# First Frost 2017



## Sinclair (Jul 25, 2017)

I was out walking my dog, and sure enough, car windows are starting to frost over.


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## g-man (Jun 15, 2017)

Bye bye crabgrass. :bandit:


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## massgrass (Aug 17, 2017)

We were supposed to get our first frost overnight, but it looks like we dodged that bullet. I really need to get out there and cut the grass this afternoon.


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## pennstater2005 (Jul 17, 2017)

First one here this morning.


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## GrassDaddy (Mar 21, 2017)

It's a bit depressing, but at the same time I'm glad there will be a break. Next year I might go slower on the nitrogen as it doesn't need to be filled in much more. But I say that and next spring I'll be itching to mow so I probably will go crazy again =P


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## ABC123 (Jul 14, 2017)

Already frosted 3 times here


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## BXMurphy (Aug 5, 2017)

Last night as the second time for frost on the car but the plants didn't seem to mind. Will touch 80° F on Saturday and Sunday.


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## pennstater2005 (Jul 17, 2017)

Last nights frost killed the potted, flowering plants. They're all wilty and whatnot.


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## BXMurphy (Aug 5, 2017)

pennstater2005 said:


> Last nights frost killed the potted, flowering plants. They're all wilty and whatnot.


Pennstater2005, will that end your lawn season, too? Do you expect the same rebound in temps well into the 70's like I will get this weekend? What does your remaining schedule look like?

Thank you in advance,
Murph


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## pennstater2005 (Jul 17, 2017)

BXMurphy said:


> pennstater2005 said:
> 
> 
> > Last nights frost killed the potted, flowering plants. They're all wilty and whatnot.
> ...


My lawn season is winding down quickly. With the hot, dry temps into fall I never got to fully implement the fall nitrogen program. I applied my last planned urea app before the final winterizer when top growth stops. That's typically around Thanksgiving but has been later the last two years.

Temps are expected to rebound here for a few more days but I know the grass has begun to slow down. Sometimes you can just tell by looking at it. It's still growing but more slowly now. I'll be spending more time now mulching in leaves, covering my burning bushes with burlap (the rabbits love them in the winter) and just tidying up the yard in general.

I'll soon start winterizing all the equipment which I rather enjoy. I like starting the year knowing everything is just ready to go. I've got a white board that I keep track of all this on so I know what I've done for the year or not.

Then I'll start planning the remaining renovation needs for the backyard next year. Looking forward to that :thumbup:


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## BXMurphy (Aug 5, 2017)

pennstater2005 said:


> My lawn season is winding down quickly. With the hot, dry temps into fall I never got to fully implement the fall nitrogen program. I applied my last planned urea app before the final winterizer when top growth stops. That's typically around Thanksgiving but has been later the last two years.


That's awesome. Thank you for the insight. I can see my own grass slowing down. I have never noticed this point in time until coming here. It's pretty cool.

I think it is interesting to note how different our locations are. Even though you are south of me by a couple of zones, I might actually have another week or two of growth left. I will let the lawn mower tell me.

Thanks, again.


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## g-man (Jun 15, 2017)

First frost is not that important. The amount of sunlight, soil temperatures and cultivars in your lawn are what really determine the slow down and stoppage to your lawn.


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## vnephologist (Aug 4, 2017)

If this year is like last, I'll be mowing into February here in central VA.


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## FuzzeWuzze (Aug 25, 2017)

Curious what people would say to do in a climate like western Oregon that never really freezes? We get snow, but its rare that it sticks let alone stays around for more than a day or two before it all melts. This is why when it does snow like half an inch the entire Portland Metro area shuts down for what we dub 'snowpocalypse'. Usually we'll just be in the highs in the 40's and lows in the mid 30's from Dec until February. I dont see the use in "winterizing" the lawn because it grows (albeit slowly) all winter.

No one really ever talks about our nearly year round cool season grass micro climate out here...you just all buy our seed


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## g-man (Jun 15, 2017)

^ follow the transition zone practices.

Winterizing is done help root development as the lawn goes dormant in winter. If your lawn doesn't go dormant, then you cant really do it.

If I lived in the transition zone, I would spoon feed it once a month (0.25lb N/Ksqft). I would do this at least one year just to see what would happen. I read something like this from the University of Tennessee or a transition zone university. I don't have the link anymore. This is not something I have researched.

We do like Oregon seeds.


