Adventures With PGR

[oze]

Hey folks! I have been applying generic Primo Maxx to my lawn this summer, and have been very pleased with how well it works.

Unfortunately, shortly after my most recent application (1/2 ounce per gallon rate on June 11th), I noticed some tell-tale baby powder-looking areas which told me that I had a infestation of powdery mildew. This in spite of applications of Serenade starting in April. I know I should have spotted the indication sooner and not hit the lawn with the last dose of PGR, but somehow, I missed it. I now have some pretty widespread brown areas.

However, the good news is that the areas that were not treated with PGR this last time (both intentional test areas and also as a result of poor spraying technique ), the lawn is lush and green, without a hint of fungal damage. This gives me hope that the rest of the lawn will also grow out of its fungal funk as the effects of the PGR wear off.

I guess that this is the rare post from me that is not posing a question, but maybe someone can take what happened to me as a precautionary tale.

[Tony alony]

Hey oze, glad to see you're still doing good things on your lawn. Insofar as you may be having a small amount of trouble right now, who doesn't ? Hot weather is killing me!
Avoid disasters, since you're not a novice, and hang in there; keep on doing the best practices and not anything out of the ordinary. You know what to do! Keep us posted on your progress.

[oze]

Thanks, Tony. The effects pf the PGR are wearing off, and I can definitely see green where there was none before. I'm afraid that I will be mowing every 3-4 days again, but I'm sure fine with that. We've had a fairly normal Spring/early Summer in terms of rain, and I have been irrigating if it has been more than a week since an inch fell. Since I overseeded last August, I have some grass that is less than a year old, and don't want to stress it just yet.

Also, I am glad to say that I have resisted all temptation to bring out the heavy anti-fungal guns (eg Daconil), and have stayed the course with Serenade and phosphite.

[Tony alony]

Keep the faith Oze. The organic approach is just as good as any other. Whatever program you use will encounter a temporary success or a setback, simply because humans can't control everything we put our hands on.

[Tony alony]

Oze, quick question for you. Do you plan on using PGR's again? The reason I ask is; assuming the varied conditions of different growing seasons from year to year, that may require different approaches, would you ever use PGR'S again, if climate and conditions are different? I'm trying to find out if the same practices are "gospel" every year. In other words, what was good for the lawn last year, should be used ad infinItum? So, what I'm assuming again, is that every new season brings about a new stand of grass plants? How would you handle it?

[Billybob]

Good question Tony......I wonder same thing. A summer with a lot of rain and high humidity could increase fungal issues which in turn would have a hard time growing out.

[oze]

Scratching my head on this one, guys. I have thought of the same thing that you both have mentioned, and haven't decided yet. I think I will limit myself to a couple of less-than-full rate PGR apps next Spring, and stop after that. Oh, and work on my spraying techniques.

[seiyafan]

For my spring reno the grass is hungry for food but excessive top growth is not ideal in July so I dropped milo and applied PGR.