# BMW's Centipede Lawn Journal



## bmw (Aug 29, 2018)

Hey guys! We moved in this house summer of 2016 and the backyard is Centipede but was infested with weeds (mainly chamberbitter in June). I really didn't do much outside of mowing that first summer. Didn't really start taking care of it until 2018. I obviously have issues with shade, horrible rocky soil, and compaction and tree roots. Giant trees everywhere...
Take a look at what I pulled out yesterday:





I'm planning doing a lot of Humic DG, Kelp4Less Extreme Blend and only minimal N this year. Probably add some Sulfate of Potash 0-0-50 in there too. I need to get a soil test done soon. This winter has been wreaking havoc on the lawn and as you know, Centipede is very sensitive. Looks horrible now with the very wet winter. We have had 26 INCHES of rain since Jan 1.



The bed area here was a jungle last year. I spent he entire month of August weekends pruning privet hedge from this area all the way down the fence line. You couldn't even see the fence before.



I plan on letting the lawn naturally wake up and not fertilize until around Memorial Day. Going to be using an All In One 14-0-7 from Natures Lawn that contains Humic, kelp, fish, dethatcher and ALS.

Also I think I'm going to get a pound or two of Tifblair Centipede seed so I skipped Pre-Em this spring.

I know it looks horrible now but I had it looking pretty good last summer. Hope to make some huge improvements this year but Centipede is tough to manage and patience is required!


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## bmw (Aug 29, 2018)

Mmmm, tasty Wild Onion!



I welcome any suggestions/tips!


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## bmw (Aug 29, 2018)

bmw said:


> Hey guys! We moved in this house summer of 2016 and the backyard is Centipede but was infested with weeds (mainly chamberbitter in June). I really didn't do much outside of mowing that first summer. Didn't really start taking care of it until 2018. I obviously have issues with shade, horrible rocky soil, and compaction and tree roots. Giant trees everywhere...
> Take a look at what I pulled out yesterday:
> 
> 
> ...


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## bmw (Aug 29, 2018)

Today I spread the spring grub treatment followed by some liquid aeration ALS. Raining it in now. Green up has begun.


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## bmw (Aug 29, 2018)

bmw said:


> Hey guys! We moved in this house summer of 2016 and the backyard is Centipede but was infested with weeds (mainly chamberbitter in June). I really didn't do much outside of mowing that first summer. Didn't really start taking care of it until 2018. I obviously have issues with shade, horrible rocky soil, and compaction and tree roots. Giant trees everywhere...
> Take a look at what I pulled out yesterday:
> 
> 
> ...


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## stevenjmclark (Sep 25, 2019)

Excited to follow a fellow centipede lawn! How do you plan to utilize the 0-0-50? I'm aware that centipede is somewhat sensitive N but curious as to what the high K does and how often you'll be putting it down?


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## mre_man_76 (Aug 4, 2018)

From my experience centipede loves potassium. Helps a lot with stress issues. Last year I sprayed 0-0-25 along with my fungicide prevention and it seemed to really help. Also sprayed bi weekly with a micro stack and iron together in the tank. Greenest my centipede has ever been. Moving forward, once I finish up all my fert stockpiles I am only going to purchase a balanced n and k fertilizer like carbon earths 8-1-8. Didn't get to do a soil sample last fall but 2018's soil sample showed I was difficient in K.


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## bmw (Aug 29, 2018)

stevenjmclark said:


> Excited to follow a fellow centipede lawn! How do you plan to utilize the 0-0-50? I'm aware that centipede is somewhat sensitive N but curious as to what the high K does and how often you'll be putting it down?


I've just been reading about the benefits of high potassium (preferably potassium sulfate) for centipede to alleviate summer stress and also winter kill. Also, it's recommended by some not to give any N to centipede after August. I'm going to try to only fertilize from May to July and then do some Potash in May and September, maybe more.


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## bmw (Aug 29, 2018)

mre_man_76 said:


> From my experience centipede loves potassium. Helps a lot with stress issues. Last year I sprayed 0-0-25 along with my fungicide prevention and it seemed to really help. Also sprayed bi weekly with a micro stack and iron together in the tank. Greenest my centipede has ever been. Moving forward, once I finish up all my fert stockpiles I am only going to purchase a balanced n and k fertilizer like carbon earths 8-1-8. Didn't get to do a soil sample last fall but 2018's soil sample showed I was difficient in K.


@mre_man_76 that's good feedback, thanks. I'm going to incorporate a good fungicide regimen this year, too. Also, yes, centipede loves the micros and iron.

I've been thinking the Carbon-X 8-1-8 would be perfect for centipede. Thoughts @thegrassfactor ?


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## mre_man_76 (Aug 4, 2018)

bmw said:


> mre_man_76 said:
> 
> 
> > From my experience centipede loves potassium. Helps a lot with stress issues. Last year I sprayed 0-0-25 along with my fungicide prevention and it seemed to really help. Also sprayed bi weekly with a micro stack and iron together in the tank. Greenest my centipede has ever been. Moving forward, once I finish up all my fert stockpiles I am only going to purchase a balanced n and k fertilizer like carbon earths 8-1-8. Didn't get to do a soil sample last fall but 2018's soil sample showed I was difficient in K.
> ...


