# Redtwin's Lawn Journal



## Redtwin

I hand pulled a 5-gallon bucket full of varied broadleaf weeds (bittercrest, Carolina geranium, chickweed?) along with some perennial blue-eye grass starting to germinate and popcorn tree seedlings that are trying to take hold. I then spot sprayed some green kyllinga that's hanging on from last season with Dismiss at .25oz/gallon.

The bermuda (and the kyllinga) never went full dormant so it is going to be an early spring, I believe. Scalp is coming soon along with another round of sand leveling. Photo is from January 5, 2020 for starting reference.


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## Rooster

@Redtwin, that oasis of yours looks incredibly inviting. :nod:


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## Redtwin

Thanks, @Bermuda_Rooster!

I couldn't wait any longer so I scalped it down to .25" double cut with the GM1000. I don't have a catcher so my grass catcher was a 15 year old bagging it behind me with the rotary. I barely got it done before sunset but was able to sneak a couple of photos for the journal. 
I'm real happy with how much green is still left after the scalp.


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## BakerGreenLawnMaker

Nice!


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## Redtwin

I did another mow today and bumped the HOC up to 3/8" and applied 10-10-10 at .5lbN/1000. It has been nice and warm around 70 degrees and sunny for the past few days. There is no cold weather in the near future.


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## Redtwin

Maintenance cut at 3/8" and trim.


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## Redtwin

I put down sand for the first level of the season. The Bermuda has woke up and should come through the sand pretty quickly. I had help from my two teenagers who took turns filling and driving the gorilla cart as I raked it smooth. I then ran a drag mat over it multiple times in all directions. 
I think I will just have to spot level the trouble spots for the rest of the season. This round got it pretty smooth.


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## Redtwin

I mowed at .20". I only did a single pass as I was getting into a lot of the sand and the reel was not too happy about it.


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## Bmossin

Man, that is coming in really nicely


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## Redtwin

Thanks, @Bmossin!

I used a drag mat and am regretting it now. It worked the sand into the grass really well but did very little to level. I should have stuck to my rigid drag. I still have plenty of sand left so I will work on it section by section throughout the season.


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## Redtwin

One week of growth. Spots in the foreground are from mole cricket damage that was treated prior to leveling.


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## Redtwin

I mowed doubles at .3" and applied 13-13-13 at .67lbs NPK per 1000sf.


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## Redtwin

.3" maintenance mow. It's filling in nicely from the sand.


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## Redtwin

Did a second Bifen XTS treatment for mole crickets and mowed at .3".


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## Redtwin

Applied the season's first T-Nex app at .25oz/1000sf spiked with urea at .12lbs N/1000sf and FEature at 2oz/1000sf.


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## testwerke

Wow! That sand did the trick!


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## Redtwin

Thanks, @testwerke. I still have many more rounds to go before it smooths out.


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## Philly_Gunner

Disregard my questions/comments on the warm season lawn thread because this journal just answered them all. I read all the time and my lawn is one of the best in my neighborhood but I still feel like such a newcomer when I see a journal like yours. Your lawn really is my dream lawn. We both have large lawns, mine is 26k...how long does it take with a reel? Also, I used mostly Lesco 38-0-0 and 46-0-0 last season and it just never seemed to "wake up" my lawn. I ran a soil sample around August last year which showed some deficiencies. This season I think I am going to take a more balanced approach. Started with 400 pounds of Milorganite and 100lbs of Dithyopyr last weekend. Nest next weekend I'm putting down 13-13-13 at 1lb N per 1k and some Main Event. What other suggestions do you have?


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## Redtwin

@Philly_Gunner 
My soil is almost straight sugar sand so I have found that the balanced ferts really make it pop more than hitting it with straight nitrogen. I have not done a soil test yet... but probably should... maybe later... :roll:

I have a SA/Centipede mix in the front that covers about 8K sf. As far as mowed Bermuda, I only have about 12K sf. It takes me about 90 minutes to do the doubles including a quick string trimming. I very rarely do singles because I can't keep them straight. I'm thinking you'd be looking at over 2 hours to do 26K with a walking reel mower.


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## Redtwin

Mowed at .3". The PGR has kicked in quickly. I was barely cutting anything after 3 days of not mowing. My mole cricket damage is healing nicely. Those little boogers are so quick to damage.


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## stevenjmclark

Looking sharp! What did you use to control the mole crickets? I just put down bioadvanced granular insecticide for white grubs about a week ago and that same day found a mole cricket while I was redefining my beds. I'm hoping the bioadvanced will ward them off but I'm nervous with how much damage they can do.


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## Redtwin

@stevenjmclark Thanks for the compliment. For the mole crickets, I used Bifen XTS with a second app after two weeks.


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## stevenjmclark

Redtwin said:


> @stevenjmclark Thanks for the compliment. For the mole crickets, I used Bifen XTS with a second app after two weeks.


What rate did you put it down at? Did you blanket spray? I'll give the bioadvanced another week or two the lay down some Bifen XTS for sure.


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## Redtwin

I did .25oz/gallon/1000sf and blanket sprayed both times. That's just slightly under the max rate. These were full-size adult mole crickets so I went in guns-a-blazin'!


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## Redtwin

I just put down my Prodiamine today purposely late so it would have stronger control when spurge kicks in. I have these little guys popping up everywhere. They are easy to pull but I'm wondering if they are crabgrass since I missed that window by about 4 weeks.


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## Redtwin

Continuing to mow at .3". I'm getting some seed heads in the small patch of common I have.


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## Redtwin

Some quick pics of the sprinkler work after a week and an updated photo of the fill in.


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## tcorbitt20

I've been looking at your old journal wondering why in the world you haven't updated anything. I'm an idiot.

Your lawn looks great! Ready for mine to start popping.


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## Redtwin

@tcorbitt20 I love your new place! It's going to be amazing when that new turf settles in.


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## mha2345

Looks fantastic!

Question, everyone says you have to scalp a notch lower and maintain a notch higher to keep a universally green lawn, but it looks like you scalped at .25 and are maintaining at .3, and look to be pretty universally green at .05 of an inch difference, so i'm wondering for my own lawn can I expect the same results after scalping at .5 and maintaining at .625 or is there something else i'm missing?


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## Redtwin

@mha2345 When I scalped, the bench HOC was .25" but I hit dirt in a lot of areas. Nevertheless, I think scalping at 1/2" and then bumping up to 5/8" would work just fine.


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## Redtwin

The turf is looking a bit stressed so I've bumped the HOC from .3" up to .5" and I'm going to let it come out of regulation. It's been unseasonably cool and dry so I think I'm just seeing where my irrigation is lacking. The trenches are healing well from where I added sprinkler heads. I may need one more for the big spot in the middle of the first picture.


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## SC Grass Loon

It is looking good as always! I am still amazed by the hurricane damage that area sustained. I remember driving through shortly after that and was just blown away by how widespread the damage was. As I came through southern GA on my way to Destin you could just watch it get worse every few miles.


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## Redtwin

Thanks for the complement. You get used to the damage after a while. It's not until I look at old pictures that I remember just how devastating it was.


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## MrMeaner

Awesome...nice place Redtwin!! You need a triplex greens mower for that much space..I have one for sale and would deliver it just to come to Florida...on the stipulation you have to take me out fishing lol


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## Redtwin

Oh man... I don't think my yard is big enough for a triplex though I would love to be able to finish mowing in 15-20 minutes.


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## Redtwin

We finally got about an inch of rain and the grass has recovered well from the stress. I'm going to keep it at .5"HOC for now. I'm at GDD 361 and about to rebound so I'll be mowing like mad for the next couple of weeks. I might as well not use the PGR while not traveling. Spurge is in full bloom but I've been able to keep up with just hand pulling. 



The light spot in the second picture is a patch of Common Bermuda I've been mowing super low to help the the 419 take over. Stressing it made it go nuts with seed heads. The color is actually close to 419. The reason it looks a lighter color is from cutting the seed heads.


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## tcorbitt20

What do you use to apply your PGR? How crucial is it to get an even application with no overlapping? I'm really considering trying that if I can do it with the ATV sprayer I just bought for the big fields. Thanks! Your yard is looking great! My kids are wearing me out about getting a pool...


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## Redtwin

I use a M4S 4-gallon backpack sprayer. It takes 3 refills to do the entire backyard. I'm pretty comfortable with my spraying but I'm sure I get some overlap. I spray at the low rate just to be safe and have never had any issues not getting regulation. I would certainly try the ATV sprayer for your size lawn. I'd also consider using marker dye the first time but I don't think it's as critical with PGR as it would be with some herbicides.


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## coreystooks

@tcorbitt20 Not trying to "journal jack" but check out my journal as I set up an atv sprayer for my property this year and it works like a dream.


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## tcorbitt20

Redtwin said:


> I use a M4S 4-gallon backpack sprayer. It takes 3 refills to do the entire backyard. I'm pretty comfortable with my spraying but I'm sure I get some overlap. I spray at the low rate just to be safe and have never had any issues not getting regulation. I would certainly try the ATV sprayer for your size lawn. I'd also consider using marker dye the first time but I don't think it's as critical with PGR as it would be with some herbicides.


Thanks!


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## Redtwin

I did a HOC reset down to 3/16" from 1/2". It took 6 passes over 3 days not counting all the passes with the rotary vacuuming up the clippings. Afterwards, I showed some love and appreciation for the GM1000 by giving it a good cleaning, greasing the points, and backlapping. I plan to maintain at 3/8" for now.


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## Redtwin

The lawn has recovered well from the HOC reset. I'm at 75% rebound according to Greenkeeper app. I'm mowing at 3/8" every day for now. I may start the PGR back up next weekend. I have not done a post-em yet this year. With it growing in this thick I have been able to keep up with the weeds by hand pulling. Thankfully weed pressure has been very low this season.


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## tcorbitt20

Mowing that much every day is dedication. Looking outstanding!


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## Redtwin

Thanks @tcorbitt20! I was going to start regulating this weekend but I have lots of nieces/nephews visiting along with my kids running around on it. It'll be good to have it in rebound for quick recovery.


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## Redtwin

Squeezed in a quick mow between outer bands of TS Cristobal. It's still in rebound and I can't wait to regulate it again but I have to wait for a weather window. It's currently at 3/8" HOC. I missed yesterday because of rain and I got a little scalping today.


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## Redtwin

I was wrong about my HOC. It was at .3" not 3/8". I bumped up to .4" and it is looking much better. It's amazing what a difference 1/10" makes at these heights. I applied T-Nex at .20oz/1000sf with urea mixed in at .25 lbs N/1000sf. It'll be nice to back off the mowing frequency a bit.


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## Redtwin

I finally had a day with light winds this past Thursday so I was able to get the grass back under regulation. I only applied the T-Nex at .2oz/1000sf and included .25lbs N/1000sf from urea. 
I mowed today at the 3/8" maintenance HOC and it is responding very nicely from the urea added with the PGR. I barely had any clippings and no noticeable bronzing.


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## Redtwin

I enjoyed a Father's Day mow today. I had some bronzing even at the lower rate of T-Nex but the color was much better today after I mowed off the tips. I'm still at 3/8" HOC. It's been a while since the lighting and mow direction has allowed me to take a picture from this angle.

I need to trim the seed pods off of my palms but I have active Eastern Bluebird nests in all of them that I don't want to disturb.