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## ken-n-nancy (Jul 25, 2017)

BXMurphy said:


> I think it is interesting to note how different our locations are. Even though you are south of me by a couple of zones, I might actually have another week or two of growth left. I will let the lawn mower tell me.


I would think that you have at least 5-6 weeks of top growth left with where you are. I think I'll have at least 4 weeks left where I am, which should be 1-2 weeks ahead of you.

For the fall nitrogen blitz, the thing to look for is top growth *stopping* not just slowing down. This will usually be well after the leaves from most trees are done falling (well, except those pesky oak trees, that want to hold on to some of their leaves until March...)

I determine top growth stoppage by a mowing 5-7 days after a prior one resulting in no grass clippings in the bag. (It will be the first time I've used the bag for our mower all year...)


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## ken-n-nancy (Jul 25, 2017)

g-man said:


> First frost is not that important. The amount of sunlight, soil temperatures and cultivars in your lawn are what really determine the slow down and stoppage to your lawn.


^^^

For lawns, *first frost is not that important*.

Quoted for truth.


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## pennstater2005 (Jul 17, 2017)

ken-n-nancy said:


> g-man said:
> 
> 
> > First frost is not that important. The amount of sunlight, soil temperatures and cultivars in your lawn are what really determine the slow down and stoppage to your lawn.
> ...


I also want to reiterate this point. My above post regarding first frost was more related to my plants dying. Yes, my lawn is slowing but not done growing. I am however done applying urea with the exception of the winterization application.


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## vnephologist (Aug 4, 2017)

g-man said:


> If I lived in the transition zone, I would spoon feed it once a month (0.25lb N/Ksqft). I would do this at least one year just to see what would happen. I read something like this from the University of Tennessee or a transition zone university. I don't have the link anymore. This is not something I have researched.


I'll be your test subject.  Remember one of my first posts here describing how I virtually starved last year's reno? I won't do that again. I'll keep weekly spooning for a bit longer and then move to once a month or so as things start to slow.


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## BXMurphy (Aug 5, 2017)

That's all awesome stuff up there. Thanks, guys! I appreciate the hand-holding into my first end-of-season!!

I'm putting down some water now. The oscillating sprinkler is the pits! I usually get out there with a hose and git 'er done in about 45 minutes... and a better job, too!

I think I'll get out there with some Weed-B-Gon with chickweed, clover, and oxalis and clean up some salad. Creeping Charlie must die.

I can't believe it's going into the upper 70's this weekend... Gee, I've never noticed the end-of-season nuances before. Very cool!


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## ken-n-nancy (Jul 25, 2017)

BXMurphy said:


> I think I'll get out there with some Weed-B-Gon with chickweed, clover, and oxalis and clean up some salad. Creeping Charlie must die.


This "indian summer" is a great time for that!


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## BXMurphy (Aug 5, 2017)

I"ve been debating this... Would you go out with another app of Tenacity? As pre- or post-emergent?

Last app was October 1.


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## ken-n-nancy (Jul 25, 2017)

BXMurphy said:


> I"ve been debating this... Would you go out with another app of Tenacity? As pre- or post-emergent?
> 
> Last app was October 1.


I'd be hesitant to make a Tenacity app this late in the year in New England. It usually takes about 3 weeks for the bleaching of desirable grasses to grow out when the grass is growing vigorously.

Even though grass in southern New England will probably continue growing up until a week or so before Thanksgiving, growth in early November tends to be very slow due to how short days are by that time.


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## BXMurphy (Aug 5, 2017)

ken-n-nancy said:


> I'd be hesitant to make a Tenacity app this late in the year in New England. It usually takes about 3 weeks for the bleaching of desirable grasses to grow out when the grass is growing vigorously.


Yep! I'm going to go with that.

My Tenacity app is exactly like you describe and how g-man cautioned me. Bad stuff is dying, good stuff was shocked but coming around. I really like that Tenacity for This Ol' Lawn.

I have maybe seven pounds of 29-0-4 from my newbie days that I'll spread out this weekend over my 2,500 SF.... just to get rid of it. Then I'll wait for top growth to cease around mid-November. Then smack it with 1 lb./M urea just before Thanksgiving, water it in, and wrap up the year.


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## g-man (Jun 15, 2017)

I would not use the 29-0-4 anymore. It likely has a slow release nitrogen in it. Use the urea instead.


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## BXMurphy (Aug 5, 2017)

Hmmm... didn't think of that!  Thanks, g-man! Saving me again...


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