# ADanto6840's Journal - Vegas Renovation - Bermuda (TifTuf) Sod



## ADanto6840 (Apr 1, 2021)

Welcome to the start of my journal! I'm super excited about my project & it's _just starting_ to actually get under way after some (perhaps not enough, but oh well) planning -- including some 'course changes' specifically thanks to this forum & community.

I'm hopeful that the project will turn out great, and hope you'll enjoy "following along" with me. I'm sure plenty of mistakes will be made too, and I look forward to the community's guidance & to learning from not only my mistakes, but also from the knowledge of others here in the community who know tons more than I (or who have already learned from their mistakes & can help me avoid making the same mistakes, too)! 

*Background/Context -- See this post: https://thelawnforum.com/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=26639*
(I'll edit this later & copy in the 'context' here so it's in the first post)

The above thread was my first post here & was key to helping me "course correct", and also helped me be confident enough to tackle my project -- which is _relatively_ small in absolute terms, but 'massive' to my amateur eyes!

Thank you!!


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## Redtwin (Feb 9, 2019)

Looking forward to following along!


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## ADanto6840 (Apr 1, 2021)

Not much to see here, but for the sake of completeness will post a picture of the Day #1 progress!

*Day #1 - 'Breaking Ground' - The Official Start!* 
The bobcat was here all day yesterday! We removed the existing lawn with it & are in the process of doing 'base' grading (prior to topsoil going down). We're also digging out the 20x30 area where the playground will go.

While the playground isn't exactly _lawn_ related, just in case you may be interested, here's the rundown of the plan for it! 

*Playground Area*
The 'playground area' is a 20x30 area in the rear lawn that gets quite a bit of shade. I'm doing a "pour-in-place" rubber/EPDM surface on it, pretty much hoping to achieve the same thing you'd see at your local neighborhood or playground to ~6" below grade; then it'll have 2" of Type 2 put down & compacted. After that, we'll put approximately 3.5" of 'rubber buffings' material on it (to achieve the desired impact / fall-height rating); then the last step will be to finish it with 1/2" of EPDM granules -- it's a "pour-in-place" playground surfacing. If you aren't aware, and I definitely wasn't until recently, the surfacing you see at playgrounds runs from ~$12 to $22 per square-foot installed.

After the sticker shock set in, I ordered a bunch of products and built a number of small 2x2 frames on plywood and ran a bunch of tests -- not all successful, but some were -- so, with some great advice & plenty of encouragement from a manufacturer, I am 'DIY'ing the surfacing and I expect the total cost to be around $5/sqft. Until having kids, I had no idea how many playgrounds there were out there -- and I had _no idea_ that the surfaces on them were so damn pricey, hah. I'm =D

I know the playground surface is overkill, but it's kind of a "bucket list" item for me -- I want a "legit" playground surface in my yard, I don't know why, I just do! We also have some occasional scorpions, so one of the goals is to move away from all rock surfaces (plus rock just sucks IMO -- no one wants to get out of the pool to fetch a ball & have to walk on rocks) and eliminate as much 'scorpion-prone' area as possible. In reality, that equates to grass & 'solid surfacing' as much as possible, so removing as much rock/boulders/etc. as we can, and putting down concrete + grass + poured rubber. We'll still have a few 'mulched areas' though I'm seriously considering rubber mulch (and, I know it's frowned upon & sometimes made fun of, but possible even 'bonded rubber mulch'). 

*Progress Continues*
Progress continues today, the bobcat is here & there's more grading going on, more digging, and a concrete crew is here doing some patio & driveway work as well. Also doing some irrigation testing/fixes and re-routing the supply line to my casita/office which was very poorly done -- it was buried only about 2" deep and it was [mostly] regular PVC, neither of which are up to code for potable water lines here, heh.

*Thank you!*
Will continue to update! Right now we're tentatively planning to install the sod on April 15th (delay is primarily due to labor availability). LMK if any questions, and please don't hesitate to point out my screw-ups; I'd rather hear about it & learn vs being 'blissfully ignorant' -- so don't hesitate to tell me if/when I do dumb things! =D

*Photo from EoD Yesterday (April 8, 2021):*


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## ADanto6840 (Apr 1, 2021)

*Day #2 - April 9, 2021 - Photo Only!*

Can explain further & answer any questions, etc -- but I figure may as well get a photo up to show where we're at today, even if nothing else! =D

Rear


Side [towards rear]


Side [towards front]


W00t! =)


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## ADanto6840 (Apr 1, 2021)

Quick photo update -- this is from today.


TifTuf Sod arrives Friday -- I'm told it's from a bit north & still a bit dormant but not overly concerned about it. It's pretty hot here already, even if a bit windy/cool this evening. =D

Front yard is greening up quite nicely, too!

Not yet seeing any of the Arden15 germinate. I had already bought it, so I overseeded with it prior to deciding [ie this community helping me realize a better path] to do sod in the rear. I've also fertilized the front with Milorganite, likely is why it looks so rich despite being mostly hand-watered until today [finally got *all* sprinklers running again without leaks, w00t]. .


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## ADanto6840 (Apr 1, 2021)

Alright, time for an update! Quite a bit has happened since my last update; the sod is in place. Completely new sprinkler system in the back, all new heads + PVC + valves, relocated onto new concrete & combined the front/rear irrigation systems so I now have only a single Rachio 16-zone Gen3 controller (am selling the two Rachio Gen2 8-zone controllers) that covers both the front & side/rear areas.

We've also poured a decent bit of new concrete, expanding the driveway in the front, removing an ugly tree & bush along with some hardscape, and substantially expanding our back patio (and getting the irrigation valve boxes off the grass & onto concrete which was a solid win).

Anyways, here are some photos -- date/time stamps are in top-left of each.


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## ADanto6840 (Apr 1, 2021)

Latest:


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## ADanto6840 (Apr 1, 2021)

Alright, it's time for some updated photos and some updates/thoughts on progress. Also some questions/concerns, too. =)

*April 23, 2021*


*Today (April 27, 2021)*


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## ADanto6840 (Apr 1, 2021)

Alright, so... some thoughts / questions / concerns (ie requests for help):


*INSTALLATION NOTES / THOUGHTS*

A) They didn't use a "roller" on the sod. They had it with them, but it was getting late & they were (understandably) getting tired. Is this an issue? 
B) Are the 'seams' too wide -- or will it fill in OK with time?
C) The topsoil was pretty rich stuff (especially for the area), and they did a good job leveling it, but the sod was not totally 'even' cut -- some of the sod was a bit thicker than others, which means it's not totally flat. You may recall, one of my goals is "flawlessly level" grass; I really, really, really do not want any "ankle breakers".
D) I had sand on-hand for leveling, but it was late & they were too tired at that point -- we mostly used it to fill in 'track marks' in the front & level it a bit. I also gave some of the leftover TifTuf away to a friend; hopefully he'll start a journal eventually, too. 
E) I assume I cannot "level" with sand at this point yet, eh? When can I do so?
​
*SOIL / FERTLIZIER*

A) I put down a "starter fertilizer" (15-15-15) at the rate specified on the bag (or *slightly* under) based on the square-footage.
B) Should I put down more fertilizer? Can I put down Milorganite (has made the front look *great*)? Should I wait? 
C) I ordered a soil test kit (2 actually) but I *think* our mailbox was broken into while it was in there; haven't received it yet (Ordered from Univ. North Carolina IIRC), so I'm guessing it was stolen -- grrr.
​
 *IRRIGATION*

A) Irrigation is running for several minutes each zone, every 2-hours (sunrise to sunset), every day.
B) I've been hand watering every day. I missed the first couple days, and the brown spot (near the irrigation controllers) is worrisome -- hopefully it will recover? It's an area of concern (see C below).
C) There are 2 (maybe 3?) spots that the sprinklers aren't working well in; that's being fixed tomorrow.
D) The drainage is suboptimal near the side-area gate; water collects near that gate and it seems 'slushy'. Not sure what to do or how to improve/fix the issue -- or if it's even an issue, TBH.
​
*OTHER - Playground!*
A) The playground is built! The kids _love_ it, thankfully(!!) -- because it took a full 20+ hours to construct, am very glad that's done. All the materials for the playground safety surfacing (pour-in-place rubber) should be here by EoW next week & I'll then be working on that aspect. It'll require disabling the sprinklers on that side of the lawn for 24-48 hours, but will hand-water those areas each day as needed. 
B) Pool renovation has us scheduled for rebar tomorrow, which means ~4 weeks until plaster/fill with water (hopefully)!!
C) It's been cloudy, windy, and a bit cool last few days here in Vegas. Grass seems to be doing OK with it nonetheless, but I don't expect it to 'fully green up' until we get back into the 80s & 90s+ range probably.


For anyone following along, hope you're enjoying so far (feel free to tell me what you'd like to see more/less of) -- and thanks in advance for any advice/guidance/help! =)


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## Kberg84 (May 20, 2020)

I think it's darn near impossible when sodding to have a flawlessly flat lawn straight out the gate for reasons you've stated. Going to have to eventually level with sand.


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## ADanto6840 (Apr 1, 2021)

I assume I need to wait til it takes root before I can level with sand? Realistically, that's probably going to be fall of this year I guess?


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## ADanto6840 (Apr 1, 2021)

See my thread over here WRT lawn-mower situation -- https://thelawnforum.com/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=28142&p=388634#p388634

Will post some updates & pics soon. =)


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## effektz (Oct 11, 2019)

You should be able to do a round of sand leveling nearly as soon as you put it down, however make sure you do not drown the grass in sand where there are really low spots. Do a light sand leveling and then in about a month you can do a full on sand level. Bermuda is pretty forgiving.