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## Redtwin

I replaced the bedknife on the GM1000. It is cutting very nice now. Yesterday I applied T-Nex at .25oz/1000sf along with Bifen and urea at .25lbs N/1000sf. Still cutting at 3/8". I also did a spot spray of Celsius for dollarweed and doveweed. I'm still keeping up with the spurge and crabgrass by hand pulling.


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## probasestealer

@Redtwin the yard looks great, but you know that.

I like what looks like a Sand pile in the back with toys. Do you use this as your leveling sand?


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## Redtwin

probasestealer said:


> @Redtwin the yard looks great, but you know that.
> 
> I like what looks like a Sand pile in the back with toys. Do you use this as your leveling sand?


I haven't quite figured out if I use his play sand as leveling sand, or he uses my leveling sand to play in. Either way, it works. :lol:


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## Rooster

Looks absolutely awesome.


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## Redtwin

Bermuda_Rooster said:


> Looks absolutely awesome.


Thank you!


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## Redtwin

I'm still mowing at 3/8". I'm losing a little color which tells me I'm due for another hit of the 10-10-10. I apply N with my PGR but it doesn't make it pop like 10-10-10 does.


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## ENC_Lawn

@Redtwin Man...I love your backyard and swimming pool area! :nod: :thumbup:

Looks gorgeous...and love how you have the fringe cut around the swing set.

Being in the transition zone I'm jeolous of you Florida Warm season guy's weather year round! 

Seeing how great your backyard is...I can't wait to see what you do with the Zeon Zoysia up front!


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## Redtwin

@ENC_Lawn, thanks! I cut around the swing and fire pit with my rotary on the lowest setting. It gives a nice golf rough look and is much easier to maneuver around the trees and swing than the GM1000. I should take an up-close picture of that area for the journal. I just did a HOC reset there so it will have to wait.


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## Redtwin

I bumped my HOC up to 1/2" due to scalping strips in the thicker areas from the edge of the mower. I'm also back to regulating at the .25oz/1000sf rate and will probably bump it up to .38oz on the next app. I don't seem to be getting a lot of regulation right now but at least the turf is healthy and growing like gangbusters. We've had some good rain lately so I haven't been running the irrigation other than an occasional syringing if it looks stressed. It's holding up nicely.

No pics since I mowed so late due to working the front ditch project. It was too dark for a photo.


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## Redtwin

I barely beat the thunderstorms today but got it mowed at 1/2". The scalp marks are getting worse. I need to verticut, scalp, and sand but it's just too dang hot!


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## Redtwin

I verticut with a SunJoe at -10, then did 6 passes the following day with the GM1000 to get it down to 1/4". It was super dense and very difficult to take down. It's ugly right now but I think it is going to look SWEET in a couple of weeks. The sand will have to wait until spring unless I can muster up a little more motivation.


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## Sbcgenii

Pro tip. Just start sandIng the low spots and before long the whole yard will be done.


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## Redtwin

Thanks @Sbcgenii, I've been working on the leveling. I may start working on smaller sections at a time like you recommend.


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## Redtwin

Verticut/Scalp update: maintaining at 3/8". T-Nex hits GDD 250 today.

August 4


August 8


August 19


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## Sbcgenii

What do you verticut with?


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## Redtwin

I used a SunJoe with the flail blades at the -10 setting.


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## rjw0283

Redtwin said:


> Verticut/Scalp update: maintaining at 3/8". T-Nex hits GDD 250 today.
> 
> August 4
> 
> 
> August 8


Wow, that looks like alot of work and hot! You may have just inspired me to level when I get back from vacation in a week.


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## Redtwin

rjw0283 said:


> Wow, that looks like alot of work and hot! You may have just inspired me to level when I get back from vacation in a week.


Now is the best time of the season to do it... other than the heat exhaustion part.


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## Redtwin

I've continued to mow every other day at 3/8". I reapplied T-Nex at .38oz/1000sf. There are still some brown spots but it's recovering well for 15 days after a hard scalp.


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## ZeonJNix

Recovering nicely! &#128077;&#127996;


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## Redtwin

ZeonJNix said:


> Recovering nicely! 👍🏼


Thanks!


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## Redtwin

I did another verticut today at -5 on the Sunjoe. This is the third time I've done it this month and it looks better each time. I had to finish in the rain.


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## ENC_Lawn

@Redtwin Looking good!


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## Redtwin

@ENC_Lawn Thanks! The verticutting routine is sort of an experiment but I'm really liking the way it looks each time I do it. It's definitely breaking up some of the stolon patches that were floating over each other.


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## ENC_Lawn

@Redtwin have you thought anymore about going the Zoysia route next year for your front lawn or staying with 419?


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## Redtwin

@ENC_Lawn, I'm planning on going with Empire Zoysia at this time. It will definitely be next spring before I can get the front yard prepped.


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## ENC_Lawn

Redtwin said:


> @ENC_Lawn, I'm planning on going with Empire Zoysia at this time. It will definitely be next spring before I can get the front yard prepped.


@Redtwin Nice...looking forward to following along! :thumbup:


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## bradleymichael

great looking lawn @Redtwin! When you do the verticut are you bagging everything up afterwards or are you leaving the debris?


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## Redtwin

@bradleymichael, the bagger on the SunJoe is pretty much a joke so I run it over the lawn with no bagger and then my son or daughter will follow with the rotary to vacuum up the clippings.


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## bradleymichael

Yeah I agree the sunjoe bagger is a joke! I do the same as you and just use my rotary to vacuum the debris up. I too noticed a big difference after verticutting my lawn with the sunjoe, next year I will do it multiple times.


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## Redtwin

Here's a little update on my front ditch project.

June 12


September 5


I'm still working on framing out the ditch with the retaining wall and then will remove the SA/Centipede and regrade to where the grade is flatter and comes to about an inch or two from the top of the retaining wall.


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## Redtwin

I've been maintaining the back at .5". It's recovered well from the verticutting but is still thin in some spots by the edges. I'm done with fertilizer and PGR for the season.


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## JRS 9572

That looks like a "winter time keep me busy" project! That'll be cool to watch.

Hope this latest storm doesn't effect you. Once on shore it's supposed to make a turn and dump some rain on us at the end of the week.


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## Redtwin

@JRS 9572, the ditch project and front reno will keep me busy all winter.

We will probably get a lot of rain from this storm but nothing crazy.


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## ENC_Lawn

Looking good!


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## Redtwin

Today I did a lot of cleaning up from Hurricane Sally.

Front yard from front porch


Backyard West


Backyard East


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## Buffalolawny

:sorry: Scary images but at least you have a record on where the low spots are :sorry:


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## Redtwin

Buffalolawny said:


> :sorry: Scary images but at least you have a record on where the low spots are :sorry:


LOL! That is exactly what my LCN friend told me as well. I'm not worried about the front. It is close to being ripped out and renovated but the back looks a little stressed.


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## JRS 9572

Hey and all the debris under most of the grass is gone now. So you got that going for you....which is kind of nice.


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## Redtwin

@JRS 9572, yeah, I recently did a lot of verticutting so I guess I wasn't as thorough picking it all up as I thought.


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## Redtwin

I continued to mow today at .5" HOC. I should probably bump it up a little because it is stressed from the storm. I'm getting some yellowing areas but not sure if it is a slight scalp or if it is just stressed from being under water for a couple of days. I'll wait until I can get a couple of sunny days on it before changing the HOC. I don't think it is a fungus issue.


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## Redtwin

The front yard project is progressing. I am now in the kill and clear stage. The Tifway 419 up against the house is looking pretty sweet though!


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## ENC_Lawn

@Redtwin Excited to follow this project!

I like how you are framing your ditch area.

So I know you are going back and forth on Bermuda or Zoysia.

I am sure you are doing a ton of research...which grass are you leaning towards...or are you still undecided?


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## Redtwin

@ENC_Lawn, I'm going to go with Empire Zoysia. I have a section in the back along my property that the neighbor's Empire has spread into my yard. I've been ignoring it and treating it just like my Bermuda. It looks fantastic mowed below .5" and the color is a perfect match. The texture is more course than the 419 but that won't be an issue in the front. I love how it doesn't scalp like Bermuda if you miss a couple of days as well.


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## ENC_Lawn

Redtwin said:


> @ENC_Lawn, I'm going to go with Empire Zoysia. I have a section in the back along my property that the neighbor's Empire has spread into my yard. I've been ignoring it and treating it just like my Bermuda. It looks fantastic mowed below .5" and the color is a perfect match. The texture is more course than the 419 but that won't be an issue in the front. I love how it doesn't scalp like Bermuda if you miss a couple of days as well.


@Redtwin Nice!!! :thumbup:

I am looking forward following along!

Its pretty cool that is matches up with the Bermuda in color!


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## ENC_Lawn

@Redtwin Question for you...The empire Zoysia that has slowly made it's way into your Bermuda lawn...how much would you say it spreads or takes over the Bermuda per season?

I am stronly considering "plugging" some El Toro / Empire Zoysia into my Bermuda lawn and hoping the Zoysia will choke out the Bermuda over time.


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## Redtwin

@ENC_Lawn It has spread about 10 feet into my lawn where the Bermuda was thick but has spread all the way to the house in the side yard where it had no competition. It was installed about 5 years ago.


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## ENC_Lawn

Redtwin said:


> @ENC_Lawn It has spread about 10 feet into my lawn where the Bermuda was thick but has spread all the way to the house in the side yard where it had no competition. It was installed about 5 years ago.


@Redtwin that's pretty impressive considering how aggressive Bermuda is!

Thanks for the info! :thumbup:


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## Redtwin

I did a double-double to get it ready for the Hurricane Michael 2-year anniversary photo.


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## ENC_Lawn

@Redtwin WOW!

The lawn the pool the landscape...what a beautiful picture!

All of your hardwork has paid off!

Great job!

How much longer will your grass grow this year based off your location?

Will the lawn ever go dormant?


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## Redtwin

Thanks @ENC_Lawn, it turned brown in 2018/2019 but not fully dormant. 2019/2020 it stayed green all winter but slowed to an almost stand still. It slowed a lot with the cold snap a couple of weeks ago but is back to growing well now. I usually don't stop mowing until late-November if I remember correctly.


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## Ware

Redtwin said:


> I did a double-double to get it ready for the Hurricane Michael 2-year anniversary photo.


Nice work! :thumbup:


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## Redtwin

Thanks, @Ware!


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## Redtwin

Front yard update:
I had an excavator come in and rip out the old stumps vs. grinding them down further. It was amazing to see how much material was still underground. He pulled out 5 large stumps and two little ones. The first picture is not actually a trunk, it's the tap root.

I still have a lot of old, dead sod to cut out. The clearing and grading is going slow but still progressing.


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## JRS 9572

Got the young folks out helping, and learning what hard work is about. Awesome!


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## ENC_Lawn

@Redtwin Its gonna look awesome in about 9 to 10 months!


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## Redtwin

Thanks @JRS 9572 and @ENC_Lawn. There so many moving parts it's nice to have a little help from the littles.


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## Mightyquinn

I love what you are doing with your drainage ditch area, it's one of the best ideas I have ever seen for something like that!!! It will look awesome once all the grass is grown in.


