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Bermuda Triangle

110K views 262 replies 91 participants last post by  GaryDFW 
#1 ·
There any many roads to Dallas, but one of the best approaches for weed control in warm season grasses, even in the heat of summer, with the cheapest cost per application, is:


And here is how it works:


In the Bermuda Triangle, you'll want:

1) A good pre-emergent like Prodiamine [Label] or Dithiopyr [Label].
2) Certainty for sedges. [Label] (Use the Marketplace forum and split Outrider for more savings.)
3) Celsius for all the rest. [Label]. Try buying it here, here, here, or here.

That's it. There are no temperature restrictions on any of the items listed in the Bermuda Triangle.

4) Get a decent sprayer wand to apply the chemicals.
5) Use a $10 gram scale to weigh out your doses.
6) Apply off brand RoundUp: glyphosate [Label] with a paint brush on anything that survives the Triangle, or use Precision Gel.

Depending on how large your lawn is and how bad your infestations are, the price per app with these chemicals is much cheaper than big box store options. That's really all you need. Eventually, your weed pressure will drop so far you can give your leftover herbicides to a friend or neighbor.

The initial investment is steep, but will pay for itself in time, while allowing you to put down less chemicals and have fewer weeds than with hose end applications from box stores.

dfw
 
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#2 ·
dfw_pilot said:
The best approach for weed control in warm season grasses, even in the heat of summer, with the cheapest cost per application, is:

The Bermuda Triangle


And here is how it works:


In the Bermuda Triangle, you'll want:

1) A good pre-emergent like Prodiamine [Label] or Dithiopyr [Label].
2) Certainty for sedges. [Label]
3) Celsius for all the rest. [Label]

That's it. There are no temperature restrictions on any of the items listed in the Bermuda Triangle.

Depending on how large your lawn is and how bad your infestations are, the price per app with these chemicals is much cheaper than big box store options. Invest in a decent sprayer wand for your sprayer for accurate applications, and a small gram scale for accurate doses. That's really all you need. You can always add some cheap glyphosate and a paint brush for something that survives the Bermuda Triangle. Eventually, your weed pressure will drop so far you can give your leftover herbicides to a friend or neighbor.

The initial investment is steep, but will pay for itself in time, while allowing you to put down less chemicals and have fewer weeds than with hose end applications from box stores.

dfw
Good information I will invest in those products.
 
#3 ·
Since Celsius WG is no longer available on the site linked above, does anyone have any experience w/ their alternative suggestion, Blindside?

Btw, just joined this site last week. I have learned a great deal in the last week. Have a long way to go before I get to the level of you guys.

I sense a great deal of humility, kindness and comradery on this site. I am really happy to have stumbled onto this site. Now having said that... my wife and employer might not be as happy as I am.
 
#5 ·
drlushin said:
Since Celsius WG is no longer available on the site linked above, does anyone have any experience w/ their alternative suggestion, Blindside?

Btw, just joined this site last week. I have learned a great deal in the last week. Have a long way to go before I get to the level of you guys.

I sense a great deal of humility, kindness and comradery on this site. I am really happy to have stumbled onto this site. Now having said that... my wife and employer might not be as happy as I am.
Here is some for $105.95 delivered from Lawn & Pest Control Supply. There is also some on eBay right now for $105 delivered.

We have a great group here - glad you found us! :thumbup:
 
#7 ·
From a cost angle per application, I think dfw_pilot is spot on.

However, I couldn't help myself and wanted to have a better handle in terms of what wasn't going to be picked up by the aforementioned Bermuda Triangle. The main category that kind of sneaks by is post-emergent control of grass-like weeds. With that being said, hopefully the pre-em controls most of them, if they are annuals.

As a result I wanted to know if there was a substitute for any leg of the triangle that would broaden coverage, still be cost effective, and be safe to apply no matter the temp.

TL;DR - The best alternative I found was replacing Certainty with Monument to pick up a few additional grass-like weeds, but it's going to cost more.

I also didn't want to sacrifice sedge control for the grass like weed control. For sedge control, I looked at several different university studies to see which products stood out. The contenders to me were either Monument or Certainty. In terms of cost per application, Certainty is a better value in price for app vs Monument at pricing, as of July 1st 2017. Certainty came out to $2.09 or $3.32 per application, depending on the rate, and Monument was $4.60 per application.

