Timing of preventative fungicide

Kentucky bluegrass, Fescue, Rye and Bent, etc
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Pway
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Timing of preventative fungicide

Post by Pway » April 22nd, 2020, 4:07 pm

Last year I got hit with lots of red thread in early to mid May (first noticed May 7.) Similar problem the previous year. For those that do a preventative fungicide, what is your timing and program. I have azoxystrobin and propacanizol that I can rotate. I have not fertilized this spring and was planning on mid May. Thanks

Pway
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Re: Timing of preventative fungicide

Post by Pway » April 22nd, 2020, 4:18 pm

Pway wrote:
April 22nd, 2020, 4:07 pm
Last year I got hit with lots of red thread in early to mid May (first noticed May 7.) Similar problem the previous year. For those that do a preventative fungicide, what is your timing and program. I have azoxystrobin and propacanizol that I can rotate. I have not fertilized this spring and was planning on mid May. Thanks
Alternatively, should I just skip the fungicide and try to build the micro herd with Milo.

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andy10917
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Re: Timing of preventative fungicide

Post by andy10917 » April 22nd, 2020, 5:27 pm

I'm not sure that there isn't a middle-ground between doing nothing and full-bore chemical fungicides - I've had a great deal of luck with "Serenade", which is a strain of beneficial bacteria that (naturally) preys on fungal diseases, and actually generates an antibiotic. I'm on year 8 or 9 of it doing a good job for me, and others have done well also. The only downside is that it is a better proactive product than a curative, and it needs to be applied every couple of weeks when the fungal pressure is expected to be high. For a lawn of your size (and mine), don't bother with the quart bottles - we've got a place that sells it in 2.5 gallon size, which is a good discount off of the quart bottles.

Pway
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Re: Timing of preventative fungicide

Post by Pway » April 23rd, 2020, 8:20 am

Thanks Andy. I’ll locate some and try that.

Paul
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Re: Timing of preventative fungicide

Post by Paul » April 23rd, 2020, 4:13 pm

I used to get Red thread every year no matter what I did and what Fungicides I tried. The way I finally beat it was to blow up my Northern Mix and plant a mono stand of Bewitched. No more Red thread, problem solved!

Not sure how old your lawn is, but the newer Cultivars are far more superior to disease issues. I know replanting an entire yard is not easy, but it was well worth it for me.


Pway
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Re: Timing of preventative fungicide

Post by Pway » April 24th, 2020, 8:01 am

Paul wrote:
April 23rd, 2020, 4:13 pm
I used to get Red thread every year no matter what I did and what Fungicides I tried. The way I finally beat it was to blow up my Northern Mix and plant a mono stand of Bewitched. No more Red thread, problem solved!

Not sure how old your lawn is, but the newer Cultivars are far more superior to disease issues. I know replanting an entire yard is not easy, but it was well worth it for me.
Hi Paul, thanks. My house was built in ‘58 so it’s quite old. Over the past decade and a half I’ve overseeded (I know that is very suboptimal) first with a northern mix, then with bewitched and Skye. I am retiring soon so should have more time and will try to talk my wife into a full renovation. In addition to the lawn being older, the demographics and or values have shifted in my neighborhood over the decades. People here in the late ‘50s, 60s and 70s took pride in their lawns. Now maybe 5% have irrigation and maybe 20 percent do something other than cut it. So weeds are everywhere. Also, the town used to have a hunting season until the late 70s. That is now not allowed and deer dropping are everywhere. I’d say I have several dozen deer grazing or passing through my lawn every day. I believe they Graz on triv and other undesirables and it spreads through their droppings. I have far more triv than I’ve ever had and it is not from any contaminated seed from me. Anyway, it’s discouraging to see and I’m not sure a full renovation would maintain quality for more than a few years in spite of preemergence and good cultural practices. Funguses aside, it’s an ongoing challenge for sure.

pristinegreen75
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Re: Timing of preventative fungicide

