# Rjw0283's Lawn Journal



## rjw0283

Decided to finally start a journal....

Started getting stuff for the 2021 growing season



2 bags of Urea and 2 bags of SOP (in boxes 1 bag 50lb bag of granular and 1 bag 50lbs of spray able)

The urea I can get local, the SOP I have to buy online at 7 springs farm.


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## rjw0283

This was my first year of a PRG overseed. It looks ok, but far from perfect. Next year I will scalp bermuda lower and use PGR... I didn't use PGR this go around... My dog really likes it. She always likes to roll around in the front yard. So when it's dormant bermuda she gets dead grass all over herself. This isn't an issue anymore. I'll be PRGing ever year from now on. (At least in front). The dogs destroy it in back with their pee




I got little lines in the stripes because I ran my spreader with ironite and some on-clearance fert from lowes. The prg was getting yellow tips. So it needs something. It has been raining crazy this winter. I havn't been keeping up with the nutrients. My soil doesn't hold anything very long which is why I have so much K ready to go for the bermuda. I apply nutrients every 10-14 days with PGR, and I've found that's the sweet spot for bermuda. I don't put much effort into the PRG. Winter time and constant darkness sucks the energy out of me. I love the summer


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## rjw0283

2 weeks ago, I upgraded to a 8 blade reel on my flex 21. I struggled a bit on it as I ordered the wrong reel initially. I got all that sorted and shes all set!




I also scored a grooved roller


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## rjw0283

I did this today!

I built a doggie in ground septic/composter or whatever you wanna call it.

Took a 5 gallon bucket, cut bottom off and drilled holes in bucket, dug a hole filled with water added dog poo and some enzymes to aid in decomposing and done... Maybe a 30 min project... We'll see how it goes, I'm a little skeptical. I put in a part of the yard that makes sense and the grass doesn't grow the best.


Added a spin type lid so it'll be sealed tight





same concept as this... https://www.amazon.com/Dooley-3000-Septic-Tank-Style-Pet-Waste-Disposal/dp/B0002DI35E


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## rjw0283

I have a mole problem. I have those transmitter things, that emit a noise they don't like which does work some. But I need to take some extreme measures. I ordered some mole traps today. 
Stay tuned for the Great Mole War of 2021


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## rjw0283

Got a new edger. My 11 year old craftsman finally died. I know a guy and I got a sweet deal on a Stihl FC 91.... 100 times better than the craftsman!


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## rjw0283

I'll say the dog crap hole is working pretty good. I am a believer. Put a bunch of stuff in it and it's eating it all up. 
Pretty easy thing to do for about 11 bucks (That's what the spin lid cost) I did buy a post hole digger, but I needed to get one soon to replace a fence post.


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## rjw0283

Not sure when I should kill the Rye off... I was thinking first week of March. and then do my scalp. 
I'll kill it off with certainty, and throw some Prodiamine to the tank.


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## rjw0283

Mowed yesterday. I've decided to take it down lower and lower every week till I'm down to as low as I can go and then I'll kill off the Rye around 20 March.. I don't want to kill it too soon because I like the green. I figure it'll take 2-3 weeks before it starts dying with certainty. We'll see.


You can see the dormant Bermuda popping through the lawn, next year I need to scalp lower and hit with PGR.



I wish I had a flat lawn not on a giant slope.


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## rjw0283

I also received some Trampline mole traps that I set up in the yard. I'll get some photos of those and post my successes or failures...


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## UltimateLawn

@rjw0283, I've recently purchased a couple of scissor traps and caught one of the moles damaging my yard. Share some of those 'mole hunting' efforts.


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## rjw0283

UltimateLawn said:


> @rjw0283, I've recently purchased a couple of scissor traps and caught one of the moles damaging my yard. Share some of those 'mole hunting' efforts.


Will do, the problem I have is, I cannot find the main tunnel. Behind my yard is a million little tunnels and in my yard alot of small shallow tunnels they randomly come in. I have traps set but they do not come in my yard all the time. I found some volcano mounds but can't find the main highway. I've been doing alot of research and will be doing some more probing in the yard. I'll report back any tips I learn. I also have 12 pulse sticks coming that I'll be setting around the house. (Maybe after I trap a few to prevent from returning). They aren't always in my yard, but when they come they unlevel the hell out of it. 
I currently have some noise pulse stakes up now, and they do seem to prevent them some, as they seem to stay behind my yard more than they use to. So maybe if I just set more of those up I'll be good.


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## rjw0283

I did probing. And holes are everywhere! I don't know how old they are. I bought a bunch of these mole repellent sound spikes. I have 20 of them around the house. We'll see if they work. 
I am going to set some traps too.


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## UltimateLawn

@rjw0283 , I haven't heard much good news about repelling them other than to try and address eliminating their food source.


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## rjw0283

UltimateLawn said:


> @rjw0283 , I haven't heard much good news about repelling them other than to try and address eliminating their food source.


some people say they work, some don't. I have 20 of them, so in a few months I should be able to give you a pretty good idea if they are crap or not. So moles eat grubs and worms. I got millions of worms in the yard. Not sure you could ever really take away their food supply.


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## UltimateLawn

@rjw0283 , I'm with you. I have a ton of earthworms that keep things well fertilized. I am not ok with killing them.


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## rjw0283

Mowed a lot shorter today. Its under a 1/2 inch now. I'll probably bring it down some more tomorrow. The warmer weather is making the PRG grow and look a lot better. I haven't sprayed it yet. Not sure when I should kill it just yet.


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## rjw0283

Brought it down to a little above 1/4 in. Sprayed certainty and celsius on backyard to kill some weeds and take out PRG that the dogs didn't kill with pee.



I havnt sprayed PRG in front yet. It's a little above a 1/4 inch. I couldn't get the flex any lower with the high hoc cut. I may have to put the original brackets on if I want to scalp lower


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## rjw0283

Ohh yeah and the new 8 blade reel is awesome. So worth the money in my opinion. It makes easy work of it now,and no more straggler grass left behind


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## rjw0283

Ahhhhhhhhhhhhh!





So much for a brand new 8 blade. I clipped the road I guess and somehow destroyed a blade. Not much I can do. Maybe because it's aftermarket r&r blade or maybe I just hit it just right. I was right at a 1/4 inch scalping. Bummer! I broke it the rest off and continued scalping


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## coreystooks

Dang that even hurts me to see that.


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## rjw0283

coreystooks said:


> Dang that even hurts me to see that.


Yeah it sucks. It was only my 2-3rd time using it. I must have clipped the road as I was turning, somehow it dipped into it. Just a freak thing, come to think of it I'm wondering if I messed it up prior because it was making a slight rubbing nose prior to me hitting the street, when I hit the street I must have hit weak spot in blade. Once I broke it off no more rubbing noise. But it must have been the right ad, I would have noticed hitting something that would damage blade


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## rjw0283

It is what it is, now I have a 7 3/4 blade reel


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## rjw0283

I got a quote yesterday for a irrigation system. I'm in a little bit of dilemma. My water company charges an ungodly fee to install a tap. Somewhere around the range of 1700 bucks! I called them today to iniate a quote. I'm tempted to fill the water meter box filled with beer, maybe that'd bring the cost down. I had a recommended sprinkler guy come yesterday and he quoted me at $ 4200. All grass will get water to include flower beds and raised garden bed I have with a rain sensor. 
For 1700 bucks maybe I can dig a damn well for that price. What a racket.


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## Redtwin

@rjw0283 Have you check to see if you are allowed to dig a shallow well dedicated to irrigation? I had a guy put one in for me for $1200.


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## rjw0283

@Redtwin is that what you use for all of your watering? I'll have to do some research. 
There is water about 3ft deep in the corner of my yard. My neighbor has a spot a little lower that never dries, so we are right on the water. 1200 bucks and no water bill sounds better


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## Redtwin

I only use the shallow well for irrigation. My house is on city water. I ran additional spigots to the front, side, and back yard from the shallow well in addition to tying it into my sprinklers.


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## rjw0283

Redtwin said:


> I only use the shallow well for irrigation. My house is on city water. I ran additional spigots to the front, side, and back yard from the shallow well in addition to tying it into my sprinklers.


Looking into this now. I refuse to pay that much to the City, that will just end up charging me more on my bill. It's a cash grab,, and I'd rather spend money on a well.

Thanks for the reply. The irrigation guy said people have them around the city, and it doesn't look like it costs much.


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## Redtwin

It's ridiculous what the city charges and the only advantage to you is that you won't pay sewer fees on the irrigation meter. You still pay for the water at the same crazy rate. I very highly recommend a shallow well, especially in your area since the water is probably pretty clean. The shallow water here is decent but has a little bit of iron in it. At least it doesn't have a bunch of Sulphur. I've smelled some shallow wells that really stink.


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## rjw0283

Redtwin said:


> It's ridiculous what the city charges and the only advantage to you is that you won't pay sewer fees on the irrigation meter. You still pay for the water at the same crazy rate. I very highly recommend a shallow well, especially in your area since the water is probably pretty clean. The shallow water here is decent but has a little bit of iron in it. At least it doesn't have a bunch of Sulphur. I've smelled some shallow wells that really stink.


my water company actually charges you more for sprinkler water. They just don't charge you for the sewer fee which is more than the water. Was the 1200 for everything? Pump and Electrical? How deep did they have to go?
Also, do you have any pictures of your setup?


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## Redtwin

I don't remember exactly but it was in the mid-60s feet deep. That sounded deep to me for Florida but I guess it's normal. The $1200 included digging the well and installing the pump. I had to wire it and tie it into my irrigation system. I will take some pictures tomorrow and post them here.


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## rjw0283

Redtwin said:


> I don't remember exactly but it was in the mid-60s feet deep. That sounded deep to me for Florida but I guess it's normal. The $1200 included digging the well and installing the pump. I had to wire it and tie it into my irrigation system. I will take some pictures tomorrow and post them here.


Nice. I've been reading regulations for my county/city, and the only thing I've seen is a 275 dollar permit, and they inspect and choose the area. Another restriction i'll have is my backyard isn't super accessible for big equipment. A standard truck can fit back there, but that's about it.


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## Redtwin

This guy's equipment was the size of a riding lawn mower. I have a double gate for vehicles but he ended up just rolling it through the regular gate.

Update to add photos:



He installed everything all the way out to include the red shut-off valve. I wired it into my pool pump breaker box since it was nearby.


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## rjw0283

@Redtwin Awesome. Thanks. I need to call some well contractors tomorrow. I hit contact me on their websites but I guess they don't monitor that. I'll have to take some time during work and make a few calls. 
I do have a wired shed in the back corner of my backyard that has the power requirements needed, so I wouldn't have to run electrical through the yard. I'll get a few quotes if needed, i'm hoping it's relatively cheap. If they can drill it next to the shed, id think it'd be pretty cheap


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## Redtwin

Oh, I should add that it is wired 240v. Hopefully you have two hots in the shed.


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## rjw0283

Redtwin said:


> Oh, I should add that it is wired 240v. Hopefully you have two hots in the shed.


yup I checked that tonight. Just have to tap in a breaker to the utility box installed in there. It was wired up right.


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## rjw0283

I hit up a drilling guy listed in facebook he said typically it's 3500. Maybe I should start calling the guys in the yellow pages without a website. I bet their rates are better. I need a ******* with a drill


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## rjw0283

@Redtwin is that a 2 inch well? The few places I called are selling a 4 inch well. Just wondering if it's required or if they are upselling me. The 3 I've contacted are around 3500
The first one recommended a submersible 1 HP pump.

I just asked the sprinkler install what recommends for GPM


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## rjw0283

I guess I should have researched on what to ask for, because they'll try to recommend the most expensive thing.


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## Redtwin

It's 1 1/4" in and 1" out. I would think that 4" is very much overkill. My irrigation system is all 1" pipe with 3/4" fittings for the sprinklers. I run 6 K2 heads on each zone with absolutely no issues with volume or pressure. In fact, my wife can run one of the spigots at the same time with minimal effect on my sprinkler pressure. The pump is a 1hp.


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## rjw0283

@Redtwin I think its because they wanted to put in a submersible pump. Not sure why.
I can't do anything until I get a permit. so the more knowledge I have the better.


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## rjw0283

According to some imagery I am 10 ft from ground water. I'm tempted at doing this myself.


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## Redtwin

Oh yeah... if you are doing a submersible pump I think the minimum is 4". Like you said, I'd be tempted to DIY it. I hit water here at anywhere from 3 to 6 feet but I wanted to get down into some of the cleaner stuff. Time for some YouTube research.


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## rjw0283

I sent the check off for a permit yesterday. I think I am all in on getting a well if I get approved by the inspectors.
Probably since I am anti City water.

1800 Bucks gets me City water for irrigation. I will then be charged 26 bucks a month for the additional account for irrigation purposes. I will then be charged for every gallon I use. 0.00557 per gallon is what they charge. So if I use 10,000 gallons it'll be around 55 bucks. Plus the 25 for account. = 80 bucks. The benefit will be I will not be charged the costly sewer fee, which is more expensive than the water. The city water route, I'll never recoup any cost savings.

If I continue the well route and lets say I pay 3500. 3500- 1800 = 1700. I am hoping I can get the well for under 3,000.
But that gets me free water - electricity costs to run the pump. Within 3-4 years I'd recoup costs.
It's a bit more for initial costs, but I don't have to see that monthly bill. I won't cringe when we fill the huge kiddie pool.


