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Bmossin Journal

13K views 63 replies 12 participants last post by  Necrosis 
#1 ·
I have been lurking around long enough, so I figure I would finally start one of these...mainly to keep everything documented that I have done and remember what does and does not work...

We moved to the Dallas area in 2016...before that had been in Cincinnati and had a mix of TTTF and Kentucky Bluegrass. I started out with a rough lawn up there but after watching some of the Youtube guys as well as reading a book called "Lawn Geek" by Trey Rogers. He was nice enough that I was able to email him a couple times with questions early on.

May 2013 Ohio


April 2016 Ohio


While there I got my lawnmower, a trusty TroyBilt 21inch, as well as the ever popular Scott's spreader and then things got serious and I picked up a Ryan Aerator off of craigslist. The neighbors thought I was nuts until everyone wanted to borrow it in the fall for their overseed.

2016 brought us to the Dallas area for work...and I knew jack about warm season grass. The lawn had been less than taken care of, and I figured I would pull off a reno in that spring. I wish I knew then what I know now.

April 2016 Dallas


I hit everything with roundup a couple times...then hit it with a Mantis cultivator north, south, east and west...then again in reverse. In the Late April 2016 in Dallas I planted Texas Bluegrass blend and TTTF.



It didn't make it. It came up great, by the middle of June though I was facing issues with Fungus and you name it.

I emailed with a Texas Extension office, and learned/realized my mistakes.

Here come renovation number two...wife was PISSED.

Killed off everything again and planted Blackjack Bermuda from seed. It came in really well. I was amazed grass could grow so well in the heat. It was awesome.

June and July of 2016

June 30, 2016






July 12 2016



After doing some more reading, I ended up getting a 7blade push reel mower and maintained as low as I could with that. I could not believe how well this grass would do with fertilizer and keeping it mowed low. I was hooked.

I missed my striping action though...I had a Checkmate roller that was not getting any love any more...and neither was the rotary mower.

Fall of 2016 through Spring of 2017 I put down PRG...it looked sweet...and striped well...

March 1, 2017




In true fashion, I could not leave good enough alone. The transition from PRG back to Bermuda was not going fast enough, and I was not happy with how long it was taking. And I had not done nearly as much educating myself on warm season grass, even though I had a season under my belt.

Renovation number 3 2017...amazingly still married...she really loves me.

I did not take a lot of pictures from that time period...in fact I can not find any. At one point we had a pretty solid hail storm and needed the roof replaced. Then was when I worked on the turf. That June I put down a pallet of Celebration because we were having a birthday party and I needed something for the water games to be played on for our 1 year old...along with the celebration I seeded some Princess 77, Yukon, Rivera and whatever Blackjack I had left. I cringe as I typed that whole last sentence. Looking back I wish I would have invested the money in sod for the whole area...someday.

2017-2018 Pictures

2017 was much more of a learning year. I did not overseed PRG that fall, so the bermuda that came back in 2018 would not have to fight it.





























2018 I got a lot more serious about my chemicals and practices. Read the Bermuda Bible and learned about the triangle...read a lot of journals from people on this site...as I read their stories it was fun to look back and think, "I've done that, or wish I had done that."

2018 I learned how awesome Celsius is. It is worth every penny. How awesome urea is, and how it can PUSH PUSH PUSH to the promised land.

I also stepped up my equipment game. Got a cheap McLane off of craigslist...put a roller on it, a predator motor and went to town. It also got a new bed knife as well as a back-lapping. I still don't know if my reel to bed knife is set correctly, because i feel it is a pain...but it cut. I also ended up buying a catcher for it. I am now into it for a lot more than I would ever get out of it.
Because I am crazy, I picked up an aerator again. I had sold the one from Ohio when we moved to Texas. I couldn't pass up on the deal. Just put a new carb on it the other day, and it runs like a champ again.





Enter 2019

March was an exciting month, I found a greensmower or two online. The day I finalized it with shipping and sent the cash to a golf course back in Ohio, we had our third baby girl. That morning I was buying a greensmower, that afternoon I had a new daughter. It was fun explaining to my wife why I had to leave the hospital at midnight two days later to go meet the Uship delivery at our house to unload two pieces of machinery. I picked up a John Deere 180B and 180C.

I ended up keeping the 180C and sold the 180B to another member here on the forum. I ended up changing the bed knife on it as well, then a member got me in contact with the guy at our course and he picked it up to service it this.









April 5 2019


Some pictures of the turf over the past couple months...it is slowly getting better....I am hitting it with 1-1.5N per month as well as on my second app of PGR...my first time doing that...which I now see why everyone loves it.









I also picked up a sunjoe dethatcher/scarifier...it is awesome...I could probably use this for sprigs...







My upcoming plans...4 yards of sand ideally June 14...level some of my areas that are not nearly as flat as they need to be for my greens mower to do and cut like I want it to...and to help with the drainage when the water toys have to come out...

Current state of affairs...











Thanks for reading and watching...love the input and constructive criticism is always welcome.
 
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#52 ·
Cut the front again. I'm really kicking myself. I wish I would have trimmed my front tree in the spring, then the turf would have had all spring and summer to fill in. Now the way the sun is I'm getting a lot of afternoon shade.

Front still cut pretty good. Right below one inch in height. Still under regulation. Trying to decide when to scalp it down, aerate and overseed with rye. We are still in the 90s for the next week at least.

The back I basically scalped the heck out of. Work has been keeping me busy so the lawn goes on the back burner.

I also have this corner where my fence comes together that I am getting some Mondo grass growing but it is being attached by some spurge. I know I need to get in there and pull it out. It looks like I can use prodiamine as a preemergent for the mondo grass. Any advice on what I could spray for post emergence weed and not hurt the mondo grass?











 
#55 ·
After I got the seed down I was basically out of town for two weeks. We left for a wedding, then got back and the next afternoon I left for GIE. Had the pleasure of meeting @Ware @wardconnor and @OD on Grass. All awesome guys and was a pleasure to meet them.

In the meantime the rye was growing in slowly and I came across a McLane to pick up again for the backyard as the John Deere is too much of a pain with the fence posts and swing set. Ordered a grooved roller for it and a new plug, air filter and will need to do a backlap for sure if not get it a grind.

The back is only Bermuda and I will not overseed with Rye. The green is still hanging in there. I took these 10/26.







 
#56 ·
Today got an awesome cut on the front with a different pattern than I had done before. Height is going to be at 3/4 going forward ideally.

Later tonight the neighbors came over and the guy was telling is wife to take her shoes off and feel the grass. Biggest compliment I feel I can get when they stop over just to say they want to see it. Had the kids playing on it and enjoying it remind me of why I spend the time on it I do.

Hopefully the dragon doesn't do any scorching in the next couple days!















 
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