In another shitty lawn & garden equipment update, Gilmour Oscillating sprinklers are garbage. DO NOT PURCHASE.

4/16/2013 10:30:34 PM

^lol you know with the fun times you're having maybe astroturf might help.

4/17/2013 4:41:28 AM

haha, bastard.

4/17/2013 9:01:16 AM

Have any of you all ever had a professional landscape design/plan done? I really don't know where to start on developing a comprehensive plan and what looks right/good. So many variables to consider. Or do you all just go at it and hope for the best? In addition to planting, I will be doing some dry stack stone borders/retaining walls as well. And the plan is to also do a patio out back (or maybe a deck, depending on cost); I also would like to conceal the accesses to my septic tank, which is right behind my house. It's long and perpendicular to the house, thus it's an odd thing to landscape to have it look right (just out a good ways from the house).

[Edited on April 17, 2013 at 9:49 AM. Reason : .]

4/17/2013 9:45:07 AM

Hire Greg (powder strokin 250)

4/17/2013 4:17:45 PM

wat

4/17/2013 9:24:32 PM

he's talking about pwrstrkdf250

last i heard he sailed off to the caribbean to fish for a living or something

4/17/2013 9:37:16 PM

ah, I thought that's what he meant, but wasn't sure.

4/17/2013 10:00:28 PM

He's running some landscaping thing now

4/17/2013 11:03:45 PM

It appears my pre-emergent didn't work this year. Crabgrass all over the freaking place. Grrr.

What weed removal products have you all used with success? I saw one of them had "Crabgrass Control" included so I might go for that one...

4/18/2013 10:38:06 AM

I've been using the Bayer Weed & Crabgrass killer ($8 at Lowes). Seems to be doing an OK job, I just put the second application down last weekend and will look at the results this weekend.



[Edited on April 18, 2013 at 5:09 PM. Reason : ]

4/18/2013 5:08:26 PM

When I posted a minute ago, I forgot that you're looking to target crabgrass. Stuff below is still post-worthy, but I haven't tried it on crabgrass and it doesn't boast that it works for it...

I've had really good luck with Trimec lawn weed killer. They have it in smaller containers, but it's only $30 for a whole gallon of concentrate at Agri Supply. I have a pretty big yard and a gallon is plenty for several seasons of post-emergent.

http://www.agrisupply.com/Trimec-Lawn-Weed-Killer/p/73840/&sid=&eid=



[Edited on April 19, 2013 at 9:52 AM. Reason : .]

4/19/2013 9:48:14 AM

Dont think its crabgrass youre seeing.

Crabgrass doesnt even sprout until the soil is at 55-60 degrees for about a week, and it takes awhile for it to break the surface. It wont show up until mid-late May i'd guess?

Im thinking if youre already seeing the weed, its likely something else

4/20/2013 1:37:05 AM

BAH! We were going to do our spring cleanup of the yard today but it rained like hell last night. Now my yard is a muddy swamp again.

4/20/2013 8:45:57 AM

I'm happy to report that my spring seeding appears to have been about 75% successful, so I'm thrilled. For those of you who advised against it, I assume you've had issues in the past? If so, when/what were they? Establishment issues or heat/dryness issues in the summer? Want to make sure I stay on top of things.

As long as the grass makes it to fall, I can overseed with something of high quality; I assumed coated seed does actually work better?

4/22/2013 10:10:19 AM

Quote :

"I'm happy to report that my spring seeding appears to have been about 75% successful, so I'm thrilled. For those of you who advised against it, I assume you've had issues in the past? If so, when/what were they? "

Of course it looks great now. It's April.

Let us know how much of that grass is still there in September. During the particularly hot weeks/months, you can *try* to keep the new grass alive by watering the ever loving shit out of it, but that didn't even work for me.

If your new grass isn't in the sun most of the day, perhaps you have a chance.

Quote :

"Dont think its crabgrass youre seeing. Crabgrass doesnt even sprout until the soil is at 55-60 degrees for about a week, and it takes awhile for it to break the surface. It wont show up until mid-late May i'd guess? Im thinking if youre already seeing the weed, its likely something else"

Pretty sure it's crabgrass. I'll try and take a pic of some of it for you...

4/22/2013 10:25:06 AM

^^

yeah like synapse said, it's going to look great now, and probably will continue to look good until some point between late june or july and september.

i hope it does work out for you-- i've tried and failed to keep significant spring-seeded grass alive through an NC summer, and probably wasted a couple of grand in seed, fertilizer, and water doing it.

As it is, i'm fighting the urge to spot seed the bare spots in my new yard, because i can't stand to look at it.

4/22/2013 11:27:47 AM

Thanks. Hopefully I can stay on top of it. As hot and dry as it gets, and as bad as the soils are in my area, other yards have actually done pretty well over the summer (all used same seed), so I'm hoping there's a chance.

Anywho, any opinion on coated vs uncoated seed?

4/22/2013 1:26:33 PM

Quote :

"as bad as the soils are in my area, other yards have actually done pretty well over the summer (all used same seed)"

With a spring seeding? What kind seed are we talking about here?

Seed-wise I've just taken to using the cheapest 99%+ weed free stuff I can find. I do still try to check http://www.turffiles.ncsu.edu/ and see what fescue cultivars they recommend, and I will pay a little more for that if needed...but not for the fancy drought-resistant (and the like) seed

[Edited on April 22, 2013 at 1:38 PM. Reason : ]

4/22/2013 1:35:31 PM

^contractor's mix (about 80% fescue, 15% rye, 5% other). Contractor has been seeding that year-round. The only yards that didn't take were a few that were seeded in winter and had most of the straw blown away before the seed could germinate. I'm not saying things were great, but pretty good considering the crappy hardpack soil and lack of care (most people haven't watered religiously once they moved in, and the contractor sure isn't )

I believe one of my neighbors is a turf grass or soil scientist at State. I need to talk to him, because his yard looks amazing. He seeded in Jan or Feb with the same cheapo mix.

