How 'bout it Transition zone?

[bernstem]

Fall in the transition can be crazy for the grass. I think it is also particularly tough. The soil and air temps stay a touch too high for good growth and spreading when the days are still long. Once the air and soil temps drop, though, the days are short and the grass begins to get starved for light. Ironically, though the winter is shorter, I think we actually have a more difficult time with getting the turf to recover in the fall from the summer damage/stress. Factor in more summer heat/stress then those up north and it is a double hit.

About the only upside is that our spring starts earlier and seems to be a bit better for the turf.

[smast16]

Once the air and soil temps drop, though, the days are short and the grass begins to get starved for light.

I'm still cutting at 4" to help with less light. Snow mold is a non issue for me, so i don't plan on lowering the HOC any.
I have a section of yard up by the street that during the summer it's baked all day long with no shade relief. By the time Oct. rolls around and the soil temps start dropping into the 60's the sun has dropped low enough in the sky to where its behind the neighbors trees, and this area is shaded all day long. Thankfully in early spring time the sun is getting higher and stronger, but still behind the trees, but these trees have not set leaves yet and the area gets good sun to grow.

[Green]

Bernstem,

We have a similar issue where I live in the North, but a bit different. Usually, September is too hot for urea through 3/4 of the month in my area. Often, there's also drought between August and October, which doesn't help. By the time you're in October, the conditions are really good for growing grass...except that on the North side, there's no more daylight left...just shadows right behind the house or deck, so the grass in those areas struggles. It doesn't help that that those are the same areas where people pile snow in the Winter when shoveling decks and walkways, so they get Winter damage. And then those areas are the slowest to wake up in the Spring because of the shadows again. I had a rust outbreak in such an area, and didn't treat it until October. It's recovering, but barely. It's a struggle deciding whether to leave the grass higher or cut it lower in those areas this time of year.

Summer stress is also a huge issue. Even though we have fewer days over 90 than you guys do, if coupled with drought, that heat stress wrecks the grass. This year, the drought was persistent into October, so there were brow lawns until about a week ago. Since then, we have gotten about 8 inches of rain in a week (after being about 8 inches behind).

That said, temperatures are usually cooperative enough to get in at least 4 weekly urea applications, starting the third week of September, and ending in mid October. On the South side, as long as drought isn't an issue, the grass grows really nicely from the beginning of October until end of October (which is when it starts slowing a little bit).

I'm currently inland in CT. I have family near the coast. Their first frost isn't until early November, so lawns in that area have an extra 2-3 weeks of urea treatments available if needed.

How many weekly urea treatments do you get the opportunity to do with the usual weather patterns in your area until average frost date?

[bernstem]

I don't do a weekly Urea Program. I do Milorganite at 1.2 lbs Nitrogen/M every two weeks and don't stress it if I miss an application. I try to get in at least three fall applications (I can usually get in 4). This year I only got two in because of other stuff (the lawn got relatively neglected in general). I also stop at average first frost (end of October) regardless of what it looks like the actual frost date will be.

Here in St. Louis, we can easily get 2-3 weeks of 90+ temps. That comes coupled with 80%+ Humidity. We didn't cool off enough to really start pushing the turf until the first week in September.

[Green]

We only get about 15-20 days 90 or higher on average per year, and we dont always break 95 every Summer...though it occasionally breaks 100. Also, we don't get an overwhelming number of days with South-Florida style Summer humidity (say, 75% or higher relative humidity with dew points 70 or higher). I'm sure you guys get double the number. Thats the good news. It means fungal disease like Brown patch is typically manageable here. The bad news is the daily high soil temps seem to stay around 90 in August, resulting in more stress than you would expect on a slightly less warm day. This past Summer was more humid than usual, so I'm glad I did Serenade. I had virtually no Brown Patch. First time that has happened. It must havw been the Serenade making the difference.

Unlike in your area, I can throw down low rates of Milorganite anytime I want except from the beginning of July to mid or late August.

[LouisvilleGrubber]

Our forecast low Sunday night was 37. I happened to check the weather just a I laid my head on my pillow and saw that it was 30 degrees. The forecast was still for a low of 37 by local TV and TWC apps of course. NWS, however, had issued a freeze warning. I shuffled outside in my robe in the cold darkness and got the hoses disconnected and shut down (barehanded, amazingly). I also had to drain the lines to my outdoor kitchen. Warmer temps on the way hopefully I can get some of this seed sprouting...even if it doesn't permanently take. Right now it's all mud on the way to the wood pile. Forecast is for 60s and 70s next week so I may be in luck.

[LouisvilleGrubber]

Bernstem,



Summer stress is also a huge issue. Even though we have fewer days over 90 than you guys do, if coupled with drought, that heat stress wrecks the grass. This year, the drought was persistent into October, so there were brow lawns until about a week ago. Since then, we have gotten about 8 inches of rain in a week (after being about 8 inches behind).

I forgot to mention I tried core aeration this year for this reason (flame suit zipped). My turf roasts every August/September and doesn't fully recover until Spring. I just can't keep up with the watering - especially on hills. (My front hill actually dies off and has to be replanted each Fall). Will this help the water soak in and let the roots "breathe" as advertised elsewhere? I'll issue a full report in a year. I will say, I have my doubts. Desperate times call for desperate measures, I guess. And yes, a sprinkler system would be great, but it's not in the cards this year.

That said, temperatures are usually cooperative enough to get in at least 4 weekly urea applications, starting the third week of September, and ending in mid October. On the South side, as long as drought isn't an issue, the grass grows really nicely from the beginning of October until end of October (which is when it starts slowing a little bit).