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## Redtwin

Thanks @Mightyquinn. I've spent about 3 years fighting with the county to get a permit to install a culvert and finally just gave up. Each season they would come out with their excavators and dig it deeper and wider thinking that would increase the flow. The flow is limited by the driveway culverts, not the size of the ditch but trying convincing a county engineer of that proved impossible. This was my best option to level the yard but still maintain the ditch width and depth.


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## Mightyquinn

Are you allowed to put gravel or rip rap in the ditch so you don't have to keep spraying it to keep the grass and weeds at bay?


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## Redtwin

I think gravel would be out but I have considered some larger rocks. I'm trying to come up with ideas of how to close it off or make it less likely that someone will fall in it. I don't mind spraying it out. The only reason I haven't yet is because I need to torpedo grass to hold the soil together until I can get some turf going.


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## ENC_Lawn

@Redtwin Yeah...I like how you are framing the ditch.

Are you keeping the 419 up next to the house?


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## Redtwin

ENC_Lawn said:


> @Redtwin Yeah...I like how you are framing the ditch.
> 
> Are you keeping the 419 up next to the house?


I am for now. Depending on how difficult it turns out to maintain two types up front, I may cut it out and replace with Empire. If that happens, I will probably put the cut 419 sod along the strip on the other side of my driveway and just let it go wild along with the salad bar on that side.


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## ENC_Lawn

Redtwin said:


> ENC_Lawn said:
> 
> 
> 
> @Redtwin Yeah...I like how you are framing the ditch.
> 
> Are you keeping the 419 up next to the house?
> 
> 
> 
> I am for now. Depending on how difficult it turns out to maintain two types up front, I may cut it out and replace with Empire. If that happens, I will probably put the cut 419 sod along the strip on the other side of my driveway and just let it go wild along with the salad bar on that side.
Click to expand...

 :thumbup:


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## Redtwin

Finally got rid of all the old turf. It's a clean slate now!


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## AFBiker2011

Redtwin said:


> Finally got rid of all the old turf. It's a clean slate now!


Great job! I've been following your lawn journal all year. And have read through your previous journals. You are doing an amazing job. I've actually learned quite a bit from your posts. I live just west of you in Walton County in Santa Rosa Beach. I started my own lawn rehab this year. So you and this entire TLF site have been a great resource to tap into. Keep up the great work!


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## Redtwin

Thanks, @AFBiker2011!


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## Redtwin

The back yard is holding tough. We've had a few cool nights but nothing drastic. I'm still catching a full basket for the 12k of 419.


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## ENC_Lawn

@Redtwin Wow...that looks really good for this late in the season!


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## Redtwin

Thanks @ENC_Lawn, it's staying green but the color is washed out a bit as if it were cut at a very low HOC. I have it up to 5/8" but the color is still weak. I could probably hit it with some iron but I'm not too concerned about it.


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## Redtwin

Irrigation is going in. I thought about renting a machine for the trenches but with some manual labor help home for Christmas, it is progressing pretty quickly. I pretty much spent the whole afternoon building out the manifold setup for the solenoid box.


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## Redtwin

Nap time for the Tifway 419. We for a pretty decent frost last night.


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## Redtwin

Final grading is done. Sod comes on Friday. I'm going with Empire Zoysia. My kids will be glad to be done with this project!


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## ENC_Lawn

@Redtwin Nice lawn prep!

I really like what you did with the ditch area!


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## Redtwin

I finally installed the Empire Zoysia sod. It was just over 5600sf and went in pretty quickly with lots of help from family and friends. It is about 90% dormant but if it comes through I HIGHLY recommend sodding in the winter. It was nice not sweating like crazy and dealing with the heat. I rolled it twice in two separate directions. I'm excited for the first mow but it may take some time to get rooted since it has been cooler than normal.


----------



## Ware

Anxious to see it @Redtwin!


----------



## Redtwin

Thanks @ENC_Lawn and @Ware! You both provided some good feedback and examples regarding the dang ditch.


----------



## ENC_Lawn

@Redtwin WOW...just WOW...that ditch really turned out Awesome.

Short of not having a ditch at all...I think this is the best solution I have ever seen!

Looks great man!!! :thumbup:


----------



## Mightyquinn

I'm loving the boxed culvert look you did there. That was ingenious!!!!


----------



## Redtwin

I'm in the brainstorming phase of considering covering it with decking.


----------



## ionicatoms

Redtwin said:


> I'm in the brainstorming phase of considering covering it with decking.


I would walk across Legos to see that.


----------



## Redtwin

We had a pretty significant storm come through today and dropped 4" of rain in an hour and half. Needless to say, I had a little bit of washout on the front. Nothing too noticeable in pictures but it eroded some under the sod so I will have to pull it and regrade some areas.

As far as the back goes, I started working on my spring scalp. I took it down to .25" and didn't hit dirt in the spots I thought I would so it is going to go lower.


----------



## Redtwin

I completed my spring scalp down to about 5mm. I definitely hit dirt but not nearly as bad as expected. Those stripes are actually burned in from last season.


----------



## coreystooks

Now that's a scalp. Are you going to dethatch as well?


----------



## Redtwin

coreystooks said:


> Now that's a scalp. Are you going to dethatch as well?


Not yet. I'm going to wait until it is growing. Since I took it down so low I definitely don't have a thatch issue. I do plan on verticutting about every 6 to 8 weeks or so once it starts growing. I'll also be top dressing once it's growing well.


----------



## Redtwin

I did a maintenance mow at .25" today and then did an app of Permethrin. Prodiamine went down yesterday. Finished after dark both days so photos will come later.

Starting to get the green haze.


----------



## Redtwin

It's really starting to wake up now. I'm about 50% green. I'm mowing at just over .25".


----------



## marcjw

Looks good!


----------



## Redtwin

Thanks, @marcjw. I gave the Empire Zoysia it's first cut today. I just took a little off the top and applied 10-10-10 at .5lbs/N per 1000sf. I put down the same rate in the back on the Tifway 419.


----------



## Redtwin

I repaired the wash out areas in the front and mowed the Empire at 1.25" with the rotary. I'm definitely going to deck over the ditch this season.


The Tifway 419 in the courtyard is starting to push through the sand now that things have warmed up a bit.


The backyard is not greening up as quickly as I hoped but I'd say I'm about 75% green. The color is awful right now because I am keeping it low. I'm still mowing at just a bit over 1/4".


----------



## Redtwin

I did a maintenance mow at .25" on the Tifway. I have nieces and nephews coming to visit over spring break so it will get used to the maximum over the next 10 days.


----------



## Sbcgenii

Looking good as usual. How have the temps been for you?


----------



## Redtwin

Thanks @Sbcgenii! It's been in the mid-70s during the day for a couple of weeks now. We hit 83 today but a front is coming through this week. Looks like Saturday will be 63/47 but it will warm back up into the 70s again on Sunday and after. My oaks are dropping so I had to do some cleanup before today's mow.



It needs a sand level desperately but I have a bunch of nieces and nephews in town for spring break so I will wait until probably next weekend for that.


----------



## mowww

@Redtwin looks like it's kicking off the season nicely. I've enjoyed following since the ditch renovation. Got room for one more by the pool?


----------



## Redtwin

@mowww Come on down as long as you don't mind all the kids! You can forget about floating around on a raft relaxing with your beer; the "sharks" will capsize you immediately.


----------



## Redtwin

Nothing really new to report. I'm still maintaining at .25" in the back. I'm starting to see the occasional seed head in the common areas.


I'm really letting the front yard do it's thing and get established. It all appears to be rooted well and I have done a few mows with the rotary at about 1.5". I may hit it with a mix of Celsius and Dismiss this weekend. I can't stand that the weeds are doing better than the grass. It's in dire need of some sand (just like the back) but that will have to wait until I know it is growing fast and strong.


----------



## Redtwin

The battle continues with the green kyllinga. I'm making serious progress. This was Dismiss/Celsius sprayed at medium rate last Friday.

Dismiss .125 fl. oz/1000sf
Celsius 2.4 grams/1000sf


----------



## Redtwin

Something about a fresh cut that makes things look so much better. I cut the front down to the lowest setting on my rotary (approximately 7/8"). The broadleafs are dying a slow death from the Celsius and whatever grassy weeds the Dismiss didn't hit, I will either pull by hand or possibly do a spot spray of Quinclorac that will be needed along the property line where there are still some Saint Augustine holdouts. 


The grass in the foreground on this side of the sidewalk is Tifway 419 maintained at .25" that is growing through a recent sand level.


----------



## tcorbitt20

I'm looking forward to seeing all that zoysia after you get it leveled and start mowing it really low. Looking great!


----------



## AFBiker2011

tcorbitt20 said:


> I'm looking forward to seeing all that zoysia after you get it leveled and start mowing it really low. Looking great!


+1


----------



## Redtwin

Thanks @tcorbitt20 and @AFBiker2011. I can't wait for it to start growing with vigor but this last little cold snap is testing my patience.


----------



## SCGrassMan

Redtwin said:


> Thanks @Sbcgenii! It's been in the mid-70s during the day for a couple of weeks now. We hit 83 today but a front is coming through this week. Looks like Saturday will be 63/47 but it will warm back up into the 70s again on Sunday and after. My oaks are dropping so I had to do some cleanup before today's mow.
> 
> 
> 
> It needs a sand level desperately but I have a bunch of nieces and nephews in town for spring break so I will wait until probably next weekend for that.


You mean to tell me you had all of that free labor on hand for shoveling sand and decided to wait?!?


----------



## Redtwin

@SCGrassMan LOL! Yeah... it's still growing too slow. I've sanded early in previous seasons but want to minimize the period of sand getting tracked in the house this year.


----------



## SCGrassMan

Man. Last year I thought "let me put out 1 ton per thousand". I have some areas that I probably put an inch of sand down lol.

I think next time I aerate and top dress I'm going to do peat moss or some other organic.


----------



## Redtwin

I'm still maintaining at .25". There are still quite a few thin spots but it's filling in nicely. 


My youngest is going to miss the sand once I level.


----------



## mowww

@Redtwin looking good!


----------



## Redtwin

Thanks @mowww! I hope everyone had a wonderful Easter. I squeezed in another maintenance cut before the egg hunt.



My "first cut" of rough around my fire pit is starting to get thick.


----------



## monsonman

Thats looking so good!!


----------



## ZeonJNix

Looking awesome!


----------



## Redtwin

Thanks @monsonman and @ZeonJNix. Today I worked on pulling grassy weeds in the front that were not affected by my Celsius/Dismiss app a few weeks ago. I filled a 5-gallon bucket yesterday and today and should be able to finish with just another 5-gallon session. I'm not pulling anything that looks like it was affected by the spray.

I will post a picture of the weed tomorrow. Some of them already have seedheads so maybe someone can ID it for me.


----------



## Redtwin

I posted in the weed ID thread but no response. Anyone have any ideas?

This grassy weed is coming up in my new Empire sod. It was unaffected by a Celsius/Dismiss app a few weeks ago so I have hand pulled them all.


----------



## Sbcgenii

How many seed heads per stalk?
Goose grass maybe.


----------



## HungrySoutherner

kind of like a barnyard grass. Have you thought about adding dismiss into your mix with MSO to make the mix hot on those weeds?


----------



## Redtwin

Thanks @Sbcgenii and @HungrySoutherner. I mixed Dismiss in my spray but did not use MSO or an NIS. This is the only weed that wasn't affected. Thankfully, it's not so wide spread that I can't just pull it by hand. 
I don't think it is goose grass from looking at the seed heads but it could be barnyard grass. My mistake was getting impatient and mowing it before it went to seed. I'm thinking based on the shape of the auricle, it is probably barnyard grass.


