Help-dying!

Bermuda, St. Augustine, Zoysia, Centipede, Bahia, Paspalum, etc
Post Reply
Gretta
Posts: 22
Joined: July 28th, 2013, 12:38 pm
Location: Phoenix AZ
Grass Type: Tifway 419
Lawn Size: < 1000
Level: Some Experience

Help-dying!

Post by Gretta » July 7th, 2021, 3:02 pm

Good morning!
First off, long story long-I am sorry. I'm always going to post and then something happens or I find a reason I should wait. I think I waited too long to this time.
So I've nailed it down to either fungus (too much water, too much shade), bad (old) BLSC/KH,(or too much of it, I knew it was a heavy dose), too much fun "stuff" on it (see below), grubs, or something else. One of those. Anyway I'm assuming this is not what you guys mean when you talk about it going dormant. All was going pretty well considering the mistakes I made last year. (mowing too high, not winterizing).

I was all set to post about my new soil tests when this happened in the shady corner spot.
It's dying and spreading. ImageImage
Watering:
I was already struggling with dialing in irrigation, I've been watering according to the weather and look of the grass and thought it was going pretty well considering shade and slope. I knew this would be a problem but thought I could handle it, it's a tiny lawn. When the temps are mid 100's with no humidity I'm watering ~every 2-3 days (blue/brown spots sometimes more with the hose). When it's over 110+ a little more. Honestly things were going well. I guess I just don't know what to do with high humidity, temps and shade and well...rain. 'm guessing overwatering and piling on all kinds of things in a burst of "love" is not the answer.
There was also leak in my system that had me confused - flooding more quickly in a low spot. Can test confirmed something was wrong but I didn't know what until the leak in the PVC broke the surface. Since I fixed it this patch is getting more water (and shade actually). Screwdriver goes all the way after 2 days. In the less shady parts it only goes 2-3 inches after a couple days.
Seriously I don't know how people water every single day around here. No shade I guess. I forgot Phoenix can actually get humidity and rain and it caught me off guard. But we're back to scorching now.
Here you can see the strip that needs water The front spots are from dogs and used to recover pretty quickly.Image
This pic is since things went very south. Now I'm afraid to touch it but yes I watered that strip.

Mowing
At 1" with Fiskar reel. Every other day before crash and burn
Stuff
600-700sf--Tiffway 419
4/10/21 10 lbs milo
Zinc 2 tbs 20 mule 2 Tbs
4/26 10lbs milo
5/25 ~13lb milo
6/11 BLSC/KH 2 oz each (2 years old with yucca)
Molasses 1 big TBS
4 lbs. Worm castings
5lbs Corn Meal
6/16 21
Soil Sample-->Test
7 lbs Milo w/ Boron and Zinc
No smell yay!
Sprinkler leak fixed
6/27 10lb milo
Nice big drink of water
A few days of Monsoon.
Death and discouragement :blackeye:


Some of the holes you see are soil sample holes, and some are birds (I feed them) digging at what I don't know. I did find one grub once but there are no worms (yet!) As I'm watching it die by the minute I'm wondering what to do next. After I killed my last bermuda I switched to St. Augustine and kept it alive for 2 years before I moved. It's reportedly still going strong. This yard now has close to the same shade. My hubby will not be happy! Can I save this one? I'll stop loving it at the wrong times I promise.
If you read all this thank you. If you have suggestions bless you!

User avatar
gtnike
Posts: 998
Joined: September 21st, 2009, 6:02 pm
Location: Smyrna Tennessee
Grass Type: Meyer Zoysia, TTTF in the shade
Lawn Size: Not Specified
Level: Not Specified

Re: Help-dying!

Post by gtnike » July 8th, 2021, 1:29 pm

I cannot imagine how much water you would have to put on bermuda to overwater it when it's 100 degrees outside. I don't think that is your issue. I think it's primarily shade caused by that bush because the shape of the dried up area appears to mirror the bush. Does the sun set behind that bush?

Your other issues seem likely the dogs/birds.

Gretta
Posts: 22
Joined: July 28th, 2013, 12:38 pm
Location: Phoenix AZ
Grass Type: Tifway 419
Lawn Size: < 1000
Level: Some Experience

Re: Help-dying!

Post by Gretta » July 8th, 2021, 4:25 pm

Oh boy I wish it was just shade, but it's dying in all the other places too. And it seemed to happen pretty fast. But yes that is facing west and that area does get only just enough sun. I'm pretty sure I'm losing the whole thing as it's worse today. I threw down some disease ex and am hoping for the best. In the meantime my 17yo crippled pooch will still have somewhere that's not a thousand degrees but it won't be pretty. It's kind of a blessing I guess as mowing and trimming were really messing with my carpal tunnel. Here's some pics of right at 2 weeks ago. So sad. I was getting there. Thank you for responding.
Image

Image

User avatar
Dchall_San_Antonio
Posts: 3339
Joined: December 17th, 2008, 1:53 am
Location: San Antonio, Texas
Grass Type: St Augustine
Lawn Size: 5000-10000
Level: Advanced

Re: Help-dying!

Post by Dchall_San_Antonio » July 12th, 2021, 8:26 pm

Hi Gretta. I'm 99% certain shade was the original culprit. After that you started loving it to death. I'm going to suggest you stop doing everything and relax for a few day. Don't water it. Just mow on schedule.

That shady corner is destined to become St Augustine. I have a buddy in Gilbert, AZ who had two sissoo trees shading his back yard. After years of me badgering him to switch, he finally went with St Augustine. It has looked great now for several years. In the hottest heat of summer he waters 1 inch every 4 days. When the temps back into the low 100s, he goes to every 5 days. He has bermuda in the front on the same watering schedule.

Gretta
Posts: 22
Joined: July 28th, 2013, 12:38 pm
Location: Phoenix AZ
Grass Type: Tifway 419
Lawn Size: < 1000
Level: Some Experience

Re: Help-dying!

Post by Gretta » July 14th, 2021, 4:23 pm

Ok you guys know best thanks. That palm tree is 3 times the size as last year and the neighbor's is bigger too. Plus, there is also new small one shading from the east. I really did expect that part to do worse but not like that! The part that gets the most sun and water looks wonderful.
I did immediately stop watering but mother nature had other plans. That's ok. If the rain saves a few trees I'll take a dozen dead lawns! The rain water always does it good though around here I swear no matter what, and the front dead spots look to be coming back. Also maybe the disease ex helped? It's been about a week. I did make sure everyone remembered I wanted St. Augustine in the first place. 😉

Post Reply

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 4 guests