I have drank the coolaid

Bermuda, St. Augustine, Zoysia, Centipede, Bahia, Paspalum, etc
Post Reply
craving77494
Posts: 19
Joined: May 21st, 2017, 4:58 pm
Location: Katy, TX
Grass Type: Bermuda, Tifway 419
Lawn Size: Not Specified
Level: Not Specified

I have drank the coolaid

Post by craving77494 » May 21st, 2017, 5:36 pm

Hello there,

First time post for me so I hope I do not break any forum rules. I like in Katy, TX (Houston Area) and have approx. 4000 sqft. of lawn. I must admit I have not given our lawn the attention it needed. The house is 3 years old and the until 2 months ago we did not have an irrigation system (other than me moving the sprinkler around). We now have a very nice zone to zone system and I am very excited to take on my Bermuda grass as a new hobby.

The grass is very green now but is completely infested with various annual grassy weeds (i.e goosegrass, annual bluegrass, crabgrass) are most prevalent. The grassy weeds probably consume 40% of my overall grass in various locations.

I have let my lawn service go in place of me doing all the lawn care. I just bought the Ego 56v mower, trimmer, blower and hedge trimmer to allow me to control all aspects of my yard maintenance. I plan to mow frequently and short (1" -1/2")

I have come up with the following schedule and wanted to get opinions on my plan.

January Milorganite Organic Nitrogen Lawn Fertilizer (5-2-0)
36 lbs. front 72 lbs. back yard
February Prodiamine 65 WDG Generic Barricade 65 WDG
2 tablespoonfuls or 1oz. per gallon 80% of 1 gallon on back yard 20% on front yeard..
March Lesco 15-5-10 Texas Turf Fertilizer
25 lbs. or 1/2 of 50 lb. bag to cover all areas
April Milorganite Organic Nitrogen Lawn Fertilizer (5-2-0)
36 lbs. front 72 lbs. back yard
May Scotts Turf Builder Bermudagrass Seed - 5LB
Distribute 5lb. Bag. 3 lbs. back yard and 2 lbs. front yard
June Prodiamine 65 WDG Generic Barricade 65 WDG
2 tablespoonfuls or 1oz. per gallon 80% of 1 gallon on back yard 20% on front yeard..
July Lesco 15-5-10 Texas Turf Fertilizer
25 lbs. or 1/2 of 50 lb. bag to cover all areas
August Milorganite Organic Nitrogen Lawn Fertilizer (5-2-0)
36 lbs. front 72 lbs. back yard
September Prodiamine 65 WDG Generic Barricade 65 WDG
2 tablespoonfuls or 1oz. per gallon 80% of 1 gallon on back yard 20% on front yeard..
October Lesco 15-5-10 Texas Turf Fertilizer
25 lbs. or 1/2 of 50 lb. bag to cover all areas

Thanks,
Mike

purepearl32
Posts: 49
Joined: March 28th, 2016, 1:17 am
Location: Phoenix, AZ
Grass Type: Yukon Bermuda
Lawn Size: Not Specified
Level: Not Specified

Re: I have drank the coolaid

Post by purepearl32 » May 21st, 2017, 11:47 pm

My advice is to get a soil test before you start throwing any fertilizer down. Without it, you are blindly putting chemicals out that you may either not need or not putting enough of what you actually do need. Don't forget the micro-nutrients. Following your 'plan', you will be putting down a pretty good amount of P and K over the year which is another reason I strongly suggest getting a soil sample sent in, asap.

What type of bermudagrass do you have? What type of soil are you working with? What are your watering habits with the new system? Depending on the answers to those questions along with weather conditions, you should probably be giving the lawn 1-1.5 inches of water a week.

Why are you planning on putting grass seed down? When properly mowed, watered, and fertilized (in your case, it sounds like 1-1.5lbs of N per 1k sq ft would be beneficial), bermudagrass will spread rapidly under warm weather conditions. Also, you are putting pre-e down. Pre-e + grass seed = no germination.

If I were you, I would work on killing or pulling as many of those weeds as possible this year. Follow good watering, fertilizing, and mowing practices and the bermudagrass will begin to take over.

craving77494
Posts: 19
Joined: May 21st, 2017, 4:58 pm
Location: Katy, TX
Grass Type: Bermuda, Tifway 419
Lawn Size: Not Specified
Level: Not Specified

Re: I have drank the coolaid

Post by craving77494 » May 22nd, 2017, 5:38 pm

Thanks for the response.