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## rjw0283

I'm looking to put the well in the corner of barn near the new looking 4x4 fence post


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## rjw0283

Mowed again at scalping height of 1/4. Sprayed PRG again with certainty. Bermuda is starting to turn green in spots. The areas I have of celebration are really turning green. The tifway is slowly starting to show signs of life. I sprayed some urea at .45n per k with some SOP at a 1lb a k. Temps are gonna hit the 30s for 2 days this week, but beyond that it's gonna be warm. I'm pushing growth. We'll see what happens.


It stormed with hail

After I scalped again


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## rjw0283

Did a backlap, I had to grind a section of the blade I broke a month ago. It was having bed knife clearance issues where it broke. All good now. It hurts to look at, and it's new. I'll probably rock this reel a season or two and replace again. If it cuts fine I'll keep it.


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## rjw0283

I got a mow in tonight after work. I'm cutting bermuda! It's coming alive and fast! I usually don't see green until May. I'll post some pictures this weekend. We have 80s with lows in the 60's the rest of the week. It's gonna go crazy in the next few days. I got my Revolver in the mail, I sprayed that at 2OZ for the entire yard. The PRG will be killed off soon. Certainty actually did a good job in the back yard. It's 90% dead.

My well permit should be approved soon. Once that's good I'll call around for some well drillers and get the well project going.


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## rjw0283

All of the green is bermuda


My bermuda is waking up and the PRG is pretty much gone. Warmer spring temps this year have helped. I'm a good month ahead of where I was last year. I've been spraying N and pushing growth early. I plan to do a early season leveling so I want to get the lawn established as quick as I can.


The Lines are from my kid on his hover board





I buried my sinkhole again in sand. I think a tree use to be planted here and it sinks. This is the most level ive had this area. I also was never mowing this low so it sticks out. There is probably 6-8 inches of sand in the hole now. Took a few years but it's getting close to normal. I think it's done sinking. I hope.


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## rjw0283

Did some edging today. This is my side yard. It's doing pretty good for April. 
I've got my well permit back and I've called every certified driller in the county (only 7 of them). Everyone has quoted over the phone 3500-5500. I think im going to do it, I may have to wait on irrigation install


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## rjw0283

It's coming along for 15 April. They installed fiber in my area so they dug the yard up some. They did a really good job. Everyone else's yard they tore up the yard and put straw over it. On my yard they cut the sod up pushed the fiber in and put the sod back on. The fiber guys over at metro net are ok in my book!


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## rjw0283

closer up progress of the bermuda thickening.


I've never had these bushes bloom as good as this before, I'm not sure why... maybe some overspray of nutrients? The last 2 years I've done a better job of watering them and trimming them, maybe that's it.


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## Redtwin

The Bermuda is greening up nicely. I love the azaleas. I know you have to watch the timing of pruning but you obviously got it right this season. That white one is loaded!


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## rjw0283

Redtwin said:


> The Bermuda is greening up nicely. I love the azaleas. I know you have to watch the timing of pruning but you obviously got it right this season. That white one is loaded!


The white one was dying a few years ago. I guess I just needed to water it more, and it give it some miracle grow once in a while.


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## rjw0283

Finally put new wheels on the rotary that's 11 years old. Makes sense I could never mow on the lowest setting without getting stuck in the yard. Thats a pretty good HOC difference. The self propelled is awesome again.


After a while of these mole spikes, I am a believer. I think they do work. Not a mole since I put 18 of these suckers in the yard. I can see alot of activity in the neighbors yard. They don't enter mine. The only bad thing is, these spikes will only last maybe 1-2 seasons . You need a spike about every 10 ft or so to be effective. And they do make noise you can hear. The deeper you put then in the quieter they are, but you can still hear them


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## rjw0283

Update on a few things- 
The grass didn't make much progress last week, we had a few nights in the 33-37 degree range which really stunted any progress. It's coming alive this week with temps in high 80's and low 60's. It's super dry, this April is the 4th driest April on record. 
I have a conversation going on with a well driller that may be drilling in my yard. The well driller community is an interesting one, they are usually hard to get a hold of and return your calls maybe a week later. I had 1 that came to my property but said he couldn't do it because I have limited access. (I do, it's a pain to get back there) Especially for large trucks. The only way I'll be able to get this done is to take down my fence on the side of the house. The neighbors are cool with it, so I'll post pictures if I go through with it. My permit is approved, the only stipulation is that it must be 25ft from the house and it must be in the back yard due city water/sewer lines running in the front. I think I'm all in. So we'll see where this goes.


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## rjw0283

A few weeks away from looking decent. We had a few cold days a few weeks ago that slowed progress. It also doesn't help we've been super dry. The 4th dryest month on record for April. But for may 5th this is good for this area.


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## rjw0283

I was contemplating a level this weekend. It's just too early. The grass isn't growing vigorous enough. New date will be memorial day weekend if the grass is ready


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## rjw0283

I sprayed liquid iron. .27lb n per 1k and some bug killer on Thursday night. It rained over 1/2 inch yesterday. The lawn loved it.


Planted flowers!


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## rjw0283

I hate that hose reel. I'm thinking of putting in a post and buying an eley


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## Redtwin

I've been so close to pulling the trigger on an Eley. If you get one, please pot your opinion.


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## ionicatoms

We have been very satisfied with our Eley. Wife asked me to install 2 more!

I'm not sure she knows how much it costs. She didn't ask.


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## rjw0283

ionicatoms said:


> We have been very satisfied with our Eley. Wife asked me to install 2 more!
> 
> I'm not sure she knows how much it costs. She didn't ask.


haha she must not know! the cost is why I don't have one already!


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## ionicatoms

I think she can enjoy it more this way. &#128514;
Seriously though, she does love it.


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## Mightyquinn

Redtwin said:


> I've been so close to pulling the trigger on an Eley. If you get one, please pot your opinion.


I have 2 of their older versions and have had them well over 10 years and they are still a pleasure to use each and every time! It's money well spent if you use your hose at all. I know you live in FL but I have never removed mine in the mild winters we have here in NC.

@rjw0283 Have you gone to the new Garden Center on the corner of Bunce and Raeford Rd. ? Just curious if they offer anything fertilizer wise?


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## rjw0283

@Mightyquinn I've been there a few times. The outdoor center is open for trees/plants. Not sure what they are going to have inside the building but it's not open/ready


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## rjw0283

@Mightyquinn Do you have any of the Eley hoses? 180 dollars for a 100ft hose. It better be the best hose in the world.


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## Mightyquinn

rjw0283 said:


> @Mightyquinn Do you have any of the Eley hoses? 180 dollars for a 100ft hose. It better be the best hose in the world.


I have 2 of the 75ft 3/4" hoses from them that I bought several years ago and I have to say they are pretty nice. They rarely ever kink and if they do you just have to give the hose a shake and it frees up. They do have a "memory" to them to a certain extent but it's rarely been an issue. I like the smoothness of the exterior of the hose too and it just feels like quality to me. I think you can't go wrong with those Underhill hoses either as they seem high quality too and I would probably go that route if I ever needed another hose since Eley doesn't make a 3/4" hose anymore.


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## rjw0283

I'll probably be waiting a bit before I buy any Eley products. Still awaiting on the whole well drilling thing. I am just going to remain patient and keep calling people. Probably won't have Irrigation till next year.

I did score a 16x10 by 48 inches deep Coleman above ground pool at wal-mart for 297.00. People are scalping these things for 800-1300 on the internet, so I was surprised to get one. I have a huge patio that I plan to put it on. 
The kids will love it, I would love to have a real pool but I just don't have the lot or the desire to spend that much.

https://www.walmart.com/ip/Coleman-Power-Steel-Frame-16-x-10-x-48-Oval-Pool-Set/543112803


It'll go in the open area. The sand filled round hole is where a tree stump used to be that I just burned down. I'll level the area a little bit with plywood, and put the pool on top. I've already bought a better sand filter pump for it. I'll probably have it up in a week or two.


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## rjw0283

My backyard is a lot more shadier, it takes much longer to establish than the front (no shade) yard takes. Plus my dogs pee all over it. I don't think I'll ever get it to look really nice back there without tearing everything up and putting something more shade tolerant in.
It would probably help to aerate and top dress. I use to fill dog holes with old flower pot dirt and cheap Lowes top soil by the bags. So it's loaded with OM


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## rjw0283

I posted these on my phone and they looked a lot greener than on my laptop. 
In person it's very dark green. I did apply a different Iron product. https://www.domyown.com/turfgrasspro-blade-iron-15-p-17267.html I normally apply Main Event. I really like the results of this. I went 6oz per 1K. I sprayed on Thursday night, with some rain on Friday resulting in a darker green. I think I'm a fan of the Pro Blade Iron.


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## rjw0283

MOLES! So I thought the pulse sticks were working. Well today they broke through the barrier and it looks like they had a mole orgy all throughout the yard. I've set the metal traps up that don't seem to work. I have to get better at trapping these things. I ordered 2 more different style traps, I'll be trying out upon arrival. I got to kill these things. They've destroyed my neighbors yard and randomly visit mine.


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## rjw0283

Just put this thing up yesterday. I cut a hole in the side and added a skimmer. Pool itself was 300 bucks. After you upgrade the filter and pump it's a pretty good setup. Kids love it, so do I. It gets hot here.


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## rjw0283

Starting to look nice. Not bad for no real precipitation and my irrigation is a rain train.



Yesterday I was busy with the pool. Today I sprayed urea at .21 per 1k with pro blade iron and some potassium sulphate, with some liquid kelp. In the front I added H20 maximizer at 10 oz per K.


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## rjw0283

Got my first kill!!




Finally got one. I've changed my strategy and it worked. There has to be more! The mole spikes are useless!


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## Redtwin

Nice catch! You going to send it to the taxidermist? :lol:


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## rjw0283

apparently you need a permit in NC to trap a mole. Go figure!


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## SeanBB

Moles are so cool looking...is that weird to say? They wreck landscapes though, thats for sure. We nail gophers out west like its going out of style. I could probably get 20 a day and wouldnt put a dent in their population.


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## Mightyquinn

rjw0283 said:


> apparently you need a permit in NC to trap a mole. Go figure!


They want a permit for EVERYTHING!!! :lol:

I think if you are doing it on your own land you shouldn't have anything to worry about. Sometimes it's better to ask for forgiveness than ask for permission.


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## rjw0283

Picture as of today. The hole I filled with 2 bags of play sand needs more sand but it's filling in


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## rjw0283

Plan is scalp down low. 1/4 in or lower.
Rent an aerator and use it. 
Go get some sand probably around 3yds/4 ton ish. 
Lay it down and spread it! 
I am only leveling the front. I desperately need the to level the back, but I'll just aerate back there. I have some compaction issues in a few spots. I don't reel mow back there. So the plan is to do a good level on the front. I am currently at 1/2 in HOC, it mows it fine but you can see the waves in the soil. Once I get the front right, I'll focus on back.. probably next year.
After this level it should be pretty close to where it needs to be. 
Thunderstorms Saturday. I think I can scalp Thursday night and aerate friday morning, get the sand and spread it in all on Friday. 
The problem is.... Friday is supposed to be 96 and HUMID!! I'll probably do it!


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## rjw0283

Plus I just want to get the sand down... get the grass growing through it so I can start PGR. The grass is starting to grow furious. Mowing every 3 days right now. 
NOTE-
The 8 blade reel has no issues chopping seed heads. The 11 blade reel never cut them very well. 
The 8 blade cuts them awesome! I need PGR in my life


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## rjw0283

Phase 1 complete. Scalped to 1/4 in and aerated. I need to rake up the cores and dump the sand tomorrow


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## rjw0283

Progress so far. Waiting for the sand to dry out some more so I can spread it better. I may have went heavier than intended. I borrowed a F350 dump truck. 50 bucks for 3yds of sand. Got it all spread out in 2.5 hours. Not bad


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## SeanBB

holy smokes, this we be awesome to watch the recovery! good luck


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## rjw0283

SeanBB said:


> holy smokes, this we be awesome to watch the recovery! good luck


Yeah! This time I scalped to 1/4in...... last year I scalped at 1/2 in. Big difference in how the sand spreads.


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## SeanBB

thats my biggest problem right now...i have sand ready to go for leveling....but Im nervous to cut down my paspalum. It hates getting chopped down. I think Ive gotta lower my height slowly for the next couple of weeks, then aerate, level, then let it grow back up to around 1" HOC. Ugh...ive had sand in my driveway for a month!


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## rjw0283

SeanBB said:


> thats my biggest problem right now...i have sand ready to go for leveling....but Im nervous to cut down my paspalum. It hates getting chopped down. I think Ive gotta lower my height slowly for the next couple of weeks, then aerate, level, then let it grow back up to around 1" HOC. Ugh...ive had sand in my driveway for a month!


I have a little bit of sand left, whenever I get sand I just throw it all over the place so I can clean up. The place I went today was 15 bucks a yd. That's insanely cheap. This will be the last time I aerate. My soil is sand. I just blew them off with a blower.


----------



## rjw0283

I went way more sand than I planned. The last time I leveled there was green spots and you could see alot of the grass. This time it looks like a volleyball court


----------



## Mightyquinn

Where did you get your sand from?