I got to ask Matt that very same question on his live show a couple of weeks ago. He said 8-1-8 is perfect for centipede because of the equal N to K ratio. He also added if you want to really give it a nice pop you need to incorporate a pgr regiment and with every app of pgr spike the tank with fos. My source of Iron will be a combination of 7-0-0 Green Effect and 0-0-2 Micro Green. Different from his recommendation but should get similar results.


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## bmw (Aug 29, 2018)

@mre_man_76 what kind of benefits are you seeing with PGR in your centipede? Do you use T-Nex? How often/how much do you apply?


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## mre_man_76 (Aug 4, 2018)

This will be my first season using it. Haven't applied yet. Waiting for active growth so I can do some spot leveling then once it fill in I will apply. @thegrassfactor and @Greendoc both said centipede will look phenomenal when T-Nex is applied to with iron.


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## bmw (Aug 29, 2018)

Trying to be as patient as possible. No herbicides yet and all I have applied so far is Humic DG and ALS. Got a good green up this year. Right now the plan is to start fertilizing with light liquid product in May and apply Atrazine at that time too. Hopefully it will prevent my chamberbitter issue in June.

Kind of a salad bar right now but that is expected with no Pre-M. Mowed yesterday with bagger at 2".


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## thegrassfactor (Apr 12, 2017)

bmw said:


> mre_man_76 said:
> 
> 
> > From my experience centipede loves potassium. Helps a lot with stress issues. Last year I sprayed 0-0-25 along with my fungicide prevention and it seemed to really help. Also sprayed bi weekly with a micro stack and iron together in the tank. Greenest my centipede has ever been. Moving forward, once I finish up all my fert stockpiles I am only going to purchase a balanced n and k fertilizer like carbon earths 8-1-8. Didn't get to do a soil sample last fall but 2018's soil sample showed I was difficient in K.
> ...


8-1-8 would be good for centipede for sure! 1:1 n:k, AMS, SOP, iron, slow feed :thumbup:


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## OnlyMayo (Mar 24, 2020)

bmw said:


> I plan on letting the lawn naturally wake up and not fertilize until around Memorial Day. Going to be using an All In One 14-0-7 from Natures Lawn that contains Humic, kelp, fish, dethatcher and ALS.


What do you think of Natures Lawn products? I was just looking at the All In One as well. My yard needs a lot.


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## bmw (Aug 29, 2018)

@OnlyMayo I really like their Nature's Magic product (Humic and SeaKelp). I sprayed it last summer and my centipede took off! I had to cut every 2 days because the kelp just made it explode with growth because of the growth hormones. I probably went a little heavy-handed with it, but I was impressed w/ Nature's Magic. I'm also going to try use it on my front zoysia yard (1200 sq ft) and try to fill in some areas that are bare.

I will have a better idea about the 14-0-7 All-In-One after this season, because I only sprayed it twice last year. I haven't fertilized yet this year (waiting for May). I love all the ingredients in the all-in-one. It's tough to find a product that has all the ingredients it does in one...Using my Ortho Dial N Spray it foamed up quite a bit (ALS) and I was wondering if even anything was coming out at some points. That can be the frustrating thing with using liquids. I'm going to use a different sprayer this year (going to try the sprayer on the Backyard Cutter mosquito spray or a Spectracide sprayer). It works great and I love the spray pattern. If I find it's still frustrating or the app rate doesn't quite work, I will just use my pump sprayer.


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## bmw (Aug 29, 2018)

Decided to blanket spray yesterday (4/16) with Fertliome Weed Free Zone. Love this stuff. Applied around 10am when it was 60 degrees and the high was 70. So the weeds baked pretty much all day and I should see results by tomorrow. That's the beauty of this stuff. It works all the way down to 45 degress due to the Carfentrazone. The low last night was about 46. All of my purslane, clover, chickweed, geranium, ground ivy should be in some serious pain right now, haha.

Professional spreader sticker:







Here is a look at some are areas that my kids and I cleared out with some raking and hand pulling of tons of weeds. I am seeing some good runners that will hopefully spread and fill in well by end of summer.


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## bmw (Aug 29, 2018)

First fertilizer app today! I was patient and waited until May (well almost). I used a 15-0-15 from Woerner Landscape that is a blend manufactured by Harrell's for them. It's a pretty blend:







I also lightly sprayed some Natures Lawn 14-0-7 over the top of it which contains some Humic, Kelp, fish, ALS and beneficial bacteria.



Looking forward to results from these apps. No more N til July. I plan on applying some 0-0-53 potassium sulfate around Memorial Day.


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## bmw (Aug 29, 2018)

Sprayed some Atrazine on May 1 and now look at the poa annua and lespedeza... nice results:


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## bmw (Aug 29, 2018)

Sprayed some 0-0-53 SOP from Greenway Biotech. Water soluble and worked well. I'm seeing some good fill in this year. The brown bare spots you see here I spread some peat moss so the stolons hopefully have something to latch onto. It's looking pretty healthy right now, getting a good mix of rain and sun. Should see the brown area fill in by end of summer hopefully


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## stevenjmclark (Sep 25, 2019)

What kind of rate did you mix with that SOP? I need to give my yard some potassium as it showed as deficient in my last soil test. Have been giving it some 15-0-15 but I know it needs a little boost. How was your experience with Greenway?