----------



## Redtwin

The 419 is growing strong now and completely greened up. The Empire has had a very slow start. It's still only about 75% greened up. Not bad for just being laid in January but I've been spoiled by my bermuda.


Worm castings are all over the bermuda.


----------



## Redtwin

It was supposed to rain today so I called off all the help I had coming to try out the new-used top dresser. I did this section in about 90 minutes by myself to include dragging it and final rake. For comparison, this section last year took almost all day with two teenagers helping using the dump cart method.


----------



## Ware

Nice!


----------



## tcorbitt20

Ooh, I want one of those!


----------



## ENC_Lawn

@Redtwin There's levels to this game...and you just leveled up! :nod:

Nice! :thumbup:


----------



## Sbcgenii

Is that available for rent to TLF member?
Now you need to get one of these lol.


----------



## Redtwin

There's actually a group of four of us here in the Panama City area that went in together to split the cost of purchasing that machine. That aerator would be sweet but it's not a priority here since we are on very sandy soil all the way down. I would love to find a little dingo or small bucket loader to help load sand into the top dresser though.


----------



## marcjw

Looks good!


----------



## Mightyquinn

Nice work!!! Looks like that top dresser is a time saver for sure, hopefully @SGrabs33 lets me rent his when the time comes


----------



## SGrabs33

Mightyquinn said:


> Nice work!!! Looks like that top dresser is a time saver for sure, hopefully @SGrabs33 lets me rent his when the time comes


Sounds like a nice day trip :thumbup:


----------



## Redtwin

I hit it with the lawn level rake from @ryancrogers and that really put the finishing touch on it. I'm really satisfied with the leveling this year. Last year I really messed it up. I will probably go back and run the lawn level on it several times to keep working it in.


----------



## Redtwin

The Empire in the front is starting to green up a little better now. It's still extremely slow compared to the Tifway 419. I will probably appreciate that once the summer heat gets here. The grass on the right of the sidewalk is all Tifway 419. It is rocking and rolling at .25" and I have already started regulating it.


The back has almost completely pushed through the sand after only one week. It looks great from a distance but is still thin when you are standing over it. The only sand you can see in the photos are the deeper spots that haven't pushed through yet.


----------



## ENC_Lawn

Looking good. :thumbup:

I like how you have the 419 only a couple feet from the Zoysia.

Once the Zoysia is leveled and well established and reel mowed we will almost have a side by side comparison pic.


----------



## Redtwin

Thanks, @ENC_Lawn. I may eventually cut the 419 out in the front but I want to make sure I can deal with the Empire first.


----------



## Deltahedge

Looking great. And I am so jealous of the top dresser!


----------



## AFBiker2011

ENC_Lawn said:


> Once the Zoysia is leveled and well established and reel mowed we will almost have a side by side comparison pic.


 :thumbup:


----------



## Redtwin

I've started T-Nex on the backyard at .38oz/1000sf. I threw in some Bifen XTS at .25oz/1000sf for good measure to keep on top of the mole crickets and ants. I have not seen any but it's been almost 6 weeks since my last app so it's time.


----------



## jpos34

Redtwin said:


> I'm really satisfied with the leveling this year. Last year I really messed it up.


Im gonna do my first level this year. What did you do to mess yours up last year?


----------



## Redtwin

jpos34 said:


> Redtwin said:
> 
> 
> 
> I'm really satisfied with the leveling this year. Last year I really messed it up.
> 
> 
> 
> Im gonna do my first level this year. What did you do to mess yours up last year?
Click to expand...

I used the flexible drag mat instead of a rigid drag. The flexible one will pull the sand back out of the low spots.
This is what I mean by the flexible drag...


These are two of the rigid ones I use...


----------



## jpos34

Did the wire shelf work ok. I've been torn between flexible vs rigid. But having trouble find someone to weld me one up


----------



## Redtwin

jpos34 said:


> Did the wire shelf work ok. I've been torn between flexible vs rigid. But having trouble find someone to weld me one up


Sorry, I just saw your question. The wire shelf actually worked surprisingly well. Go with the rigid if you are needing to level. I have not welded mine yet. I used round head bolts to hold it together until I know it is balanced and works. My neighbor has a welder I will eventually use to lock it all together. The small bolts don't affect the quality of the leveling and don't leave any noticeable marks in the sand.


----------



## jpos34

@Redtwin on the front of the wire shelf at the lip, I was thinking add a 2x4 or 4x4 for more weight. What are your thoughts on this or do you think it was good enough as is? What width shelf is that?


----------



## Redtwin

@jpos34 It's a 6 footer. I used a 2x4 across the lip and threaded the rope through the lip and tied it to the 2X4s.


----------



## Redtwin

I was out of town for just over a week and came back to some weed pressure. I guess mowing low really kept them at bay. Since it has been well regulated, I went ahead and sprayed a mix of Bifen/Celsius/Dismiss before mowing. It's also hungry and dry so I will be addressing that with added watering and some 10-10-10 at .5lbs N/1000sf.


----------



## Ben S

@Redtwin did you have irrigation running while you were gone? I also just got back from a long trip and I was amazed how healthy the grass looked overall given the hot and dry weather and no way to water while I was away. I do have a few areas that are struggling similar to what I see in your pic but I was expecting much worse.


----------



## AFBiker2011

Our area has been very dry over the last 4+ weeks.

@Redtwin Have you (EDIT seen any mole crickets this year? I can see you've been keeping up with the Insecticide treatments.


----------



## Redtwin

@Ben S i had the irrigation running every other day but am having to bump it up. The soil here is almost pure sand and doesn't hold much moisture.

@AFBiker2011 I have not seen any mole crickets recently but I went back to Bifen XTS a few cycles ago because the Permethrin didn't phase them. I'm still getting plenty of earthworm castings but they have decreased a little with the warmer/dryer weather.

I also did a reapplication of T-Nex at .38oz/1000sf. I probably should have waited for it to be a little less stressed but it's Bermuda so it will be fine.


----------



## Mightyquinn

Redtwin said:


> I have not seen any mole crickets recently but I went back to Bifen XTS a few cycles ago because the Permethrin didn't phase them.


I'm with you on this, I am definitely switching back to Bifen when I run out of Permethrin. The Permethrin just doesn't seem to last as long and do as good of a job as the Bifen use to do.


----------



## Redtwin

So it turns out my issue was not lack of water. It has taken me until now to figure out what it was that I did. I did a combined app of Bifen XTS/Celsius/Dismiss/T-Nex. I've done it before with no ill effects but something was different this time. I checked my math, the temperatures, and my sprayer and no issues. The only variable was I used a surfactant. I think that made everything more effective and I overdid it. Just another lesson learned... thank God it's Bermuda!


----------



## Mightyquinn

Yeah, that surfactant will do that  I don't really use it unless it's Spring or Fall and cooler temps are around. I'm sure it will come back around here in a week or two.


----------



## rjw0283

I have been using the Compare N Save (tractor supply) Bifenthrin. Mostly for the ants. It works very well. I get 2-3 weeks of no Ant life before I need to spray again. I see the Bifen XTS is a much higher active ingredient percentage. 
How much Bifen XTS are you using per 1-K?


----------



## Redtwin

@Mightyquinn thanks for confirming my suspicion. Looking back I really don't even know why I used it. I certainly won't again except in the winter.

@rjw0283 I put down .25 fl oz per 1000sf. That's just a bit under the max rate. It handles the fire ants well and I haven't had any webworm issues since I started using it last season. My biggest problem are mole crickets. They will come boiling out of the ground if you disturb the soil in my neighbor's garden. It's almost biblical!


----------



## rjw0283

Ok, I apply 1 FL oz per 1k. Close to the same rates considering how much lower AI is in the tractor supply stuff. I'll probably buy Biden XTS after this stuff is gone. Higher initial costs but it'll last longer.


----------



## Redtwin

The back has recovered well and is beginning to thicken back up. I've needed to reapply T-Nex for the past 3 days but it has been too darn windy.


The front is also doing well. It's ready for sand but other projects keep taking priority.


----------



## ENC_Lawn

@Redtwin What HOC are you going to try to keep the Zoysia at once levedl with sand?


----------



## Redtwin

@ENC_Lawn I'm hoping to get it down to .75" but I will have to wait to see how it responds to the abuse.


----------



## raymond

Awesome journal - lots of hard work - keep* it up! following.


----------



## Redtwin

Thanks @raymond, 
The back has pretty much fully recovered and is at full throttle with some urea added to my latest PGR app.

The rain hit with perfection. right as I was finishing with the mowing. It's still at .25" HOC.


----------



## ENC_Lawn

Looking good as always! :nod:


----------



## Redtwin

Thanks, @ENC_Lawn! I got some complaints from family at last night's backyard bocce ball game so today I did a double-double cut. It's ready to roll!!! Pun fully intended.


----------



## monsonman

Wow looking pure!


----------



## tcorbitt20

Redtwin said:


> Thanks, @ENC_Lawn! I got some complaints from family at last night's backyard bocce ball game so today I did a double-double cut. It's ready to roll!!! Pun fully intended.


Complaints? I don't believe you


----------



## Redtwin

@tcorbitt20 🤣 The quality of the turf was not the problem. I just had to remove the excuses.


----------



## Redtwin

Here is a comparison shot of the Empire next to the 419. It's really comparing apples to oranges though because the 419 is reel mowed low and is being regulated. They both get the same fertilizer at the same rate. Empire on left is at 1.25" rotary mowed; Tifway 419 right of the sidewalk is at 3/8" reel cut and treated with T-Nex at .38oz/1000sf every 250 GDD.



That sidewalk will get pressure washed soon. I also hope to order some sand this week to do a sand level on the Empire, but they may not be able to get the trucks in the sand pit if it is really wet.

EDIT: I also bumped the HOC in the back up to 3/8" from 1/4" since I was out of town the past week. It looks good but I have a touch of what might be dollar spot in a few areas and I mowed today against the grain so the stripes were nothing to write home about so no photo.


----------



## ENC_Lawn

@Redtwin Wow...awesome Comparison picture!


----------



## Mightyquinn

Do you plan on taking the Zoysia REEL LOW?


----------



## Redtwin

@Mightyquinn Yes. I plan to start at .75" and see how it does.


----------



## JRS 9572

Redtwin are you going to get the remainder of any debris in the lawn removed by Elsa's rains?


----------



## Redtwin

We shouldn't get too much rain from Elsa. We've gotten daily rain for the past few weeks so actually a good thing we won't see much of Elsa.


----------



## rjw0283

I was wondering if you were in Elsa's sights. That's good news! Right now the current track is right over my location in NC, but it'll be a tropical depression at that point. They are calling for heavy rain but nothing crazy... unless it causes Tornadoes.


----------



## Redtwin

@rjw0283 You'll get more of Elsa than I will. My area usually gets the late season storms around late September and October.


----------



## JRS 9572

Got 2 1/4" much needed rain out of Elsa overnight Wed. in the midlands of SC.


----------



## Redtwin

@JRS 9572 We are still getting daily showers but not related to any tropical systems. I'm trying to work on leveling the Empire up front but it doesn't take too much rain to make the dirt unmanageable.