----------



## rjw0283

Mightyquinn said:


> Where did you get your sand from?


401 sand Raeford.


----------



## rjw0283

@Mightyquinn I went to WHI Sand and Gravel off Clinton RD last time. They were over twice as much. I went there because they were open on a Saturday. I think I paid 130 or so.... They got me!


----------



## rjw0283

Sand quality was very good at both places.


----------



## Mightyquinn

Yeah, 401 sand is where I have always gone for sand for the lawn as the quality and price of their sand is pretty good and they are right down the road from me so delivery isn't too bad. I think the minimum order for delivery is 6 yds. I have had 12 yds delivered before for like $250 which isn't bad at all.


----------



## rjw0283

Ran out of places to throw sand that didn't require manual labor. :lol: 
So I re-stocked my "Spot Leveling" pit. Kids don't mind, they always get fresh sand a few times a year.

I somehow killed the Zoysia. All the areas that don't have grass is where Zoysia use to be. Not sure what took it out. Everything I apply is safe for Zoysia and Bermuda. HMMMM> It's only a portion of the yard. Either I killed it while it was dormant or it's taking a REALLY long time to come up. It's starting to grow in some spots, the wild bermuda is starting to take over in it's absence. My backyard needs a pretty good reno, but there's no point being that I have Dogs. They have fire piss.


----------



## rjw0283

So I watered it in good manually with a hose. Took about an hour to do it. Then I ran the sprinkler. It was supposed to rain last night but we got nothing. I was hoping mother nature would help water it in.... Nope. 
I am probably going to let it dry all day tomorrow and run the drag over it one more time. It's a little thicker than it should be in some spots. I laid it on pretty good in spots. Being that alot of it settled in, it should be easier


----------



## rjw0283

I spread the sand out some more today. I put too much sand down! It was just dragging it all around the yard. I ended up dragging it to places I didn't even want to level just to spread it out. I think it's good now. Here's to a quick recovery!!!


----------



## Sbcgenii

If it's not under regulation I'm sure that sand will disappear pretty quick.


----------



## rjw0283

Sbcgenii said:


> If it's not under regulation I'm sure that sand will disappear pretty quick.


I'm thinking 2 weeks it should be mostly recovered and then 3-4 weeks for some low spots that have a few inches of sand over it. Just before I sanded I was getting to the point of mowing every 3 days for .5 inch hoc. With about 2 grass catches full.


----------



## rjw0283

This is what the yard looks like today. 7 days after level. We got 3 inches of rain the other day. That helped! Alot of the sand on side of the house got washed out. The important areas didn't wash out. You can see now the areas that were low spots


----------



## Redtwin

That's filling in fast. It's going to look great by the 4th!


----------



## rjw0283

Redtwin said:


> That's filling in fast. It's going to look great by the 4th!


Yeah!! That's the goal. I think another 10 days it'll be mostly filled it. The deep spots will still be recovering, but most of the yard will be good


----------



## rjw0283

From my security camera. I'll roll all these up at the end and do a time lapse thing.


----------



## rjw0283

From the ground level. I'll need to mow soon. I plan to cut under 1/2 hoc. (That's my pre-level HOC) we'll see how low I go.


----------



## rjw0283

Enjoying a cigar. I was able to do the level while wife was very pregnant. We ended up having the baby yesterday. Everything went awesome and we're back home already.


----------



## Highlife159

Congratulations. Glad to hear everything went well.


----------



## rjw0283

Highlife159 said:


> Congratulations. Glad to hear everything went well.


Thanks! It'll make getting out in the yard a little more challenging. It's a balance I'll have to master. I have 3 kids now, the other 2 are older so its easy. (I just make them go outside with me)


----------



## Redtwin

rjw0283 said:


> Highlife159 said:
> 
> 
> 
> Congratulations. Glad to hear everything went well.
> 
> 
> 
> Thanks! It'll make getting out in the yard a little more challenging. It's a balance I'll have to master. I have 3 kids now, the other 2 are older so its easy. (I just make them go outside with me)
Click to expand...

Congratulations! Boy or girl?


----------



## rjw0283

@Redtwin Boy. All 3 are boys.


----------



## rjw0283

So I got a mow in today. I have decided to roll with 3/8 as my HOC going forward. It wasn't long ago when 3/8 was my spring scalping height. It was a lot smoother mowing today. I can't wait for the rest of the grass to fill in.

I also did some edging which is not shown in the pic.


----------



## rjw0283

Update-. 2 weeks post level.
Cut today at 3/8


----------



## rjw0283

I can already tell it's going to stripe much better now that mower is making better contact with the ground. It's striping pretty good considering the grass is about 55% of how thick it's going to get. 2 weeks and there is still quite a bit of sand, but I did scalp it pretty good. A scalp/aeration recovery followed by a pretty big covering of sand. 4th of July it ought to be primetime.


----------



## rjw0283

A few pics of the back yard. I don't post a lot of pics back here. It's lumpy, I scalp a lot and I have multiple dogs that have fire piss. The back yard is where we spend 90% of our time. It's secluded for being in the city, the area behind my house is wetlands with lots of trees. I have a stamped concrete patio that wraps around the house. My whole yard is on a slope. I don't use the reel back here often, it's just not enjoyable with the hill and pine straw debris that gets wrapped up in everything.

This picture is my Celebration plug farm. I use this area to harvest plugs. This spot gets A LOT of sunlight, and repairs itself very quickly. And it's in an area of the yard no one sees. I plug the areas that are weak with celebration. 


The back yard is a salad bar of different types of Bermuda and a little patch of Zoysia that is struggling to come back from the PRG overseed thatch. I am fine with the different types of grass back here while I have dogs. It's just not worth doing a major reno back here when they'll destroy it. 
Lots of scalping from uneven ground. I'll level one day back here. The dogs will just track in the sand. 
The ground is bad from when the dogs were puppies and dug all over the place. There once was a 3ft deep hole from my Lab. The dogs are older now and don't dig. 



I also added some more sand in my trouble areas. I am done messing with the level until it's fully recovered.


----------



## Deltahedge

Congratulations on your third boy. I also have 3 boys. Great looking yard you've got there.


----------



## rjw0283

Deltahedge said:


> Congratulations on your third boy. I also have 3 boys. Great looking yard you've got there.


Thanks! Me and the wife were a little relieved when the ultrasound revealed another boy. Plus we already have all the stuff! (clothes, toys etc Boys are easy... A girl would terrify me. (emotional terrorists) :lol:

The clock starts over. 18 years to go.... We planned to have this one about 2 years ago, it just didn't happen until 9 months ago.  10 year old- 6 year old and a 1 week old.

Kids are fun.


----------



## Buffalolawny

Kids are fun.

When they are not your's and you can hand them back


----------



## rjw0283

Buffalolawny said:


> Kids are fun.
> 
> When they are not your's and you can hand them back


I'm not a fan of other people's kids.


----------



## Redtwin

rjw0283 said:


> Thanks! Me and the wife were a little relieved when the ultrasound revealed another boy. Plus we already have all the stuff! (clothes, toys etc Boys are easy... A girl would terrify me. (emotional terrorists) :lol:


I have 3 boys as well but also 2 girls... your assessment is not far off. Girl (23), Boy (21), Boy (17), Girl (15), Boy (8). They are (or were) all great help in the yard and around the house though.


----------



## rjw0283

I finally did it,. I joined the rotary scissors club.
Expensive, but it's awesome. I got it today. And I hooked it up to the Stihl and got after it. I am going to use these more than I thought. I have a few grass islands or peninsulas that are impossible to mow, or look like crap after I do mow them. This thing solves that issue. Wife thinks it's cool too.... Probably because I didn't mention the cost. :lol: :lol: 
It's awesome!


----------



## rjw0283

Scalped the backyard just for fun. It wasn't planned. I mowed with the rotary and wasn't happy with the scalping. 
So I grabbed the "real" mower and scalped it at 3/8 because that's what height it was already set at.


----------



## rjw0283

Edged up on the Asphalt. 
20 Days since I leveled. It's getting there. It should be primetime for 4th of July. I want it to fill in so I can start the PGR! I have been mowing every 2 days. 
The picture with my hand is on my side yard, I didn't sand much over there and it's thickening up nicely!






It looks like it's washboarding but I think it's the grass not fully in.


----------



## raymond

Following :thumbup: my front lawn is also on a slope and I plan to level soon. Granted I have zoysia not Bermuda your progress is encouraging! Rock on


----------



## rjw0283

raymond said:


> Following :thumbup: my front lawn is also on a slope and I plan to level soon. Granted I have zoysia not Bermuda your progress is encouraging! Rock on


Thanks! We finally got some real rainfall from the tropical depression Claudette remnants. Around of inch of much needed rain. That'll help!


----------



## rjw0283

This area has been a problem area since I have lived at the house. Due to my yard being on a slope, all of the water that hits the driveway or sidewalk runs down to the sidewalk and overflows to the yard and runs down towards the side of the house. This happens when I run the sprinkler as well, water just stagnates on the sidewalk for 10-25 min until its absorbed by the saturated soil. 
Tomorrow I am going to be putting a drain in with a pipe that goes to the side of the house. (Where the water already goes, it'll just be under the soil instead of above it.). I have erosion issues in this area due to this and a random mole that once a year likes to visit. I kind of have an idea of how I'll do it, I'll post pictures of this tomorrow after I'm done. 
This area is a struggle to keep the grass nice as it's always saturated and compacted from the river of water that flows over it.


----------



## rjw0283

I'll probably have to put in bigger drains, but I wanted to put something down the see if it worked. I'll fine tune until I get the result im looking for. 

















I'm not sure about this pop up drain but we'll see


----------



## rjw0283

I cut satellite 6 years ago, I finally got around to removing it......


----------



## rjw0283

Drain works well. We got a storm today that dropped about 1/2 inch of rain in about 10 minutes. It did what it was supposed to do. No more water flowing over the grass!!! I'm curious if this will make that area that struggles better now that a river doesn't flow over it every time it rains.

I made some slight adjustments after this photo. some of the water was just shooting over it passed the drain because it was flowing so fast. I just put a brick on the other side to direct the water back to the drain. That did the trick.


----------



## rjw0283

Here are some pictures from when I leveled until today. It still needs another 10 Days to be awesome. You see I have a struggle area on the end of the sidewalk... I hope this issue is resolved with the drain. That area gets flooded and washed down the hill to the side of the house, the drain has corrected that.


----------



## rjw0283

I was poking around my struggle area and found a brick! (This is not the first brick I've found, I've even found a cinder block in the back).


----------



## rjw0283

I've seen some crabgrass poking out of the areas with Heavy sand. I am assuming it won't root well with the Prodiamine I applied in March. 
It's from the sand. I did a low rate of Prodiamine with plans to hit it again in July. The 6 or so crabgrass I pulled were very tiny, I am thinking it won't be an issue.

I haven't seen a blade of crabgrass in the yard in 2 years, so I am hoping the roots don't make it past the sand. 
I know I timed the prodiamine just right... I did my neighbors the same day as mine, they normally have 30-40% crabgrass and they don't have a lick of it this year.


----------



## rjw0283

Yesterday I applied Prodiamine and Isoxaben (Gallery) to prevent any additional weed seeds that are in the sand I spread all over the yard. I see more and more crabgrass popping up. It's definitely from the sand. 
I applied both at the low rates.


----------



## rjw0283

Decided to put a bigger catch basin drain in. The other one was a 6 inch round, this one is a 9x9. I also made it lower to flow the water in better.


----------



## rjw0283

Mowed today. Ive been mixing up mowing directions. It's tough to mow laterally with the hill, much easier to mow straight up and down, but I'm trying to get in the habit of switching patterns. 
Still maintaining .375 HOC


----------



## Redtwin

It's pancake flat here so I can't relate but what about mowing the diagonal directions? That might give you another two patterns to change it up.


----------



## rjw0283

@Redtwin I'll try it. My mower seems to pull to the right on one side when I am going towards the driveway. My guess is that the balance weight on the mower is making it pull that way down the hill. I need a counterbalance  
The grooved roller seems to help.... The last few times I mowed when the grass was wet so that didn't help. 
Once the grass thickens up it becomes even harder, The mower will float a little making it even harder to fight the hill.

Going straight up and down the hill is the easiest, but I am going to play around with a few different patterns to see it's possible. May as well do it now while I am mowing every 2 days. (Not on regulation yet, I am probably 2 weeks away) 
I'll probably apply PGR in 2 weeks no matter what. I may just avoid spraying the struggle areas, I'll hit them with the rotary scissors if needed for spot mowing for the first application.


----------



## rjw0283

I think diagonals would probably be the way to go. The mower wouldn't be sitting at such an angle that causes it to cut crappy. When I go side to side I can tell its cutting the grass a little more on one side than the other. I mow tomorrow so we'll see. I used to do that with the rotary mower, I honestly kind of stopped trying different patterns on the greensmower after the first few attempts last year. That was before I did 2 sand levels and added a grooved roller, so I think it can be done now.


----------



## rjw0283

@Redtwin first attempt at mowing diagonally. It was relatively easy...mowing every 2 days and I took alot of grass off today... It's starting to grow fierce 😜


----------



## Redtwin

Looks good from that angle… plus it allows you to point your stripes at your neighbor.


----------



## rjw0283

Happy 4th!