I see you have a lot of trees lining your property, are you worried about any potential shallow roots that will cause the bermuda to not survive in that area? Also I see you have a Rachio (i do as well), do you use the advanced settings for the sprinkler zones? Have you done a soil test? Yard is looking good!


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## ADanto6840 (Apr 1, 2021)

Awesome, thank you -- great questions, as well.

RE: Leveling -- Great to hear. I'm probably going to slowly begin that process over the course of the next week or so then, with a very light leveling, but at least I'll be getting it started in the right direction and working towards achieving a truly even plane.

RE: Shallow roots -- Definitely worried about it. Here's a timelapse of my rear yard, to show the "shadow profile" that the lawn is receiving. I'm definitely concerned about the areas that are more shaded (mainly the right-side area on the video).

TIMELAPSE -- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vtDgTvlSqs4

That said, I've observed something unusual -- at least it caught me off guard -- in that the side-yard area is actually growing better nearest the walls which is where it's partially shaded. I don't know if it's a drainage/water related thing, or if it's the shade, or what though. I actually did a "first mow" yesterday (with a rotary at 1.5" HOC), only on the 'side' yard area, as it was starting to get relatively high in some areas.

RE: Rachio -- My schedule is setup for ~15-20 minutes per zone with "Manual Cycle & Soak" -- I have it setup for 3 minutes of water & 15 minutes of soak. It ends up being pretty long (~1.5hr) total runtime, but it seems to be a good balance of getting water to everything & not creating puddles/runoff/etc. That in mind, I alternate Standby Mode on/off quite a bit. When it's on I run the schedule manually (clicking the schedule & then hitting 'quick run' on it) -- I'm not able to keep my kids (and wife) off the grass, so if they're going to be on it (or if they're going to put up an inflatable jumper thing, etc) then I'll put it in Standby and kick it off a few times a day when it won't bother them. When the kids are otherwise occupied though, then I've got it running at 4-hour intervals beginning in the AM/at sunrise.

Unfortunately the carb for my McLane engine, via 1-day Amazon, had a "delivery exception" and is being returned to sender, so I re-ordered 2 more and hopefully they'll actually show up tomorrow & I can fire it up. Grrr.

Few pictures coming shortly, going to snag a beer & take some photos, definitely looks good bit different now & few spots that look great, some others not so good, etc. Will post some updated photos shortly. =D

Ty!


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## ADanto6840 (Apr 1, 2021)

Pictures! Still a bit bright/sunny out right now so contrast is a little funky (and I have an older iPhone), but definitely can see the progress (and some areas of concern, too) for sure!


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## ADanto6840 (Apr 1, 2021)

The two over-brown areas on the side of the house (directly next to the house) were places that I think weren't getting overly good irrigation water for a bit. I've been hand-watering pretty much daily, quite a lot (at least 1hr+ generally), and really been hitting those areas the last week or so & they're definitely starting to show signs of improvement.

Lots of hand-watering. My wife probably thinks I'm nuts -- "there's a sprinkler system so why are you spending 2 hours watering the grass!" -- but oh well, hopefully the results will speak for themselves. I hope. =D


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## effektz (Oct 11, 2019)

Watching your timelapse video, you will definietly have some problems with the bermuda on the shaded side. Honestly I would think about building a slower box along the trees and just mulch it because you will be forever fighting the shade. I think i counted maybe 2 hours of direct sunlight for that part of the grass which is not nearly enough.

I know you said that area seems to be growing the best but that is an illusion. I had the same thing happen to me when I put some bermuda sod down under a tree that shaded the sunlight. It grew really well above ground for a month or so (more than my established bermuda), then it all totally died out. My theory is the grass is starving for more sun that it is trying to reach sunlight so its growing vertically so much but the roots are not trenching down into the soil. In the end I think you will have a problem with that side in a month or so.

As for the watering, have you adjusted your sprinkler system to make sure that it covers those areas? I will say your about a month in with this sod, you shouldn't be watering it as much as you are, you want the roots to work their way down into the soil. You should be at the point where normal watering should happen and they chase the water.

For the Rachio, I will suggest a couple things to make it easier on yourself and your water bill.


First, change the setting to Flex Daily. This will allow the Rachio to adjust the watering based on your weather so you never have to worry about it. Also it may water every single day but it will only do a zone or two a day then switch to another zone the next day. It really helps balance things out.
Make sure you have the correct soil chosen in the advanced settings of your zones. Just looking at the USDA WSS, seems like Las Vegas is generally fine Sandy Loam. This will help Rachio know how to water the grass. 
Make sure your zones are correct with they type of vegetation setup in the zone. Meaning if your trees are a seperate zone, that trees are selected in the app when setting it up.
Make sure the root depth is set correct in advanced settings
Make sure you select the option to have the Rachio water in early morning by telling to to finish watering before sunrise. This is the most efficient way to water and it will minimize your water loss. You never want your sprinkler system to be going off during the day as you will lose a lot a of water from the sun. Being in Vegas, this for you is a must
Dont be nervous if by changing these you see the rachio say it may water a total of 3+ hours if it ran all the zones on the same day. WIth mine here in texas, I am around 2.5 hours but the rachio takes breaks to let things soak in certain zones.

Hope this helps, excited to see your progress


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## ADanto6840 (Apr 1, 2021)

Thank you for the info, it's extremely helpful. I didn't realize I should be shifting to "normal" watering already, I figured it was more like growing-from-seed where I wanted to continue keeping it moist.

I've got the zones configured properly in the Rachio app, though will double-check soil type & root depth, for sure; I'll go ahead and switch it over to the Flex Daily, too. We do have watering restrictions, though I'm guessing it can take those into consideration, plus I frankly don't care too much right now vs lawn health -- a $50 fine likely will pale in comparison to my next water bill, which is likely going to be _very sky high_, it'll have the lawn watering + pool filling on it, so I'm expecting a solid $500+ bill this first month. That's OK with me though, so long as I'm seeing results at least! =D

FWIW, I'm also "working around" my pour-in-place rubber installation (playground surfacing) right now. I almost have the base / attenuation layer finished, and soon (probably this afternoon!) will begin on the "wear" layer/the final 'even' coat of small EPDM granules. By 'working around' what I mean is that it *cannot* get wet until it is fully cured (~24 hours, depending on temperature), and if it does get wet then it 'foams'/is a colossal problem. I've been working on it piecemeal with wife + friends/family the last week or so, which is also why I've done quite a bit of hand watering/standby mode. We've got some young[er] in-laws in town the next few days, so I'm _hoping_ to get majority of the labor finished collectively (and with plenty of beer flowing). 

RE: Shade -- Ack, that's a bummer to hear. TBH, I may just take down some more trees. When we moved in we had a total of 41 pine trees along the entire perimeter of our property. They were planted about 6ft from one-another & about 2ft from the perimeter "block wall" all around the property (7 of them in the front yard which are less troublesome). We also had 7 massive palm trees immediately adjacent to the pool (so no patio space at all), a "rose garden" (side yard, was scorpion central), and basically >4k sqft of 'decorative rock' around everything. We had a crane take out the palms to expand the pool & add some patio. And then I YouTube-University'd the felling of ~10 pine trees in the center of the rear yard with my wife (~60% success rate on felling direction; 0% injury rate, though!).

Overall though, the pine trees suck -- the drop needles & pine combs constantly. They're not overly attractive. Their roots cause issues with the block wall & edging, etc... Really their only useful properties are the shade they provide, specifically the shade they provide on the playground area, and the bit of privacy that they provide as they separate neighbor's property from ours (other side we have a casita that separates the properties, which is a far better privacy result).

Frankly, I'm _very_ tempted to pull out my Ryobi chainsaw & just take down more trees. I'm already annoyed at the [relatively small] small amount of pine-combs & needles that has dropped in just the last month; the only "stumbling block" is that I do want to preserve shade for the playground area (though I have misters ready for installation on it too, I'm not 100% that those will be enough to keep kids from saying "too hot!!!"). That said, lawn > trees IMO. Worst case, I figure building a relatively simple shade structure, one that's highly-targeted at the playground, would probably run a couple thousand dollars -- really I want a usable & flawless lawn *far more* than I want some (IMHO) shitty, poorly planned/planted pine-trees, and the mess they create... =|

We're staying here for at least the next 5 years, probably more like 10+ years though -- which also factors into my willingness to "do it right". I hate mulch & I hate rock, I really want grass + solid-surfacing (ie playground surfacing) pretty much everywhere; we were even tentatively planning to do bonded rubber mulch (I know many hate it) on the perimeter tree areas, largely just because we're sick of the kids digging in it, the debris/rocks/dirt/etc (and the scorpion factor, though to a lesser extent, as it's pretty under control [on our property at least] via DIY spraying of the 'good' chemicals).

EDIT -- Ah, and yes, I've continually been adjusting the sprinkler heads to ensure ample coverage. Little bit of whack-a-mole there, I probably need to just go buy a few new nozzles, as I've got a couple that will be totally fine for a few days & then suddenly are "clogged"/require additional adjustment/etc. Idk if that's par for the course though, or if I just need to run and buy some new nozzles (or entire housings even); my sprinklers are all "1800 series" Rainbird popups with adjustable direction/angle FWIW.


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## ADanto6840 (Apr 1, 2021)

Thinking "out loud" after looking at it for a few minutes, I actually wonder if I can increase sun exposure in that area via some targeted trimming w/ a ladder & my pole-saw. It seems like there's probably ~5 branches that are around 10-20ft up and that "over-extend" substantially more than the rest of the "tree-top cover".

There's 1 tree that might have to go completely, it's a heavy-leaner out towards/over the yard (which stinks as it's aimed directly at the playground & will definitely be a hard one to take down, almost surely will require a come-along or taking it down in pieces).

