So how'd the season go for everyone?

Kentucky bluegrass, Fescue, Rye and Bent, etc
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Maizan24
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So how'd the season go for everyone?

Post by Maizan24 » November 18th, 2017, 5:35 pm

Pros, cons, what did you learn, that kind of thing. For me I realized I need to pay attention to fungal issues. I'm still a lawn enthusiast in training so I haven't gotten into preventitives for fungus as well as proper identification. I look at 3 different types of images for lawn fungus on Google and I'm like "yeah that looks like what's going on.....but so does that."

Also am shooting for a front yard reno next season. Been researching seed and am leaning towards prg. Also my front yard especially is very lumpy bumpy so after the planned kill I'd like to level her off so mowing doesn't feel like I'm offroading.

Oh and I also learned that mower blades that aren't sharp enough are a very bad thing. Always thought they were sharp enough but after consistent frayed blades realized this was clearly not the case.

Id give this season a C+. Made some missteps and learned a bit because of them. So let's hear it! Howd we do?

UrbyTuesday
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Re: So how'd the season go for everyone?

Post by UrbyTuesday » November 20th, 2017, 1:21 pm

As a newbie, I also learned a lot of things this season. Among others.

1. BLSC is the bomb. A couple of late season applications have helped a lot in some trouble spots.
2. Patience is a virtue. No more evident than when I went out of town for four days and couldn't believe my eyes when I returned. Learned that eyeballing minute by minute progress is an exercise in futility.
3. Milorganite is some miraculous stuff, spreads like a dream, and smells AWESOME.
4. There is a LOT of misinformation and poor technique practiced among local landscape and yard companies.
5. 25k sq ft is ENTIRELY too much lawn to take care of without having a noticeable impact on one's marriage ; )
6. The threat is real. The fungus threat, that is.
7. The weather is a RIDICULOUS, yet unavoidable variable to deal with. Fall didn't really start here until mid October. Virtually 0 rain in September. Leaves have just started falling heavily in the past week. First frost was this morning - a week later than average. Ideal growing season was crammed into about 4-5 weeks.
8. Bermuda Grass is the devil incarnate and seems to be taking over this entire city (now that I know to look for).
9. Prodiamine, Mesotrione, Triclopyr, Dicamba, and Dithiopyr are not STDs.
10. 46-0-0 is more fun with a hand spreader.
11. Tranny zone grass growing is not for the faint of heart.
12. Blue marker dye, blue dew, and blue dog paws occur concurrently.

There's plenty more. But I gotta get back to work. Overall, I feel like my first season went fairly well. Really looking forward to the spring to see if the work pays off.

JHazzardB
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Re: So how'd the season go for everyone?

Post by JHazzardB » November 20th, 2017, 3:29 pm

I'd actually like to say I'll give myself an A-. It was my first full season with KBG in the front and it stayed alive through the summer. Things I've learned or become accustomed to...

1) Longer the better in summer. I think I only mowed 2 or 3 times from late May to mid August. The taller I could let the yard go the better it seemed to do. Most of the time my yard was around 10" and flopping over. My neighbors thought I was just getting lazy...but I was using 'strategery'.

2) Less is more, unless it's battling fungus. I hardly fertilized this year and never pushed it. I think that helped a lot of my fungal problems of previous years.

luderiffic
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Re: So how'd the season go for everyone?

Post by luderiffic » November 20th, 2017, 5:38 pm

My thin spots failed in an overseeding attempt reno.
Core Aeration was a waste of time, wish I would have bought a yard sweeper for the leaves instead
Overall, my yard is less healthy than it was in the spring
Transition zone blues I guess.

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HoosierLawnGnome
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Re: So how'd the season go for everyone?

Post by HoosierLawnGnome » November 20th, 2017, 5:48 pm

UrbyTuesday wrote:
November 20th, 2017, 1:21 pm
5. 25k sq ft is ENTIRELY too much lawn to take care of without having a noticeable impact on one's marriage ; )
As you stick with it and learn your lawn, you'll figure out how to maximize time and budget for what is worth the time and resources you can apply!