----------



## Redtwin

The first complete round of sand is down on the Empire Zoysia. I put down around 10 yards over about 7500sf. I will still need to put down at least 2 to 3 more yards but I want to wait to make sure the Zoysia comes through the sand OK. Doing this alone in July is absurd. My manual labor team is out of town at a youth retreat. They will be pleased to see that they missed out when they pull into the driveway tomorrow.


----------



## AFBiker2011

How did your sand spreader work? Was the sand still a bit wet?


----------



## Redtwin

It spreads the wet sand just fine. It's an awesome machine; there is no way I could have done all this by myself with just the gorilla cart.


----------



## AFBiker2011

Redtwin said:


> It spreads the wet sand just fine. It's an awesome machine; there is no way I could have done all this by myself with just the gorilla cart.


That's awesome. I'd love to come by one of these days to take a look at your turf. It is a very nice setup that you have.

I'm trying to convince my wife to buy a larger lot like the one you have. My 2kft² of lawn just isn't enough. #pclotenvy


----------



## cglarsen

@Redtwin Really nice work you've done.


----------



## Redtwin

Thanks, @cglarsen!

I applied some 13-13-13 this week to try to push through some dollar spot damage I have in my Tifway 419. HOC is still at 3/8". I also did an app of T-Nex at .38oz, Bifen XTS, and Permethrin. I haven't seen any insect damage but did see some moths on my last mow and I had what looked like some very small ant piles throughout the yard. It's not fire ants and not worm castings so not sure.



The front Empire Zoysia is kicking butt and has pretty much pushed through the sand in just a week. We had some heavy thunderstorms this week that washed some of it out but I was going to have to do another lighter coat to finish things off anyway. I'm still mowing with the rotary right at 1" HOC.


----------



## Nimblecow

Redtwin said:


> @JRS 9572 We are still getting daily showers but not related to any tropical systems. I'm trying to work on leveling the Empire up front but it doesn't take too much rain to make the dirt unmanageable.


What are those sunken wood-framed sections?


----------



## Redtwin

I couldn't get a permit to put in a culvert so I framed out the ditch and back filled it in order to get a better mowing surface.


----------



## Amoo316

So you mentioned previously that the county/city has come out multiple times and widened/dug out the ditch, any chance they try to do that again/fine you....etc after that you have done?

FWIW I think it's brilliant, but I'm curious how you think they might respond.


----------



## Redtwin

The city has taken over the maintenance of the road from the county. Very long story but no, I'm not worried about it. The last time the maintenance guys came through the excavator operator told me my ditch was way too deep. We both just shook our heads at it and moved on.


----------



## Amoo316

Redtwin said:


> The city has taken over the maintenance of the road from the county. Very long story but no, I'm not worried about it. The last time the maintenance guys came through the excavator operator told me my ditch was way too deep. We both just shook our heads at it and moved on.


Be a real shame if you accidentally dropped some clippings in there from time to time and accidentally raised the level of the bottom of that ditch.

I guess it doesn't matter anymore now that you're planning on covering it with lattice type structure. Interested to see how that turns out.


----------



## Redtwin

The Tifway 419 is recovering great from the mild dollar spot issue I had in the foreground. I'm having some after-cut quality issues I'm having trouble figuring out.



The Empire in the front is coming through the sand well. It still needs to thicken up some and is still very bumpy but I couldn't wait any longer and put the GM1000 on it. I did a double cut at .75". If the weather holds, I will be starting PGR with it this evening.


----------



## JRS 9572

This dollar spot is the devil. It seems like everyone is fighting it this year.


----------



## harmonjw

@Redtwin is there a way you prevent sand from getting pulled up into the reel to prevent it from dulling your blade before you cut? I have several places in my yard that take on more sand than I would like and take forever to fill in, but I also want to cut before the top growth gets out of control. Just curious to your approach on this.


----------



## Redtwin

@harmonjw My approach has been to just avoid any areas that are solid sand and even lifting the reel in the heavy areas but I also admit that I would push through some of it and just deal with backlapping once it was all over. Some recent posts have said that wetting down the area may help a bit but I don't even like rolling through the solid sand areas since it requires me to touch up my level with the rake.

If I had to do it all again, I would just use a rotary until it fills in enough that the drum is not going to move the sand around or dull the reel.

@JRS 9572 It has been a rough season for most regarding dollar spot. I was lucky that I didn't have it too bad and was able to press on with just a little extra nitrogen. Of course, I'm now dealing with some scalping from the growth surge and will have to do a HOC reset soon.


----------



## Redtwin

The Tifway 419 has gotten away from me with all the rain this week and life happening. I scalped the front courtyard and did a light topdress to try to bring it up to the sidewalk level. 



I am now cutting the Empire at 1/2" and will be doing another sand level soon. I'll probably give it another week or two to fill in some more before doing that. First, I have to scalp the backyard. That will probably take most of the weekend.


----------



## ENC_Lawn

@Redtwin Im following your Zoysia journey…the lawn is looking good!

So far in your experience if you where to rotary cut the Zoysia at 1.5 inches could you get by on once a week mowing?


----------



## GangstaRIB

Wow Ive never seen empire stripe like that. I guess the full weight of a greens mower vs a 21 lb roller on the back of my rotary makes the difference.


----------



## Redtwin

@ENC_Lawn I think if you rotary mowed but still hit it with PGR you could easily get by with mowing once a week. It doesn't scalp like bermuda does.

@GangstaRIB The photos don't do the stripes any justice. I think it will stripe even better at higher HOCs. I would guess it stripes best between .75" and 1". I'm mowing low every 2nd or 3rd day just to encourage the lateral growth and try to shorten the nodes. With PGR it is working. My neighbor has the same Empire Zoysia and the grass looks completely different. His looks good at around 1" HOC and he mows about every 5 days (No PGR) but the color and density are completely different.


----------



## ENC_Lawn

@Redtwin Thanks...the less mowing frequency and less scalping is what I am interested in.

Would you say if once a week or once every 5 days mowing is what someone's career / life allows the Zoysia may have the advantage?


----------



## Redtwin

ENC_Lawn said:


> @Redtwin Thanks...the less mowing frequency and less scalping is what I am interested in.
> 
> Would you say if once a week or once every 5 days mowing is what someone's career / life allows the Zoysia may have the advantage?


Definitely a HUGE advantage over bermuda regarding being able to cut more off without scalping. Right now, the only disadvantage I'm seeing is possible recovery to damage though I have not tested that just yet. I also need to go through a couple of seasons before I can judge disease resistance though my neighbor has never had any issues in 4 or 5 seasons with his.


----------



## ENC_Lawn

Redtwin said:


> ENC_Lawn said:
> 
> 
> 
> @Redtwin Thanks...the less mowing frequency and less scalping is what I am interested in.
> 
> Would you say if once a week or once every 5 days mowing is what someone's career / life allows the Zoysia may have the advantage?
> 
> 
> 
> Definitely a HUGE advantage over bermuda regarding being able to cut more off without scalping. Right now, the only disadvantage I'm seeing is possible recovery to damage though I have not tested that just yet. I also need to go through a couple of seasons before I can judge disease resistance though my neighbor has never had any issues in 4 or 5 seasons with his.
Click to expand...

Great to know!

Thanks for the feedback! :thumbup:


----------



## ENC_Lawn

@Redtwin How are you liking the wide leaf blade of the Zoysia compared to the fine leaf of Bermuda?

I have considered Zeon or Emerald if I ever do Replace my Bermuda so that when the Bermuda comes back in spots it will blend better...but it seems The wide leaf blade Zoysia are more aggressive.


----------



## Redtwin

@ENC_Lawn I think the wider blades still looks great mowed at the lower HOCs. I have heard so much drama with the finer bladed zoysia cultivars that I didn't want to go that route.


----------



## ENC_Lawn

@Redtwin Pic above looks great!

You laid your SOD dormant correct?

If I ever decide to go the Zoysia route...I wonder if it matters when it's installed We have about 6 more weeks of good growing season here in NC than October will be a slow month and we go dormant around November time frame.

Would it matter when I installed the Zoysia?


----------



## Redtwin

It doesn't matter when you lay it but I would at least wait until late winter. I did it in January. It was so nice laying sod in cooler weather rather than hot/humid.


----------



## raymond

Redtwin said:


> I have heard so much drama with the finer bladed zoysia cultivars that I didn't want to go that route.


@Redtwin - Drama :lol: fair (zeon guy reporting in) #fungusAmoungUs


----------



## Redtwin

raymond said:


> @Redtwin - Drama :lol: fair (zeon guy reporting in) #fungusAmoungUs


Sorry, gotta call it like I see it... though there's nothing better looking than a Zeon lawn when it's healthy!


----------



## ENC_Lawn

Redtwin said:


> It doesn't matter when you lay it but I would at least wait until late winter. I did it in January. It was so nice laying sod in cooler weather rather than hot/humid.


 :thumbup:


----------



## ENC_Lawn

Redtwin said:


> It doesn't matter when you lay it but I would at least wait until late winter. I did it in January. It was so nice laying sod in cooler weather rather than hot/humid.


@Redtwin PM Sent to you!


----------



## GangstaRIB

Redtwin said:


> @ENC_Lawn I think if you rotary mowed but still hit it with PGR you could easily get by with mowing once a week. It doesn't scalp like bermuda does.
> 
> @GangstaRIB The photos don't do the stripes any justice. I think it will stripe even better at higher HOCs. I would guess it stripes best between .75" and 1". I'm mowing low every 2nd or 3rd day just to encourage the lateral growth and try to shorten the nodes. With PGR it is working. My neighbor has the same Empire Zoysia and the grass looks completely different. His looks good at around 1" HOC and he mows about every 5 days (No PGR) but the color and density are completely different.


I was at 1.75 but dropped my super cutter to 1.25 after reading this post. Seeing stripes a little better now so I'll keep this height for a bit and try and burn them in a bit. I burned it a bit the other day I think I sprayed too much phosphite and also added a surfactant (tank mixed with other goodies) I think once the green comes back a little better maybe so will the stripes. Thanks for the reply!

It's hard to find much information on empire zoysia. I see al from LCN has a patch but he's cutting it way too high. I'll see if I can keep up with it at 1.25. We have fert bans here until oct 1st so I should be able to. Also have some t-nex just in case but after burning it I probably need to keep it out of regulation.


----------



## mitch1588

Seeing much of Fred yet?


----------



## bbbdkc79

Thinking of you and all the other TLF members who are in the path.


----------



## Redtwin

Thanks for thinking of us @mitch1588 and @bbbdkc79! It was strong for a tropical storm but clearly not a hurricane. We had sustained winds in the low 40s and I think the highest gust they saw at the closest weather station was 54 mph. That sounds about right with what I was seeing at my house. We had no damage to the house. I had a gate get damaged but it was already sort of compromised before the storm. I lost a little bit of sand but it could have been way worse. Thanks @Amoo316 for offering to bring in the big gear. Luckily, it won't be needed.


----------



## mitch1588

Redtwin said:


> Thanks for thinking of us @mitch1588 and @bbbdkc79! It was strong for a tropical storm but clearly not a hurricane. We had sustained winds in the low 40s and I think the highest gust they saw at the closest weather station was 54 mph. That sounds about right with what I was seeing at my house. We had no damage to the house. I had a gate get damaged but it was already sort of compromised before the storm. I lost a little bit of sand but it could have been way worse. Thanks @Amoo316 for offering to bring in the big gear. Luckily, it won't be needed.


