Another New Guy

Kentucky bluegrass, Fescue, Rye and Bent, etc
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Pway
Posts: 771
Joined: May 29th, 2014, 5:42 pm
Location: Piscataway NJ
Grass Type: Northern Mix
Lawn Size: 20000-1 acre
Level: Some Experience

Another New Guy

Post by Pway » May 29th, 2014, 6:09 pm

Hi everyone. I came across this site a month or so ago and have learned a tremendous amount since. Many thanks to the members and especially Andy and mods. So a bit of background on my yard. I have a bit more than an acre in total, about 25,000 square feet is grass. I have a mix of sun and shade with a dozen or so mature oaks and assorted other trees. The house was build in 1958 so that's when the lawn started. We have a northern mix from Scotts seed over the years. Need to get a new soil sample done but my hand gauge has the soil on the acidic side for part of the yard (and I have some moss). Mostly sandy loam. Had grub problems last year (didn't do the PM or Bayer killer) and that caused some problems. Put an irrigation system in about 18 months ago and have since learned the hard way to water more in depth and less frequently. Biggest lawn problems are Poa Annua, crab grass, quack grass, creeping Charlie, wild violet, wild onion, and chickweed. Put Pendimethalin down mid April, with broad coverage of Triclopyr a week later and then a spot spray of Triclopyr today. The first application hit the Charlie and chickweed some but thought a follow up was needed. Unfortunately I have lots of Poa Annua which is now dying a bit so I'll have patches. I guess I have to PM around Labor Day? I had hoped to overseed then but based on many on this forum, it sounds like I have to bite the bullet and PM so I thought I'd do that on the parts of the yard with the Poa Annua and overseed the rest. Does that make sense if I'm careful to not get the PM where I want to seed? Should I use Pendimethalin for this or something else like Bensuldeor?

I've just learned from you folks that weed & feed combos aren't the way to go. I have that already in my possession so I wonder if I can use that as the fertilizer now or in a week or so although I just did the spot Triclopyr?

I've just learned about some of the elite KBG cultivars you guys have (Blueberry, Bewitched) and would love to overseed with that but wonder if it is a waste with my mix and also if the dark green would stand out too much since my mix is more of a moderate green (except for the annua!)

Sorry for rambling but wanted to jump on board.

StayOffMyLawn
Posts: 495
Joined: May 15th, 2013, 8:08 pm
Location: Southeastern Ma.
Grass Type: Some Northern Mix
Lawn Size: Not Specified
Level: Not Specified

Re: Another New Guy

Post by StayOffMyLawn » May 29th, 2014, 6:41 pm

Welcome to the site pway!
There are many opinions regarding overseeding/renovating, and I'm thinking you'll hear both sides shortly.
A soil sample would help the fine crew here help steer you correctly, REGARDLESS of which way you go, as soil is the largest part of a really good lasting lawn.
Hang on!

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HoosierLawnGnome
Posts: 9591
Joined: May 22nd, 2013, 5:59 pm
Location: Indianapolis, Indiana
Grass Type: Blueberry KBG
Lawn Size: 1 acre-2 acre
Level: Advanced

Re: Another New Guy

Post by HoosierLawnGnome » May 29th, 2014, 10:34 pm

Your biggest battle in that weed mix will be quack grass. That stuff is the devil.

Triclopyr is going to take care of most of that stuff you mentioned, so keep at it with repeat applications every 10 days for 3 applications. I'm assuming you're spot spraying there.

Play your cards right and all you'll have to deal with this fall is poa annua and quackgrass. Get a good preM down for the poa annua.

Is the quackgrass an infestation or just a plant here and there? We just had a big long thread on it - I've been fighting my quackgrass in my renovation.

Welcome aboard - and do a lot of reading - search is your friend!

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Jason1604
Posts: 842
Joined: July 5th, 2012, 12:23 pm
Location: Springfield, Illinois
Grass Type: Front: 2016 Reno, Cochise IV, Bullseye, LS100 TTTF.
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Re: Another New Guy

Post by Jason1604 » May 29th, 2014, 10:52 pm

Pway wrote: Does that make sense if I'm careful to not get the PM where I want to seed? Should I use Pendimethalin for this or something else like Bensuldeor?
I have had luck overseeding in the fall using Scotts for Seeding which contains the same active ingredient as Tenacity. It will give you a few weeks of pre-m protection while still allowing seed to germinate. Others may chime in, but after your seedlings have been mowed, you could go in with Halts (pendimethalin) w/o fertilizer to solidify your pre-m against poa.