Post by pristinegreen75 » April 24th, 2020, 10:13 am

Hey Pway, I'm in S Plainfield. Newbie here. Just put in bluegrass sod in backyard last June. Joined here last month to learn how to maintain it. (cost me $$$...5k sq ft) My neighbors across the street and next to me have crap yards. So I battle weeds constantly. Laughing about your deer problem because I also have a herd roaming my yard every day and night. Got a big 12 pointer that kind of runs everything. That old guys been around a long time!!! Of course the herd gets bigger each spring with a few fawns added. I don't know if they browse on just undesirables because I don't consider my Hostas undesirable. (LOL) I think they just eat anything GREEN. Just wondering if the few rabbits that eat my grass every evening also spread undesirables with their droppings?? Hmmmmm….. Anyway.... When they used the sod cutter last year to rip out my old lawn I think they opened up the Devil!!! Boy did that wake up the Triv. Oh the horrors. Never saw anything like that in my old fescue lawn. Of course with the light and frequent watering all summer I think I opened up a pandoras box. This is going to be a long battle I think. I am following cultural practices I have learned here to the T. Got a feeling I might win a battle here and there but not the war!

Pway
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Re: Timing of preventative fungicide

Post by Pway » April 24th, 2020, 11:55 am

pristinegreen75 wrote:
April 24th, 2020, 10:13 am
Hey Pway, I'm in S Plainfield. Newbie here. Just put in bluegrass sod in backyard last June. Joined here last month to learn how to maintain it. (cost me $$$...5k sq ft) My neighbors across the street and next to me have crap yards. So I battle weeds constantly. Laughing about your deer problem because I also have a herd roaming my yard every day and night. Got a big 12 pointer that kind of runs everything. That old guys been around a long time!!! Of course the herd gets bigger each spring with a few fawns added. I don't know if they browse on just undesirables because I don't consider my Hostas undesirable. (LOL) I think they just eat anything GREEN. Just wondering if the few rabbits that eat my grass every evening also spread undesirables with their droppings?? Hmmmmm….. Anyway.... When they used the sod cutter last year to rip out my old lawn I think they opened up the Devil!!! Boy did that wake up the Triv. Oh the horrors. Never saw anything like that in my old fescue lawn. Of course with the light and frequent watering all summer I think I opened up a pandoras box. This is going to be a long battle I think. I am following cultural practices I have learned here to the T. Got a feeling I might win a battle here and there but not the war!
Welcome neighbor! Yea, it’s crazy, when I grew up here it would be rare to see a deer and almost never see a buck. Even 15 years or so around here the bucks would not be seen much. Now you can walk within 10 feet or so of a buck and 8-10 other deer and they just look at you. I didn’t mean to suggest that they only eat undesirables and agree they seem to eat anything green, hostas are a favorite of theirs!

There are some parks, lawns, and other areas by me that infested with triv and that I know for a fact haven’t been reseeded or overseeded by humans in 60 years. That, to me, is supporting my theory about the deer. Anyway, welcome to the battle!

pristinegreen75
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Re: Timing of preventative fungicide

Post by pristinegreen75 » April 24th, 2020, 2:02 pm

Thanks, my comment about the Hostas was with tongue in cheek. I think they know when my car isn't in the drive because that's when they seem to get them!!.just top dressed back yard with compost yesterday just in time for the rain. Will try to cut front tomorrow if it dries up

Pway
Posts: 771
Joined: May 29th, 2014, 5:42 pm
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Re: Timing of preventative fungicide

Post by Pway » April 29th, 2020, 3:11 pm

andy10917 wrote:
April 22nd, 2020, 5:27 pm
I'm not sure that there isn't a middle-ground between doing nothing and full-bore chemical fungicides - I've had a great deal of luck with "Serenade", which is a strain of beneficial bacteria that (naturally) preys on fungal diseases, and actually generates an antibiotic. I'm on year 8 or 9 of it doing a good job for me, and others have done well also. The only downside is that it is a better proactive product than a curative, and it needs to be applied every couple of weeks when the fungal pressure is expected to be high. For a lawn of your size (and mine), don't bother with the quart bottles - we've got a place that sells it in 2.5 gallon size, which is a good discount off of the quart bottles.
Hey Andy, thanks for the input! I just got delivery of Serenade ASO in a 2.5 gallon bottle. Big price difference as you said! So you use this in a backpack sprayer at the foliage application rate? Thanks again.

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