years. They've just been cutting it, without fertilizer/weed killer or preventer and with the irrigation turned off. We just did prodiamine so I have to wait a bit, but I want to overseed the crap out of it with a variety of different kinds of bermuda seed.


Why a variety?


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## gijoe4500 (Mar 17, 2017)

It's not perfect, but most of the sod is down and watered in.

Had some left over. Going to put it between this sod section and the patio. Any left over after that will be turned into plugs.


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## SCGrassMan (Dec 17, 2017)

gijoe4500 said:


> SCGrassMan said:
> 
> 
> > Your lawn looks about like the common areas in my HOA - its been neglected for years. They've just been cutting it, without fertilizer/weed killer or preventer and with the irrigation turned off. We just did prodiamine so I have to wait a bit, but I want to overseed the crap out of it with a variety of different kinds of bermuda seed.
> ...


I have a personal theory with no backing whatsoever, other than seeing some people here having it in their description, that a few different varieties of Bermuda would have "better luck" than just one. Kind of survival of the fittest if you will.


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## J_nick (Jan 28, 2017)

SCGrassMan said:


> gijoe4500 said:
> 
> 
> > SCGrassMan said:
> ...


That's more with cool season grasses. With Bermuda you're better off with one cultivar. It'll look more consistent that way.


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## SCGrassMan (Dec 17, 2017)

J_nick said:


> That's more with cool season grasses. With Bermuda you're better off with one cultivar. It'll look more consistent that way.


In that case, I would probably lean towards Tifway 419 as I understand its a "tried and true" variety.


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## J_nick (Jan 28, 2017)

SCGrassMan said:


> J_nick said:
> 
> 
> > That's more with cool season grasses. With Bermuda you're better off with one cultivar. It'll look more consistent that way.
> ...


It is a tried a true cultivar but it doesn't produce viable seed.


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## SCGrassMan (Dec 17, 2017)

J_nick said:


> SCGrassMan said:
> 
> 
> > J_nick said:
> ...


Oh! That's interesting... We don't usually let the grass go to seed, but it might be something to consider. Is there another variety you can recommend? I'm in SC.


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## J_nick (Jan 28, 2017)

SCGrassMan said:


> J_nick said:
> 
> 
> > SCGrassMan said:
> ...


I don't want to muddy up GIJoes thread but if you want to make another thread I'd be happy to answer any questions you have.


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## gijoe4500 (Mar 17, 2017)

@SCGrassMan if it's common areas, I would just get the cheapest seed you can find. No reason to spring for something like princess 77, when it won't get the level of care needed to look amazing.

And I don't mind a thread hijack.


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## gijoe4500 (Mar 17, 2017)

Here is a couple pics from last years zoysia sod that didn't work as planned. I just got the oak leaves raked off it today before snapping the pics. I'm going to try to nurse it into being a flush full lawn within the next two years. I need to scalp, spray Celsius, and get the dithiopyr down on it soon.


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## gijoe4500 (Mar 17, 2017)

I think I have been overwatering my celebration sod. Letting it dry out quite a bit today, and will adjust my watering schedule starting tomorrow.


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## gijoe4500 (Mar 17, 2017)

Sod is yellowing. Probably from overwatering. I cut the timer off, but then it rained last night. Hopefully when the sun comes out in the next couple days, it'll help dry things out so the roots will start reaching down and start rooting into the ground.

I have no clue why sod gives me so much trouble. It's incredibly frustrating.


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## Movingshrub (Jun 12, 2017)

How much water were you applying at once and how often were you watering?


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## gijoe4500 (Mar 17, 2017)

Movingshrub said:


> How much water were you applying at once and how often were you watering?


I stupidly didn't actually measure. And it was 4 times a day. I turned off the water completely, to give things a chance to dry up a bit. Then I'll measure on my first water


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## Iriasj2009 (Feb 15, 2017)

I know it can be frustrating to see your sod yellow and not keep its green but I wouldn't worry about it dying off. Once it holds root, it's there to stay.


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## gijoe4500 (Mar 17, 2017)

Iriasj2009 said:


> I know it can be frustrating to see your sod yellow and not keep its green but I wouldn't worry about it dying off. Once it holds root, it's there to stay.


Is yellowing normal?


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## Mightyquinn (Jan 31, 2017)

gijoe4500 said:


> Iriasj2009 said:
> 
> 
> > I know it can be frustrating to see your sod yellow and not keep its green but I wouldn't worry about it dying off. Once it holds root, it's there to stay.
> ...


It can be? What are you daily average temps right now?


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## Movingshrub (Jun 12, 2017)

How much fertilizer did you apply, if any?