That said, it seems like a good starting place -- I'm willing to take basically all of the "side perimeter" trees down if I have to. May as well start by trimming them high & tight, and perhaps felling the 1 outlier tree, and then proceed from there based on the change in sun exposure / results...

Or.... am I just totally naive & trying to move mountains bigger than I realize? =D


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## ADanto6840 (Apr 1, 2021)

Little bit of "semi-strategic" tree trimming this afternoon.





I'll have to look at a full day's time-lapse but I think it's going to probably net somewhere between +2 and +4 hours of sun for that rear side area. The furthest back part (the last ~5-10 feet) may not benefit as much, but the rest of it should receive substantially more sun now I'm hoping.

Now time to grab a beer and clean up the debris, heh. =D


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## ADanto6840 (Apr 1, 2021)

RE: Rachio -- So I've got it switched over to 'Flex Daily' and I triple-checked all zone settings are accurate. I have a few questions about some of the advanced settings though, honestly not sure I had even look at that screen more than once or twice, and generally I had just been configuring the Rachio "manually" as I previously hadn't had a ton of luck (or perhaps faith) in the "automatic" settings -- I basically just had been using Rachio for the last ~5 it as a 'dumb controller' that I could program via wifi.

*RACHIO IRRIGATION QUESTIONS*

What is "root depth" supposed to be set to -- what is it setting/controlling? Is it the "desired" root depth? Current estimated root depth? Something else?
Do you edit the 'Area' square footage at all? Mine has defaulted to 796sqft for all the grass zones, it seems.
Do you edit/tweak any of these? Available Water, Allowed Depletion, Efficiency, Crop Coefficient, Nozzle Inches/Hour.
Do you have the 'Flow Meter' and, if so, do you utilize the 'Yard Mapping' features & functionality at all? Is it worth it?

Since it's all Rachio questions, maybe I should post in the irrigation subforum -- happy to do so if you aren't sure.

While I'm at it, I may as well ask, in case you may know the answer: 
I have 1 zone on my controller that I plumbed to the playground and, just last night actually, I hooked up misters to that zone (and spent [far] more time than I expected doing a super clean install -- ie safe & no hanging /tripping hazards -- funny enough, it's only like 6 misting nozzles despite being ~70ft of mister line + tons of mounting work). I want to put in a "button" somewhere on/near the playground that will run that zone for 3-5 minutes. That's easy enough to do, I can wire up a button that sends an IFTTT command or just write some code to trigger that zone on the Rachio.

*The hard part, and my real question* -- Do you know if there is a way to get Rachio to allow two zones to run at the same time, or to at least 'gracefully' handle a brief "override zone" request? Idea being to ensure that children triggering the misters won't bork up irrigation. May be a _semi_ moot point with Flex Daily, since they'll likely only be running in the AM, but if there is a way to do it then I'd rather do it that way/do it right once, versus having issues in the future. =D

*Thank you!!*


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## ADanto6840 (Apr 1, 2021)

From my research, I probably need to custom-wire a 24V relay for my "playground pus button" misters. We're working on the playground surfacing now & I've run some extra wire specifically for that purpose already. 

Any other thoughts / questions / concerns -- please don't hesitate. 

PS -- Sry for the semi-shameless bump. I appreciate any/all feedback.


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## ADanto6840 (Apr 1, 2021)

Here's an updated time-lapse from yesterday, showing the "gain" in sunlight exposure via my semi-strategic tree trimming. It's not the _best_ day to use as an example, as we had a bit of cloud-cover (and even a few very light sprinkles of rain) later in the day, but it still does show at least a slight improvement.






I suspect I'm going to have to do some additional trimming and, quite likely, take down at least 1-2 of the pine trees. The more I think about taking them down, the more I'm all for it. My neighbor _probably_ won't love it, but the pine combs and the pine needles alone are _already_ driving me a little insane -- and it's not even peak "dropping" season yet. =|

I went through and tested all my irrigation on Saturday and replaced ~60% of the heads with brand new heads; my "landscape crew" did a pretty solid job with placement & configuration/tweaking of the sprinklers, but they definitely used old 'cleaned out' nozzles and not new ones. I went through and replaced most of them with brand new ones & tweaked distances on them to be a bit more "perfect" & precise as far as coverage goes.

That said, I've actually had my irrigation turned off the last 2 days due to ongoing my DIY playground surfacing PIP (pour-in-place) work. I've been running the front & side-area zones manually the last 2 days, and doing some occasional hand-watering nearer to the playground, but been very conservative in that area because the playground surfacing cannot get wet until it's fully cured (~24hrs) or is ruined -- and the surfacing work is both extremely labor-intensive & the materials are quite costly, so no do-overs are allowed on it!

I hope to complete the playground surfacing today, which means I should be back on full "automatic irrigation" by Thursday morning, if all goes well. I know it's *slightly* off-topic, but I'll post some pictures of the PIP surfacing project progress as well -- I've been taking numerous pictures. It's not perfect work, but I've definitely gotten noticeably better at working with the material & troweling it, and it's honestly damn satisfying. It's also looking pretty darn good aesthetically, and functionally it's about as good as it gets IMO -- I'm pretty excited about it.


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## effektz (Oct 11, 2019)

ADanto6840 said:


> RE: Rachio -- So I've got it switched over to 'Flex Daily' and I triple-checked all zone settings are accurate. I have a few questions about some of the advanced settings though, honestly not sure I had even look at that screen more than once or twice, and generally I had just been configuring the Rachio "manually" as I previously hadn't had a ton of luck (or perhaps faith) in the "automatic" settings -- I basically just had been using Rachio for the last ~5 it as a 'dumb controller' that I could program via wifi.
> 
> *RACHIO IRRIGATION QUESTIONS*
> 
> ...


Hey sorry for not getting back to you this weekend, was tied up trying to secure some Latitude 36.

RE: Rachio

I know its hard to trust the controller at first, but believe me it will not destroy your lawn. I had a buddy who got a rachio at the same time and I did all automatic and he did his manually and my lawn was way healthier than his within the first month and I watered less. Just give it a shot for a month, you will see
For root depth, I always thought it should be the depth in which you want the roots to be. So on mine, it is currently at 9 inches but I have clay soil. I would just go with the standard 6 for now
Definitely bust out the good old measuring tape and measure the area size for each zone and change the sq footage to match. That measurement will accurately help the program send the correct amount of water. I have one zone which covers over 1200 feet and if I just left it at 500 ft, I would not get the correct amount of water to the sq footage
I do not edit the other values yet, I am not at that level to understand how those affect the irrigation
I don't have the flow meter, I have an older Rachio 2. The yard features I think is a subscription thing and no I dont use that

I also cannot stress enough to not irrigate during the day when your kids are outside unless there is an absolute need to (like clearing a sprinkler line or testing the system). You are just going to waste a ton of water (plus if you water before sunrise you dont have to worry about water restrictions because no one will be out during that time). The controlling the zone for your kids is a bit above me but it seems like your on the right track with the relay switch. I know Rachio only does one zone at a time, i think you would have to manually turn that valve on for multiple to run.

Overall you grass is looking better! I am with you, cut those tress down. I like trees as much as anyone but when it comes to bermuda grass, it will just kill it or thin it out where your always battling it. Your timelapse looks better but you can still see the far right side by the tree stumps are still very shaded. If you can, I would take out the tree on the far right (closest to the front of your yard) and trim the other ones extremely high up. But sounds like you'd rather take them out and you have a great argument to do it.


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## ADanto6840 (Apr 1, 2021)

These 4 trees are coming down tomorrow! =D



Grass continues to look better -- mowed it all today. It's definitely *begging* to be mowed lower than I can do with my Ryobi 40V rotary, though. I need to do some leveling for sure, then get at it with a reel mower.

I'm currently on the fence between a Swardman and an Allett -- though I'm probably a month away from being able to *really* utilize the lower HOC on either, but I'm definitely ready [read: addicted] for a lower & more plush 'carpet' overall.

Very excited to have the trees gone tomorrow; I spent ~1hr blowing & raking pine needles yesterday and, more importantly, I want to see super dense & green grass in that 'back right' area. Looking forward to fewer pine needles, pine combs, and better grass. =D


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## ADanto6840 (Apr 1, 2021)

Time for some photos!!!

Exciting New -- I bought an Allett Liberty 43 (6-blade + scarifier cartridges) on Friday!! Hoping it'll get here late this week or early next week. I won't be able to mow with it right away, but I'll probably start using the scarifier & go from there. I've also got two more cartridges on order via a vendor (lawn brush & 10-blade); the former will likely be used before the latter, but hopefully will have those soon after the Allett gets here, too! =D

Also, got a new phone, so slightly better resolution on the images (was a "free" deal via my carrier in exchange for a 3yr contract; have been with them for 15 years, so figured may as well go for better camera & battery). 

Pictures!


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## ADanto6840 (Apr 1, 2021)

(above was today, pre-mow)

*Post Mow:*
HoC = 1". Using rotary, Ryobi 40V brushless self-propelled. I'm mostly pushing it myself, or 'jiggling' it up/down to get a bit more even cut.


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## effektz (Oct 11, 2019)

It's looking good man! SOO much better now that those trees are removed! You will definitely not regret it! I see you are struggling in some of the middle parts of the lawn, any ideas on what may be causing it? Have you checked the soil underneath it for any large rocks? Those patches are pretty random to seem like it was disease.

How has the watering been going? The grass looks really green! Love seeing your progress!


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## ADanto6840 (Apr 1, 2021)

Alright, so I put some pictures up last night. Couple things I wanted to note + a few questions/concerns, hopefully someone can help point me in the right direction on those items. 

