Spring 2016 Renovation

[OldGlory]

Well I chickened out of doing a Fall Reno because I didn't want my front lawn to be dead in August. It was hit hard by snow mold this winter and never fully recovered but was still green in the areas that came back. It is TTTF so it never completely filled in. I put down dimension but tried adding topsoil and seed to the bare spots but it never fully germinated.

Two weeks ago I did a first round kill with Roundup. It immediately turned cold and I got mixed results. Wednesday morning I laid down a second application of Roundup at double the dose to account for the cooler temps. Yesterday it was 75 so hopefully the grass still has some growing left and will ingest the Roundup and die.

I will be seeding with a Midnight 15%/Bewitched 15%/Blueberry 70% Mix.

I plan on getting a few yards of screened loam to level out some areas and fill in some spots. In the areas with just dead grass I will scalp, seed, then topdress with topsoil or peat. The front and side are about 2500 sq feet but I will have to measure to be sure.

What do you think is the best pre-em for seeding? Tupersan/Siduran or Tenacity/Meso

Should I seed when forsythia blooms, applying the pre-em at that time to control crab grass?

[Jackpine]

Crabgrass germination starts off slow and increases as soil temps rise. Germination actually lags Forsythia bloom by a couple weeks which is why its a good indicator of when to put down Pre-M.

Definitely apply at seed down and then again 30 days post seedling germination to extend the coverage period.

Seed down on my Summer reno this year was around June 4th. Right around the time of initial crabgrass germination. I had almost zero problems with weeds.

[OldGlory]

Thanks Jackpine. What did you use for Pre-em?

[Jackpine]

Thanks Jackpine. What did you use for Pre-em?

Tenacity, third year on the same bottle and still works.

[Green]

You're going to be maxing out your yearly Tenacity apps on that reno, most likely to keep crabgrass pressure down (unless you do Dimension or Barricade sometime between 60 and 90 days after it has fully germinated). Might not also hurt to have some quinclorac post-em for crabgrass on hand for late Summer/early Fall.

I did a Spring 2014 overseed of a late Fall 2013 reno, so I know what this is like. I used Tenacity a couple of times. Was lucky to have very low crabgrass pressure, but I did battle Poa B (yes, B...Poa Bulbosa - http://wric.ucdavis.edu/information/nat ... ulbosa.pdf) in early Spring, which had to be hand pulled. Watering was the most challenging. I did not have irrigation or a sprinkler timer, so I had to hand water every single day for a few months (over 2K area). Sprinklers would've been tedious to set up, move, run, adjust, watch, and take down every day.

Tupersan is a possibility too...using it once might help you to not max out your yearly quota of Mesotrione. Jonathan Green makes a starter fertilizer with Tupersan in it. I have zero experience with Tupersan, though. I hear it only lasts a month or so. And beware it doesn't work on Poa A (but that's more a Fall germinating grass). http://aroundtheyard.com/renovations/to ... 60#p247367

I would seed as early as possible in the Spring, just after any hard freezes are done with. Probably early April in a typical year, but a warm year might allow mid to late March seeding. The earlier, the better, because the roots don't have much time to develop in the Spring.

You might want to consider a biofungicide regimen on that reno area. This is something I've never used, but others here swear by it and have had posted great results. At the very least, if not doing the biofungicide program I'd want to have a chemical fungicide ready to go just in case, or be able to buy it if I needed it. All your watering and fertilizer on the new grass is going to make it easy to get fungal disease next Summer.

Washout from rain is the other thing that can mess with Spring seeding. I had to overseed 4x due to washout the first 3 times. Another reason to start early and have extra seed.

Spring seeding is definitely doable...it just requires some thought. You can always overseed in the Fall if needed.

[Jackpine]

A biofungicide regimen is what I used. Alternating Serenade and Actinovate and if I had to do it again I would combine them.