Reading the labels, there are a few grass-like weeds that aren't picked up by a mixture of Celsius and Certainty, such as smooth crab grass, signal grass, rescue grass, and torpedo grass. With that being said, the tank mix of Celsius and Monument or a tank mix of Celsius and Certainty could both be equally effective at controlling all the aforementioned weeds, even though they aren't listed on the label, I just haven't tried first hand.

I don't want to be in a situation where I have a bunch of different 1/2 Gallon bottles of herbicide where I've used 6 oz.

I bought a house where the lawn hadn't been maintained in at least a decade.

For my own personal use, I've use a hose end sprayer for a broadcast of a three-way (2,4-D, Dicamba, and then something like MCPA). Afterwards, I put down a DImension (dithiopyr) pre-em for the next season and started using Celsius to spot spray for weeds.

The only other thing I'd considered was doing a broadcast of quinclorac to go after the grass-like weeds hiding in my yard. Currently, I have yet to go that route and have stuck with hand brushing with glyphosate when I discover them.
 
#9 ·
Redtenchu said:
Movingshrub said:
...I wanted to know if there was a substitute for any leg of the triangle that would broaden coverage, still be cost effective, and be safe to apply no matter the temp...
I don't want to speak for DFW, but my simple answer is Nope. It's simple, and it works.
That was my conclusion as well. If someone wanted to spend a bit extra per application, monument in lieu of certainty would pick up a few extra grass-like weeds and still be temp friendly. Also, I think monument is limited to only some warm season grasses.
 
#10 ·
"The only other thing I'd considered was doing a broadcast of quinclorac to go after the grass-like weeds hiding in my yard. Currently, I have yet to go that route and have stuck with hand brushing with glyphosate when I discover them."

I would never broadcast spray quinclorac. Combined with a NIS or MSO you will get heavy bleaching of your turf that takes weeks to heal.
 
#11 ·
This may have already been answered, but can we definitively say that Certainty does not have temperature restrictions for bermuda, similar to Celsius? I don't see anything on the label, but didn't know if anyone had first hand experience, and I have yet to use it in the heat of the summer in GA.

I was fairly certain this was true, but I told my neighbor I would find out before I gave him a solid answer.
 
#12 ·
CH-Johnson said:
can we definitively say that Certainty does not have temperature restrictions for bermuda, similar to Celsius?
There are no temperature restrictions on the Bermuda Triangle. I've used the Celsius/Certainty combo for two years now in 100°F+ with no problems. If there really were temperature restrictions, it'd be pretty mean of me to post otherwise. :cool:

The label lists none, and I take it at its word. There may be some yellowing afterward. This may be caused by the grass already being weak due to external reasons like poor cultural practices or using a poor application method. The grass may be weakened, but the weeds will die.
 
#14 ·
Can Celsius and Certainty be tanked mixed effectively? I don't think the labels say they can, but I have seen a couple of posts elsewhere that suggest some professionals do it. I do have some areas of widespread outbreaks of both broadleaf and sedge, and probably need to start with a broadcast app over the whole yard once I invest in a good sprayer.
 
#16 ·
Movingshrub said:
I bought a house where the lawn hadn't been maintained in at least a decade.
I'm in the same boat. My yard has been neglected by my own hand, along with lack of putting any pre-e down, or just proper maintenance. I'm seeing the benefits already by putting down one app of Celsius WG, and taking off a lot of the pressure from the weeds that were all over the lawn. What normally took me 3 hours to edge, trim, mow and blow I completed in 45 minutes... for the 2nd time this week. It's nice to be able to enjoy the mow, and not dread it.

The only other trouble weeds that I can see in any great amount right now is Goosegrass, and Green Kyllinga. I probably have a few other very persistent weeds that I've overlooked, but I'm sure that when I get with the program to put down my pre-emergents, I'll be moving along further to get to overseeding and lawn levelling.
 
#17 ·
How about goose grass? Any grass weed types, does Celsius kill them off?

I'm starting to use Trimec for broads and glyphosate for the rest. Sedges, goose grass, crab and so on get some glyphosate. I don't have Celsius in my arsenal. Getting yellow spots due to heat. Might as well glyphosate the tough weeds/grasses.

slomo
 
#18 ·
slomo said:
I'm starting to use Trimec for broads and glyphosate for the rest.
I would encourage you to do what works best for you, but Trimec is a 2,4-D product, so the label advises against use on desirable turfgrass when air temperatures exceed 85F (i.e. today). Glyphosate is part of the Bermuda Triangle, but it's a last resort.