*NOTES / INFO*

*The 4 pine-trees are now removed!* 
The 'back right' area is getting *much* more sun now, it's probably almost equal to the front area of the rear yard at this point, where the house begins to shade the lawn in the mid-to-late afternoons! And fewer pine-combs & needles now, too! Yay!



*More Sod for that area!* 
The area where the trees were removed -- I intend to level that out, bring it down ~2" below grade, put topsoil in, and then put in another ~60sqft of additional sod, so that it's full filled in with grass. I'll also need to move the sprinklers back to the wall in that area; that should be pretty easy to do once the ground is below grade.



*Rachio is on 'Flex Daily' & Fully Tested/Optimized Sprinklers + Rachio Zone Config!* 
Based entirely on feedback earlier in the thread (which I acted on immediately but forgot to post about at the time -- so thank you! I've also gone through and measured each zone, plugged in the correct numbers, and have been trusting Rachio to work its magic. It's set to complete by sunrise each day; so far, seems to be working great. I've tested/verified the entire irrigation setup as well, I replaced a bunch of mediocre nozzles & adjusted them, and went thru every detail on Rachio to ensure each zone is configured (including advanced configuration) as accurately as possible, at least based on my understanding of each setting.



*Lawn Usage is High!* 
Kids on the lawn during the day happens often still, though is no longer an issue w/ irrigation since it's always watering very early now. That said, the grass definitely takes a beating from them; my wife is somewhat addicted to "inflatables" -- including slip'n'slides, water bouncey-castles, kiddie pools, and all that. I clean it up each afternoon, but "wear" & usage by the family is going to be the norm for sure -- just means I'll have to be that much better in taking care of the lawn, as the whole purpose _is_ for them to be able to use the hell out of it [ideally with a plush carpet-like feel & stripes that shine]. 



*Ordered an Alllett Liberty 43!* 
No more messing around -- I pulled the trigger on Friday!! Just got an email that it shipped, too! Looks like it's scheduled to arrive here via freight next Tuesday! Due to freight, it may be another day or before delivery, but super excited; and hats off to Allett for thoroughly answering each & every one of my questions and concerns via phone call late Friday afternoon, has me feeling great about the purchase/investment! Cartridges: 6-blade reel & Scarifier. I'm also ordering the 10-blade reel & brush from Horizon this week, too.



*Will Wait on Leveling / Top-Dressing* 
Based on my call w/ excellent & super knowledgable gentleman at Allett, I'll be waiting to do any leveling & top-dressing until after the Allett has arrived & I've done at least a few weeks of thatch removal via the scarifier cartridge. I likely won't even be mowing with the Allett right away, but the Scarifier cartridge will likely be used pretty much immediately. I still intend to level/top-dress this year, but it'll be probably a month or so out, depending on the progress I make, and any feedback.


*THREE (3) QUESTIONS / CONCERNS*

*Grass Suddenly Doing Poorly / Dying in this Spot?* Any idea what's going on here?






*Fertilize? Pre/Post Emergent?*
I need to send in some soil samples, my "kit" got stolen from our mailbox, so I need to look into it again and get some soil samples sent out for testing. In the meantime though, should I already be following the Bermuda Bible as far as general fertilization goes -- or something different, since it's still relatively-new sod? What about pre- or post- emergent; no-go for new sod, correct?




*Few 'Poor Performing' Areas / Corners.*
Some of these spots have begun to improve after my last irrigation "tune-up" -- to varying degrees, at least -- but they're still not doing great for the most part.




I suspect some of them have concrete footings not far underneath the topsoil, which may be the culprit perhaps? Could also be overspray from pest control (primarily using Cy-kick CS), though have been trying to be very careful, keeping it "light & high" around the grass, especially since scorpions _usually_ avoid grass altogether.





Thank you!!


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## sandstorm (May 14, 2021)

If you have a long enough screw driver or something similar you should be able to determine if concrete footers are a problem pretty much immediately. Jam it on in!


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## ADanto6840 (Apr 1, 2021)

I think that my irrigation tune-up ended up "shifting" water pressure such that the worst spot -- the spot nearest the playground -- ended up getting less water. Basically, I replaced almost all the heads except for a few; it appears that I didn't replace the 2 that are nearest that area, and they weren't getting a whole lot of water to the area, maybe due to systemic change/pressure, maybe I even just overlooked it though. I was hand-watering a lot until very recently, so quite possibly I just missed it.

I'm checking the nozzles again now, the entire system, and making some adjustments / swapping for brass nozzles, etc...

I'm going to check for footings shortly, too. If it is a footings issue, what recourse do I have? Presumably I shouldn't go chipping away at "extended" footings for my house's foundation; that said, I don't want dead grass either. Basically a major TLF conundrum. =D


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## ADanto6840 (Apr 1, 2021)

Alright, so these are definitely footings:


What can I do about that? Anything? =(

The other 'bad spot' -- I initially thought it was maybe an irrigation issue, but I've since come to the conclusion that it was probably where a crew washed off their tools & boots after shooting shotcrete (concrete for the pool), and the runoff probably was likely a bit acidic or similar & 'burned' the grass there. New grass is growing in that spot now, so I'm not too worried about it.

Allett mower gets here tomorrow! I've already received the 10-blade reel cartridge & the lawn brush cartridge, plus battery & charger -- can't wait to fire it up tomorrow with the scarifier cartridge. =)

I will say this: lots of mowing required! Even after only 1 day, I can consistently fill my Ryobi mower's bag by mowing the very next day. I'm mowing at my mower's lowest setting which is 1.5" HOC (previously mis-stated it as being 1" HOC). Lots of mowing. So far, loving it; when the Allett gets here, and I eventually am able to use it to mow, I'll likely love it even more. Another month or two down the line when it gets *really* hot out though, I may be here asking about growth regulator, lol.


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## ADanto6840 (Apr 1, 2021)

Updated photos from last night!

https://imgur.com/a/J4D5PJo

These were taken intermittently while I was running the Scarifier cartridge on the Allett Liberty 43. I did ~3 passes on everything & emptied the bin ~10 times (not totally full by any means but enough to need emptied to prevent 'overflowing').


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## ADanto6840 (Apr 1, 2021)

Photo update. Ready for leveling? =D


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## ADanto6840 (Apr 1, 2021)

I'm using the Allett Liberty w/ the scarifier cartridge pretty low; I've been cutting at top HOC w/ the 6-blade so far, pretty much every day (mowed yesterday, did not mow today & photos are from today).

I really want to level ASAP and drop HOC. I'm also in Vegas, I think it's like 105F right now @ nearly 8PM -- and was over 110F today. Can I 'scalp' it some?

I've put some Milorganite down in the last week, also been intentionally keeping it a little higher. I had gotten it down a biter further (with some brown spots), but backed off as the heat wave came in.

Any thoughts / guidance / advice appreciated, as always! Ty! =)


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## effektz (Oct 11, 2019)

Your yard is more than ready for some leveling. I would scalp the grass and sand level it. You don't have to worry about the heat and low cut as the the grass should be well rooted now and you ha e your irrigation corrected.


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## ADanto6840 (Apr 1, 2021)

Alright, ordered quite a bit of sand & have been leveling the last few days. Just got all irrigation working again, managed to take a few heads out with ATV & drag net. I have found that the combo of a Segway & hand-leveling tool (LevelLawn etc) is fantastic and works quite well, though definitely is a workout.

I scalped first, down to around 3/4"-ish, though my lawn was pretty bumpy so that scalped some areas more than others. I double [or more] -cut everything, to get it as even as I could. I also ran the scarifying cartridge through well over 50 times before embarking on the leveling project, and ~3-4 passes immediately prior to leveling.

I did have 1 issue with the Allett Liberty, which delayed my project by a few days -- that said, their team was *fantastic* and they got me the replacement belt that I needed *on* the 4th of July. That's pretty great customer service and, while I'd rather have not experienced an issue, it's definitely the best one could hope for/expect given the circumstances.

*After Sand-Leveling. *


http://imgur.com/c7xxXHU


Still a few spots that could use some more sand, mainly nearest the patio & nearest the front. I've got more sand left still, just need to give my back a day (or two), and then I'll get it put down and leveling further.

*Fertilize?*
I haven't thrown down any fertilizer yet, but probably going to put down some 16-16-16 tonight, unless it's too hot to do so right now? I'll have to research it a bit. Worst case, if I don't feel confident with that, then I'll put down some more Milo.

*Pre & Post E - OTW*
I bit the bullet and have the Bermuda triangle's recommended chems inbound, may have arrived today. I'll probably apply to a small area first, just to be sure, and then begin rolling that out. I have a small Scotts Li-Ion sprayer which I love (primarily used for insecticide thus far), but I will wash it out super good & and use that for application FWIW.

Bring on any/all critique, etc...!! Ty!


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## ADanto6840 (Apr 1, 2021)

It's growing a bit slower than I would maybe have expected, but it's almost fully "greened" back up and is substantially more level. Will get some pics up today or tomorrow; pretty happy with the outcome thus far, though it does seem *slightly* slow on growth (something I really didn't/wouldn't expect from Bermuda), but that could be more about my impatience than actual growth rate, I'm not sure!


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## ADanto6840 (Apr 1, 2021)

Photo update here:

Taken today -- July 24, 2021 -- just after running the scarifier cartridge (pretty lightly) over it a few times, primarily to pick up pine-needles after "monsoon" winds the last few nights. I mowed a bit after, though it was dark, and probably looks slightly better before mowing.
https://imgur.com/a/8Ufhyzi

I'm mowing at "2.5" on the Allett settings, which is just under an inch (should be 0.875" depending on how accurately I get it at 'half' between the two). I'm mowing every day, if I can -- meaning, if it's grown enough to do so. I think I skipped one day so far and, honestly, I'd like to be mowing more.