----------



## rjw0283

The backyard recovered from the scalp... Looks decent for back here. It's too shady for it to ever be really nice back here... Just not sure what grass would be the best for limited sun and dogs.


----------



## rjw0283

I can never get the pictures of my yard to look good, it may be I need to level more or that with the slope it messes with it.... But man the upclose pictures look awesome. I'm happy so far with the yard, I just need to figure out why I'm having struggle areas. Some spots still havnt filled in... It's been 5 weeks. I'm blaming thatch build up from PRG and not dethatching in the spring and then smothering already struggling areas in sand.

Grass angels? Not sure if that's a thing


----------



## rjw0283

I have what appears to be Helminthosporium leaf spot https://www.turffiles.ncsu.edu/diseases-in-turf/leaf-spot-in-turf/
It's the beginning phase. I think this might be the culprit in my trouble areas where the grass is struggling. It makes sense, since those areas didn't drain well and stayed wet. I went out and got some Scott's disease EX because I wanted to get something on it today. I ordered some liquid Azoxy howeveryouspell it. I've read some articles that specifically stated not to apply PGR to turf with this disease. I think I've always had this fungus, I just never did the research. I applied 4lbs per 1 K of scotts disease X today, watering it in now.

This grass was taken from an area that just started browning up last week. I haven't applied anything out of the ordinary, I blame all the rain and the Sanding and constant watering I did last month. Hopefully, I can get it under control...

I posted a thread here https://thelawnforum.com/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=29983


----------



## rjw0283

Grass after cut today at .375. it's looking ok. Still dealing with the leaf spot issues. I'm pretty sure leaf spot that led to melting out is the issue in my struggling almost bare areas. I hit it with disease ex and 3336. I'll hit the bad areas with propicanizole in another 2 weeks then I'll be hitting the yard with some sort of preventative herbicide regime schedule. It was starting to spread all over the yard. I've hit my backyard as well. There are some bad spots back there too.


----------



## Redtwin

That's looking very nice after the sand level.


----------



## rjw0283

Redtwin said:


> That's looking very nice after the sand level.


Thanks! it's coming along. The area closer to the .house is what's lagging from some fungus issues. I've always had fungus in those Areas I just didn't know what it was. It was starting to spread so I'm glad I figured out what it was.


----------



## rjw0283

This is the trouble areas I'm talking about. Posting this to see if I have improvement in a few weeks/months. However long it takes

It's leaf spot/melting out. It's been present here for a few years but generally it's a small area. It's gotten worse. I did do the drainage project that'll help towards end of sidewalk. I'm hopeful I can get this area turned around.


----------



## rjw0283

The grass never came back after the level. It's barely poking through... but it's weak, and it was dying. I'll take another photo in 2 weeks and see what happens. I plan to start PGR in another week, but I'll not be spraying these areas. (At least for the first APP)


----------



## rjw0283

This makes #3... Got him today... Of course he rummaged around the yard before the trap got him


----------



## rjw0283

So... I just ordered some fungicides. $$$$$
I hate spending that much money but I did some research and tried to find the best bang for my buck. 
I found Abound 1 gallon (Azoxy) on chemical warehouse for 189 with free shipping and no tax. 
I ordered Armada 50 wdg 2lbs on do it yourself pest control for 123 bucks with free shipping and 0 tax. 
I already have Propiconazole. This gets me 3 different fungicides I can use. The goal is to treat the rest of the season to fix what's going on. At some point I'll be on preventative plan, right now I'm on progressive let's beat this plan. 
For around 315 bucks I have enough to last me for many applications. Fungicides are expensive!


----------



## ionicatoms

rjw0283 said:


> I already have Propiconazole. This gets me 3 different fungicides I can use.


Armada is a Mode 3+11, so you may want to get some 3336 (flowable or dry version EG) so you have more than the 2 modes of action available to enhance resistance management 
by means of rotation.


----------



## Ware

rjw0283 said:


> This makes #3... Got him today... Of course he rummaged around the yard before the trap got him


Nice catch!


----------



## rjw0283

ionicatoms said:


> rjw0283 said:
> 
> 
> 
> I already have Propiconazole. This gets me 3 different fungicides I can use.
> 
> 
> 
> Armada is a Mode 3+11, so you may want to get some 3336 (flowable or dry version EG) so you have more than the 2 modes of action available to enhance resistance management
> by means of rotation.
Click to expand...

Yeah, I was looking at that.. I was leaning towards 3336. For some reason initially I thought armada was a different MOA, well it's on the way now. I may try to cancel, since I have mode 3,11 with prop and Azoxy.


----------



## rjw0283

Ware said:


> rjw0283 said:
> 
> 
> 
> This makes #3... Got him today... Of course he rummaged around the yard before the trap got him
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Nice catch!
Click to expand...

Thanks! I haven't had any activity since. I think I'm good for now. The tomcat mole traps were money for me.


----------



## rjw0283

Today after cut HOC .375. I may bump it up a bit going forward, I scalped in a few spots and some spots need to recover from melting out.


----------



## Amoo316

You "small lawn" people get my panties in a wad, but this thread is enjoyable. Maybe it's just me, but I'm most intrigued by your problem areas.


----------



## rjw0283

Amoo316 said:


> You "small lawn" people get my panties in a wad, but this thread is enjoyable. Maybe it's just me, but I'm most intrigued by your problem areas.


Thanks! I'm a small lawn people for now. Eventually, I'll upgrade out of the city. I was born and raised in a small rural area, that ended up here because of a job. I'm not.a Fan of neighbors. 
Trouble areas are starting to get better since I treated with some fungicides. Hopefully, I can turn them around this season. My backyard is even worse with fungus. I've declared war on fungus. Let's see if I can win.
I'll post some pictures tomorrow of the really bad spots.


----------



## Amoo316

rjw0283 said:


> Amoo316 said:
> 
> 
> 
> You "small lawn" people get my panties in a wad, but this thread is enjoyable. Maybe it's just me, but I'm most intrigued by your problem areas.
> 
> 
> 
> Thanks! I'm a small lawn people for now. Eventually, I'll upgrade out of the city. I was born and raised in a small rural area, that ended up here because of a job. I'm not.a Fan of neighbors.
> Trouble areas are starting to get better since I treated with some fungicides. Hopefully, I can turn them around this season. My backyard is even worse with fungus. I've declared war on fungus. Let's see if I can win.
> I'll post some pictures tomorrow of the really bad spots.
Click to expand...

Looking forward to it, you "small lawn" folks have such an advantage in that you can buy products and apply them pennies on the dollar to what we can do with bigger lawns. I'm really interested to see what you have going on in the back as well as if that water diversion helps in the front.


----------



## rjw0283

These are the nasty spots. The area with swing set just happened this spring, this is my zoysia area for some reason it died, anything that popped up in that area develops what looks like leaf spot. It's slowly coming back. The other area has always been a struggle spot, I just assumed it was from too much shade. Appears to be leaf spot/melting out as well. I'm on fungicides now. I ordered some thiophanate methyl, found it at pestrong.com topsin 70wp. Same AI as 3336, I'll just have to do math because it's 70% AI. 70 bucks for 5 lbs. That'll last me a few years.


----------



## rjw0283

Another mow at .375. I'm bumping it up to .45 ish. On next mow.


----------



## rjw0283

First PGR APP today.

I decided to spray in the morning which I never do. Sprayed .27lbs of N, 6 oz of Pro Blade Iron, .18 oz of TNEX per M. 
Didn't get water on it soon enough so I burned the yard a little from the ferrous sulphate. Lesson learned. I'll just spray late afternoon. 
Decided to PGR front and backyard. I got the 7 week old baby Hearing protection. I strap him to me and mow the lawn now. Get's the wife off my back! lol I get funny looks from neighbors and passer bys


----------



## rjw0283

today. 

I cut yesterday, I caused some Leaf tip burn, most likely from the ferrous sulfate in the Iron. I applied TNEX! 

2 weeks ago

today.... it's slowly recovering. I am hoping to get it back to normal by the end of season. I'll probably plug some grass to aid in in the filling in


----------



## rjw0283

It's coming along. Bifen XTS is awesome. Havnt seen an ant since I sprayed. I was using a cheap compare n save brand that had 6la much lower AI, I'd see ants a few days later. Not bronzing from PGR but can't really tell from all the leaf tip burn I caused on Saturday... It's recovering




i brought it up from .375 to around .45ish. To help recover from the fungus. 
I'll need to level 10 more times to get this yard completely flat.. lots of dips and grooves still. One day I'll get there.


----------



## Amoo316

Looks really good at that height RJ. Almost looked like you drug a rusty rake on the lawn at first  Now it looks more like you had an oil leak.


----------



## rjw0283

Amoo316 said:


> Looks really good at that height RJ. Almost looked like you drug a rusty rake on the lawn at first  Now it looks more like you had an oil leak.


Almost like an oil leak. The ferrous sulfate burned it... It's more visible from the stream that comes out of the middle of the t jet nozzle. It burned bad out of the center spray and lightly burned the outside edges. I waited too long for water. 
It wasn't spraying it's best. I had 4lbs of potassium sulfate in the mix that slowed down the spray pressure. Anything over 3lbs of that stuff and it struggles. I knew better. It's just grass, it usually always comes back.


----------



## Amoo316

rjw0283 said:


> Almost like an oil leak. The ferrous sulfate burned it... It's more visible from the stream that comes out of the middle of the t jet nozzle. It burned bad out of the center spray and lightly burned the outside edges. I waited too long for water.
> It wasn't spraying it's best. I had 4lbs of potassium sulfate in the mix that slowed down the spray pressure. Anything over 3lbs of that stuff and it struggles. I knew better. It's just grass, it usually always comes back.


LOL it's all good, my lawn looks half dead right now (and is but doesn't know it yet), it's just grass and Bermuda is impossible to kill.

BTW your yard looks darker in pictures since PGR and Iron. Might just be the camera or lighting, but looks like a darker green.


----------



## rjw0283

@Amoo316 It's probably a little bit a both. The sun was behind me and it usually pops pretty green after a few days after Iron. I did go 4 days between mows. I am upping the PGR to .25, on the next app, I'll keep bumping it up. I would like to get to 5-6 days between mows. I'm gonna push my pgr inputs this year and see what happens. 
I was getting heavy bronzing last year in spots... it turns out those areas were struggling from Leaf Spot/melting out, so it couldn't take the PGR very well. 
You learn something new every year.


----------



## rjw0283

Applied 2nd app of tnex of the season @.25/m 
Applied bifen XTS @.25
Iron via ferrous sulfate and a little main event 
Potassium sulfate 2.5lbs for all 5k. I can't put much more than that without my sprayer bogging down.
And urea @ .30lb n/m



Burned the grass again with ferrous sulfate I'm guessing..... because I'm a dumbass and can't wait till the end of the day.... I get too excited


----------



## rjw0283

Got a cut in tonight


----------



## raymond

Premium


----------



## rjw0283

I've noticed it's harder to see where I'm cutting in the afternoon and have straight stripes. The morning is much easier with sunlight angle and dew. 
I am at .25oz /m for tnex, I'm bumping up to .30 on next app to see what happens. I honestly don't know what cultivar of Bermuda I have, I've been at this house for 10 years and it was a pretty rough then. I have tif 419 in the back and it seems different if it's a common variety it's a very good one. Still working on my trouble spots. I am having a big problem with Algae in those areas. I sprayed some stuff on wednesday, we'll see how it goes.

PGR is awesome! I was able to get 5 days in between mows. I had quite of bit of clippings. My target is 5-6 days between mows with less clippings than today. I'll keep bumping up the PGR .05 an OZ each app and see what happens.


----------



## rjw0283

raymond said:


> Premium


thank you!


----------



## rjw0283

Tnex .33oz /m, .30 N, main event, SOP and a cut arlt 1/2 in. I had to bump HOC, I was scalping from it being to thick in spots


----------



## rjw0283

I've come to the conclusion that 1/2 in is about right for HOC for this lawn. The slightly higher HOC hides the unlevelness of spots. And stripes like crazy. Plus I am pretty sure it's a common bermuda cultivar. Not made for the 3/8 HOC I was rocking earlier... Don't get me wrong.. I'll do another level next year and I'll try to get 3/8 or lower, but I am starting to think 1/2 inch is the money height with this grass.


----------



## rjw0283

Mower seems to cut lower when I go down the hill. I may be applying more force. No idea


----------



## rjw0283

definitely cutting lower on the passes going down the hill... I do push down on the mower pretty hard as I am going down the hill. I'll try letting off a little... 
It definitely makes the stripes more aggressive.


----------



## Redtwin

Nothing wrong with some "cheater stripes". :lol:


----------



## Mightyquinn

You might have some "grain" in the grass from the hill in the lawn. Try running your hand over the lawn in different directions and see where it fluffs up at, that could be causing the more aggressive cutting.


----------



## rjw0283

Mightyquinn said:


> You might have some "grain" in the grass from the hill in the lawn. Try running your hand over the lawn in different directions and see where it fluffs up at, that could be causing the more aggressive cutting.


the direction going down the hill is going against where the sun spends most of the day.... Down the hill my mower is facing East up the hill my mower is facing west, the direction where most of the sun is) 
Down the hill I am going against the grass since I'm assuming it leans toward the sunlight. Maybe that's it? 
its either that or/and I am floating a bit and press more downward pressure going down the hill with the weight to my advantage.