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## gijoe4500 (Mar 17, 2017)

Mightyquinn said:


> gijoe4500 said:
> 
> 
> > Iriasj2009 said:
> ...


Average? Probably 65 or so.


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## gijoe4500 (Mar 17, 2017)

Movingshrub said:


> How much fertilizer did you apply, if any?


Applied a 18-24-6 at 0.5 lbs P/1k.


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## Movingshrub (Jun 12, 2017)

Are we talking yellow, like, on the way to dormancy or dying, or yellow-green, like a neon green highlighter?


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## Bunnysarefat (May 4, 2017)

SCGrassMan said:


> gijoe4500 said:
> 
> 
> > SCGrassMan said:
> ...


I have seen this theory on boards before, and the most reputable seed companies do sell certain Bermuda seed types paired together, sometimes up to 3 kinds, mixed together and sold. Maybe those pair together well, but when I moved in to my house, the yard had st. Augustine and 2 types of Bermuda. In the early summer it looked ok, but as the summer wore on the patches of different Bermuda were different shades of green. Looked like they had thrown seed out at some point and it only really took hold in patches. So I would investigate this theory further before trying.


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## Bunnysarefat (May 4, 2017)

GIJoe, I think temps are just too mild for your grass to be taking off like you want. Probably been watering too much but just wait until it warms up more and your grass will be fine.


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## Movingshrub (Jun 12, 2017)

Bunnysarefat said:


> GIJoe, I think temps are just too mild for your grass to be taking off like you want. Probably been watering too much but just wait until it warms up more and your grass will be fine.


Maybe but he's got temps in the 80s there. Plus, if it was green at the sod farm, and assuming the sod farm was close enough by to get the same weather, I wouldn't think to blame the weather/temps unless shade from the house plus a drop in temps was enough to cause it to head to dormancy.


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## Bunnysarefat (May 4, 2017)

Movingshrub said:


> Bunnysarefat said:
> 
> 
> > GIJoe, I think temps are just too mild for your grass to be taking off like you want. Probably been watering too much but just wait until it warms up more and your grass will be fine.
> ...


Yeah I just looked up the weather there it's warm days and nights, man I forget how drastic the temperature differences are just a few hours away. It was 34 degrees here Wednesday morning and today it was like 85. My Bermuda is just now crawling out of dormancy, like today.


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## Iriasj2009 (Feb 15, 2017)

gijoe4500 said:


> Iriasj2009 said:
> 
> 
> > I know it can be frustrating to see your sod yellow and not keep its green but I wouldn't worry about it dying off. Once it holds root, it's there to stay.
> ...


Sometimes. It's getting warmer but the temps are just not ideal for new sod to take off. When I laid a pallet of celebration, it was much warmer and I would only hand water it once a day to keep the sod moist. For now, I would just keep lifting the sod once in a while to see if it's setting roots. 
I'm not sure why your sod seems to be struggling more than it should but I'm sure it will bounce back.


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## Iriasj2009 (Feb 15, 2017)

gijoe4500 said:


> It's not perfect, but most of the sod is down and watered in.
> 
> Had some left over. Going to put it between this sod section and the patio. Any left over after that will be turned into plugs.


I just noticed, in this pic, the sod seems to be in shock already, and I'm guessing it is why it is struggling. Again, it should bounce back.


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## Mightyquinn (Jan 31, 2017)

gijoe4500 said:


> Mightyquinn said:
> 
> 
> > gijoe4500 said:
> ...


So if it's only getting 65-70 everyday where you are at that is going to cause the grass to grow a lot more slowly so it's going to take it longer to throw roots down too. I'm also assuming that you may not need to water as much/often as it won't evaporate at fast either. It's probably best to actually go out and check the lawn to see how moist it is everyday to gauge how much water it needs. It will help you get to know your lawn better too :thumbup:


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## gijoe4500 (Mar 17, 2017)

Didn't water for a couple days on the new sod, so it could dry out. That, coupled with a couple warm days, has led to some green coming back out in the sod. Not all is lost! Hopefully things comtinue to improve over the next few weeks. I'm hoping to have this plot established so I can start pulling plugs from it by May.

If I work this out right, and Bermuda does it's job, im hoping to have the whole yard covered in a decent layer of Bermuda by the end of the year!


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## gijoe4500 (Mar 17, 2017)

I pulled up a corner of a sod piece today. Had some new roots coming through, which was a good sight to see.


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## gijoe4500 (Mar 17, 2017)

Also scalped the zoysia front yard. Not sure exactly HOC, but set the mower to what McLane says is 7/16". Hoping to maintain it somewhere around 7/8". Not that zoysia spreads fast, but i am assuming the low and frequent mowings will help zoysia spread the same way it helps with bermuda.