I feel like it's growing slow, though I also went relatively heavy on sand, so maybe I 'buried it' a bit too much, not sure. It's also hot (but humid & relatively wet) here, but I'd think it would thrive -- that said, it's a lovely deep green, and much more even, so I really can't bitch too much!


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## ADanto6840 (Apr 1, 2021)

I'm starting to look at my front lawn a bit closer now, while I wait on the backyard to grow a bit more, lol.

Photos of front:
https://imgur.com/a/B8wvLvG

Thread I just started asking for guidance on what the lawn is, how to proceed, etc -- here:
https://thelawnforum.com/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=30750&p=421165


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## littlehuman (Jun 10, 2020)

How's it recovering from the sanding?


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## ADanto6840 (Apr 1, 2021)

It's recovering pretty nicely, though still growing slower than I'd like. I ordered a soil sample probe and I'm going to send off some samples Monday in hopes of getting some data to go off of, instead of just mowing as often as it'll let me & throwing Milo at it. The videos below show a decent bit of the status, though will try to take some pictures this afternoon as well.

And, as promised in another thread, some Segway Utility Vehicle videos below, haha. Note that I've sped them up quite a bit & apparently Adobe Premiere can't handle audio timing/keyframe syncing & I didn't want to mess with it -- so the audio is out of sync, but it shouldn't detract from either the utility nor the overall humor! =D

*Segway Utility Vehicle - Sand Leveling*
I've been adding a bit more sand to a few low spots over the last week or two. Last weekend I used the lawn leveling tool via the Segway, and did so with the explicit intention of getting some footage to post here, since I've very little shame. 





And a bonus!

*Segway Utility Vehicle - Ryobi Blower Edition*


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## ADanto6840 (Apr 1, 2021)

Got my soil test results back last week from Utah State University's lab. The results are relatively unremarkable, I think the most notable thing is probably the salinity. Results below.

*#1) REAR LAWN - TifTuf / Newly Renovated*


*#2) SIDE LAWN - TifTuf / Newly Renovated*


*#3) FRONT LAWN - Existing Random Grasses + Weeds [Not Yet Renovated]*


Edit: Updated with better & more concise soil test result images.


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## ADanto6840 (Apr 1, 2021)

Photo update! 

https://imgur.com/a/R6PItxH


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## littlehuman (Jun 10, 2020)

Fantastic improvement this season, great work!


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## ADanto6840 (Apr 1, 2021)

Thank you.

Still a lot of room for improvement. I want to expand the turf around the outside edge and it needs additional leveling -- I think that the topsoil, which had a relatively large amount of organic matter in it, has begun to 'sink' in some spots creating ripples. Either that and/or too many drinks while pulling & dumping loads of sand + pulling the drag net around. Probably both.

Nonetheless, I look forward to putting another probably ~6 tons of sand on it against next year and hopefully being more "competitive" as far as overall lawn aesthetic goes with some of the top lawns here. I'm optimistic about next season, at least! =D


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## ADanto6840 (Apr 1, 2021)

How long can I "push it" for, being in Vegas? I'd like to throw down another few bags (ideally 10-20, 50lbs bags) of sand, but I don't want to end up with a lot of sand that doesn't get "grown in" before it goes dormant.

How late into the year, how warm I guess, does it need to be -- for me to keep throwing N at it and getting good results?

FWIW, I sprayed Prodiamine on the entire side & rear lawn this week. Miscalculated the dosage slightly but in the end it should be fine/accurate, if anything I had probably been trying to under-dose & ended up with the "right" dose. I put down about 3 *teaspoons* per thousand.


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## ADanto6840 (Apr 1, 2021)

Shameless bump. =D

I'm guessing I should probably not "push it" much more at this point, it's definitely started to cool off a decent bit.

What soil temps am I looking for though, as far as slowed growth vs 'hard stop' / dormancy?


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## ADanto6840 (Apr 1, 2021)

Photo update... Feels like a slightly sad update, everything is dormant ("sleeping" as I tell the wife/kids), but for anyone else out there who is going through the same, I figure I may as well document the winter as well. =D


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## ADanto6840 (Apr 1, 2021)

Appears to be staying pretty green nearer to places where there are foundations/footings/protections of some sort (ie trees & tree roots) -- I assume because it's added protection & likely causes the soil temperature to be buffered a bit.

Nonetheless, I'm very much looking forward to warmer temperatures. And I'll probably be here complaining when it's 110F+ too, but looking forward to lush greenery nonetheless.

Hopefully, no one here thinks it's dead -- if you do, definitely do LMK, but I hope it's just having a cozy winter hibernation! =D


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## FATC1TY (Jul 12, 2017)

It's just dormant… there's nothing dead other than maybe that patch near the fence, which maybe be a flower bed without any definition, and if so, ignore me.


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## Redtwin (Feb 9, 2019)

I don't see anything that looks dead to me. From what I understand brown is dormant, grey is dead.


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## ADanto6840 (Apr 1, 2021)

Good to hear. My wife is relieved to hear that I'm not the only one saying "it's just dormant" lol. =D.

*Re: 'Bed without any definition' *-- Yeah, that area is currently "wasteland" and it just needs "fixed"; and it will be getting cleaned up & sodded this year, for sure.

_The longer version of the story with that area:_ There were originally 4 additional pine trees there (prior journal posts detail the predicament bit further); the trees were creating too much shade for the rear-most (nearest playground area) bit of TifTuf so they were semi-impromptu removals last year. This was after the sod had already gone down though, so the area also didn't get graded or sodded when the rest did, as it was a "bed" of sorts with closely-spaced pine trees at the time.

After the trees came out, we had some more concrete decking poured & the concrete crew kind of used that area to "wash off" & throw some waste material (grr). This year I'll be cleaning that area up, getting it graded & level, moving the irrigation back slightly so it covers that area, and then either plugging or seeing if the local sod farm will let me come pick up a small (~200sqft) bit of extra TifTuf sod to cover the area.

I'll probably tackle that project soon, within the next 1-to-2 months probably, before it gets *too* hot out -- it's also a good "excuse" to work on the yard while I anxiously wait for the greener grass.


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## ADanto6840 (Apr 1, 2021)

The wait is challenging, for sure! I thought I'd likely be able to scalp today/this weekend, but this is our forecast:



Argh. I have even questioned whether "50% green-up" means "50% of area has some green" or if it means "near-all areas are 50%+ green". Pedantic & probably foolish, but those are the questions I ask myself right now!

In the meantime, I've done some *very* worthwhile mods on the Allett which have made it much nicer to use & I'm looking forward to making good use of them this season. I've also put together a pretty robust "ALPR camera" setup, which is serving as a solid occupier for some of my spare "yard time" -- but am looking forward to warmer weather & greener grass.


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## ADanto6840 (Apr 1, 2021)

Post-scalp photos, taken today.















Fingers crossed that it stays warm & sunny so that we can all get some green grass pretty soon!


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## ADanto6840 (Apr 1, 2021)

Alright, time for a photo update!



http://imgur.com/oDMYWRk


*General & Post-Scalp 'Recovery':*
I'm actually *not* super thrilled with recovery thus far. I haven't mowed yet, I intend to do so this afternoon, but it seems to be recovering a good bit slower than I had anticipated. That said, we're still getting into the *really* solid temperatures for growth, but I'm still a little surprised at both the speed of recovery & how "patchy" the recovery seems to be.

Interestingly, some of the "trouble spots" from late last year were areas that filled in first & extremely fast -- though that growth seems to have slowed at this point, too.

*Irrigation:*
I've got Rachio watering. I was probably under-watering initially, I now have it back to the "auto" Rachio settings that I used last year. I've tested irrigation a good bit & made a few adjustments to improve coverage. I just got my "audit" gauges delivered this week, so I'm going to do a full irrigation audit this weekend and see if that provides any insight.

*Fertilizer:* 
After scalping, I initially put down ~0.25lbs/1k sqft of N (urea spray app). I didn't see much response, though the temps dropped a bit around then. Subsequently, I put down 16-16-16 granular last weekend and watered it in. I really haven't seen much 'response' from that over the course of the week though, either, unfortunately.

*PreE:*
I completely forget when I last put down preE, though I did treat with Prodiamine at some point late last season (may have been into/after dormancy even). I had *maybe* 4 weeds throughout the end of last season & up through winter into spring. I've just now started seeing a few more (ignoring ones in the dirt -- just ones in the turf itself), I pulled up ~3 weeds yesterday though they were pretty small.

I'm hesitant to throw down any kind of herbicide right now, at least until the grass is a bit more recovered, and ideally until it's growing fast enough to keep up with a solid every-other-day mowing schedule. I know the wisdom is that it's fine, but I'm hesitant to screw anything up or prolong things further, etc!!

*Mowing:*
The first (semi) "real" mow of the season will be this afternoon.

Any thoughts? Am I just being impatient? Any obvious mistakes or things I'm overlooking?


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## ADanto6840 (Apr 1, 2021)

We had a wind-storm at the end of this past weekend & temperatures have unfortunately dropped a good bit -- though the forecast has us back into the 70s and 80s in the next day or so & through the next ~10 days.

*VERTICUTTING!*
I got the Allett Verticut cartridge this week and used it for the first time last night. Below are the pictures. I also put down just under 0.5lb/thousand of N today (foliar app).

BEFORE VERTICUT:


http://imgur.com/nCtOdLE


AFTER VERTICUT:


http://imgur.com/Y2Sy3Ft


*IRRIGATION SYSTEM: *
Oh yeah, and I fixed 1 of the 2 sprinklers that I broke while fooling around in the year, and I'm having a beer right now before I go fix the other one. If I was doing this over again, I'd put SO MUCH more time into ensuring the irrigation was done perfectly/exactly the way I wanted (ie swing/flex pipe from the PVC, and would put the PVC ~0.5ft deeper, at least).