Early seeding has never worked well for me. IMO better to wait until air and soil temps rise into the range that is more suited for germination. Less chance of heavy rains washing it out as well.

Go with Tenacity rather than Tupersan. Poa A can and will germinate during a summer reno. Granted I don't get the heat waves you guys do because of my location but with the extended daily watering needed it can be a factor. I actually did the 3oz/A x 3 weeks regimen starting the middle of July due to Poa pressure. It helped a great deal and carried me through to 60 days when I put down Dimension.

[OldGlory]

Thanks guys. Any thoughts on screened loam only or 50/50 mix of loam and compost? I am worried about weed pressure from that as well.

[Green]

Thanks guys. Any thoughts on screened loam only or 50/50 mix of loam and compost? I am worried about weed pressure from that as well.

I've never had weed issues from compost based topsoil, but I've had copious junk that has to be hand-removed in unscreened stuff. On the plus side, I do feel like you get more pieces of slightly larger OM in the unscreened though.

How much are you planning to apply? My area was regraded, and then we spread the compost/soil to a depth of 2 inches or so. When I asked Andy if it mattered that there were 2 soil layers, he suggested for my first soil test that I could test both the top layer and the subsoil if I was concerned, which I ended up doing. It allowed him to better recommend what I needed.

Jackpine and I disagree about how early to seed in Spring. My thinking for doing it early is that you could just as easily get big rains that cause washout in May or June...not just April.

[OldGlory]

Any thoughts on dormant seeding? I could throw down some seed now and then topdress in the early spring and use tenacity as a pre-em.

I guess my thoughts are it wouldn't hurt and the dead grass would keep it from washing away. At the worst I would be wasting seed. At the best I would get a head start on the reno.

If seed were covered by an inch of topsoil would it germinate? I will be leveling some areas so soil coverage will be deeper there.

Thanks!

[stephensilva1]

I think an inch will be too much for those seeds. Level everything first and then seed. Then you could lightly top dress with peat moss or compost, no more than 1/4" thick.

[ken-n-nancy]

I agree that an inch of topsoil over the seeds is too much. I think the seeds will germinate, but they won't get up through the inch of soil before running out of oomph, so they'll just die out underground.

[OldGlory]

Thanks. What about dormant seeding the other areas do you think it is worth it?

[OldGlory]

I scalped the front and left side bagging up all the dead grass. I used my seed to dormant seed the area knowing I will be adding a thin layer of 50/50 mix in the spring and leveling out a couple of spots. I will reseed the leveled out areas in the spring. I used 60/40 mix of Blueberry and Midnight.

I mulched the last of the leaves in the back and right side lawns and ran the mower dry.

[OldGlory]

Some of the dormant seeds have sprouted and I am getting some green. I filled in the low spots with screened loam and topdressed the rest of the lawn. Just enough to allow the dormant seedlings to poke through. I dropped 80/20 mix of Blueberry and Midnight April 23rd. Used Tupersan as a Pre-em. Have been watering and the rain this week has been awesome though temps have been a little low in the high 40s low 50s.

Will post some pics later. Once I can walk on it and the little guys are growing I will apply milo.

[OldGlory]

A few pics of my Reno from a couple of weeks ago. Coming in more slowly than I would like. Stupid drought.








[ Post made via iPhone ]

[OldGlory]

Reno is coming along. A few bare patches where the sprinklers don't reach. The drought is stressing me out. I had put down some Jonathan Green with Tupersan in April but I am still getting a ton of weeds.

I have mowed at least four times so I assumed it was safe to apply Tenacity. I blanket sprayed at a teaspoon per 2 gallons. I will spot spray in 10 days.

[probasesteal]

What are normal summer highs in your area?

[ Post made via Android ]

[OldGlory]

July and August can reach 90's. Usually average in the 80's.

[OldGlory]

Some pics










[ Post made via iPhone ]

[OldGlory]

Its been only a few days and the crabgrass is starting to turn white. Hopefully the tenacity will take it out.