----------



## Redtwin

Can you just do the next mow in the opposite direction sort of like the sports field maintenance guys who mow against their game-day stripes a few sessions before the game?


----------



## rjw0283

@Redtwin I'll have to try that... I mow 3 directions now, I'll now just change up directions too.. 
but the grass definitely fluffs up more in one direction. I just applied my 3rd app of TNEX for the year, I can't imagine what it'd be if I applied early in the season.


----------



## rjw0283

I switched up directions. It took away the super stripes. I am thinking the whole "grain" thing is what is going on. Crazy how aggressive it cuts going against it. this explains when I mow diagonally towards the road it doesn't stripe and scalp as much. Not sure what else I could do except double cut every time. 
The issue is when I switch up mowing directions as I do every mow.. if I hit it in a direction with the grain and mow 3-4 days later against it, I'll probably scalp. I'll figure it out.


----------



## rjw0283

overall the yard is in pretty good shape. This is probably the best Its looked in the 2nd season of extreme caring for it. Everyone that walks by thinks it's fake. TNEX has greatly darkened the color. I've been under regulations for 5 weeks now and it shows. I'm bumping TNEX to .5 per 1K next App. I was at .33 ish on the last app. We'll see what happens.


----------



## Amoo316

As somebody who came into this thread only a month ago, it looks fantastic @rjw0283 . I legit never appreciated how bad that slope on your yard is until you posted a certain picture a week or so ago. It was legit a post or two before somebody made the comment about it. That's a tough property to mow and you have it looking great!


----------



## rjw0283

Got a cut in tonight. I applied tnex @.5 per 1k. 
It's looking decent


----------



## rjw0283

@Mightyquinn you are correct with your grain suggestion. I've incorporated double mowing, at least every other mow. Seems to work at keeping it more even.


----------



## Mightyquinn

Glad I could help? &#128512;

That's why Bermuda can benefit from occasional verticutting or grooming as it cuts those runners and helps reduce that grain effect. Switching up mowing patterns helps also.


----------



## rjw0283

Side of house still recovering from the drain I put in. I wanted to take this to show how slopey the yard is... 
I don't water much on the side so it's taking a while. I may water once every 2 weeks depending on rain.


----------



## rjw0283

Mightyquinn said:


> Glad I could help? 😀
> 
> That's why Bermuda can benefit from occasional verticutting or grooming as it cuts those runners and helps reduce that grain effect. Switching up mowing patterns helps also.


Yeah probably. I haven't gotten into the verticutting thing yet. I'll be double cutting and switching patterns and directions until then. It seems to make a huge difference.


----------



## rjw0283

#4 of the season. I recommend these traps


----------



## rjw0283

It's the 3rd one I've caught in the same area. Must have found the highway


----------



## rjw0283

I bought a few bags of Urea as well. I have enough for 2-3 years. thanks @Mightyquinn for posting about southern seeds. That place is awesome! I sprayed some of the potassium nitrate tonight and it disolves/sprays 10 times better than the SOP I was using. :thumbup:


----------



## rjw0283

I havn't posted any pictures in a while. The last app of Tnex at .5 /m was too much and bronzed it up pretty bad. It's recovering now. Lawn looks ok, no measurable rain in 3 weeks has hurt it as well.


----------



## rjw0283

I had 3 dirt mounds in the yard last week. I figured they were mole holes. Nope. Cicada Wasp Killer. I saw it trying to get back in the hole today. Never heard or seen them before today. Interesting.

https://content.ces.ncsu.edu/cicada-killer-wasps-in-turf


----------



## Redtwin

I haven't seen any in Florida but I remember in Texas, they looked like a Blackhawk helicopter taking off out of the yard.


----------



## rjw0283

Bad picture but if you zoom in you can see how big this thing is. It has a cicada underneath it.
@Redtwin


----------



## Redtwin

We used to hunt them down with badminton racquets. I do the same to carpenter bees in the spring.


----------



## rjw0283

Pics tonight after cut. HOC a little over .5 back yard is rotary mowed pretty high


----------



## rjw0283

Always looks darker green in the shade 🤣


----------



## rjw0283

What is this?


----------



## rjw0283

Got a pellet pro. I sprayed hydro wet pellet this morning. It's supposed to be a water mover. I have areas that pool and don't accept water... We'll see if it works. I'm a skeptic at this point


----------



## rjw0283

The insect above looks like a baby mole cricket, but I'm not sure. I found it while I was spraying wetting agent seemed to be dieing .. @Redtwin I know has dealt with them before


----------



## Redtwin

That is a fine specimen of a mole cricket for sure!


----------



## rjw0283

Redtwin said:


> That is a fine specimen of a mole cricket for sure!


That's what I thought. I think it's just a random kill and not an infestation. I spray bifen regularly, so I dunno


----------



## AFBiker2011

rjw0283 said:


> What is this?


Mole cricket


----------



## Redtwin

I've heard that some have developed a resistance to Bifenthrin but it still works for me. The only place I have a problem is along the property line where they are all coming from. If you're not seeing any damage then your apps are working. He probably just wandered into the wrong yard.


----------



## rjw0283

Not looking the best since I over pgrd it a month ago... But it's ok.


----------



## Amoo316

Dude, what the hell is that spot by the walkway? I legit thought it would have grown in by now? Any progress? Thoughts on maybe plugging it next year to see, now that you diverted water?

Yard looks good, I just don't get that spot.

(FWIW I'm making a mountain out of a mole hill. Your yard looks great I'm just curious why that spot won't fix itself. I legit wouldn't see it, if you hadn't shown us previously.)


----------



## rjw0283

I don't know. I am thinking I had a fungus issue at the beginning. (Melting out) that wiped the grass out of that area. I've applied fungicides, which has prevented it from further spreading. This area does not dry out!. It'll stay moist/wet for days after I've watered. It doesn't drain. I am not really sure what to do. It started as a small area last year and it spread to what it is currently. The level I did early in the year greatly increased the spread. I am at a loss why I can't get it to recover, I've tried plugging but it stays wet and the plugs don't really spread. Not sure if I need to dig out this area and put in different soil. Any recommendations would be helpful. Not really sure what to do. @Amoo316


----------



## Redtwin

Does your house face North?


----------



## Amoo316

Looking at the level of that front area vs the bricks and ASSuming the bricks are somewhat level, it looks like you're dealing with flat spots at the bottom of that huge slope you deal with.

It appears in photos like you might have some room to grade those areas towards the side yard and driveway respectfully. That at least might work on the area outside the walkway. The area inside the walkway may not have enough angle/depth to drain towards the driveway.

I mean looking at it, those are flat spots at the bottom of the hill, so it makes sense. It's just feels complicated as to how to address it. Especially the inside the walkway area.


----------



## rjw0283

Redtwin said:


> Does your house face North?


It faces the west. It gets full sun all afternoon once it crests house. Plenty of sunlight


----------



## rjw0283

Amoo316 said:


> Looking at the level of that front area vs the bricks and ASSuming the bricks are somewhat level, it looks like you're dealing with flat spots at the bottom of that huge slope you deal with.
> 
> It appears in photos like you might have some room to grade those areas towards the side yard and driveway respectfully. That at least might work on the area outside the walkway. The area inside the walkway may not have enough angle/depth to drain towards the driveway.
> 
> I mean looking at it, those are flat spots at the bottom of the hill, so it makes sense. It's just feels complicated as to how to address it. Especially the inside the walkway area.


Inside the walkway is the biggest issue. 
I believe I've corrected the other area by adding a drain. That area is starting to dry out and grass is growing... Very slowly but I think next year I can turn it around. 
The sidewalk part used to grow grass, but it always had some spots that wouldn't grow. The area doesn't drain. Water just pools up and doesn't go down. It then gets really hard. I've aerated.. added sand it just goes back to wet and hard...


----------



## rjw0283

The area on the right used to not grow anything due to runoff from sidewalk (all of the roof water and driveway water flows down the sidewalk and around the house). The drain fixed it


----------



## Amoo316

Do you have the option to run a drain or two from that area under the sidewalk and tie in to the one you put on the other side?


----------



## rjw0283

Amoo316 said:


> Do you have the option to run a drain or two from that area under the sidewalk and tie in to the one you put on the other side?


Anything is possible. But it doesn't make sense why it stays wet. Water doesn't really flow into that area. It's the water it gets hit with during rain or irrigation


----------



## Amoo316

Based on the slope of the yard that we can see from pictures, even if the dirt isn't wet on the surface, I would assume if you dug down that area stays more moist then anywhere else in the yard. It simply has no where to go after it drains down the yard towards the house. That would cause any irrigation/rainfall to no drain as fast as everything else.


----------



## Redtwin

Is a French drain an option for that area? Do you have anywhere to tie it into the other drainage?


----------



## rjw0283

Redtwin said:


> Is a French drain an option for that area? Do you have anywhere to tie it into the other drainage?


It's possible. I'd have to go under the sidewalk. 
I plan to have irrigation installed next spring, I'll see what I can do when the yard is ripped up.


----------



## rjw0283

@Amoo316 another thing.. the areas that hold in the moisture have a different type of soil than the rest of the yard that 98% sand. These areas have dark black soil. In fact, all of my trouble areas have dark black soil, good areas that the grass thrives in is all sand.


----------



## rjw0283

Super stripes are back!!😁😁😁⭐


----------



## Redtwin

Looking very nice for October in the Carolinas!


----------



## rjw0283

Redtwin said:


> Looking very nice for October in the Carolinas!


thanks. The weather has been warm, the lows haven't been that low.. I am still mowing twice a week. I am done watering it.


----------



## rjw0283

I just got done doing my fall pre-e app. 
Gallery @ 12gr per k
Prodiamine @ .4 oz per k
simazine @ .75fl oz per k

I think I'll save Gallery for just summer apps in the future. I am not sure if it's beneficial for what I deal with the winter, but ahh, well, it's down. 
I'll have to read the label on simazine some more; I'll probably do another app if I can.


----------



## rjw0283

I was mixing up some spot spray the other day and dropped my bottle of certainty and most of it went flying all over the garage!  The good thing is, there wasn't much left in the bottle. As I was looking for some more certainty I noticed it's sold out in many places. So, I bought a bottle of Cryder which is the same AI. It's 20OZ of product, Certainty only comes in 1.25 oz. So if anyone wants a split, I have plenty. Hit me up on a PM if you need any.


----------



## rjw0283

With this warm winter has anyone's grass started turning green or never browned out completely? With temps in the 70s this week I am assuming it'll get greener.


----------



## rjw0283




----------



## rjw0283

Got snow last night


----------



## Monocot Master

Small amount of sleet and freezing rain last night here in Wilmington. Supposed to get down to 20 tonight. Wondering if there will be much winter kill this year. Time will tell


----------



## rjw0283

I scalped today @Mightyquinn motivated me to do it in a recent post.

Went from a little over .5 to 1/4 inch. Messy as always! but the main part of the yard is done. My mower doesn't go any lower than 1/4 with the high HOC brackets I have.


----------



## Mightyquinn

rjw0283 said:


> I scalped today @Mightyquinn motivated me to do it in a recent post.
> 
> Went from a little over .5 to 1/4 inch. Messy as always! but the main part of the yard is done. My mower doesn't go any lower than 1/4 with the high HOC brackets I have.


Glad I could help out :lol:


----------



## rjw0283

March 6th


----------



## Mightyquinn

Looking good!! You got a lot more green than I got but I beat mine up pretty good


----------



## rjw0283

Mightyquinn said:


> Looking good!! You got a lot more green than I got but I beat mine up pretty good


Thanks, Its about to get tore up, I am most likely going to pull the trigger on irrigation soon. Just started the quote process. I already had the city install the tap.

I haven't beaten it up too bad just a scalp down to a 1/4... That's the only thing I've done this year


----------



## rjw0283

I'd love to do the irrigation myself and save money. I just don't have the time to spend on it. My wife would kill me if I spent 1000 hours installing it


----------



## Mightyquinn

rjw0283 said:


> I'd love to do the irrigation myself and save money. I just don't have the time to spend on it. My wife would kill me if I spent 1000 hours installing it


You're right, the parts aren't too terribly expensive it's the labor that costs so much for installation. I added 2 zones to mine for the flower beds and it was a little bit of work.

Are you going with Rainbird or Hunter?


----------



## rjw0283

@Mightyquinn that is a good question. You tell me. 
Everything I have read hunter seems more durable, Rainbird seems more available at the local big box stores. 
So it's convenience over durability it seems. I'm leaning towards durability. But please let me know what you prefer... I know nothing. I should probably school myself up some before I hand a bunch of money to someone... (I will have to hit the irrigation threads)


----------



## Mightyquinn

I have had Hunter at my house for the last 16 years without much issues. I originally had PGP heads but switched them all out to I-20's but I wouldn't really recommend it in hindsight as it's not worth the extra money. The PGP heads are plenty good and you can buy replacement heads at Lowe's and Home Depot. Not sure if you are going to go with rotors or MP's. I like the rotors as they can put out more water faster than the .4 GPM the MP's are calibrated at. There are plus and minuses with both.


----------



## rjw0283

I got a true scalp in today. Took the sun joe dethatcher on it and then mowed it down again at 1/4 while the runners were sticking up from the sun joe... Best scalp I've done so far... It really opened it up.


----------



## DFWdude

Nice work!