Really, I'm just SO SICK of _looking at_ a sprinkler the wrong way & having the riser snap - then needing to dig/clean/pray to get it clean enough & all the dirt/sand/rock out, to get a new riser in & low enough. I'm tired enough of it that the 'Irrigreen' solution is starting to become increasingly attractive, as 2-3 heads vs 15 is starting to sound freaking amazing (even despite the high price). That said, I have some strong reservations about it too -- from the expense to the maintainence, and the critical-ness of the system itself. I also worry about the company behind it as I've read some of their SEC filings (they are already highly-leveraged & cash-strapped -- so I have concern as to whether they'll be around and/or fiscally able to support the product long-term).

Anyways, will continue to post updates & photos as it recovers -- hopefully that'll be relatively quick, especially after hitting it with a good bit of N today & warmer temperatures on the horizon. Fingers crossed!


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## ADanto6840 (Apr 1, 2021)

Photo update! Taken over a course of days, not sure if in the right order or not, but here they are! 

https://imgur.com/a/etf9Zly


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## ADanto6840 (Apr 1, 2021)

I put the pictures in approximately the right order + added timestamps. 
https://imgur.com/a/bPUtwD4

I also made a little utility to put timestamps on iPhone photos automatically, if anyone else might find that useful I open-sourced it & it's client-side (ie can use it from the linked page for free) -- you can find that here:
https://arthurd.github.io/timestamp-images-js/index.html 
It seems to "miss" some downloads w/ the 'download all' -- I'll fix that eventually but it scratched my itch for now, lol. 

More pics coming soon. I put down ~0.5lbs/M of N today and some iron, both foliar & then watered it in a few hours later. Season really starting to feel like it's starting now!


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## ADanto6840 (Apr 1, 2021)

Update & photos...

*April 28 thru May 21st*


http://imgur.com/NftxcyL


*May 24, 2022 (Today) - BEFORE MOWING *


http://imgur.com/rRB2ot2


*May 24, 2022 (Today) - AFTER MOWING *


http://imgur.com/p5ndX3H


*Seed Heads*
It doesn't show in the photos but I'm getting substantial seed heads. I've searched & read through the forum, seems like it may indicate stress or it may just be a time-of-year thing, maybe both -- didn't seem to get a truly-definitive answer.

It sounds like PGR helps a good bit with seed heads though, right now at least, I'd really prefer to be mowing _more_, not less -- and I'm getting extremely good horizontal growth.

*Inputs - Fertilizer*
I'm putting down N at about 0.3lbs/M every ~10 days. Weed pressure is very low. I'd like to see a bit more top-growth but overall no complaints.

*Inputs - Irrigation*
I have Rachio set to do its "auto" thing but I'm going to change it up. I did a sprinkler audit, I'm relatively "even", though my drainage isn't perfect on 2 of my 4 zones. Those 2 zones then receive some runoff from the two zones that drain better, and then I've got "mismatched" amounts of water going into the ground. I've got it on smart-cycle & cofnigured correctly, though I think it's probably just easiest for me to set up a manual cycle-and-soak and put in the correct times since I know them via testing/calibration.

I also, unfortunately, need to dig out 1 head (really I need to re-do ~5 heads, but only 1 is "pressing") and re-do it with a flex/swing pipe, as I wish my contractor had done originally. The one that's problematic is "caked" in there and I can't seem to get the water coming out evenly (which is what's causing one spot to be not quite as uniformly green), and swapping in a new body causes a 'cave in' of dirt. I know it's probably only a 30-60 minute thing, though I'm probably slower than most, but that's a project for later this week or next week -- and is one I'm dreading.

*Misc.*
I backlapped again today -- it really made a noticable difference. Even though I thought my reel was relatively sharp, and I had backlapped once before the beginning of this season already, I did so again today (10-blade reel). The quality of cut today, immediately after backlapping, was superb & definitely a clear improvement over the quality I was getting the last week or two.

I'm probably going to do some leveling at some point in the next ~30 days. I'm currently looking for the best sand to use in the area -- I spoke with a golf super locally who said there are basically *no* local sources of "excellent" top-dressing. I'm looking at some screened stuff from a local ready-mix place though they couldn't tell me how/what it's screened to, just that it "meets DOT specs", which I'll need to look into further. I wasn't *thrilled* with my sand last year, it was alright though not amazing, and since I'll be doing a 'lighter' volume of sand this year I'd prefer to get more-optimal stuff. On the plus side, the ready-mix stuff is only $13/ton (aka delivery will cost more than material lol), but I digress.

In other tangentially-related news, my wife has gotten pretty into gardening and now has 4 different raised beds setup with half of them already growing stuff. Sometimes we squabble over the hose, or she'll have to wait for me to finish mowing, but it's been nice to have her get into growing stuff & there's at least some overlap as far as irrigation and fertilizer, etc..


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## ADanto6840 (Apr 1, 2021)

*Today's Mow -- "Rounded Stripes" for the win!  *


http://imgur.com/AhugTvI


I actually really like mowing 'curves' like this because you can always see at least *some* (parts of the) stripes clearly, no matter the position of the sun, and from (nearly) all viewing angles. You may not see the "entire" stripe, but at least you can (almost) always see some striped goodness the stripes.

Oddly satisfying, for sure. =D

*Upcoming Sand Leveling*
I'm planning to scalp & then sand-level within the next ~1-2 weeks most likely. Almost *slightly* sad about it, though I'm looking forward to the end result and there's a lot less total 'volume' of sand & leveling that will be needed this season versus last season.

A few things I'm semi-subconsciously debating/working through WRT leveling, are:

How best to make sure I don't end up with "overly high" areas & can focus on the few spots where there are (relatively slight) lower areas. 
How best to maintain a slight gradient away from my concrete (patio, block walls, and foundation).

How to drag without tearing up 50% of sprinkler heads. I learned last year that 'just drive around them' is a plan that does not leave enough margin for error. Plus, it's extremely frustrating to be digging & fixing sprinklers immediately after hauling & dragging tons of sand (and then having to dig/move sand to get to them, blow out the lines, etc).


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## ADanto6840 (Apr 1, 2021)

*Today's Post-Mow Pictures*


http://imgur.com/fNeRkiB


I'm starting to be pretty happy with the lawn overall. It's striping pretty well which is quite satisfying. I'll probably put down some more N tomorrow.


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## SouthernTiftuf (12 mo ago)

Looking super healthy love following your progress


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## ADanto6840 (Apr 1, 2021)

Ty! 

Likewise, your progress (continual leap, really) is pretty incredible and I'm enjoying following along with you.


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## ADanto6840 (Apr 1, 2021)

May 26 thru June 11 (today) 2022:

https://imgur.com/a/ltiMZto


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## ADanto6840 (Apr 1, 2021)

Some updated photos -- June 17th thru June 23rd:


http://imgur.com/CWnvSrA


*Two things are "brewing" right now -- and hopefully will be completed by the end of this weekend:*


*Sand Leveling*
This warrants its own post plus some photos as I've dug deeper this year and hope for very good results. =D

*Irrigation head "fix"*
My heads were not installed on 'swing pipe' risers; it's been a constant and consistent nagging issue. The slightest misstep, or a badly thrown ball (I'm guilty twice), and you have a broken riser. Half the time it's trivial to put a new one on and the other half of the time it's a serious PITA because dirt/sand/grass/etc is falling into the hole. It also creates tripping (and mowing) hazards, since I can't get the heads "just right" (the cut-off risers only have so many cutting 'notches'), and it just drives me bonkers. Well, no more, even if it requires digging up quite a bit (and it will) because the PVC coupling is on the "top" of the 'lateral' lines, so it's going to be some work -- but it's going to get fixed tomorrow. I'm joyful.


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## ADanto6840 (Apr 1, 2021)

*SAND LEVELING*
Alright, we all know the 'secret sauce' to a really nice looking Bermuda lawn is leveling/smoothing via sand. Apparently here in Las Vegas there are essentially no good local sources for sand that is "optimal" for leveling. I've heard this from several different golf course workers (asst. supers), and I believed them, but I really needed to 'see' it for myself, too.

First off -- we have to establish what the "right" kind of sand even is. I looked to the USGA, who publishes quite a bit on the topic (and lots of really interesting reading WRT construction of greens & fairways, from the 'foundation' and drainage, to irrigation and shading, prep steps to decrease maintenance burden, and the like - enjoyable & often highly-detailed stuff).

The USGA advises the following (below) for top-dressing -- mainly for greens, is my understanding, but the recommendations for fairways are roughly similar, too. Also, the recommendations can vary regionally and there are different preferences for different soil types, plus there is continual ongoing research being conducted about different ratios of material for top-dressing and how each actually preform in the field ( particle sizes, shapes, coefficients of uniformity, application rates, underlying material make-up, etc).

*USGA Recommendation (and 'My Goal Sand') is:*

 0% over 1.0mm
15-40% coarse (0.5-1.0mm) -- US #18 mesh
50% -- medium-sized (0.25-0.50mm) -- US #35 mesh
<25% fine (0.15-0.25 mm) -- US #60 mesh
<5% -- very fine (0.05 - 0.15 mm) -- US #140 mesh

I'm taking it a little far here, no doubt, but I really can't help myself. I really wanted to be able to quantify the sand and physically see and feel the difference. Plus, last year I didn't love the (either of two) sand that I used; since labor is roughly constant regardless, I figured let's go big & get the optimal stuff.

*Enter: The Sieves!!*
I'm sure we've pretty much all heard the saying, "Leaks like a sieve", right? Usually, that's probably _not_ what you want to hear. In this case, though, that's exactly what I needed -- sieves -- that's apparently the defacto standard way of measuring and quantifying material like this (a few other methods exist but are even less accessible/affordable, unless I overlooked something).