I'm currently inland in CT. I have family near the coast. Their first frost isn't until early November, so lawns in that area have an extra 2-3 weeks of urea treatments available if needed.

How many weekly urea treatments do you get the opportunity to do with the usual weather patterns in your area until average frost date?

As stated above I go past the first frost date just so I can get at least 3 N apps in. It's just too hot too start in late Sept or even early October sometimes. I usually do a combo of Milo/Urea/balanced depending on my needs. However I skipped last weekend, but will get some down this weekend and that will be it until the final app late Dec early Jan.

[Green]

LVG,

Makes sense. If most of September is usually too hot here in inland CT for urea, then it stands to reason that at least the whole month is likely too hot where you are. You guys tend to run a good ten degrees higher than us in October. Our areas were of course both hotter than usual this October, as was much of the country. Excellent for growing grass in CT...minus the drought, which ruined everything. The water bill was extreme...there was essentially no rain for at least a month at one point this Fall.

I core aerated some areas, too, in early September, in conjunction with overseeding. I've had it done a few times over the years. It worked out really well overall. Germination and grow-in of the overseeding was much better and faster in those areas. I think peat moss is the best overseeding tool, overall, though...by far...with or without aeration.

[LouisvilleGrubber]

It's beginning to really slow down out there, but she sure is pretty. I've got it cut down nice and short - something I can never manage until it really starts to slow. Temps have been in the 40s up until this week where we saw some 60s. I think I'll be able to get the final app down in December this year and not have to wait until January like last year.

How is everyone else doing?

[Green]

Is it cold enough at night that any of you guys' grass blades get tip browning this time of year? Here in Southern New England, my grass has almost, but not quite stopped growing, but I've been getting tip browning for about the past month while it continued to grow. Typically, my final Winterizer goes down the first week in December, and this year seems like it'll be right on schedule. I bet you guys are 2-8 weeks later, if you even do a final winterizer at all in some areas.

[STL]

This season went fairly well over all. Growth is slowing down. My tttf lawn looked very nice throughout the season, including mostly good in the summer, and it looked the best it ever has in its short life after the aggressive nitrogen this fall. That was a bit short lived though and I'm also getting the browning Green is describing. I also haven't irrigated in at least a month and we haven't had much rain so that's probably playing a role as well. The new kbg reno still looks fantastic though where it's come in well. It needs to fill in some holes but I'm super excited to see it next year.

[RockinMyLawn]

We had a couple of overnight freeze snaps in November & temps were a couple of ° below avg. with nights mostly in the mid to uppder 30's.
So due to those freeze snaps the grass turned blond earlier this year even with the 2 doses of Milo I laid down in October before the pause & the grass didn't grow really fast even with the HOC reduced each cut in November.

A big artic front is expected in the middle of next week down here in Central VA & my irrigation got winterized today,so I decided to winterized with Urea this past Tuesday.

Hopefully I wasn't too early & but winterizing is feel & view anyways.

[redcoat]

Hi everyone,

I had to redo my reseed, and then put 2 lots of Starter + mesotrione down, which I am coming to an end of it's fertilizing N.

I'm here in the Transition zone, and although we've had some nippy spells, the grass is still growing, albeit slower. It'll be 66 tomorrow!

Trying to decide between just carrying on with Milorganite monthly til Spring, or whether I should drop a few doses of Urea.

At what temps does Milo stop breaking down?

[andy10917]

At what temps does Milo stop breaking down?

There is no magic temperature number. Picture that it slows down at roughly the slowdown rate of the lawn growth - maybe a slight bit behind the lawn growth.

[LouisvilleGrubber]

Looks like I won’t be putting the lawn to bed this year. I’ve been gone the past two weekends. I was planning on my final app going down this weekend, but with the extreme cold there is no way to water it in. 10 day forecast calls for more of the same. That will take me well outside the window. Oh well, the grass will survive. Anyone else have a similar situation?

[STL]

Kinda similar. I got it down but it was only a few days before the temps really dropped. I had an extremely busy December and didn't get to mow to check when growth stopped. A few days before Christmas, we got some rain so I put it out that night. Snowed a little the next day, that melted a bit, and then the frigid temps started shortly after. No idea if I was able to hit the window but I tried it anyways.

[bernstem]

I did not get a winterizer app down this year (or last year). The window happened while I was away on vacation. Temps were in the 30s-40s and the grass was still growning. Then the cold snap hit and it plummeted to almost zero. By the time I got back from skiing (the snow was crap), the ground in much of the yard was frozen at the surface.

STL: You probably hit it perfectly. My lawn was still growing the week before Christmas.

It begs the question of how to treat the coming spring? Do you risk an early application and the issues that can come of it, do you trust in the nutrient reserves in your soil, or do you do something else.

For what it matters, my lawn is still alive and the best in the neighborhood - even without winterizer. I think the winter is short enough in the transition zone it is less critical. I expect to be back to lawn care in 2-3 months with the first cleanup mow of the 2018 season. It is coming. I also hope to be better with pictures as I slacked a lot this year.

[probasesteal]

I've got Poa annua flowering by the sidewalk. Complete Reno last fall and there was digging in this area, so not surprised.

New yard, same old problem

[weigojmi]

Whats everyone doing with fertilizer in the spring/summer? Last year I didn't even put milo down until the fall and I seem no worse for wear...

[LouisvilleGrubber]

Whats everyone doing with fertilizer in the spring/summer? Last year I didn't even put milo down until the fall and I seem no worse for wear...

I usually wake her up with some milo and then work on my amendments in late spring. As noted my nitrogen got cut short last season so I may go a little heavier on N if it looks necessary. I have a feeling it will be growing just fine though.