----------



## Redtwin

Wow! That look nice and clean!


----------



## rjw0283

@Redtwin thank you


----------



## rjw0283

This morning I used the sun joe on my side yard and then hit it with the toro at 1/4. This year is the most aggressive scalp to date. Bought a rolling cart from city that can be used for garbage or yard waste. Good deal for 60 bucks and if it breaks they will fix it. I have filled it 8 times in the past 2 months. I took a slower but easy approach to scalping this year. 









Changed oil and backlapped the toro yesterday


----------



## rjw0283

Yard is marked for utility lines, irrigation guy said he will most likely start trenching tomorrow
Finally doing it. I wish I had the time to do it myself...I could shave the time to do it, but I'd probably be looking for an apartment by the time you finished...


----------



## rjw0283

Irrigation install


----------



## Mightyquinn

Very Nice!!! What company did you have come out and do it? Just curious in case any of the neighbors ask (highly unlikely)


----------



## rjw0283

Mightyquinn said:


> Very Nice!!! What company did you have come out and do it? Just curious in case any of the neighbors ask (highly unlikely)


Grant's lawn and sprinkler. 
I've asked around to about 6 people at work and everyone kept giving me his name. Super easy to work with. I am a fan so far.


----------



## rjw0283

I had the sprinkler guy install a hose bib on the side of my yard, I finally pulled the trigger on an Eley hose reel. I will mount to a post near the new hose bib. I couldn't stomach investing in a high-quality hose yet. I will rock my frustrating Lowes hose until it eventually bursts. I am leaning to the Eley hose. 125 ft and where it's placed will get 98% of everything I would want it to.


----------



## ionicatoms

rjw0283 said:


> I finally pulled the trigger on an Eley hose reel.


Did you get the extra capacity kit?


----------



## rjw0283

ionicatoms said:


> rjw0283 said:
> 
> 
> 
> I finally pulled the trigger on an Eley hose reel.
> 
> 
> 
> Did you get the extra capacity kit?
Click to expand...

no... I probably should have. It does say the regular can accommodate 125ft 5/8 hose. Not sure if that is a generous number or if it does not perform well with that much hose. I can live with 100 foot.


----------



## rjw0283

is it a must-have? I will order it if it is...


----------



## ionicatoms

The 100' Eley fits well on the standard capacity reel. Plenty of room for slop on the coiling. 125' might take more care to wind the hose nicely. I wouldn't call it a must-have. More of a nice-to-have at 125'.


----------



## rjw0283

@Mightyquinn quick question- how much of that sprayable 20-20-20 do you typically put down?


----------



## rjw0283

Update on irrigation- everything is installed. Put the Rachio 3 controller in. I will post pictures of everything this weekend.


----------



## Mightyquinn

rjw0283 said:


> @Mightyquinn quick question- how much of that sprayable 20-20-20 do you typically put down?


I haven't used it yet actually and haven't actually come up with a plan for it. I still haven't put any fertilizer out yet this year. I was going to the other day before the rain but it was too windy. I will probably use it as a supplement to the Urea so no more than 1-2 lbs/M. Might even go .5lbs/M. Sorry I couldn't be of any more help


----------



## rjw0283

Mightyquinn said:


> rjw0283 said:
> 
> 
> 
> @Mightyquinn quick question- how much of that sprayable 20-20-20 do you typically put down?
> 
> 
> 
> I haven't used it yet actually and haven't actually come up with a plan for it. I still haven't put any fertilizer out yet this year. I was going to the other day before the rain but it was too windy. I will probably use it as a supplement to the Urea so no more than 1-2 lbs/M. Might even go .5lbs/M. Sorry I couldn't be of any more help
Click to expand...

I was going to go somewhere around 1-2 lbs per/m I will probably only use it once for the year as my soil always seems pretty good on P. (typically do something with P in the spring and don't use it the rest of the season) K is another story... I could dump 987 lbs of it per/M and still be deficient.


----------



## Mightyquinn

I know what you are saying, I dumped a bunch of potassium on my lawn last year and my numbers barely moved.


----------



## rjw0283

A few more pictures, even a few with it running. Everything seems to work well. Coverage seems good, it is hard to tell since it has been very windy the past few days. But it looks like it will be good. I have to fix some spots with some sand, especially by the valve box and backflow preventer. Pulled some soil with the probe for a soil test.


----------



## Mightyquinn

Congrats on the irrigation!!

The wind here has been ridiculous this Spring. I have been wanting to spray some fertilizer and zero the irrigation for the first time but the wind just hasn't cooperated.


----------



## rjw0283

added some sand to the trench marks and a few low spots around the new water meter boxes and the valve boxes, backflow preventer. Too windy to spray fert. Hoping for tomorrow. I am really digging this Rachio 3 controller. 
I almost want to do a level of the whole yard now... I will wait, but I am probably going to do an early level this year. I plan to go a lot lighter on the sand this year. 
I was going to put up an Eley hose reel today, but apparently, I did not buy the post mount version, I ordered the mount kit today. Probably going to be a next weekend install...


----------



## Mightyquinn

Looking good so far and good on you for being proactive on those trenches. Hopefully by late Summer you won't even be able to tell you had anything installed.

Looks like the wind "might" calm down this evening so you can spray, that's what I'm hoping for too especially with the temps being in the 80's this week.


----------



## rjw0283

Mightyquinn said:


> Looking good so far and good on you for being proactive on those trenches. Hopefully by late Summer you won't even be able to tell you had anything installed.
> 
> Looks like the wind "might" calm down this evening so you can spray, that's what I'm hoping for too especially with the temps being in the 80's this week.


That is exactly what I did. It was a little breezy but it was good enough. EDIT- I thought you were talking about last night. I had the sprinklers come on this morning to water everything in. That is the best part. I do not have to time rain or set up my tractor sprinkler to water in Apps.. so convenient. 
I would not have watered it at all in this particular case if I did not have the easy button of irrigation. 
I now have the rachio on the flex daily option, using the weather to determine when to come on. I will monitor if I like this option, I will most likely do "forced runs" set for the morning after I spray. The controller is smart and may decide not to come on even if it is scheduled. (I need it to be dumb the morning after I spray, unless rain is coming)


----------



## rjw0283

I sprayed 20-20-20 yesterday at 2lbs per/M for my first fert APP of the year. 
I also got my soil samples out in the mail yesterday prior to my app. Using Waypoint again as it was fast and easy to read.


----------



## rjw0283

My bush has seemed to finally die. Anyone have any recommendations? Something that flowers alot I don't know much about bushes (this is an area I plan to learn).


----------



## rjw0283

I got my soil test back today... waypoint is crazy fast.

here are my results from 2020 and from the report I just got back... I have made improvements. Kind of wish I would have waited till I put 20-20-20 down over the weekend...

2020





2022 below


----------



## rjw0283

@Mightyquinn deals with the same potassium battle as I do... I dump and spray lbs of this stuff on the lawn every other week (I have not put any nutrients on the lawn this year when this test was taken)... I am actually impressed how much it came up...


----------



## rjw0283

what am I putting down that is causing my Zinc levels to increase?


----------



## Mightyquinn

I think it's the sandy soil here, your CEC is much higher than mine as well as your OM and pH but yeah, the Potassium just doesn't want to hang around but I also collect my clippings so I know that doesn't help much


----------



## Mightyquinn

rjw0283 said:


> what am I putting down that is causing my Zinc levels to increase?


Do you apply anything with micronutrients? I know when it comes to soil it's a Yin and Yang thing where adding "A" can cause "B" to rise or lower and so on and so forth. As for the specific action/re-action, I'm not up to speed on that.


----------



## rjw0283

Mightyquinn said:


> I think it's the sandy soil here, your CEC is much higher than mine as well as your OM and pH but yeah, the Potassium just doesn't want to hang around but I also collect my clippings so I know that doesn't help much


I limed last year... 6.9 was higher than I intended... it will come back down. I collect clippings as well. I have no idea as to why my back yard Phos levels are what they are... I rarely ever apply anything with Phos.. maybe once a year.

Do I need to care about boron, sulfur, or manganese?


----------



## Mightyquinn

rjw0283 said:


> Mightyquinn said:
> 
> 
> 
> I think it's the sandy soil here, your CEC is much higher than mine as well as your OM and pH but yeah, the Potassium just doesn't want to hang around but I also collect my clippings so I know that doesn't help much
> 
> 
> 
> I limed last year... 6.9 was higher than I intended... it will come back down. I collect clippings as well. I have no idea as to why my back yard Phos levels are what they are... I rarely ever apply anything with Phos.. maybe once a year.
> 
> Do I need to care about boron, sulfur, or manganese?
Click to expand...

I wouldn't worry about those unless your lawn is giving you problems that you can't figure out otherwise.


----------



## rjw0283

Sand! 3yds! Plan to do a light level in the front and address some issues in the back. It's raining today, so not today.


----------



## rjw0283

I decided to dig up my trouble area, and took about 4 inches of soil and filled it with sand. I plan to lay some sod down this week. 
Note- this area sat about 2 inches higher than the sidewalk, I brought it down a lot, I want it level with the sidewalk with sod. 
The dirt I removed was very dark on the top 3 inches, below that was straight sand. So maybe this will help it dry out better. 
Even if it doesn't work, at least I brought the soil down an inch or 2.

I will level it out better tomorrow.


----------



## Mightyquinn

rjw0283 said:


> Sand! 3yds! Plan to do a light level in the front and address some issues in the back. It's raining today, so not today.


Did you get that from 401 Sand? Did they deliver it?


----------



## rjw0283

@Mightyquinn It's 401 sand, I picked it up. I have a friend with an old ford with a dump bed. 
Still 50 bucks for 3 yards. They charge you 30 bucks minimum. Fill up the trunk of your buick 30 bucks or 15 bucks a yard. (not sure how it comes up to 50, maybe tax)


----------



## rjw0283

did some leveling... I need to push it around some more.. it was really wet from the 1 inch of rain yesterday. Never leveled the backyard before...I have done a little spot leveling but that's about it. It needed it from when my dogs used to dig. 
Kids are on spring break so I had some help.


----------



## rjw0283

Going to Carolina turf farms tomorrow to pick up some sod for the area that I removed. It is only about 60 square feet. They let you pick up scraps and fill up a truck for 60 bucks, I think that is what I am going to do. A half pallet is 140 and I don't need that much. I will fill the truck up and use the extra to do other trouble areas.

They have 4 different varieties of Bermuda, Celebration, Tif 419, tahoma 31, and Northbridge. I would like to try Tahoma or Northbridge as I don't have it. I already have 5-8 types of Bermuda, may as well collect some more!


----------



## rjw0283

Leveling a hill adds another level of difficulty as you cannot always drag the sand both ways... sometimes you have to go up and down the hill, and sometimes you have to go side to side... depending on the grade you are working...


----------



## Mightyquinn

Yeah, they are odd like that with their pricing. Buying 8 yards is almost as much as 12 yards. You still can't beat their prices though. I think I got 8 yards last year for a little over $200.

I didn't realize that Carolina Turf Farms had that many varieties of Bermuda. I have seen all the turf they have growing in front of Bayonet Golf Course, that course is always in great shape!!!

How much is a full pallet of sod going for nowadays?


----------



## rjw0283

@Mightyquinn I will ask what a pallet goes for. I only asked what a 1/2 pallet was. He said 140-150 depending on what you get. So maybe it's 280-300? That seems a little high though. I have done the Drive around the sod farm picking up scraps thing before it's actually kind of fun. The dude in the front gives you directions on a monopoly map, which make 0 sense. You spend about 10 minutes driving in the wrong field until the mexicans point you in the right area. look for the sod cutter and fresh cuts of sod scraps and you are where you need to be :lol: The scraps were quite good last time, not sure why they didn't make the pallet. Can't beat it for 60 bucks. I had my truck filled up.


----------



## rjw0283

So I changed my mind and went with Empire Zoysia in the front spot in my sidewalk area. So my Bermuda has struggled in this area, due to 2 reasons. 1. Soil always stays wet, got hit with a fungus last year and wiped a lot of it out. 
Reason 2. I just recently noticed that the struggle area within the sidewalk does not get sunlight till 1:30, the sun sets the house across the street at about 7 in this area. 5 and half hours of direct sun. It does not get partial sun as it is my house's 2nd story Dormer window that blocks the sun till 1:30. Same as my backyard. I noticed 6.5 hours of sun the areas are good. Anything under 6 is my struggle areas. I watched it on my security camera on time-lapse, and confirmed. 
So we will see how Zoysia works out. 
It is still coming out of dormancy. 
It is sitting a little higher than I wanted. But I wanted to get a few inches of straight sand under it to aid in draining. It has about 3 inches of sand underneath it. Area drains now... So lets see what happens this season.


----------



## rjw0283

This is what I did with the extra Empire sod. This area around the shed gets less Sun than anywhere else. I cannot get bermuda to thrive here. The area closest to the shed doors maybe gets 5 hours of direct sun and 30 minutes of impartial sun. I have never gotten anything to grow directly in front of the shed. I really don't think Zoysia is the answer, but we will see.
All of this sod was only 60 bucks. I mostly wanted to get something down to prevent erosion as water flows down the area around the shed and naturally takes a little soil with it every year. This picture was taken at 5:30 and as you can see it is getting shady.. The big pine tree blocks a lot of sun for everything to the left of it.
Strongly considering doing a TTTF/Texas Bluegrass mix or something similar that can handle shade better.. Need to do some research.