It turns out that sieves are not cheap!! I think I'm around $120 into *just* my collection of sieves (pictures below), argh. I opted for a set made by a manufacturer of lab equipment (purchased via Amazon), though there are a few others sold online for about half the price that are supposedly US mesh-# sizes, though I couldn't confirm that and so opted against it. That said, I didn't have every mesh size that I "needed" in order to get perfect results vs the USGA recommendations -- but to get just the extra #18 mesh, for instance, would have cost me another $30-ish, so I went with "practical".

On the positive side, it's a fun & good "conversation piece" -- not very many people have sieves and, from going around locally to "test"/measure sand at various suppliers around town, the number of people who have heard the word sieve but have never actually seen one is definitely non-zero (most of whom probably think I'm nuts). Anyways, the mesh sizes I have are close enough that I could at least trivially see which sand was "definitely not good" and which sand might be viable.



http://imgur.com/zJRQm15


*My Findings*
I believe that sand varies by region, even the stuff in the "packaged bags" at your local big-box hardware store, but locally my findings were relatively boring: the only relatively-viable option available was "play sand" -- otherwise I'd need to seek out actual USGA sand.

*USGA Sand in Vegas*
Only the golf courses have it and I couldn't get one to sell it to me directly and transport would also have been problematic. I did track down a few USGA sand suppliers in SoCal where it runs around $30/ton or so. Unfortunately, it would cost over $1k for freight from SoCal to Vegas.

Luckily, one of the material suppliers nearby (whose sand contained WAY too much course sand AND way too many fines) had a connection at a golf course. He managed to persuade them with dollars and, given my substantially-lower need for volume this year (and already-committed labor I'll be doing), it made sense for me to just "over pay" to get good sand this year.

*My USGA Sand*


http://imgur.com/e9TBQ5G


The USGA sand I got this year measures pretty much *precisely* to the USGA specs -- and it's signficantly distinct from either of the sands that I used last year. You really can just "feel" the difference and it's extremely obvious when measuring it -- nothing large and nearly zero 'super fines', too. It's also pretty starkly different than play-sand too; it's a bit less "jagged" feeling vs play sand (play sand is, I think this is the right phrase, "too uniform" vs the USGA sand). It's really quite distinct and I'm really looking forward to getting it down & using it -- I think it's going to really improve some areas that feel a bit "spongey" along with several areas that feel overly "hard"/compacted (which I'll likely manually loosen up a bit to introduce more of this sand into those specific areas).

*For now, that concludes the "sand hunting" part of the adventure!*
I'm going to begin scalping this evening or tomorrow morning. I'm also going to aerate (again) after scalping, verticut, and then it'll be time for the main event -- moving the sand into small piles and then the spreading and smoothing process.

I'm optimistic!!! =D


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## SouthernTiftuf (12 mo ago)

Great read and loved how deep you dug into this. I'm sure the neighbors enjoy seeing you measure out sand particle sizes in the driveway haha


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## ADanto6840 (Apr 1, 2021)

Update on sand-leveling!

https://imgur.com/a/A87tFXu

It was pretty covered, maybe a *little* heavy the on sand this year, but it's recovering extremely fast. I didn't get it all down until Wednesday but I think I may be back to mowing again as soon as mid-week this week, even.

I've put down a decent bit of N, though this sand is just so much better, I really think the rapid recovery is more about the higher-quality sand than anything else. Last year it really seemed to be smothered by the sand; this year, I can literally see the grass making progress through the sand within a single day's time, I think it's just a lot less prone to "smothering", though the grass is probably much stronger & healthier this year, too. Weather has also been great for growing, too, which I'm sure doesn't hurt anything either.


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## SouthernTiftuf (12 mo ago)

How low did you scalp before putting the sand out? Did you time it around any PGR applications or anything along those lines?


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## ADanto6840 (Apr 1, 2021)

No PGR here, not this year at least.

I actually wanted to cut lower, quite a bit lower -- I cut it as low as the Alett Libery 43 would really "let" me, but at some point the 'squeeling' was too much to take & sounded damaging. I checked the belts & gears though, neither worn or broken whatsoever, so I'm second-guessing my advice in other threads WRT squeeking-equals-belt on the Liberty.

The resulting HoC was, quite frankly, not low as I'd have gone if I'd been able to; it was screeching and 'stalling', and I attempted to take it in several passes, but I think I probably can't get below ~.45" with this machine & the high-density turf that I've apparently grown. I believe the heat contributes, too, as I got a bit more volume cut after immediately after pulling the mower (and esp. battery) from a climate-controlled garage. I also backlapped (twice, 7-blade for scalping both times) before trying to scalp it, and I dropped just a few turns of the knob each 'new pass'. Idk, wasn't as low as I had intended, nor as low as I've accidentally achieved on previous "go low" attempts, but it was definitely low enough to be beyond normal & look pretty "textbook scalped" across most of it.

Edit to add -- I began scalping Sunday, finished Monday. Sanded (some Monday, then finished on...) Wednesday. So it was getting a little long by Wednesday when the sand went down, but I was just happy to get it finished (behind schedule). I expected to be cutting again maybe by late this-coming/next week, but has recovered much faster than expected this year.

Overall though, I'd say it averaged ~.45" with *most* of it being a *bit* closer to 3/8"-ish, though it's relatively hard to be sure -- the grass is *extremely* dense in many spots, enough that it'll generally 'float' me a bit when walking or standing on it -- in some areas, part of that may be due to partially using crap sand last year, not positive, but some parts are super dense and 'floaty' while others are dense but 'slushy' (not moisture related, just a lot less resistive to weight and overly-'giving').

My blades look good as far as total-time/time left, though 1 does look slightly warped in the center maybe (and cut is definitely far better in the center, on both blades really, which is concerning - they both leave slightly-high grass on the outer 1-2" of the blades, meaning I had been over- overlapping). I'm planning to take 1 of the blades (the 7 blade) in to get sharpened & looked at this week. Idk if "warped" (maybe from a small rock at some point, maybe just from mowing 180x/yr, who knows) can be fixed via sharpening or not; maybe I'm just using a bad blade at this point, guess I'll see what they say this week though.


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## ADanto6840 (Apr 1, 2021)

I've been slacking on updates -- I started off the season pretty gung-ho with photos, but I've been slacking on those as well. Time to play some "catch up". I haven't taken photos very recently, but I do have a number of photos that I took throughout the season and that I didn't get posted, including the (incredible IMO) post-leveling "recovery" period, which was quite rapid.

Throughout most of the season I was able to mow at least every-other day, and during the peak of the season I was mowing daily, as it was growing pretty rapidly and I was spoon-feeding subtantial N up through about mid July. I've backed off of inputs since then, and mowing frequency has decreased proportionately as a result.

That said, I've unfortunately had no choice but to raise my HoC the last month or two, due to mower issues (see Allett thread), which has been a bummer. The TifTuf does still look good at near-max HoC on the Liberty though, but as things are currently I basically _have to_ double-cut every mow to maintain an adequate appearance and avoid unevenness between stripes.

On the positive side, I'm optimistic that next season I will be able to get back to maintaining HoC at <1-inch again, thanks to another forum/community member who has been beyond helpful (closer to lawn-saint). =D

*Photos - From July 2022*
See here - photos have timestamp on them (via my free timestamping tool posted previously in thread), and they are ordered from oldest to newest. They only go through mid-late July, as I apparently haven't taken any new pictures since then, though it is a great illustration of how rapid the recovery was from the (substatially-heavy) sand-leveling project this year! 


http://imgur.com/Hc19gSM


I'll get some updates pictures this week and get them posted, too!

*EXECUTIVE SUMMARY*
Overall I'm pretty happy with the turf itself, it's really done very well this year, even with increasingly-low inputs as the season has drawn on. It's probably not quite "lawn of the month" material yet (though perhaps via my lack of attention towards trimming/edging/etc), but it generally exceeds my expectations and is approximately what I "promised" when I showed my wife pictures from this forum a few years ago and proclaimed that our lawn would like like _that_ one day! 

*Most common question(s) we get when people first see it: *
"How do you like having _fake_ grass?" or "Doesn't _that stuff_ get way too hot to walk on?"
My wife _proudly and succinctly_ responds: "It is soft _and_ cool. It is *real* grass..."
That elicits quite a wide range of responses; her and I both just smile! 

*What's next?*
Below are my thoughts & plans as we head towards the end of the growing season and, eventually, into winter & dormancy. Things I'm wondering about (ie questions) are indented, and your advice/thoughts/suggestions are welcomed & would be much appreciated! =)

*#1 - Overseeding*

I'd like to overseed this year -- to maintain some green as we head towards cooler temperatures & eventually into dormancy for the TifTuf. I didn't do so last year and it _seemed_ palatable, but it was definitely a "frog in boiling pot" syndrome; it was fine at any given point in time, when using the prior week as a reference. Then, suddenly, we were mid-winter & the dormant turf was not the most attractive (obviously and expectedly), along with being a bit "crunchy" to walk on -- the latter being the main aspect that I'm interested in mitigating.

*#1A - Overseed Cultivar * 
I still need to research & search on here, but I assume that I'm going to want to put down annual ryegrass? I briefly looked through the Bermuda Bible & didn't see anything mentioned.

*#1B - Overseed Method* 
Do I just use my spreader and work it into the canopy (the majority of which is _extremely_ dense)? Should I verticut first, perhaps? Hopefully "scalp first" is not the recommendation, as that would be difficult right now (via mower issues). Any other things to know WRT fall overseeding?