--------------------------------------

I ended strong but it was a long process of filling in thinner areas, killing some fungal outbreaks, and suppressing some weeds. Only really 'problems' left are two patches of quackgrass and a pretty thin area. Sprinklers are not providing good coverage in a few areas - this is probably priority #1 to get the lawn really where I want it next year as the color still not where I want it, particularly when heat stress sets in. I've learned my mowing equipment just doesn't make the lawn look good @ <2" HOC. I'll have to upgrade equipment.


RichS
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Re: So how'd the season go for everyone?

Post by RichS » November 20th, 2017, 7:32 pm

I agree on the lawn area. I focused Milorganite, Boron, Copper, iron spray treatment, and BLSC on the 5K in my front/side/near back. The rest of the back just got the regular fertilizer/urea treatments. And that was enough work as is. The difference is noticeable, but not view-able from the street.

73Chall
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Re: So how'd the season go for everyone?

Post by 73Chall » November 21st, 2017, 12:07 am

Great thread and reading Maizan and Urby’s posts I was muttering, “That,” “Me too,” and “Oh yeah, that, also.”

30k sf and I think biggest eye opener for me is a growing hypothesis that a combo of cultivation practices to prevent destructive fungi combined with a preventative program (lightest lowest application amounts and longest intervals found on labels) HAS A FAR GREATER EFFECT ON THE OVERALL HEALTH & VIGOR OF FESCUE THAN SIMPLY PREVENTING / RESOLVING FUNGAL DISEASE. I have enough sf of turf (but I am not so sure about my time) that I’d actually like to do some controlled experiments next year I.e., well-defined areas that I do everything else I do elsewhere but, no 21-day preventative sprays alternating between Eagle and Armada, etc.)

Common knowledge they’re called “The Great Smokey Mtns” due to condensation but, I never made the connection with fungal diseases in turf species until I moved here! (Couple of scientist neighbors joke, “Humidity was invented in the Smokies, it has only been perfected elsewhere!”)

Oh yeah, never, NEVER spread composted leaves OR manure on anything turf-related you care about, in the mountains; wild turkeys will literally DESTROY your yard to the point you’ll swear you have wild hogs.

Thanks to all the help and guidance here, it’s all been worth it; the yard has never looked better, I’m gradually spending lesser and lesser amounts of time and money to greater effect and I embrace the realization one never really stops learning, at this rewarding hobby!

Great thread, btw ... :-)

northeastlawn
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Re: So how'd the season go for everyone?

Post by northeastlawn » November 21st, 2017, 10:24 am

I attempted two renos. One in the backyard, then one in the front hell strips.

The backyard reno was an adventure, but I think it came out good and will be great in the spring. I still have to hit the POA in the spring and worry about fungus in the summer, but very happy with the backyard. But I learned a lot from it and would never recommend someone to do one. I just don't think most people are willing to sacrifice their yard for 3-4 months, but mine is going to look great next year :-)

The front hell strips didn't turn out so well. The grass is always thin by the house, I thought that using a FF shade blend would help, but there just wasn't enough sun in the fall to keep what cam up alive. A lot of it had to so with the sun being behind the house during most of the day.

I am going to try again in the spring; the tress won't have leaves yet, and Im hoping the angle of the sun is better. I have seed left so its no big deal to give it a shot. If that doesn't work, I can always buy some small pieces of sod and give that shot.

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probasesteal
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Re: So how'd the season go for everyone?

Post by probasesteal » November 21st, 2017, 12:07 pm

New property, new challenges. I learned that bluegrass if far superior to fescue, I mixed bluegrass (Midnight/HBG) with fescue in the back, had a fungal outbreak and the bluegrass took over (poor TTTF). The front is entirely bluegrass (NuGlade, SPF30 and Midnight) with red fescue in the dense shade, this area took awhile to establish but never missed a beat. Plan to add more and more organics to a neglected property next year (currently stealing leaves).

My backyard looks great B+ (wild violet) and front yard looks good B.

If the bluegrass makes it through the summer I will never look back. It has significant rhizomes and I've already seen some spreading (planted 8/13/17).

I like the thread. Good Turkey Day reading.

Maizan24
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Re: So how'd the season go for everyone?