And I am not worried about mixing Bermuda and Zoysia. Bermuda does not grow well here, I chose Zoysia because I can mow it like everything else. If it looks ok, I will keep it. If it sucks, I will smoke the area and roll with a cool-season grass.


----------



## Redtwin

I'm very interested to see how Empire does in your area. I had some spread from my neighbor's yard on the side piece where it is shaded part of the day. I'm not sure how many hours of direct sun it gets. I think the important thing with Empire is having soil that drains well. Putting down the sand before the sod in the front should help that.


----------



## rjw0283

Redtwin said:


> I'm very interested to see how Empire does in your area. I had some spread from my neighbor's yard on the side piece where it is shaded part of the day. I'm not sure how many hours of direct sun it gets. I think the important thing with Empire is having soil that drains well. Putting down the sand before the sod in the front should help that.


I'm starting to wonder if the moisture of the soil is fine, but any setback such as fungus is devastating because it's not an ideal situation due to lack of sunlight. Re establishing the area is tough because it will not spread fast due to lack of sunlight.... We will see... Curious to what happens.... I want the front to look good. The back is another story.


----------



## rjw0283

So I bought an Eley and put it up next to the hose bib that was installed with the irrigation. I told myself I was going to invest in a really good hose once the cheap Lowes hose sprung a leak... well it sprung a leak 3 days after I installed my $245.00 hose reel. :evil: I did not have the stomach to drop another 200 for an Eley hose. So I paid 65 and got a flexzilla. It's better than I had at least, and in 2 years when this fails maybe I will be in a better position to spend.


----------



## rjw0283

bought a cheap drip kit for the small raised garden I have. I am impressed with it, I order a 100 more feet of the hose, I plan to run a dripper in every flower pot around the house, and put it on a timer. Should have done this a long time ago.


----------



## ionicatoms

Once my wife started using the Eley in the front yard, she demanded one in the side yard too. &#128517;


----------



## rjw0283

My yard greened up a lot faster this year. I did a sand level in April this year. 4 days ago, I did it earlier this year due to the irrigation system being installed, may as well have it covered in sand while I'm awaiting for it to recover from the irrigation install.


The back got a majority of the sand, the front is starting to get pretty level... Took 3 big level jobs and it's getting there


----------



## rjw0283

Applied N @ .48 lbs/m 
Applied potassium sulfate at 1lb /m
Iron Sulfate @.5lbs /m.
Some preventative azoxy 
Some bug stuff 
The zoysia is starting to root and the front has grown through the sand... Still have a ways till it recovers from sprinkler installation
It's doing decent for early may. I am a fan of early season levels. Much easier due to the turf being thinner from scalp and dethatching, it made it easier to spread it out and get in low spots


----------



## Mightyquinn

That filled in quickly!!! Nice Job!! Can barely even tell you had anything done.


----------



## rjw0283

Got a cut in today... 
Backlapped reel today


----------



## Mightyquinn

Mightyquinn said:


> That filled in quickly!!! Nice Job!! Can barely even tell you had anything done.


I don't know why I posted this for? I guess only the first picture loaded when I first saw it, now I look like a moron :lol: Lawn is looking good regardless :thumbup:


----------



## rjw0283

Mightyquinn said:


> Mightyquinn said:
> 
> 
> 
> That filled in quickly!!! Nice Job!! Can barely even tell you had anything done.
> 
> 
> 
> I don't know why I posted this for? I guess only the first picture loaded when I first saw it, now I look like a moron :lol: Lawn is looking good regardless :thumbup:
Click to expand...

Haha ... I dunno... It almost looks like a baseball infield at this angle with home plate at bottom


----------



## rjw0283

Empire zoysia Sod is about a month old. Scalped it to 1/4... Hopefully it lives


----------



## Redtwin

Watching and learning... I think the Empire will love that scalp.


----------



## rjw0283

Redtwin said:


> Watching and learning... I think the Empire will love that scalp.


It was not a planned thing. I kind of just said "screw it" and scalped away. Went at it at 3/8 (My bermuda HOC) and then went again at 1/4

I chipped the base of one of my sprinkler heads, so I will have to lower them. I will wait till the roots are a little more established for that.

I think it will recover fine, it seems to be rooted well, the sod was pretty dormant when I laid it a month ago.


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## rjw0283

@Redtwin I hit it with PGR and N/K and Iron. I did not intend to apply PGR to it, I did a pass with the sprayer to everything I wanted to hit with nutrients and not PGR, I forgot to spray that area before I added PGR to the tank. I got to the area and said "screw it" again and hit it. :lol: 
Now we wait. :nod: lol


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## rjw0283

it is such a small area, that it is good for experimenting. Worst case scenario I will have to get another 45-60 SQ Ft of sod. Hopefully not.


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## rjw0283

Applied PGR for the first time of the season last night @ .20oz per /m with .35/M N and .80 lbs of K per M with Bifen and Iron.

I still have a lot of areas recovering from the irrigation but I was having to mow every other day and the seed heads were pretty bad. This is the earliest I have begun PGR, I will be applying it for the rest of the season.

The yard is primed for a good year I do not plan to do anything destructive this season (already did a level) I may verticut at some point.


----------



## rjw0283

Still recovering from irrigation. I have a few thin spots as well, not sure why


----------



## rjw0283

:lol: In 5-6 years my entire yard will probably be celebration. That stuff spreads like nothing else. It's insane. A lot darker than everything else. Mowed low enough and with enough iron it blends in


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## Redtwin

How's that Empire looking a week after the scalp?


----------



## rjw0283

@Redtwin It was a lot greener yesterday. I mowed it at 3/8 hoc, the same I have the bermuda. It is coming back.. You can see where I did not mow by the sprinkler heads how its coming back nicely.


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## rjw0283

It will take some time, but I think the empire is going to work in this area. Bermuda probably would have worked with getting that thick always wet soil out of there and putting sand in its place. Hitting it with PGR the day after the scalp may have slowed it a bit.. lol


----------



## rjw0283

Got a new sprayer... Did some soldering so it can take DeWalt batteries... 100 bucks at HF without batteries... It's a lot nicer than my Chapin 20v


----------



## rjw0283

Cut today....


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## rjw0283

Lowered my sprinkler heads. I did not have them at right height when I dug the soil down and put the empire sod down. @Redtwin it is greening up just fine, another 2 weeks and it'll look normal I am guessing


----------



## Redtwin

What HOC will you keep the Empire?


----------



## rjw0283

Redtwin said:


> What HOC will you keep the Empire?


I was going to try for the same HOC as the Bermuda which is 3/8 right now. I will be bumping it up over the year to probably .5 inch. I think the empire can handle it but I really do not know. The sand underneath is great the zoysia has developed some deep roots a good 4-5 inches in some spots (when I dug up around the sprinkler heads)


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## Redtwin

It can handle it. I'm doing the exact same thing keeping my Empire at 3/8" with my Bermuda.


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## rjw0283

Sprayed TNEX at .25 a K for my 2nd PGR app of the year. 
N @ .48 a K... K @ 1lb per K

Sprayed bifen anyone use anything that provides longer control? I spray Bifen XTS and 10 days later the ant mounds come back. It kills them but they always return. 
Picture of the new zoysia Sod in the front, currently at 3/8 after a scalp of a 1/4 in


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## Redtwin

I've used Permethrin to try to rotate AI from Bifenthrin but it was not very effective on most bugs. It did work OK on ants and mosquitos so you might want to put that in your rotation. I'm still doing Bifen XTS monthly and Imidacloprid quarterly. I will occasionally have ants pop up again halfway through my Bifen period but if they aren't fire ants I'm not really concerned. I do keep an open bag of Triazicide around to put some on any fire ant mounds that pop up. I typically see them in the mulch or rock areas where my regular treatments might not reach.


----------



## Mightyquinn

I have seen some ants get through the Bifen but if you have a bad infestation get some Amdro Ant Block and sprinkle some around your trouble areas. They will be gone in a few days.

I don't recommend Permethrin as I was using it last year and the year before that and it just didn't last at all and only has about 2 weeks of efficacy when sprayed on the lawn. I'm just sticking with Bifen from now on unless something else better comes along.


----------



## rjw0283

thanks @Mightyquinn and @Redtwin No fire ants just the little ants that create little mounds all over. They all die and go away after application, but at about 10 days they start coming back creating different mounds all over. Lately I have been spot spraying with a 1 gallon sprayer mixed with Bifen, this may just be what I have to do. They are a pest because they pop up protruding past the grass, and when they are 10-15 of them it's rather noticeable. 
I wonder if Barricor works.

I have sprayed bifen xts at my camper lot where I had about 6-7 rather large fire ant mounds, I sprayed and a few weeks later when I returned they were all gone, this was last year and they never came back. It works great on fireants.


----------



## rjw0283

Mowed today. Grass is growing and spreading pretty good in one of my historical trouble areas


----------



## rjw0283

Weber warranty is top notch. The liner on my lid was rusting so I called them to buy part... Apparently lid is warrantied for 25 years so they sent me a new one. I received it in 3 days. Had to cut the old one off since it was fused on there. Grill is 8 years old.


----------



## rjw0283

The back is looking ok.... Have not taken pics since level


----------



## rjw0283

Taken today, tonight I will be spraying


----------



## rjw0283

I am taking back the Bauer backpack sprayer back to harbor freight. I have a Petra tools HD 4050 on the way. I hated the pickup tube in the Bauer and the last gallon was difficult to spray, so I did some research and decided to go with the HD 4050


----------



## rjw0283

got my new sprayer today https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B09SP3F5F1/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
I will post a review when I spray tomorrow. So far it seems awesome. 
I need to spray as I am close to 300 GDD, I was going to spray tonight but the UPS guy did not deliver till 8:30 pm and by the time I unboxed and got it ready to prime it, it was dead (the battery was completely drained.) It is charging now, and I have weighed up everything I intend to spray tomorrow. Got the T-jet nozzle on and everything is ready to go.


----------



## rjw0283

I just sprayed with this thing. It is awesome! I recommend this to anyone that is looking for a sprayer. I really like the drain/fill spout on the side. It makes things super easier for cleanup. This thing is awesome! The telescope wand is pretty heavy duty as well, I will probably never use the telescoping feature though


----------



## rjw0283

Cut today 
The zoysia strip is ok, a mole got in and is messing with it. Set my mole trap tonight


----------



## rjw0283

Look how dry it has been this summer.. maybe 3 1/2 inches of rain cumulative since April. This is my side yard that is still recovering from irrigation.... Look at my neighbors yard


----------



## rjw0283

Dog is getting old. Bunny is 6 ft away and didn't even know


----------



## rjw0283

I definitely need to find another pesticide. Bifen only gets me a week of ant free lawn. This is what the mounds do to my yard.... It recovers but it is annoying.


----------



## rjw0283

I was out of town for a week, I bumped the HOC to about about 1/2 inch and I took a whole lot of grass off. It looks decent.

It did not help that while I was gone for 7 days we received 4 inches of rain throughout the week.

More rain in the last week than we have received all summer and spring. A lot of rain is expected in the forecast, I do not plan to do any irrigating for a while.

Things I have learned with my irrigation- If I get 0 rain for weeks on end I need to irrigate every other day at least in the front yard, as I get dry spots by the road. I will be hitting these areas with the pellet pro to see if it improves. irrigation every 3rd day is where I would like to be and is probably realistic considering my soil is mostly sand.


----------



## Humbert810

rjw0283 said:


> I definitely need to find another pesticide. Bifen only gets me a week of ant free lawn. This is what the mounds do to my yard.... It recovers but it is annoying.


I have the same issue with Bifen I/T and fire ants. Let me know if you find something that works better!


----------



## rjw0283

@Humbert810 will do. I am going to some research and try something in combination with Bifen. I believe some Ants have developed a resistance to it. I sprayed Bifen at my camper lot on some giant fire ant mounds last year and they have never come back, but whatever these Ants are at my house they will not stay gone. Bifen will kill them after I spray and they will stay gone for about 7-10 days then they are back. I have sandy soil so it may just leach out of the soil quicker and the Ants come back.


----------



## Humbert810

rjw0283 said:


> @Humbert810 will do. I am going to some research and try something in combination with Bifen. I believe some Ants have developed a resistance to it. I sprayed Bifen at my camper lot on some giant fire ant mounds last year and they have never come back, but whatever these Ants are at my house they will not stay gone. Bifen will kill them after I spray and they will stay gone for about 7-10 days then they are back. I have sandy soil so it may just leach out of the soil quicker and the Ants come back.


I am experiencing the exact same thing. Last year in April I spread Sevin granular which is Bifen based. I didn't see any ants for the rest of the summer almost. This year I tried the Spectracide. It made ZERO difference in bugs. So I went back and spead the Sevin granular at 4LB/M (high rate) and the ants seemed to be gone for about 10-14 days and now I am seeing the hills crop up again.