*#1C - Overseed Care* Fertilizer - initially when overseeding, or ongoing/into late fall & winter? What about once it's taken hold & growing? Do I irrigate it as needed, during the fall/winter as well? Anything I should be aware/concerned WRT not "pushing" the Bermuda, while simultaneously striving to nurture lushness/green from the overseeded variety?

*#1D - Overseeding, impact on 2023 season* Annual ryegrass (based on my assumption in #1A above) will just mostly 'die out' next year, once the temperatures rise, I guess? I suppose that the TifTuf will eventually outcompete it anyway, by the time we get back to prime growing season next year, any other non-Bermuda cultivar probably wouldn't stand a chance -- but anything I need to do, or be aware of, as far as making sure that I "safely" get back to my "pure" TifTuf state next year?​
*#2 - Allett Liberty 43 Problems - My Plan Moving Forward*

I've unfortunately been having issues with the Allett Liberty 43 this year (see Allett thread or PM me). I was seriously debating whether it was worth it to continue with the platform, especially given the mediocre (that's somewhat generous) support from Allett, as I was afraid I may be throwing good money after bad in attempting to make repairs (and really it's more like implementing fixes and/or upgrades intended to address design flaws and/or poor manufacturing tolerances).

The only viable way to stay with "electric" right now is to stick with the Allett, and staying "all electric" is definitely one of my goals since I no longer own any other gas lawn tools -- so the choice basically boiled down to either going with a greensmower & having to do the gas thing again (I like to think/hope that I'll never need to clean a carb again), or to press on with the Allett Liberty 43 platform which I'm already pretty heavily invested in (primarily via catridges), and some would say I'm pretty close to pot-committed to it at this point.

Luckily, we have a resident expert here at TLF and his thorough research and hands-on abilities (which *far* exceed mine) have me feeling pretty confident that I can "salvage" the platform, and that it's probably the best value proposition of the options, so that's the direction I'm going to pursue.

For anyone following along -- I personally don't think I would recommend the Allett Liberty 43 anymore, at this point. Unless you're willing to get your hands dirty with some DIY fabrication, or you have a *really* small lawn, I'd probably go a different direction. That said, their new (homeowner) model looks like it may have solved most (all?) of the main issues, though I'm not sure if they went with brushless motors or not, but the new machine is likely _far_ improved vs the Liberty model (but at the current pricing, it's a tough sell). In hindsight, if I was not already invested & was starting over, I'd probably opt for a gas greensmower & hope that better electric models come in the future, or scout the marketplace for used electric models as an interim solution, or even potentially consider retrofitting an electric motor onto a cheaper used gas machine.​
*#3 - Misc*

*#3A - Irrigation*
Has been running _swimmingly_ since having all heads redone with flex/swing pipe. I went from having ~1 broken riser a week throughout the first few months of the season (despite being super careful), to having not had a single issue with any sprinkler heads since then. Wish I had known how to do it "correctly" before having the system laid initially, but was absolutely worth the pain & cost of digging down to the PVC for every single head & doing it the right way. Zero issues since then, don't think I've so much as touched a sprinkler head since then -- which is an absolute blessing!

*#3B - Fertilizer (N)*
I was religiously putting down N, every 7-10 days, during the first approx. half of the season this year. It was clearly very impactful & lead to great results, including an insanely rapid recovery after the relatively heavy sand-leveling application. As my mower started to become more problematic though, I backed off substantially and it has now been over a month since I put down any nitrogen at all. I may or may not put more down this year, if I do it would most likely primarily be primarily "intended for" the overseeding though, less for the TifTuf, as it's quite healthy and I'm happy with being able to mow it every 4-6 days for now (I actually miss mowing it more often & wish I could, but mowing right now is a chore with the machine in it's current state). Next year, hopefully my mower is running better, in which case I'll go back to the more "brisk" lawncare schedule (lower HoC, consistent and frequent N applications, and daily or every-other day mowing, etc).

*#3C - PGR Next Year?*
I think that I will at least _try_ a few PGR applications next year. I actually really enjoyed mowing early this year though, even on the days when the outdoor ambient temperature was >110F! As my machine started giving me issues though, it become tedious instead of fun, and when I started *having* to double-cut (and still hearing "shrieking" noises that would be embarrasingly loud for a gas mower, but are exponentially more embarrasing when coming from what others likely see as a "funny-looking" electric mower), it definitely took the fun out of it.

That said, even after the mower is running well next year, I'd like to try a few PGR applications in the early-mid part of the season, just to experience it & see how it goes, and then determine whether I like the reuslts. My turf is generally already very dense, rediculously so in some areas, but I see no reason for that to prevent me from seeking further improvement -- may as well at least strive towards "perfect" -- so I am tentatively planning to give it a go next year, probably around the same time that I'd have leveled (I don't think I'll need to do any leveling next year, or at least a *very* minimal amount at most).​
*BONUS: Random Rambling / Tangential Thoughts*
You may think I'm absolutely bonkers, but just reiterating/writing down/verbializing random thoughts & ideas I've had, just generally "thinking out loud"!


If I was ever to do things again -- perhaps more realistically, if I was to build a house and planned to have a similarly-sized & highly-maintained lawn -- there are *two things I'd try to seriously consider if doing it from scrach: *

1) I would strive to prepare the ground in accordance with the USGA's: "Recommendations for a Method of Putting Green Construction" 
To be clear, I'm not talking about going *all out* (ie "lottery-jackpot-winner" style), but I would try to apply the 80/20 rule, to hit on as much of it as I could to get the most bang-for-buck as far as soil/drainage/general subgrade properties go for a given site/location, while trying to avoid the lower-value aspects, those that have the most diminishing/fleeting returns (vs cost).

One concrete example of applicability: when preparing to lay sod for my (current) lawn, I would have gone down another 12-18 inches and put in more appropriate sub-grade materials to (likely dramatically) improve/optimize drainage and water retention, along the lines of the USGA's recommendations. 
I figure it'd likely have cost maybe ~ $2-4k more (labor, dumpsters, materials, etc), but would have paid serious dividends -- and in the grand scheme of highly-maintained turf, that cost wouldn't be massive, and you really only have one opportunity to dramatically improve these variables. It's worth noting that I feel this way despire _not_ having any major, nor even moderate, drainage/retention issues - most of my turf is acceptable or even good in these regards (albeit not _optimal_, and some areas are less optimal than others).

*2) * Putting in an in-ground "heating" loop. This is probably more into the "lottery jackpot" side of things, but I can't help it if my logic-mindedness has ventured down this thought process multiple times now. I'm not sure the ins/outs of how they are implemented for professional sports fields (I definitely researched it quite a bit last winter though, lol). The commercial solutions are (very) expensive, from what I've seen, though I'm sure that's in large part due to the extremely small market for the product. Nonetheless, it's something I've thought quite a bit about. From my time in the northern & midwestern US, I'm also familiar with in-ground driveway & sidewalk heating used for snow/ice mitigation, and I imagine they're relatively similar to the systems used for in-ground heating of professional sports turf -- though I believe driveway/sidewalk systems are similarly expensive, too. I think these systems all work similarly (radiant in-floor being another example) and I think they all fall into one of two categories -- either: resistive heating (ie electricity hog; electricity=>heat), or; recirculating temperature-conditioned fluid (ie heat pump).

That said, I can't help but wonder -- like many of you, our home has a a hot-water recirculation system to provide for quicker hot water at water fixtures in the home, essentially just a secondary "circuit" of hot-water pipes that run to each fixture along with a recirc pump (and sometimes a t-stat or timer, programmable or otherwise).

Maintenance would be a concern, with in-ground pipes interacting with the soil and degrading over time, though I assume that must largely be a solved problem considering geothermal HVAC systems are readily available and basically use a similar concept; part of my actually wonders if how "cold" a geothermal system's "outbound" temperature is at the point of "heat exchange" (ie under the ground). I'd assume (perhaps wrongly!) that the "coils" (underground pipes) in a geothermal system, while it's in "heat" mode (ie removing cool air from home's interior) are at a temperature no lower than the interior temperature of the home (ie ~60-70F), which leads me to wonder whether you could actually directly utilize a geothermal HVAC system's "waste energy" as a way to provide in-ground temperature-control under your turf. In any case, I can't imagine running copper (or a similar highly-conductive & robust/non-corroding material) would be *that* expensive to implement for lawns that are only a few thousand square feet -- obviously it wouldn't be *cheap*, but it might be near the range of palatable ($5-10k maybe?) and, if you could leverage geothermal HVAC's "waste" for the task, then it might really be a legitimate idea -- potentially even with some tax benefits (lol). Yeah, this one is out there, for sure -- but, like I said, I will admit that last winter I researched it quite a bit because I was dying for lush, soft, green grass. =D​ /endrant! =D


Thanks to anyone following along, and apologies for the lack of updates & presence recently! I hope everyone is having a great season! I'm still checking in often, reading recent posts & searching/researching, and I'm still following along with many of your journals, too! 

Cheers!


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## ADanto6840 (Apr 1, 2021)

Just posted the news on the Liberty 43 Mods thread, so reiterating it here & following up with results!

My Allett Liberty 43 has been given new life -- it's actually fun to mow again!!! =D



I double-cut yesterday and the results are in -- it's a winner! I think that the added weight, and me just getting used to the new-found power (I'm still re-learning how I 'feather' for turns), causes a little bit more "unevenness" and "edge scalping". But the added speed & power means I can actually double-cut in roughly the same (maybe even less) time versus how long it had been taking me to mow a single-cut prior to the upgrade.

*Photos* - Included are pictures from 'BEFORE' the mow, and 'MID WAY' (after first cut + a few passes of the 2nd cut), and then a few "AFTER" photos of the finished product once the double-cut was completed.



http://imgur.com/bPraa9q


*Bonus - Timelapse (25 seconds)*





W00t!


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