Glad to hear it. 👍👍


----------



## Amoo316

Glad Hispanola broke that thing and didn't give it much of a running start. Had to basically reform from nothing once it hit the Gulf. Happy to hear things aren't bad down there. Assuming not enough time for major storm surge.


----------



## Redtwin

Amoo316 said:


> Glad Hispanola broke that thing and didn't give it much of a running start. Had to basically reform from nothing once it hit the Gulf. Happy to hear things aren't bad down there. Assuming not enough time for major storm surge.


Not much surge to speak of since we ended up on the West side of the storm (offshore conditions). It was good that it went over Hispanola but it was also sheared from the SW the whole way up the gulf so that kept it under wraps.


----------



## bbbdkc79

How did that culvert handle the rain?


----------



## Redtwin

bbbdkc79 said:


> How did that culvert handle the rain?


It did well. I still get a little wash out on the street side but the rest is pretty solid.


----------



## Redtwin

I did a scalp on the Tifway 419 back at the beginning of August. I held off on the posts just so I could show some updated photos of the recovery. As much as I'm loving the Empire, I don't think there is any grass more forgiving than Bermuda. It's still thin in some spots but doing well with mowing every other day at 3/8" and keeping it regulated at .38oz/1000sf with T-Nex.

August 7


August 14


August 21


----------



## AFBiker2011

@Redtwin, things are looking really really good. How is the latest sanding coming along in the front?


----------



## Ware

Looking great @Redtwin!


----------



## rjw0283

.38 of Tnex and mowing every other day in August??


----------



## Redtwin

Thanks @AFBiker2011. The front is holding up but it has taken a bit of a beating the past couple of days. We've had almost 15" of rain since Saturday. I appreciate the compliment @Ware!

@rjw0283 I'm barely getting anything from the clippings but I want to make sure I stay ahead of it. I don't want to have to do another scalp and I want it at 3/8" going into winter.


----------



## Amoo316

Redtwin said:


> Thanks @AFBiker2011. The front is holding up but it has taken a bit of a beating the past couple of days. We've had almost 15" of rain since Saturday. I appreciate the compliment @Ware!
> 
> @rjw0283 I'm barely getting anything from the clippings but I want to make sure I stay ahead of it. I don't want to have to do another scalp and I want it at 3/8" going into winter.


Damn Redtwin, I'm not sure my boat can hold my tractor, I know I can get a chainsaw in there though :lol: :thumbup:


----------



## rjw0283

that's a commitment! I was doing every other day for about 6 weeks. The wife was over it. I bumped my tnex to .35 ish... I may try .45 on the next to see what happens. I've never seen bronzing on the front (common i think) I've seen bronzing in the back on the 419. Label says .75 for higher HOC... I'm not brave enough for that yet.


----------



## Redtwin

Well it was just over a month ago when I said I didn't want to have to do another HOC reset but here I am. I will go into winter at 3/8" if it kills every blade of grass I have back there. 


On a better note, the front zoysia is doing very well at 3/8".


----------



## Amoo316

I legit just did the driveway before I sprayed my Pre-M. Worst case scenario, it's Bermuda, it'll be fine.


----------



## DeepC

Im following your journal and saw your post about going into winter at the lowered 3/8s. I just did this too coming down from 1/2". Mine looks exactly like your picture. I did it on a whem. No reason, just "lets do this". I love it when the neighbors think my yard looks so much better than theirs and then BOOM!!! BROWN... that makes me laugh every time, cause they have no idea whats really going on. They just look and scratch their head.
Good job friend!


----------



## Redtwin

@Amoo316 Yeah... I know it will be fine in the long run and worst case scenario is we both have a head start on the spring scalp.

@DeepC Thanks for following. I really wanted to wait until the weekend so I could brag that I did a scalp in October but I don't want to push my luck. :lol:


----------



## Redtwin

I did a follow up mow in both diagonal directions to clean up some of the brown stems that were missed yesterday. Now it's just time to let it grow and hope that we have an indian summer. The scalp sure makes the rough cut area around the fire pit look great!


----------



## Amoo316

I wanted to comment on your Zyosia but I forgot. I love the color response you're getting sub .5" out of it. Between your fert/iron/pgr (whatever you're doing) and HOC I really love the color. I typically prefer the look/color of reel mowed yards in the .75" range with most Bermudas, but that Zoysia has such a unique and cool color that low.

Does it maintain it's softness that low?


----------



## Redtwin

It's a little softer than the bermuda at that height probably due to the wider blades. I think the color difference is from the PGR. That and the HOC are the only differences between me and my neighbor. We used the same ferts and all. He keeps his just over an inch so you would think his would be darker, but it's not. We have the same variety and got it from the same farm so it has to be the PGR.


----------



## ENC_Lawn

@Redtwin Wow...that Zoysia is on point! :nod: :thumbup:

Nice work!


----------



## SeanBB

Your back yard kicks ***, jealous over here!


----------



## Redtwin

Three year anniversary of Hurricane Michael and the start of my lawn nuttiness. I guess last weekend was not the best timing for a scalp but it's still recovering well even this late in the season.



The Empire zoysia in the front has established well but is still filling in from the last sand level which has been slow due to all the rain and flooding we have had this season.


----------



## Redtwin

I'm loving the way the Empire is looking at 3/8". I know it's a very controversial thing to say but I sometimes wish my whole yard was Empire. Shhh... don't tell the Tifway 419...

I still need to work on the edging along the road and replace my mess of a driveway.


----------



## raymond

Redtwin said:


> I know it's a very controversial thing to say but I sometimes wish my whole yard was Empire. Shhh... don't tell the Tifway 419...


The truth hurts sometimes :lol:


----------



## Redtwin

The backyard is back up to 3/8" so let's see if I can keep up with it for the rest of the season. It's supposed to cool off tonight so things will slow down but it should fully recover before we get our first real cold snap. This is 2-weeks post scalp.


----------



## Redtwin

In previous years I probably would have gotten away with it but I don't think it is going to fully recover before the end of the season. It's looking decent but still lots of stems showing.


----------



## Redtwin

I did a charity mow on the front just to refresh the stripes for Thanksgiving using my Flex21. I'm looking forward to the grass growing solidly again so that I can use my new toy!


----------



## DFWdude

Redtwin said:


> I did a charity mow on the front just to refresh the stripes for Thanksgiving using my Flex21. I'm looking forward to the grass growing solidly again so that I can use my new toy!


So jealous. Congrats!


----------



## AFBiker2011

Redtwin said:


> I did a charity mow on the front just to refresh the stripes for Thanksgiving using my Flex21. I'm looking forward to the grass growing solidly again so that I can use my new toy!


Someone just upped their game!


----------



## Ware

Redtwin said:


> I did a charity mow on the front just to refresh the stripes for Thanksgiving using my Flex21. I'm looking forward to the grass growing solidly again so that I can use my new toy!


Nice! Congrats!


----------



## rjw0283

Redtwin said:


> I did a charity mow on the front just to refresh the stripes for Thanksgiving using my Flex21. I'm looking forward to the grass growing solidly again so that I can use my new toy!


Nice! What are you going to do with all that time you're going to have now? That should cut your mowing time down drastically!


----------



## robbybobby

Welcome to the 3100 club!


----------



## Sbcgenii

Looking forward to seeing some fat stripes next year! Congrats!


----------



## ENC_Lawn

Redtwin said:


> I did a charity mow on the front just to refresh the stripes for Thanksgiving using my Flex21. I'm looking forward to the grass growing solidly again so that I can use my new toy!


Nice! :thumbup: :nod:


----------



## Redtwin

We are semi-dormant with zero growth but still lots of green. We got a little off-season training going while picking up leaves and debris.


----------



## JRS 9572

What a blessing for that young man to get some appreciation for hard work, and time to think.


----------



## Redtwin

I did a charity mow this past weekend mainly to pick up some leaves and tweak the cutting unit adjustments. The 3100 is certainly going to make for quicker work but there will be a bit of a learning curve. I did a little bumping and rubbing in the turns but the straights were glorious! I have it set to .5" so it barely cut anything at all.


----------



## Redtwin

I'm starting to see some December seed heads in both the Bermuda and the Zoysia. They are both weak but still green. I like having an excuse to break out the 3100.


----------



## AFBiker2011

That Zoysia is looking amazing. It continues to fill in really well. My own Zoysia is full of purple seed heads. I've cut them down twice in the last 3 weeks, but they just grow right back.


----------



## Redtwin

It's been crazy warm but I'm not going to complain. It will cool off tonight but probably still won't get any frost.


----------



## Redtwin

I pulled out all my equipment for a mid-winter crank and let them all run for a little while. The past few cold weeks have just about put both the Bermuda and the Zoysia to sleep.


----------



## rvczoysia

Looks good!


----------



## ionicatoms

Think you'll have another 10 gallons of weeds this year? Doing pre-emergent?


----------



## Redtwin

Thanks for following @rvczoysia.

@ionicatoms, I applied Simazine back in October so I should not see as many weeds going forward. I will be applying Prodiamine within the next couple of weeks to all areas. I'm thinking torpedograss will be my biggest issue this season since the pre-em will not affect it at all. Thank God for Quinclorac.


----------



## Redtwin

I did my spring scalp today down to 3mm... which pretty much means dirt in my yard. I did my first pass at 5mm and then two more passes at 3mm offsetting each pass by 45 degrees.

Here are the before pictures: Low area is just under 1/2", higher area is around 1 1/2".





After pictures: Notice the different look on the higher cut area vs. the lower cut area. The higher cut area was a pain in the rump and truly looks like dirt.





I was able to convince my youngest to help by allowing him to drive the gorilla cart to the road to dump the clippings. I took off 12 bags going from just under 1/2" to 3mm.


----------



## rvczoysia

Did you scalp the zoysia down to dirt or just the bermuda? When do you start applying preventative fungicides to the zoysia?


----------



## Redtwin

I have not scalped the zoysia yet. I want to be a little more conservative with the zoysia than the bermuda. I did put down some Prodiamine on the front yesterday at the 6-month rate. I will do the back today.

I may regret it but I have no plans for preventative fungicides. I have some Eagle 20EW on standby in case there are any issues.


----------



## rvczoysia

Redtwin said:


> I have not scalped the zoysia yet. I want to be a little more conservative with the zoysia than the bermuda. I did put down some Prodiamine on the front yesterday at the 6-month rate. I will do the back today.
> 
> I may regret it but I have no plans for preventative fungicides. I have some Eagle 20EW on standby in case there are any issues.


That's interesting thank you. I have to stay on top of my zeon with fungus issues. It can be a bit pricey.


----------



## ShadowGuy

That scalped bermuda looks good and weed free. I am jealous you are already scalping for spring.


----------



## Redtwin

After watching @mitch1588 scalp his zoysia, I went ahead and scalped mine down to .25". I could not pull off the 3mm HOC because it's just not level enough yet. It was actually greener after scalping off all the purple.


----------



## ENC_Lawn

@Redtwin Pretty cool to see the Zoysia already green!


----------



## ionicatoms

Very cool! Nice surprise there.


----------



## Redtwin

I'm starting to see a little green haze over the Tifway 419. If there are no major bumps in the 10-day forecast as of this weekend, I will probably go ahead and wake it up with some 10-10-10 on Saturday.


