# Claydus's Bermuda Journal



## claydus (Jun 2, 2019)

What's up everyone!? I have been lurking on this site for the past few months. Decided to take the plunge and register.

My house was built in 2013 and I am the second owner. I moved in May 2015. My previous yard was significantly smaller. I have a corner lot at my current house and I have way more of a lawn now. I'm Zone 7B in the North Suburbs of Atlanta. I am guessing that I have some type of Bermuda Hybrid per my research. Although I have found some Common Bermuda seed heads around the yard.

The below image was taken around the time we moved in. The lawn was at 2 inches (or more) when I moved in. I previously used a Scotts reel mower (manual push mower). I was in over my head with this equipment so I bought a Honda HRR from Home Depot.









For 2015 and 2016, I hired some lawn treatment companies to spray for weeds and fertilize. I signed up for a year long contract with these companies. I had bad experiences with both companies not treating specific problem areas and staying they would handle it but never came through. Here is a pic of the dog in the back yard. Lawn was still being routinely cut around 1.75 to 2 inches around this time. I decided for 2017 that I would be going solo and treating my lawn on my own.









So in 2017 I began doing my own lawn chemicals and the like. Below are 2 images of me attempting to level parts of my lawn as well as filled in bald areas and spraying chemicals trying to kill off some weeds. Little did I know, I had used a generic glyphosate from Amazon. I read the Amazon reviews instead of the entire label on the bottle. The yellow next to my driveway was a problem for a lot of unwanted weeds. I sprayed here and in the back yard where grass was present. I killed my Bemruda for 2017 and parts of 2018 in these spots.

















In the late Summer of 2017, I began a journey to learn from my mistakes and get some advise from neighbors with great lawns. I met a gentlemen that works at a local company that specializes in turf chemicals. I got a soil analysis done and my lawn was very low on phosphorus. I was advised to use their custom blend of 9-23-0 to correct my current issues as of August 2017. Then follow up with a 8-22-22 2 months later. Things began to be looking up for me. Until I forgot to put down pre-emergent in the fall 2017.

















In 2018, I continued to treat my lawn on my own. However, I began noticing a newer type of weeds that I haven't dealt with at all. I had been introduced to POA Annua. Since I forgot or didn't understand anything about pre-emergent... I didn't apply any in the fall of 2017. I started the Spring of 2018 battling POA that was everywhere. In the summer I was introduced to spotted spurge. Delightful combination of weeds. The POA left behind god awfuly dead spots and the bermuda didn't grow in as well. Then the spurge just got out of hand. I was able to source a product to kill off the spurge but that was August 2018.

















In Spring 2019, I got to talking with neighbor and he asked me if I had made my 2nd application of pre-emergent in February. I was totally blind-sided by this and I didn't know pre-emergent could be done at this point in the year.
Anyways, my lawn still looked much better than 2018 and I was able to control the POA better this year. I also began using a de-thatching rake in a lot of areas and this greatly improved the thin areas. I have seen some spurge sprout up and I need to treat these areas this week.








About two weeks of a light de-thatching sessions with the manual rake.









I am mowing at the lowest setting on my Honda HRR around 1 inch. I previous years this was my scalping height but this year I am sticking with it. I am drooling over Toro and John Deere greens mowers right now. Over the past few weeks, I find myself constantly checking ebay or craigslist for a local deal. The Trucut and Mclane mowers seem really enticing but I know these are not a long term type of mower.

I know that I need to level out my yard before I make the jump to a quality reel mower. It will be the next big item I do this year or next spring.

My weakness by far is knee-jerk reactions with finding a solution to the problem at hand with my yard. For example: Using glyphosate instead of a selective weed control and many other mistakes. I have gotten frustrated over the past few years and almost gave up trying to handle everything on my own. I am looking forward to learn more and more about my lawn and techniques that I can master to make my yard look great.


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## claydus (Jun 2, 2019)

Here are some up close images of the grass. I just bought a new blade for the Honda HRR this year and it looks like I need to sharpen already.


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## claydus (Jun 2, 2019)

Looking back in 2018 at my spurge issues, this was a dark moment for me and my lawn. I tried a generic 24-D product and other chemicals from Lowes/Home Depot. When these didn't work, I panicked and bought a weed torch and did this to my spurge.