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HoosierLawnGnome
Posts: 9591
Joined: May 22nd, 2013, 5:59 pm
Location: Indianapolis, Indiana
Grass Type: Blueberry KBG
Lawn Size: 1 acre-2 acre
Level: Advanced

Re: Another New Guy

Post by HoosierLawnGnome » May 29th, 2014, 10:54 pm

Yeah, you can apply a "real" preM after you overseed in the fall of course - it saved me from a lot of weeds this spring when I did it last fall. You just have to follow the wait times on the label. They're all a little different.


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ericgautier
Posts: 2075
Joined: August 27th, 2013, 1:27 pm
Location: Middlesex County, NJ
Grass Type: Front/Sides: Blueberry Monostand Back: TTTF+KBG
Lawn Size: Not Specified
Level: Not Specified

Re: Another New Guy

Post by ericgautier » May 30th, 2014, 9:16 am

Welcome Pway! Sounds like you are off to a good start. Definitely plan on getting a soil test done. That will help the lawn tremendously. Can you tell us what your mowing strategy is like? What fertilizers do you use now?

Pway
Posts: 771
Joined: May 29th, 2014, 5:42 pm
Location: Piscataway NJ
Grass Type: Northern Mix
Lawn Size: 20000-1 acre
Level: Some Experience

Re: Another New Guy

Post by Pway » May 30th, 2014, 5:43 pm

Thanks for the welcome, folks! Hoosier, the quack grass problem is really minor, with the bigger issue ppoa annua and Charlie. Jason, good idea with the toupees an and seeding then following with stronger pm after seeding. I didn't think of that and thought I wouldn't be able to seed this fall. Eric, I mow mostly with a push Troy built mulcher unless I am lazy and then ride the John Deere. It's a tractor and wish I had purchased a zero, oh we'll. I cut at 3 or 3.5. Unfortunately, I'm just learning about fertilizer from you folks now. I have some Scott's step 2 and 3 , which I am leading isn't the best. I can't find plain halts, only with the fertilizer and pm. I'll have to look elsewhere. Do you think I can put down step 2 since I just did the weed killer?

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CTShoreGuy
Posts: 2261
Joined: August 30th, 2009, 1:11 pm
Location: Coastal
Grass Type: Elite TTTF & KBG
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Level: Not Specified

Re: Another New Guy

Post by CTShoreGuy » May 30th, 2014, 6:02 pm

Get some pix up!!! And WELCOME to the Looney Bin! :hello:

Pway
Posts: 771
Joined: May 29th, 2014, 5:42 pm
Location: Piscataway NJ
Grass Type: Northern Mix
Lawn Size: 20000-1 acre
Level: Some Experience

Re: Another New Guy

Post by Pway » June 4th, 2014, 9:06 am

Thanks for the welcome CT. I'll have to figure out how to post pictures, sounds stupid but I just haven't done it before. By way of update, I'm reasonably pleased that much of the poa annua has died or at least is less visible and the KBG seems to be crowding it out. This is especially the case in the back by the patio and less so in the front by the walk.

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ericgautier
Posts: 2075
Joined: August 27th, 2013, 1:27 pm
Location: Middlesex County, NJ
Grass Type: Front/Sides: Blueberry Monostand Back: TTTF+KBG
Lawn Size: Not Specified
Level: Not Specified

Re: Another New Guy

Post by ericgautier » June 4th, 2014, 9:28 am

3"-3.5" mulch mowing is good! Keep doing that. Mulch leaves as well (if you don't already). Anything you can recycle back to the lawn is good in the long run. I'm actually in the process of selling my JD rider for a Z-turn. Hehe.

For Pre-M, I like to use Dimension 0-0-7 which can be purchased at John Deere Landscapes. The one I go to is in Edison (40 Brunswick Ave, Edison, NJ 08817-2589 Phone: (732) 248-8979).

For fertilizer, I like OceanGro (http://www.ocua.com/OceanGro).

As Jason mentioned, if you plan to overseed this Fall, you can use the Scotts w/ pre-m (http://www.scotts.com/smg/goprod/starte ... 48/7800017). I'll probably do the same come this fall. Then apply Dimension after the overseeded grass has had time to grow for a longer pre-m.

Pway
Posts: 771
Joined: May 29th, 2014, 5:42 pm
Location: Piscataway NJ
Grass Type: Northern Mix
Lawn Size: 20000-1 acre
Level: Some Experience

Re: Another New Guy

Post by Pway » June 4th, 2014, 9:44 am

Eric, thanks for the info. And good for you on the zero turn. I should do that too. I partially bought the JD tractor because I have a DR leave vacuum that I love and thought the tractor would be better to pull it but I guess the zeros have two bars--bad research on my part.....

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