----------



## Dono1183

Humbert810 said:


> rjw0283 said:
> 
> 
> 
> @Humbert810 will do. I am going to some research and try something in combination with Bifen. I believe some Ants have developed a resistance to it. I sprayed Bifen at my camper lot on some giant fire ant mounds last year and they have never come back, but whatever these Ants are at my house they will not stay gone. Bifen will kill them after I spray and they will stay gone for about 7-10 days then they are back. I have sandy soil so it may just leach out of the soil quicker and the Ants come back.
> 
> 
> 
> I am experiencing the exact same thing. Last year in April I spread Sevin granular which is Bifen based. I didn't see any ants for the rest of the summer almost. This year I tried the Spectracide. It made ZERO difference in bugs. So I went back and spead the Sevin granular at 4LB/M (high rate) and the ants seemed to be gone for about 10-14 days and now I am seeing the hills crop up again.
Click to expand...

I use this stuff for fire ants. It works pretty well, but we have a lot of them. So even if I control one area of the yard, I will see them emerge somewhere else. I also don't try kill all of them, as they help keep the flea and tick population in control.

https://www.homedepot.com/p/AMDRO-2-lb-Fire-Ant-Killer-Bait-100099072/100662156


----------



## Redtwin

I tried the Amdro once and it would appear to kill the mound pretty quickly only to have it pop back up 10 feet away a few days later. The only product I have ever had any 100% success with was Top Choice but around here it has to be applied by a professional service. It's worth the money though. Luckily, my monthly Bifen XTS apps appear to be keeping the fire ants away.


----------



## Humbert810

Redtwin said:


> I tried the Amdro once and it would appear to kill the mound pretty quickly only to have it pop back up 10 feet away a few days later. The only product I have ever had any 100% success with was Top Choice but around here it has to be applied by a professional service. It's worth the money though. Luckily, my monthly Bifen XTS apps appear to be keeping the fire ants away.


Do you think it's worth it to buy the XTS over the I/T? I haven't done the $/oz of concentrate calculations


----------



## rjw0283

@Humbert810 I did notice a slight difference between the two. The XTS would give a few days longer but that is about it... I just bought 3/4 a gallon of talstar P for about 50 bucks. The XTS would stain and it stinks!


----------



## Humbert810

rjw0283 said:


> @Humbert810 I did notice a slight difference between the two. The XTS would give a few days longer but that is about it... I just bought 3/4 a gallon of talstar P for about 50 bucks. The XTS would stain and it stinks!


I thought about trying Talstar P but it is identical to the Bifen I/T in composition of active ingredient. If I am correct the Bifen I/T is just the generic of the Talstar....


----------



## rjw0283

@Humbert810 yes it's the same. The price is the same as well. 
I never noticed that for 4 dollars more you get 96 oz. I don't think the 96OZ size is always available, I normally get the 32oz for some reason. https://www.domyown.com/talstar-professional-insecticide-p-97.html?sub_id=655


----------



## rjw0283

I am going to try fipronil. It is not labeled for lawns, more for the outer perimeter. It is mostly used for termite control and labeled for some ants, so I will use it for that. I will also spot spray a few ant mounds in the yard and see what happens. It is supposed to kill the entire colony by infecting the ones in contact to spread it to the rest down below.

I think Bifen did a good job on the fire ants because I disturbed the nest and they attacked, and I sprayed them. Eliminating most of them because so many come up to defend the colony. The ants in my yard are not fire ants. They do not seem to care if I disturb the ant mound.

It is probably not labeled for the lawns as it will kill many beneficial insects, so I will not be broadcasting. Just hitting the mounds and using it as a barrier around the foundation of the house.


----------



## rjw0283

Applied 4th application of Tnex tonight. I will probably have to reapply as it started raining 10 minutes after I applied. I have heard of people having success with an hour prior to rain.. But 10 minutes, probably won't cut it. I will reapply tomorrow night.

I thought I could sneak in an app prior to it raining tonight... nope


----------



## rjw0283

re-applied PGR @ .3 oz per k. 
Did not hit the areas that need filling in this time. 
Did not apply to Zoysia patch in the front. I will let it come out of regulation to see how it does. It is doing fine, but I want to make it grow a bit to fill in more. The PGR has slowed it down A LOT and I barely cut any off even after a week of mowing.


----------



## rjw0283

another 1.5 inches of rain last night. So in the past 8-9 days my lawn has received 9 inches of rain. I have algae growing in the lower spots and had some washout from the other night.

We needed the rain as we are in a drought. They are calling for another 1-2 inches tonight.


----------



## Redtwin

I missed you post about the Fipronil. That's the active ingredient in the Top Choice product I was talking about. I may have to see if I can find it locally for DIY lawns. We've been in a pretty good pattern of rain as well. It's been super hot but at least we are getting the occasional thunderstorm.


----------



## rjw0283

Lawn is not looking the best. Between recovering from the irrigation from the spring and a pretty bad drought to now 9 inches of rain in 8 days it is doing ok. 
The number 1 goal of the season was to fix the 1 trouble area (put zoysia in that spot)
Number 2 goal was let the lawn recover from being torn up this spring
#3 is get my other trouble area established (it's making slow progress) I wish I could just get a couple of pieces of sod and be done with it. But I have made progress as grass is spreading in the area. Grass never grew in the area because it always stayed wet due to my slope and water would flow right over this area every time it rained.

The trenching from the irrigation is filling in. You can see how much faster it fills in on top of the hill as opposed to the bottom of the hill. The grass grows like crap at the bottom of my slope. (that is everywhere around the lawn) I wish I had a flat lot.




I did a reverse mow against the stripes yesterday, making it look a lot worse than it could, I mix up mowing directions every mow and do a double cut every other mow, it eliminates the grain action I had last year. 

For some reason the Zoysia is looking on the left side. Not sure what is going on. 

It is spreading.... Algae loves this area so I constantly rake it. The irrigation install made this area bigger and he dug up in 2 spots in this area. 



Bottom of the hill is taking a lot longer to fill in!


----------



## rjw0283

@Redtwin I see top choice on a few websites. Was it a granular product? 150 bucks for a 50 lb bag, I will have to check next time I make the drive out to where I buy lawn stuff to see if they carry it (It will be another year before I make the trip as I have over 90lbs of Urea and 95 lbs of Potassium Sulfate left.) I buy in bulk since it is a 2-hour drive and nobody around here carries K products.


----------



## Redtwin

Yes. It was granular and took care of fire ants for a full 12-months.


----------



## rjw0283

Better picture from today's mow


----------



## Kdrury

RJW,
What would be a good insecticide to use to kill ants in my lawn? Also, safe to put down in morning or evening with summer highs in the 90s?


----------



## rjw0283

Kdrury said:


> RJW,
> What would be a good insecticide to use to kill ants in my lawn? Also, safe to put down in morning or evening with summer highs in the 90s?


So Bifenthrin works. It killed some fire ant mounds I had, and kept them gone.

It does work at killing most ants, but I have found that it only lasts about 8-10 days before the Ant Mounts come back (not fire ants) I am still looking for something that will last longer than 10 days.


----------



## rjw0283

Cut today. Just over .5 HOC. Double cut


----------



## rjw0283

@Redtwin 
The Zoysia strip. 
It is doing better since I took it off PGR
It looked like Fat Bermuda since I scalped and put PGR on it a day after.


----------



## Redtwin

Both the Empire and Bermuda are looking good!


----------



## rjw0283

Anyone know why some of my Bermuda is lime green and the other is dark green? My yard is spotted with large sections of dark green grass. My side yard is all dark green with the lighter grass being where it's recovering from irrigation and sand....I don't think it's a mixture of variants either... And why is it affecting my front yard the most?


----------



## rjw0283

It was not like this last year


----------



## rjw0283




----------



## Redtwin

I get the same thing in my Tifway 419. I originally chalked it up to sod quality issues but it varies and changes each season so it has to be something in the soil. I am very sandy here so I don't feel my soil holds water or nutrients for very long. It's making me question my fertilization techniques.


----------



## rjw0283

Redtwin said:


> I get the same thing in my Tifway 419. I originally chalked it up to sod quality issues but it varies and changes each season so it has to be something in the soil. I am very sandy here so I don't feel my soil holds water or nutrients for very long. It's making me question my fertilization techniques.


I am all sand here as well. I spray Iron, N, K and PGR every 14ish days. Last year I was spraying Main Event for Iron this year I am using Iron Sulfate. I don't think that is it.. but who knows. It does not make sense that my side yard is dark green and my front yard is a mixture of light and dark green. I have done more sanding in the front, but that is the only difference.

My side yard gets sprayed last and gets the last of what is in my sprayer.. maybe it gets more nutrients. (my back is also most dark green) it is a mystery


----------



## rjw0283

I hit the yard with a heavy dose of nitrogen last night .9lbs per K to see what happens color response wise. It already looks much darker green


----------



## rjw0283

I was putting about .4k every 14-18 days but with all the rain I think it just leeches out of this sandy soil and being on hill does not help. I did 2 rounds of PGR last week because it rained as I applied first APP... I believe it did impact the growth as I haven't took much off every mowing since... Very minimal, my backyard pretty much quit growing for 2 weeks... No bronzing either ,,&#128513;


----------



## rjw0283

Anyone know what cultivar this is? It is supposed to be celebration but I don't think it is... Whatever it is... It is the most fast growing area spreader in the universe... It's a beast


----------



## rjw0283

More


----------



## rjw0283

I went out of town, 6 days between mows... Scalped some... Serves me right for putting so much N down


----------



## typed by ben

How are you getting in so tight on your hard edging? Rotary scissors?


----------



## rjw0283

On the pics above.... This stuff was supposed to be celebration... Maybe it's a common but nothing else spreads this fast and it's much darker... The celebration I got this year is completely different... Lighter green and a finer blade...


----------



## rjw0283

typed by ben said:


> How are you getting in so tight on your hard edging? Rotary scissors?


I use an edger blade, and since it's high up I can use the mower right over it... I do use the rotory scissors everywhere else


----------



## rjw0283

rjw0283 said:


> I went out of town, 6 days between mows... Scalped some... Serves me right for putting so much N down


But wow did it help filling in some spots... I think I may hit it again with a high amount of N


----------



## rjw0283

Mowed today... Lawn is decent.. had to raise HOC I think I'm at 11/16 now.


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## rjw0283

Side of house is where the valve box and the backflow preventer went. This area was destroyed back in April. And another picture was taken today. It has recovered nicely. Goal for next season- level this area and thicken up the grass(hard due to the slope in the area) This area was never the strongest because I did not often irrigate on the side of the house.
It is still a little rough, but at least grass has covered the bare spots. This area was destroyed, so I am happy with the results.


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## rjw0283

So this is the number 1 reason I do not reel mow in the backyard. Long-leaf pine needles! These suckers are 14 inches long and rap around everything. 
Tree sheds all summer long what you see in the picture is from 1 day, raking sucks, blowing them sucks, the easiest way is to rotary with a bagger. I have tried other methods and it's the only thing that works.

If this tree were not on the endangered list, I would chop it down. 
I use to think all the pine trees were the same in this area. That is false; 95% of the pines around Fayetteville are Loblolly. This one is a long leaf. All the other ones around my neighborhood are Loblolly. 
I use to have another one close to the same size back here, but one of the hurricanes caused it to lean directly over the house so I had it cut down.


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## rjw0283

Cut today... Double cut


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## rjw0283

It's pretty high but it's doing ok


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## rjw0283

my trouble areas seem to fixed! that was my goal this year. The Zoysia is thriving in the one trouble area and the other spot to the right of my steps is good now. (Fixed the drainage) and lot of sand!.... seemed to do the trick...


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## Twodollarblue

I guess if your going to have a pine tree it might as well be a rare one. I like the look of grass right up tight to the tree trunk. I've contemplated this with my one tree in the front yard. Your yard looks awesome.


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## Kdrury

The lime green showing up in your hybrid Bermuda lawn is likely due to low NPK and/or too much shade.


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## rjw0283

Kdrury said:


> The lime green showing up in your hybrid Bermuda lawn is likely due to low NPK and/or too much shade.


I don't think it's either of those... No shade really and i apply nutrients every 2 weeks. 
I think it's a combination of sanding and overall thickness of the grass. The areas that were trenched for irrigation are the lighter green as they are thin and mostly 100% sand... I hit the yard with .8 lbs of N via foliar 
about a month ago and the darker areas got darker and the lighter areas got a little darker too, I think I have some different variants going on as well. I think I have celebration starting to spread in whatever type Bermuda my front is composed of


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## rjw0283

Twodollarblue said:


> I guess if your going to have a pine tree it might as well be a rare one. I like the look of grass right up tight to the tree trunk. I've contemplated this with my one tree in the front yard. Your yard looks awesome.


Thank you. About the grass by the tree, I hang a bird feeder that I fill with corn for the squirrels so they don't damage the bird feeders... The grass loves the corn remnants... Over 5 years it had raised the soil level and provides an organic soil the Bermuda loves... I just rotate the feeder around the tree so it is spread out and is level...


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## rjw0283

Decided to scalp it down. I was at my max height for the flex at about 3/4... I kept on scalping, so I decided to bring it down. 3 September... I think it will turn out just fine in a few weeks. Latest scalp I have ever done.


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## rjw0283

The first one is 2 weeks ago....

This picture was taken today 9/16 HOC.


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## rjw0283

WOW... I have been away from this forum for a while.. and wow.. what the heck happened? 
I like some of the changes.. I do not like you cannot see people's grass types.


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## rjw0283

Still have to mow in November... Crazy...
View attachment 3238


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## rjw0283




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## rjw0283

Everyone else's yard is brown


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