The lawn is also more level than I expected, but can use a little work. A front roller would help a ton as well.


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## gijoe4500 (Mar 17, 2017)

More green is popping up in the celebration! And a random corner I pulled up exposed a handful of white roots reaching down into the soil. I've got a good feeling about this.



Also got the dithiopyr down in the zoysia. It's a few weeks late, but better than nothing.


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## gijoe4500 (Mar 17, 2017)

How will I know when it is time to start mowing the celebration sod?


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## J_nick (Jan 28, 2017)

What height are you wanting to keep it maintained at? Times that number by 1.5 and that'll be your answer :mrgreen:


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## Iriasj2009 (Feb 15, 2017)

J_nick said:


> What height are you wanting to keep it maintained at? Times that number by 1.5 and that'll be your answer :mrgreen:


Yes, but for now I would leave it alone until you have 75% plus green before you mow it.


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## gijoe4500 (Mar 17, 2017)

Well, it was over 1.5x of where I want to maintain when I laid it. So I'll go for the 75% green. It's been down for just over 2 weeks now. Figure, worst case scenario, I'll let it go 2 more weeks, then cut every 2 days, lowering mower height a tiny bit each time. Scalping new sod probably wouldn't be the best idea. Then maybe a mid season scalp end of May or June? Going to add a bit of sand then if the grass is doing well. So the scalp would help.


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## Spammage (Apr 30, 2017)

gijoe4500 said:


> lowering mower height a tiny bit each time.


Don't do this. This sounds like you have been reading about lawn maintenance on the interwebs, because this idea makes it's way into most of those writings. This practice can work well with cool season grasses, but will result in a "constant scalp" of your newly laid sod and will only hinder it's grow-in.


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## gijoe4500 (Mar 17, 2017)

Spammage said:


> gijoe4500 said:
> 
> 
> > lowering mower height a tiny bit each time.
> ...


Gotcha. I get what I read mixed up a lot. So, would I be better off just maintaining it a little longer until I feel its well established, then scalp it once and let it grow back in to where I want it?


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## Spammage (Apr 30, 2017)

gijoe4500 said:


> Spammage said:
> 
> 
> > gijoe4500 said:
> ...


Yes. :thumbup:


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## gijoe4500 (Mar 17, 2017)

It's settled then. Lol. First mow will wait a couple extra weeks, then I'll scalp it. Will probably just shoot for 7/8" this season, even though 1/2" sounds better.


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## gijoe4500 (Mar 17, 2017)

Put down some more fertilizer on both lawns yesterday, expecting a decent rain to water it in. 3" of rain and flowing water later.... Hopefully it started light enough to let the fertilizer melt in before just sweeping it all away! More rain anticipated tonight.

Also cut a stripe in the celebration at 7/8" to see how it responds to being cut this soon. Didn't have any issues mowing and there was a good bit of green still even after the cut, so I think I'll be okay to mow the whole thing once it dries back out from all the rain last night, and again today. But, to be sure, I'll wait and see what happens with that strip by this weekend.

If all is good, the plan is to mow, rake it with a leave rake to "fluff up" the grass that is pushed down, and mow again. Shooting for a 7/16" scalp. Wish me luck.


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## gijoe4500 (Mar 17, 2017)

Scalped today and I definitely had some high spots. I need to build a front roller to help with some of that.

Will put down some sand later in the spring.


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## gijoe4500 (Mar 17, 2017)

Also, ignore all the big weeds around the outside of my pallet of sod. Lol. Haven't got a chance yet to hit them with Celsius. Hopefully can get to that next weekend.


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## gijoe4500 (Mar 17, 2017)

Finally got around to hitting the zoysia with some Celsius. Also did a little bit of the weeds surrounding my Bermuda patch because I had some leftover in the tank. Wasn't as concerned back there, because the Bermuda hasn't really started spreading a ton yet. The cool fronts that came through slowed everything goes a bit.

My t-nex pgr has arrived, and I'll work on putting it to use soon. Want to read a bit more about it first.


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## gijoe4500 (Mar 17, 2017)

Been meaning to maintain around 7/8-1". Actually measured today, and it's around 9/16". Realized I had my McLane set up wrong. Oops. I'll adjust it, and let the grass grow a little longer, so I'll stop scalping as bad in some areas. Still need a roller set up too. One day.


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## gijoe4500 (Mar 17, 2017)

Now that I think all the cold spells are done, the grass is finally greening up again. I scalped and then... BAM! Cold temps! But that's over now. Hoping for 90+% fill in by mid May, then I'll start pulling plugs to expand through the rest of the yard. Will fill all empty cores with sand.


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## gijoe4500 (Mar 17, 2017)

Also, the nutsedge needs taken care of soon. Will try to get something purchased for it this weekend.