For someone on a solid pre-e plan (the first leg of the Bermuda Triangle), I think they would be hard-pressed to find anything in their lawn (broadleaf or grassy) that Celsius and Certainty or Sedgehammer wouldn't kill. That's why so many of us here use the approach outlined at the top of this page.

slomo said:
Sedges... get some glyphosate.
Many report only marginal control/suppression of mature sedge with glyphosate because it is not thoroughly translocated to the underground tubers.

https://youtu.be/apS9uzSqEiE​
 
#19 ·
I started off with dithiopyr, 2,4-d, sedge hammer, and glyphosate, and am slowly transitioning into the Bermuda Triangle. I've got a section with a bunch of sedges where I am eager to try out Certainity. Also, I am still trying to evaluate granular vs liquid application. Liquid is absolutely a better deal but I want to be able to rotate by chemical method of action, which is a lot easier with granular for me vs having a seven year supply of each liquid pre-em.
 
#20 ·
slomo said:
How about goose grass? Any grass weed types, does Celsius kill them off?

I'm starting to use Trimec for broads and glyphosate for the rest. Sedges, goose grass, crab and so on get some glyphosate. I don't have Celsius in my arsenal. Getting yellow spots due to heat. Might as well glyphosate the tough weeds/grasses.

slomo
After talking to my county extension agent, and having some in-depth conversations with turf professionals, I've decided to go with Dismiss (Sulfentrazone) to handle the goose grass, and the sedge problem(green kyllinga) that I have. I'll let you know the success or failure that I have with that approach. After I get these two dead, I'll be working on my Pre-E applications.
 
#21 ·
Colonel K0rn said:
slomo said:
How about goose grass? Any grass weed types, does Celsius kill them off?

I'm starting to use Trimec for broads and glyphosate for the rest. Sedges, goose grass, crab and so on get some glyphosate. I don't have Celsius in my arsenal. Getting yellow spots due to heat. Might as well glyphosate the tough weeds/grasses.

slomo
After talking to my county extension agent, and having some in-depth conversations with turf professionals, I've decided to go with Dismiss (Sulfentrazone) to handle the goose grass, and the sedge problem(green kyllinga) that I have. I'll let you know the success or failure that I have with that approach. After I get these two dead, I'll be working on my Pre-E applications.
Good call on the Dismiss. I have used it with great success on sedges and goosegrass. Although I can't compare it to Certainty it does far better than Sedgehammer (halosulfuron).
 
#22 ·
Does this same mix also work on cool season grasses like perennial rye? I have that in the front. Also, will the pre-emerge prevent grass seed from germinating if I have some bare spots that need to be filled in?
 
#23 ·
Van, the first post has links to the labels which state that these herbicides will kill cool-season grass. Tenacity is probably the best cool-season equivalent but you'll want to research that further in the cool-season section for the best recommendations based on rye grass.

Pre-emergent will often affect grass seed. I recommend starting a cool-season thread asking when to reseed and how to do it with a pre-m regimen. They have more experience with that type of grass and will give you better answers.
 
#26 ·
kur1j said:
How does Certainty and Celsius compare to quinclorac and Sedge Ender (sulfentrazone+prodiamine)? Both Celsius and Certainty are significantly more expensive than the others. Is there a clear advantage?
Sulfentrazone is the active ingredient in Dismiss, and should kill sedge. Prodiamine is a pre-emergent herbicide, and is to my knowledge ineffective against sedges.

As for the economics, 16oz of Sedge Ender is $17. That's $1.06/oz. The label says the rate is 5.5oz of product to treat 1,000 ft2[/sup], so that's $5.84 per thousand. The 16oz bottle will treat 2,900 ft[sup]2[/sup].

Certainty is $88 for a 1.25oz (35.44g) bottle. That's $2.48/g. The label says the rate for sedges is 0.8g per 1,000 ft[sup]2[/sup], so that's $1.99 per thousand. The 35.44g bottle will treat 44,300 ft[sup]2 at that rate.

In other words, you would need 15+ bottles of Sedge Ender ($260) to treat as much sedge as one bottle of Certainty ($88). So I would argue that when you say "significantly more expensive", it's actually the other way around in this case.

There is definitely more than one way to implement a successful weed control program, but I can assure you there are reasons so many of us use the products outlined at the top of this thread - economics is one of them. :thumbup:
 
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