Post by Maizan24 » November 21st, 2017, 3:43 pm

probasesteal wrote:
November 21st, 2017, 12:07 pm
I like the thread. Good Turkey Day reading.
Thanks. I seem to recall a similar thread last year. Maybe it was on the reno subforum or this one. Either way it seemed like a good way to share some knowledge based on what we did right or wrong. Or maybe someone tried something brand new and had great success. That's why I enjoy these forums so much because of all the information and insight that gets passed around. I can't tell you all how much I've learned since I've joined.

smast16
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Re: So how'd the season go for everyone?

Post by smast16 » November 22nd, 2017, 9:31 am

With the other T-zone guys on fungicides. Going to be a game changer next year. Have already have my rotation of Azoxy, Propiconozole, and Eagle for my rotation. :club:

Also learned that getting down 1" - 1.5" of water takes A LOT more time than you think out of a impact sprinkler at my house.

73Chall
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Re: So how'd the season go for everyone?

Post by 73Chall » November 24th, 2017, 12:09 am

Maizan24 wrote:
November 18th, 2017, 5:35 pm
. . . what did you learn,
Just occurred to me I need to come back and, in addition to my initial reply, ADD how powerful application of beneficial nematodes can be — another great example of an investment that pays big dividends for quite awhile!

Maizan24
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Re: So how'd the season go for everyone?

Post by Maizan24 » November 24th, 2017, 3:47 pm

Also another pro from this year was that I had quite an easier time managing the leaves especially in the back yard. The back has quite a few trees and obviousy has quite a few leaves come fall. This year was quite a bit drier overall than last year. Had lots of wet leaves to contend with last season but they mulched down nicely this season with a couple passes of the mower.

rtomek
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Re: So how'd the season go for everyone?

Post by rtomek » December 6th, 2017, 1:43 pm

This first year after my reno was awesome! I finished converting every single sprinkler head to rotator MPs in the Spring, but that was about it. This year was so low maintenance compare to previous years. I didn't even need any FAS, I just threw it in with PGR once or twice since I have it on-hand. This elite KBG was healthy and VERY dark green all the way through the dry August and September while the neighbors' (who also have sprinkler systems) yards were all brown and crispy. I ended up spending less money on fertilizer and water than before the reno, plus the grass looks way better too! It was also great how the Rust breakout in the Fall that hit my entire neighborhood pretty much stopped right at my property line. Even my wife is noticing how much less time I spent in the yard this year, so it seems that all the effort last year paid off.

Just like HLG, I would like to drop my HOC but anything 2" or less will require mowing at least twice per week and maybe new equipment. For next year, I'm looking into a robomower or maybe hiring an LCO to do mid-week mowing.

73Chall
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Re: So how'd the season go for everyone?

Post by 73Chall » December 6th, 2017, 9:16 pm

rtomek wrote:
December 6th, 2017, 1:43 pm
... I'm looking into a robomower or maybe hiring an LCO to do mid-week mowing.
Not precisely sure what “LCO” abbreviates but, would they be using your mower or theirs?

I ask as I have learned (the hard, hard way) to never (ever) again let any mower on my own turf, that has been used anywhere I am not sure of (oy ve’, when I think back on the weeds seeds AND THEN THE Fungal Diseases that have been dragged onto my lawn by otherwise well-intended landscape contractors, I $hiver)!

Robo mower sounds too cool ...!

TimmyG
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Re: So how'd the season go for everyone?

Post by TimmyG » December 6th, 2017, 10:29 pm

LCO = Lawn Care Operator

73Chall
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Re: So how'd the season go for everyone?

Post by 73Chall » December 7th, 2017, 11:11 pm

Gotcha!

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HoosierLawnGnome
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Re: So how'd the season go for everyone?

Post by HoosierLawnGnome » December 8th, 2017, 8:52 am

rtomek wrote:
December 6th, 2017, 1:43 pm
Just like HLG, I would like to drop my HOC but anything 2" or less will require mowing at least twice per week and maybe new equipment. For next year, I'm looking into a robomower or maybe hiring an LCO to do mid-week mowing.
My issue isn't all mower-related, but I think a good reel mower will follow contours better and give a more even cut. The real issue I can't change without a lot of work, is the uneven ground. By most standards, my lawn is flat - but I can easily pick out the more yellow spots where there is shorter turf.

I may not be able to cut short this spring as I'm expecting to be travelling regularly for a week at a time. We'll see how that pans out. Will I PGR it longer? Let the boy take a shot on a mid week mow? :o :o

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