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## Ral1121 (Mar 19, 2018)

I have some certainty you can use if you want. I have plenty and do not think I will ever use it all.


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## gijoe4500 (Mar 17, 2017)

Ral1121 said:


> I have some certainty you can use if you want. I have plenty and do not think I will ever use it all.


That would be awesome. Maybe we can figure out a time to meet up this weekend. And I can loan you my proplugger then.


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## Ral1121 (Mar 19, 2018)

gijoe4500 said:


> Ral1121 said:
> 
> 
> > I have some certainty you can use if you want. I have plenty and do not think I will ever use it all.
> ...


Pm me we can meet up Saturday. I have a game Friday that I am coaching


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## gijoe4500 (Mar 17, 2017)

The emerald zoysia up front isn't looking horrible either. Can't wait for it to spread more though. But I know zoysia takes a while. Although the browner spots do have some signs of life in them too.


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## gijoe4500 (Mar 17, 2017)

Sprayed the nutsedge with Certainty yesterday. Thanks @Ral1121 for the hook up! Going to put down some fertilizer this afternoon and get it all watered in. The zoysia is filling in much better than I expected. I guess there was more alive than I had thought. The bermuda has slowly started to spread out from the square of sod I put down. Just waiting for hotter days before I start pulling plugs from in. Still aiming for May 15-20. Its got a lot ways to go, but I'm looking foward to the process it'll take to get there.


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## gijoe4500 (Mar 17, 2017)

The nutsedge needs one more round of Certainty, but most of it is dead! Which is good. The grass has thickened up a lot and is growing fantastic with the warmer weather. The celebration is awesome. Going to start pulling plugs this weekend to get some more spread. Not sure how many plugs I'll pull, but probably a lot. And then, I'll fill in all the empty holes with sand.


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## Colonel K0rn (Jul 4, 2017)

:thumbup: I did the same thing in my yard, and you can't really tell where the plugs were pulled from. Keep hitting it with N and water, and you'll be good.


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## gijoe4500 (Mar 17, 2017)

Colonel K0rn said:


> :thumbup: I did the same thing in my yard, and you can't really tell where the plugs were pulled from. Keep hitting it with N and water, and you'll be good.


That's the plan. I have no clue how many plugs I'll pull, probably a lot. Maybe every 6ish inches.


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## gijoe4500 (Mar 17, 2017)

I started putting the pro plugger to work.



Then filled the holes in the grass with sand. Used paver sand. Which was a mistake. I didn't realize paver sand had a bunch of tiny pebbles in it.


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## Colonel K0rn (Jul 4, 2017)

Oh, doesn't paver sand pack tightly as well? Might be a good idea to use the plugger to get it out of those holes, and get that white play sand to fill those holes my friend.


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## gijoe4500 (Mar 17, 2017)

Colonel K0rn said:


> Oh, doesn't paver sand pack tightly as well? Might be a good idea to use the plugger to get it out of those holes, and get that white play sand to fill those holes my friend.


Definitely going to. Should have just went and got a yard of sand in my pickup, and just keep a sand pile in the corner of the lawn. :lol:


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## jayhawk (Apr 18, 2017)

SCGrassMan said:


> Your lawn looks about like the common areas in my HOA - its been neglected for years. They've just been cutting it, without fertilizer/weed killer or preventer and with the irrigation turned off. We just did prodiamine so I have to wait a bit, but I want to overseed the crap out of it with a variety of different kinds of bermuda seed.


Ditto, along with trees getting bigger...shade. Only green we had was Poa and various weeds. We just got irrigation fixed after 2 years.....I couldn't take it anymore - fusilade n gly


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## gijoe4500 (Mar 17, 2017)

So, I haven't been maintaining my yard as well as I should have for optimal growth/spread/thickening. But it has been doing wonderful on its own! The back yard celebration is kicking major *** and is slowly spreading into the common bermuda around it. April/May-ish of next year, I'll probably nuke as much of the common as I can with glyphosate and move a ton of plugs.

The front yard emerald zoysia has been doing fantastic as well on filling in. By this time next year, it won't even be noticeable that the sod mostly failed. I'll be moving some plugs around that as well. It's battling some common bermuda coming in from the neighbor's yard. But I may just spray with Acclaim to knock back the bermuda, and encourage my zoysia to spread into her stuff. She doesn't care either way.

I'll get some pictures later today and post them up.


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## gijoe4500 (Mar 17, 2017)

The Bermuda looks dead, but it's just scalped. Couldn't mow for over two weeks because we got over 18" of rain in that time. Will bounce back quickly


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## gijoe4500 (Mar 17, 2017)

Here are the "before" pictures from earlier this year.


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