----------



## DeepC

Exciting! Its almost game time!


----------



## Redtwin

The Empire has clearly woken up early and is off to the races. I did a double cut, sprayed Bifen/Imidacloprid, and put down some 13-13-13. 


EDIT: I'm obviously a little rusty on keeping the stripes straight.


----------



## Monocot Master

@Redtwin Are you using a granular for your 1-1-1 apps?


----------



## Redtwin

Monocot Master said:


> @Redtwin Are you using a granular for your 1-1-1 apps?


I did this time. I tried spraying 20-20-20 last year but I just didn't seem to get the same response. Once things get denser, I will probably have to spray.


----------



## Monocot Master

Ok thanks. I am trying liquids this year but my soil tests indicate low phosphorus. I already have urea and SOP solubles. So to stick with liquids I am thinking diammonium phosphate, or 20-20-20 to get my P. I could roll my own if I have the DAP, but I really know little about it. Have you ever used DAP for liquid apps? As far as 20-20-20, I was looking at the Winfield Gravity S 20-20-20.


----------



## Mightyquinn

Monocot Master said:


> Ok thanks. I am trying liquids this year but my soil tests indicate low phosphorus. I already have urea and SOP solubles. So to stick with liquids I am thinking diammonium phosphate, or 20-20-20 to get my P. I could roll my own if I have the DAP, but I really know little about it. Have you ever used DAP for liquid apps? As far as 20-20-20, I was looking at the Winfield Gravity S 20-20-20.


I ordered some of that DAP from Home Depot that I think you highlighted somewhere here on TLF and it should be here this week so I plan to roll my own with that and see how it goes.


----------



## Monocot Master

Yea, I may try the DAP from Home Depot. Plus there is the option for 12lbs of the granule or 1 gallon liquid. My lawn is too small for the 40lb box. It should not take too much to get my P level right.


----------



## Redtwin

I am finally getting the driveway ripped out and rebuilt. I've kept waiting for construction costs to come down but I don't see it getting any better anytime soon. In fact, I see it getting way worse for a while. It is what it is... but I'm excited about having a fresh pour.


----------



## Redtwin

It was 34 with no frost here on the coast so no harm to the new growth. My striping skills are lacking when it comes to singles.



I also did some plugging on some weak areas in the Empire Zoysia that were damaged by storm flooding late last season and didn't have time to fill in.


----------



## ENC_Lawn

@Redtwin I have got to level my El Toro Zoysia this year.

Whats your opinion on sanding.

Go ahead and do it in the Spring with the weather is cooler (but recover is going to take longer).

Or wait until the Zoysia is growing vigorously in June or July?

I just installed the El Toro last September.


----------



## Ware

I'm anxious to see the new driveway @Redtwin!


----------



## Redtwin

@ENC_Lawn I would wait until it is growing well but you could probably fit in two leveling apps in a single season. I did two solid sand apps last year after installing in January so I would say your El Toro is ready. @Ware, the forms are ready but the concrete keeps getting delayed due to weather, fires, and just simple traffic snarls. Very frustrating being to low priority project for these concrete suppliers.


----------



## Redtwin

I just purchased another tool!



I'm also in need of a new rotary mower for mowing around my fire pit and vacuuming up leaves. I'm still trying to talk myself into getting the HRX because it's the only one I can find that mows down to .75". If it's good enough for @Redtenchu then it's good enough for me.


----------



## cnet24

Big get- you'll love it!


----------



## Redtenchu

:thumbup: :thumbup:


----------



## JRS 9572

Home Depot rental sales for the source of buying the verticutter?


----------



## Redtwin

@jdupree1990 found it on Facebook Marketplace. The seller bought it from a family member who hardly used it and it just sat in the garage for several years until he decided to get it out of the way.


----------



## Ware

Nice! I had one just like that.


----------



## Redtwin

[TRIGGER="pulled"]



The Zoysia and Bermuda out front (facing South) are looking good. The backyard is still struggling to fully green up.


----------



## rjw0283

HRX! I have been keeping my eye out for a used one. I predominantly rotary mow the back yard. My 12 year old craftsman is still good, but looking to upgrade on a budget


----------



## rjw0283

Saw the verticutter too... I am jealous. I got a sun joe this year so that will have to do.


----------



## Redtwin

@rjw0283 I have a SunJoe as well. It's does great but wanted something a little wider with no cords.


----------



## Monocot Master

I like my HRX. It cuts quite low for a rotary which is one reason I bought it. The valve cover leaked oil on mine, but I took it off, cleaned it up, and re-sealed it and all is good. Also, I added a governor shaft seal, because for some reason Honda is not, or was not putting the seal in that motor. I think I have some posts on those two issues.

Did you get the mower for scalping, and/or bagging clippings?


----------



## Redtwin

@Monocot Master I got it for mowing the higher areas around my fire pit and behind my workshop. It'll also come in handy for vacuuming clippings or leaves. The absolute main reason I went with it was because it was the only one I could find that would mow at .75". That and all the good things everyone says about them.


----------



## Monocot Master

I scalped at the lowest setting on the HRX and I plan to maintain the height at the next notch up. Will be first year using PGR so I hope I will be able to keep it at a low cut all year.

I read somewhere with zoysia, I should be sharpening my blade every 15,000 sqft of cutting. That would be monthly for me. Not sure I will do it that often, but I am going to keep it sharp all year for the best cut. You know this, but those zoysia grass blades are tough. Good that you reel cut. Such a big difference between reel vs rotary cut.


----------



## DFWdude

Redtwin said:


> [TRIGGER="pulled"]
> 
> 
> 
> The Zoysia and Bermuda out front (facing South) are looking good. The backyard is still struggling to fully green up.


What size solar system are you running? Any issues?

The lawn is looking nice


----------



## Redtwin

@DFWdude I have an 8Kwh system and it does great. I need another 4Kwh string to be fully energy independent. It's on the project list but still a ways down. I did the install myself so I saved quite a bit of money and it paid itself off quickly.


----------



## DFWdude

Redtwin said:


> @DFWdude I have an 8Kwh system and it does great. I need another 4Kwh string to be fully energy independent. It's on the project list but still a ways down. I did the install myself so I saved quite a bit of money and it paid itself off quickly.


Right on. My roof is way too high and steep to install panels myself. Hence my hesitancy to pull the trigger on a system due to overall cost.


----------



## rvczoysia

I have an HRX i use for clean up. My yard is pretty flat and when I scalp with the HRX it cuts pretty even so the aftercut appearance doesn't look bad. Was curious what your thoughts are on maintaining zoysia with the HRX on lowest setting?


----------



## Redtwin

rvczoysia said:


> I have an HRX i use for clean up. My yard is pretty flat and when I scalp with the HRX it cuts pretty even so the aftercut appearance doesn't look bad. Was curious what your thoughts are on maintaining zoysia with the HRX on lowest setting?


I haven't done it yet but my neighbor maintains his Empire with an HRX and it looks pretty darn good. I think he maintains it between the .75" and 1.25" settings. He has significant leveling issues as well but it still looks good. Empire doesn't scalp like Bermuda. I'll try to get a photo without looking creepy.


----------



## rvczoysia

Redtwin said:


> rvczoysia said:
> 
> 
> 
> I have an HRX i use for clean up. My yard is pretty flat and when I scalp with the HRX it cuts pretty even so the aftercut appearance doesn't look bad. Was curious what your thoughts are on maintaining zoysia with the HRX on lowest setting?
> 
> 
> 
> I haven't done it yet but my neighbor maintains his Empire with an HRX and it looks pretty darn good. I think he maintains it between the .75" and 1.25" settings. He has significant leveling issues as well but it still looks good. Empire doesn't scalp like Bermuda. I'll try to get a photo without looking creepy.
Click to expand...

Thank you sir. I've done some spot sand leveling and a few years of mowing a GM1000. I think the mower alone levels the lawn to some degree.

A few takeaways from what I've seen so far....1. If the ground is somewhat level and you're not getting scalp marks, .75 inch is .75 inch..lol. 2. You still have to scalp with a rotary or other means because reel mower ends up floating on top of canopy. 3. A lot less work and time savings. Would be hard to beat the aftercut appearance of a reel mower however.


----------



## tcorbitt20

That front yard is looking nice!


----------



## Redtwin

I had a friend who shared some extra sand and I couldn't pass up the opportunity to hit some of my bumpy areas in the front where I had some washout.


----------



## AFBiker2011

How are things progressing (Bermuda) with the warmer temperatures? This upcoming week is looking perfect.


----------



## Redtwin

@AFBiker2011 It's starting to look good in the back as well. I mowed today (third day) and almost got a full basket full of clippings. My T-Nex trigger finger is getting itchy.


----------



## Redtwin

The back is starting to really green up nicely. The Empire between the ditch and the road is pushing through the sand well.


----------



## Monocot Master

Nice work!

If it did not impede flow, the ditch would look nice with wetland plants like what one would plant in a rain garden. But that is not for everyone of course.

Thanks for the update!


----------



## Redtwin

Thanks @Monocot Master! I have considered on several occasions even before framing the ditch to put in some cattails and wetland plants but like you said, they could slow the flow. We are pretty flat so I don't want to do anything to slow the water down. We are so flat that when I was having the engineers out to try to get a permit to bury a culvert, they all thought the water flowed in the opposite direction. I don't want to start ranting again but our county engineers aren't the sharpest pencils in the box. I've pretty much decided I am going to deck it over in removable sections but it is still a ways down on my to-do list.


----------



## ENC_Lawn

@Redtwin The Empire and the 419 are both looking great!

I'm surprised to see the Zoysia push through the sand so fast. :thumbup:


----------



## Redtwin

ENC_Lawn said:


> I'm surprised to see the Zoysia push through the sand so fast. :thumbup:


I've put the level lawn rake on it a few times to work it down into the low spots as it dries. Each time I do, more grass blades pop through.


----------



## Redtwin

I started regulating the front Empire and Bermuda. Here is a photo for comparison between the Empire Zoysia on the right of the sidewalk and Tifway 419 on the left prior to applying T-Nex. The backyard is not quite ready. 


I also had a recent outbreak of black slime mold in the Empire but not overly concerned just yet.


----------



## Redtwin

I completely shut down the sprinklers on the front and the recent rains washed just about all of the slime mold away. The wind finally died down a little so I was able to sneak out for a quick T-Nex app on the backyard. Everything is under regulation now.


----------



## ENC_Lawn

@Redtwin Looking Sharp!


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## Monocot Master

@Redtwin Do you mind keeping us up to date on your NPK inputs? Micros too, but most curious about the primary nutrients. Not much response from my zoysia after my first .25lb N for the season, in a spray application. I am using a 1-1-1 ratio currently, per soil test results. But I do have urea, and SOP on hand as well. Wondering what should be next for me, PGR, or N? or both. I might add that when on a granular program, to get the response I wanted my first application was typically .75 - 1 lb. N.


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## Redtwin

Thanks @ENC_Lawn! @Monocot Master I will certainly post any applications I make. I did not get much of a response from my first application either (granular 13-13-13) but I didn't see much in my Bermuda either. I think I may have been a little early spring was a little late.