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## Batsonbe (May 9, 2019)

claydus said:


> Looking back in 2018 at my spurge issues, this was a dark moment for me and my lawn. I tried a generic 24-D product and other chemicals from Lowes/Home Depot. When these didn't work, I panicked and bought a weed torch and did this to my spurge.


Did the torch at least address your spurge problem?


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## claydus (Jun 2, 2019)

Batsonbe said:


> Did the torch at least address your spurge problem?


Yes it did for about a little over a month. It came back but not as bad in most areas. I located a product called Spurge Power that was able to kill it off the rest of the season. I have seen a 3-4 individual spurge weeds come up this year but I sprayed them immediately. I feel like I have this under control for now. :mrgreen:


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## Batsonbe (May 9, 2019)

claydus said:


> Batsonbe said:
> 
> 
> > Did the torch at least address your spurge problem?
> ...


I've been pulling mine but i just spot sprayed some with msma in my Bermuda. We shall see how it stands up.


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## claydus (Jun 2, 2019)

Been a few weeks since I took some pictures...

However, in other news... I GOT ME A REEL MOWER BOYS!!!
John Deere 220B with GTC. 2006 model according to serial number. Also came with light package and grass catcher.
Going to be a learning curve with this thing for sure. Raised the HOC almost 1 inch


















Haven't cut the front yard in almost a week here!

















Starting to see these yellow spots come out of nowhere recently. I did have some Dollar Spot in a section of the yard. Thinking this may be dog urine.









Here is another area. Looks very strange. I the post emergent I sprayed over a week ago was not even sprayed here. Fungus? Dog urine?









Another random spot


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## Twister (Jun 21, 2019)

That yellowed straight line can't be dog urine. No way, because it is so incredibly straight. Dogs do lots of things but they definitely can't urinate in a straight line.

Glad to see you are making progress!


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## Flatstickcomedy (Jun 10, 2019)

That straight line looks to be a chemical trail from something that gathered in the crack of the sidewalk and then flowed down the hill. I am battling trying to keep sand from my leveling project from washing away in a line like that after a heavy rain.


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## claydus (Jun 2, 2019)

I struck gold tonight! Amazing how many rocks are 2-3 inches below the soil


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## claydus (Jun 2, 2019)

Mowed on Sunday... did some edging on Monday... Today enjoying the view. Looked better in person the sunset really screwed up this picture. My 2 year old in the background loves helping out in the yard... but his attentions span isn't all there just yet!


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## zcabe (May 1, 2019)

@claydus great progress! I have common Bermuda as well so glad I can follow somebody else's. I'm keeping up with mine in a journal currently as well.


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## claydus (Jun 2, 2019)

Haven't updated this much due to the lack of rain and how bad it's been looking.

Sitting at right over 1 inch right now. Haven't mowed with the reel mower in almost 2 weeks. Bringing out the the rotary to vacuum up leaves and grass this time of the year.


















































My mower is in a million pieces right now... refreshing bearings, snap rings, and grease over the entire mower
This mower is incredibly messy!


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## claydus (Jun 2, 2019)

November 10th and still have the greenest lawn in my neighborhood! Sun made it look like there is more yellowing than there really is present. Haven't mowed with the reel in about a month.


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## claydus (Jun 2, 2019)

Feb 2020 Update... so much freaking rain here recently

Here is how the lawn is doing as of this morning... feels like I have been living in a swamp!


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## claydus (Jun 2, 2019)

Haven't added much to this in the past year. Mainly been posting updates on instagram.

Program that I have been using a local chemical company and their custom blends of fertilizer and pre-emergent.

Feb - 38-0-0 with Prodiamine
Label on Product
_Oxadiazon: 2-tert -buty 1-4-(2, 4-dichloro-5 -isopropoxypheny 1)-deIta2-1,3,4-oxadiazolin-5-one............................ 1.00/0
Prodiamine: (N3,N3 -Di-n-propyl-2,4-dinitro-6- .(triflouromethyl)-m-phenylenediamine................................................. 0.2%_

May - 20-0-11 with 50% Urea

July - 6-4-0 Miloganite

Oct - 8-22-22 with Prodiamine
Label on Product
_Prodiamine [2,4-dinitro-N3,N3-dipropyl-6-(trifluoromethyl)-1,3-benzenediamine] .............................................................. 0.5%_


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