Point taken on the soil test.
What type of bermudagrass do you have? I do not have any idea. It is what the builder installed when the house built.
What type of soil are you working with? Lots of red clay.
What are your watering habits with the new system? 3 minutes with 60 soak then 3 additional minutes on odd numbered days.
Why are you planning on putting grass seed down? I though adding grass seed would help choke out the weeds.


Is applying pre-e in February, June, and September the right timing?
Will the Prodiamine 65 WDG Generic Barricade 65 WDG be the only pre-e I will need?

craving77494
Posts: 19
Joined: May 21st, 2017, 4:58 pm
Location: Katy, TX
Grass Type: Bermuda, Tifway 419
Lawn Size: Not Specified
Level: Not Specified

Re: I have drank the coolaid

Post by craving77494 » May 22nd, 2017, 5:42 pm

Also to kill the existing weeds should I use Roundup or similar? The crabgrass is in patches to large to pull.

purepearl32
Posts: 49
Joined: March 28th, 2016, 1:17 am
Location: Phoenix, AZ
Grass Type: Yukon Bermuda
Lawn Size: Not Specified
Level: Not Specified

Re: I have drank the coolaid

Post by purepearl32 » May 22nd, 2017, 10:04 pm

I would guess something like Tifway 419 if the builder put it in but without a picture, it's impossible to tell. Do the tuna can test or get a rain gauge from your local nursery or hardware store and see how much water you are putting down when watering. It sounds like you are not watering deeply at all. Depending on weather and especially with a heavy soil that retains moisture, water 1-2 times a week (may need to add a third with hot weather and/or training the roots to grow deeper) and put down a total of 1 - 1.5 inches of water. My advice is to skip the grass seed and focus on proper watering, mowing, and fertilizing...trust me, bermuda will spread quickly and aggressively in warm weather. Someone may have a better answer for you regarding the pre-e application but here in Phoenix, I only use Prodiamine and apply it just before February 1st, June 1st, and October 1st. Break up the applications and don't excess the maximum yearly amount.

What are you temps like? 85 and under you can use 2-4D to wipe out most of the weeds. Above 85, Celsius is your only option. For the crabgrass in mature stages, I've found that the chemical Quinclorac worked the best for me. Remember to read and familiarize yourself with the Bermuda Bible that is on here. Lots of great info and pretty much tells you everything you need to know.


craving77494
Posts: 19
Joined: May 21st, 2017, 4:58 pm
Location: Katy, TX
Grass Type: Bermuda, Tifway 419
Lawn Size: Not Specified
Level: Not Specified

Re: I have drank the coolaid

Post by craving77494 » May 23rd, 2017, 11:11 am

Here are some images of the grass/weeds. Would GREEN LIGHT 7462 Wipe-Out Crabgrass Killer PLUS Concentrate - 1-Quart help the problem?

Image

Image

Image

purepearl32
Posts: 49
Joined: March 28th, 2016, 1:17 am
Location: Phoenix, AZ
Grass Type: Yukon Bermuda
Lawn Size: Not Specified
Level: Not Specified

Re: I have drank the coolaid

Post by purepearl32 » May 23rd, 2017, 12:12 pm

Looks like Tif to me. Don't worry about brand name, just look for the active ingredient Quinclorac. I know that Ortho Weed b Gone with crabgrass control will do the job.

Spammage
Posts: 638
Joined: July 8th, 2014, 4:20 pm
Location: DFW, TX
Grass Type: Zoysia/Bermuda
Lawn Size: Not Specified
Level: Not Specified

Re: I have drank the coolaid

Post by Spammage » May 23rd, 2017, 2:05 pm

Keep in mind that the Green Light product does include quinclorac, but also includes 2,4-D. That product should not be applied when temps are 85+ (or expected to be 85+ for several days). It should be applied in a spray that allows the poison to stick to the leaves since it is foliarly absorbed. In other words, a hose end sprayer is not the most effective way to apply this.

User avatar
Begotten
Posts: 881
Joined: May 15th, 2013, 3:04 pm
Location: Savannah, GA
Grass Type: Celebration Bermuda, St. Augustine
Lawn Size: Not Specified
Level: Not Specified

Re: I have drank the coolaid

Post by Begotten » May 24th, 2017, 1:15 am

I'll add a few big things if they haven't been mentioned yet.

Your Bermuda was grown on a sod farm. This is different from the Bermuda grass you get in bags of seed from garden centers. In your case there's no need or reason to ever use seed. In most cases, southern/warm season grass problems aren't remedied by putting down more seed.

Never put Roundup/glyphosate on your lawn. RU isn't really a weed killer, it's an everything killer and it will kill your grass along with the weeds. Some people believe it's safe to use RU during winter when the lawn is dormant but I don't agree with that.

Post Reply

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 4 guests