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## Redtwin

I snuck in a super-wet mow between showers during my lunch hour. There was hardly any sunlight at all so the stripes were pretty subdued on the Empire. I just applied my second T-Nex app on both the zoysia and bermuda. The burmuda in the courtyard is looking really good but the back is still super slow to kick off. I didn't get to mow the back yet since I'm afraid the triplex will leave tire tracks. I put down some urea @.125lbs N/1000sf and Bifen XTS with the T-Nex apps. I followed up with a granular 8-8-8 from Lowes at .3lbs NPK/1000sf on the zoysia and .6lbs NPK/1000sf on the bermuda. For the most part the rain has been light and steady but it's been almost 4 inches over the past 36 hours.




Edit: The weather backed off enough for me to walk the backyard. I like the quality of cut way better walking it but it sure takes a lot longer.


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## ENC_Lawn

Looking great!@Redtwin

The Zoysia is really coming along nicely!

Have you tried any iron on the Zoysia to see if you could get the green to darken up?


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## Redtwin

I haven't applied any iron. It'll darken up after a few rounds of PGR.


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## Redtwin

The Empire zoysia is almost the same color as the Tifway 419. A couple more T-Nex cycles and it will be really close. Both the bermuda and the zoysia got a little crispy on the edges from the rust remover I used on the sidewalk. It looked way worse the day after and is recovering quickly.


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## Jeep4life

I like the Tifway to Empire comparisons. Do you verticut the empire? Are you at 0.75" HOC for it as well? They all look great!


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## Redtwin

Thanks, @Jeep4life! It's gets treated just like my bermuda just less fertilizer totals. I'm mowing both at 3/8" right now. I haven't had to verticut the Empire just yet but probably will do it before my sand level this season. I have a new Classen so it should make quick work of it.


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## SouthernTiftuf

Looking really good!


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## Monocot Master

Thanks for the update Redtwin! My Empire is getting it's first PGR app very soon. It's been very dry here, and my concern is it should be under less stress before doing the PGR. I may be over thinking that though. I did a granular fert on mine as well at .5 lb of N, and it is looking pretty nice.


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## Redtwin

Thanks @Monocot Master. The PGR will really make the Empire dark and thick.

I put down some fat stripes in the back today. It seems to finally be coming out of the funk slowly with the heat we have had the past couple of days. I'm mowing it every other day but barely getting any clippings at all.


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## Redtwin

I ripped out a stump that was breaking down and causing the surface to settle. It was back breaking and super hot and humid. We've had daily showers the past few days so the grass is improving daily.


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## rvczoysia

Is that bermuda in the area you filled in the stump?The color looks great. You have zoysia in front and bermuda in back right?


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## Redtwin

@rvczoysia Yes, that's the Tifway 419 in the back. You can see in the background of the 3rd photo where I have a small section of common that I have been really stressing with lower HOCs. I've kept it pretty weed free for the most part so there's lots of dirt showing. The 419 is gradually spreading into that area.


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## UFG8RMIKE

Looks like your water quality is about the same as what we will have at our new home under construction. (Lots of Iron). Need to get the well dug and water tested for iron/sulphur content 1st before we can design a system around it. I was quoted as high as 25k for a filter system with enough capacity/flow to treat irrigation water.

Since you manage both empire and bermuda which would you go with if choosing only one going forward for a home on an acre? From your photos they both look great. The bermuda looks a little better IMO, question is the maintenance, time, and cost worth it in your opinion?


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## Redtwin

@UFG8RMIKE If not for traffic, I would 100% chose the Empire. It's much easier to maintain and requires about 1/2 the water and fertilizer my bermuda requires. The reason I have kept my backyard bermuda is because the kids playing on it. It recovers so much quicker.


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## Redtwin

Both front and back are at full speed now that the summer heat is on. The Empire in the front kicked it up a color notch but so did the Tifway 419. I applied T-Nex, Urea (.12lbs/1000sf), Bifen XTS, and Imidacloprid to everything. The only difference is the Empire gets .25oz/1000sf of T-Nex while the Tifway 419 gets .38oz/1000sf.


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## Jeep4life

Man - it sure is looking good!!


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## monsonman

Zoysia is really catching stride! And striping beautifully too! What HOC on the Empire?


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## Redtwin

Thanks @Jeep4life and @monsonman. Both are at 3/8" just for comparison purposes and to make mowing easier. I almost bumped it all up to 1/2" last week because it just wasn't taking off but the weather has been spot on lately.


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## Monocot Master

Looking good! I am due for my second PGR app in a few days. I also want to even out the color because my granular app looks a little spotty. So planning to tank mix urea + SOP + PGR and spray that.

Also due for fungicide and insecticide, but I am pretty sure I will do that as another app. That would be a lot of products in one mix and I am not sure they all play well together.


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## ENC_Lawn

WOW...the Zoysia is looking great! @Redtwin


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## SeanBB

Digging the front. Your mowing game is spot on right now.


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## Redtwin

Thanks for following @Monocot Master @ENC_Lawn and @SeanBB! I was out of town for 4 days so I had to bump my HOC up to 1/2" all the way around. I was getting some goofy aftercut appearance with the triplex so I pulled the units and backlapped them all. I'm hoping I got it straightened out.


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## Chadwicktr

Nice journal! How are you liking the triplex? I'm on the hunt for a 2653…Have you used the classen yet? I was thinking about renting one to harvest sprigs vs getting a sunjoe since I have 10k² ft in the front.


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## Twodollarblue

@Redtwin what do you use to mow around your sitting area at the higher height of cut?


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## Redtwin

@Chadwicktr Im loving the triplex. I haven't used the Classen yet because the fixed blade cartridge is on back order. It has the flail blades right now and I don't want to use those. I'm sure it would work great to harvest sprigs though I'm not sure which height to set it for that.

@Twodollarblue I use an HRX at 1 1/8" HOC for the fire pit area. It's much easier to maneuver around the tight spaces.


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## Redtwin

I managed a quick mow after helping @Humbert810 scalp this morning. I mowed against the grain on the back Tifway 419 and got a little bit of scalping in spots. The front and back are due for a sand level but I still have a lot of projects in front of that. I'm hoping to get to it this month though.


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## Monocot Master

Looking real nice Redtwin!

I do not yet have the color I want in my Empire, but to be honest I have put more effort into the PGR and insect control lately, and less on the macros.

I see your mention of the HRX. As far as rotary mowers go, I am liking my HRX for cut quality, and HOC. I am maintaining at 1". Next year, I plan to burn off the lawn, instead of scalp. And will try 3/4" for my maintenance height.


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## Chadwicktr

Looks great!


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## Redtwin

All turf is looking decent. The Bermuda is going to need a verticut and HOC reset soon. I'm still working on getting a sand level scheduled.


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## WillyT

You're a good man for helping Humbert out! Lawn looks beautiful!


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## FATC1TY

Looks great! I'm with you- I need a HOC reset and a verticut bad. We were almost identical on the puzzling after it appearance after being gone, and needing some tlc on the mowers.

Whatcha gonna scalp down to for the reset? Trying to get back to 3/8 or so?


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## Redtwin

Thanks @WillyT! It feels good to help!

@FATC1TY Ive heard recently that the lighter triplexes like the 3100 sometimes have those aftercut appearances at HOC over .5" since they were made for greens cut below .125" and not used to running through so much material. I'm thinking to scalp down to .25" to maintain back at 3/8". I hope to get a sand application in with the whole thing if possible.


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## Humbert810

Redtwin said:


> Thanks @WillyT! It feels good to help!
> 
> @FATC1TY Ive heard recently that the lighter triplexes like the 3100 sometimes have those aftercut appearances at HOC over .5" since they were made for greens cut below .125" and not used to running through so much material. I'm thinking to scalp down to .25" to maintain back at 3/8". I hope to get a sand application in with the whole thing if possible.


Let me know when you're going to level, I will come help if I'm in town!


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## Redtwin

I finally veritcut in two directions and scalped down to 5mm. It took me all day!


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## Twodollarblue

Impressive. No way I would still be alive doing that in this heat/humidity. Do you generally set it to just scratch the soil or do you go a little deeper?


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## Redtwin

Thanks @Twodollarblue This was my first time using the Classen. It has the fixed-blade cartridge installed currently. I had it set on the second highest setting. It just cut the surface stolons in the lower areas and pulled some material out in the higher areas but nothing too aggressive. I did two passes 90 degrees apart. I then made 3 passes with the greensmaster in the same directions. First cut was down to 3/8" and the last two passes were at just under 1/4". I plan to maintain around 3/8" for the rest of the season.

It was super hot/humid and I didn't finish until 9:00PM. I didn't count but I'm guessing I have around 30 42-gallon bags on the road for trash pickup. My butt is dragging today! I'm trying to work up the gumption for a sand level but I may just wait until next spring.


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## Redtwin

August sand level on the Empire Zoysia. Thanks to @jdupree1990 and @ryancrogers for the help. We got all the sand down in two hours using the tractor/topdresser combo then went over and did @ryancrogers' front and back.

All the neighbors think I have absolutely lost my mind!


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## DFWdude

Soooooo jealous of the tractor/top dresser! I gotta find something for spring time.


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## Redtwin

Thanks, @DFWdude. Getting all the sand down with minimal shovel time is certainly a luxury.


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## AFBiker2011

Any updates on the zoysia sand level?


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## Redtwin

@AFBiker2011 It was a pretty big mistake. It was growing so dense that I should have done a hard verticut before putting the sand down. The grass blades grew through the sand just fine but the sand did not make it to the surface. It was just floating on the thick mat of crowns. The turf was very spongy and I couldn't even put a rotary mower on it. I thought about putting the Classen on it but didn't want to wear down the new delta blades in the sand. I put the SunJoe on it at the deepest setting but it didn't make much of a difference. After several weeks of decent rain, it has settled and is a little firmer but I will not be topdressing the Empire again without seriously beating it up beforehand to open up the canopy. Luckily it's pretty level now and I just need to work on the area right next to the ditch. I will be rotary mowing it at 3/4" the rest of the season. For the most part it looks good from the road but I've learned that is one difference between the bermuda and the zoysia.


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## rjw0283

I was wondering about the denseness of the Empire and how it would be to level. That is good info... I think it would also be easier if done early in the spring, somewhere after dethatching but before it gets getting super thick.


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## Redtwin

Just posting some updated photos. The back is currently at 3/8" with several spots recovering from spot levels. The front is still being rotary mowed at 3/4" but I will probably bump it up a bit for the rest of the season. I will also hard scalp the front courtyard area as it has gotten away from me.


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## JRS 9572

Hang in there. It's been a rough summer on lots of us. Once things for sure. You can bush whack it in the spring, and you know what NOT to do now. Seems like everything I've learned in life has been by getting my tail cut first.


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## Redtwin

@JRS 9572 Oh, I've had my share of tail cuttings for sure. :roll: We warm-season guys are pretty lucky at how forgiving our turf is in the long run though.


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## Redtwin

I couldn't stand it any longer so I knocked the Empire down from 1.25" to .5". Zero scalping; I love this grass!!!


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## Redtwin

Both the Empire Zoysia and Tifway 419 are hanging on with this nice weather. There are some parts that are struggling with the shorter days and cooler temps but overall not bad for late November.


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## Redtwin

I did a charity mow at 3/8" on both front and back. I also applied some Simazine before the rains we should be getting over the next couple of days. The freezing weather over Christmas really shut things down. Everything is still just semi-dormant as there is plenty of green still mixed throughout the brown. The closer photo of the firepit area shows how much better the low HOC does in the cold.


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