Looks like things are filling in nicely!


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## bmw (Aug 29, 2018)

@stevenjmclark Thanks, I did their recommended rate for foliar: 2-3 TB per gallon of water. I did 6 TB in my 2-gal tank sprayer. I know it's a small amount overall of SOP, but that's the idea especially with foliar feeding and especially w/ Centipede. I may get some XGN 8-1-8 that will get more pounds on the ground of SOP in July.

Their soil recommendation is 2 pounds per 100 sq ft.

It dissolved very well in the tank sprayer. I had no problems with clogging, etc. Since it's such a low rate, I'm going to do it every 2-3 weeks if I have time. Kind of like a supplement.

Also recently sprayed some Micronutrients with hose-end.


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## bmw (Aug 29, 2018)

Just bag mowed at 2". Check out the runners!


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## bmw (Aug 29, 2018)

Had a tree trimming crew come by and do some major work in my backyard. Hired by the power company to trim trees away from power lines so it was all FREE!!! I asked the supervisor how much the work would have been and he said $20-25k. They went to town, cleared out a bunch of limbs and even took down two dead trees for me for free


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## bmw (Aug 29, 2018)

The lush areas of the lawn are looking the best they have ever looked. Haven't been doing much other than mowing and watering. The yard is getting more sun after the tree trimming which appears to definitely help. My annual chamberbitter infestation has yet to appear so I'm hoping it is minimal this year. I'm hoping the atrazine I sprayed back in May will help prevent that. If not I will have to attack with Speedzone Southern.


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## bmw (Aug 29, 2018)

Got back from vacation and mowed 2" and bagged the clippings. Some significant growth for only 1 week and last fertilizer was 5/1.

Applied some Carbon Earth StressX 4-0-25!!! Just in time for mid 90's temps next week. Excited for this stuff on my centipede. I think the 8-1-8 and 4-0-25 products will be perfect for it.

Some general notes I'm seeing: 
I'm not going to be applying Pre-Emergent on the centipede anymore. I did not use any this spring and I am seeing phenomenal growth and lateral spread of the stolons. It is filling in and tacking down on the soil. Check these out:





Also the weather this year has been perfect; the right amount of rain and sun. The centipede is thriving. Look at the lawn now vs earlier this year, haha. I am planning on spraying either atrazine again or 3-way for some weed issues. Chamberbitter has appeared but not near as bad as previous years.

Post mow:


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## BakerGreenLawnMaker (Mar 13, 2018)

You're gonna have the best looking centipede lawn on the forum. Keep it up!


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## The_iHenry (Apr 23, 2019)

bmw said:


> Check these out:


That's awesome! I'm jelly.


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## BermudaBen (Aug 28, 2019)

bmw said:


> Professional spreader sticker:


 :lol: I just recently purchased my first bottle of surfactant, I used non-antibacterial dawn before. I can't really tell the different except for the price.


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## modo brew (May 5, 2020)

bmw said:


> Got back from vacation and mowed 2" and bagged the clippings. Some significant growth for only 1 week and last fertilizer was 5/1.
> 
> Applied some Carbon Earth StressX 4-0-25!!! Just in time for mid 90's temps next week. Excited for this stuff on my centipede. I think the 8-1-8 and 4-0-25 products will be perfect for it.
> 
> ...


Amazing progress. I'm definitely going to be following along this journal. We had centipede seed put down in May at our new property. It's coming in fairly well. We had torrential downpours the first two weeks after seed was put down. The edges of our lawn are THICK! The middle areas, not so much. I'm going to be applying Celsius and sedgehammer next week and hopefully follow that up with some 15-0-15 and humic/fulvic acid. We'll see where it goes from there.


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## bmw (Aug 29, 2018)

Sprayed some Natures Lawn organic Micronutrients and noticed overnight results. A couple of days later applied some more Stress-X 4-0-25. My total N for the year is at .70/1000.



I dug up a rock the size of a basketball back in May and this is what it looks like now!



My chamberbitter problem is much lighter this year. But I am seeing some grassy weeds such as Dallisgrass or Bahia. Think I'm going to spray some 3-way this morning as one last weed control for the year.

Overall I've made some great improvements this season.


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## LawnDrummer (Jan 16, 2019)

bmw said:


> Sprayed some Natures Lawn organic Micronutrients and noticed overnight results. A couple of days later applied some more Stress-X 4-0-25. My total N for the year is at .70/1000.


Good looking centipede! What rate did you apply the micronutrients to your lawn? I'm looking to possibly get that same jug. 
I just ordered some of the SOP 0-0-53 from Greenway BioTech. Looking forward to using that in the lawn this year. I also got some a 50# bag of ammonium sulfate 21-0-0 to use lightly in the lawn once it's fully green. We had lots of rain the past few days and today the grass is looking very green. Still early to do much except treat weeds with Atrazine for now.


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