[Edited on April 22, 2013 at 1:45 PM. Reason : .]

4/22/2013 1:42:07 PM

the house i bought has a pretty sweet pop-up irrigation system. has one zone in front and one for the back. i guess i should start caring about my grass. i'm on well water, so it's not going to cost me much in water.

how should i set the system up? water in the middle of the night? how often? etc.

4/22/2013 2:39:25 PM

^don't water in evenings or at night. shoot for a little after sun-up until mid-morning. probably 30 minutes/zone, but it depends on the flow (how long does it take to get about 1/2-1 inch of water) probably 3 times/week. If I were doing an irrigation system, I would just connect it to some soil moisture probes and have it water as needed, restricted to early-mid mornings.

[Edited on April 22, 2013 at 2:43 PM. Reason : .]

4/22/2013 2:41:20 PM

Just a couple of comments based on my experience with fescue:

1. Don't waste your money on coated seed. Water it adequately and the coating is moot. I'd rather get twice as much un-coated seed for the same money and seed the crap out of the yard.

2. Peat moss is way better and easier than straw for seeding. Straw is only to help keep the birds from eating the seed and keep it from washing away during the short time before it germinates and takes hold in the soil. In my experience peat moss does all of that plus retains moisture better and helps increase the success rate in bare spots.

4/22/2013 3:16:07 PM

What is the best fescue grass seed for this area?

4/22/2013 3:44:12 PM

if i'm not worried about water costs, is there any reason to add a sensor? can i over-water? it's got a feature where i can go out there and make it skip waterings for 1 to 7 days if there's a big rain or something. is that sufficient?

4/22/2013 4:06:50 PM

^^^ I've had success using peat moss when seeding...just don't put it down too thick!

Quote :

"What is the best fescue grass seed for this area?"

http://www.turffiles.ncsu.edu/NTEP/Default.aspx

4/22/2013 4:09:55 PM

Quote :

" I'm happy to report that my spring seeding appears to have been about 75% successful, so I'm thrilled. For those of you who advised against it, I assume you've had issues in the past? If so, when/what were they? Establishment issues or heat/dryness issues in the summer? Want to make sure I stay on top of things. As long as the grass makes it to fall, I can overseed with something of high quality; I assumed coated seed does actually work better?"

Water it frequently when it gets hot. Let it grow long and keep it that way.

The issue is that the roots wont have time to grow deep enough before the heat/drought. Shallow roots usually do fescue in come summer time. It wont all die, but alot probably will. Be vigilant in your watering!


As far as seeing crabgrass this early... I guess its possible, but i havent seen any. Had someone else tell me their crabgrass is coming up, but im not sure if theyre mistaken or if its just coming in early this year. Crabgrass typically is a sprout about now, and well below the soil surface. Usually isnt seen until summer (late may, maybe?)

4/22/2013 10:55:49 PM

nm

[Edited on April 23, 2013 at 9:22 AM. Reason : ]

4/23/2013 9:15:45 AM

Here is an example of what I was thinking is crabgrass.

4/23/2013 2:01:24 PM

that's not crabgrass

4/23/2013 2:29:48 PM

Oh it's just some random weed? It definitely looks different than the fescue around it.

4/23/2013 3:00:29 PM

to me it look like a fescue to me

4/23/2013 3:05:29 PM

the top surely looks like fescue... it's just much bigger than the rest of the grass around it. if you let grass get too tall, it forms that tall, hard stalk. keep cutting it back and I think it will eventually start growing normally.

crabgrass:



in general, I don't think crabgrass gets that tall

[Edited on April 23, 2013 at 3:28 PM. Reason : .]

4/23/2013 3:26:43 PM

yeah man, thats not crabgrass

will crabgrass even grow that tall? ive always seen the grass blades lower to the ground with little spider legs or whatever growing outward

4/23/2013 3:31:10 PM

Aren't there different kinds of crabgrass??

4/23/2013 3:32:37 PM

its probably ryegrass

4/23/2013 3:49:07 PM

I think thats fescue, just "wild" fescue and not "fine" or "tall" turf grade fescue. Its a very common weed, even in fescue lawns. Pre-em will do nothing for that... rub some round up in its leaves and it'll be gone. Pretty sure theres a difference between fescue that grows wild and the seed that you buy...what you have pictured is the wild variety. (I think? In other words, I think thats still considered a weed for you?)

Re: Crabgrass growing upright. It doesnt really grow upright...it grows low and spreads horizontally, basically snuffing out your desired grass. The photo above shows that well. Most (all?) types, however sprout large seedheads that grow vertically...fast

There are many types, but usually its easy to pick out. Grows low, very very thick blades, often "wavy" looking blades, and the blades in alot of cases are hairy. It will not show up above the soil surface until its pretty hot outside. The seed doesnt germinate until the soil temp a few inches deep is 60 degrees or so...then it has to grow before breaking the surface. Its typically pretty consistently warm outside before itll show up in the lawn.



[Edited on April 23, 2013 at 9:07 PM. Reason : a]

4/23/2013 8:53:17 PM

Quote :

" its probably ryegrass "

Ive got a few weeds that i think are ryegrass that recently sprouted. Not "poa annua" (annual ryegrass?) but a different type (perrenial ryegrass?)

It has a rye looking seedhead on it. If i think about it i'll post some photos.

4/23/2013 9:12:08 PM

Ok so it's not Crabgrass...here's another pic of some weeds in my lawn that I *think* are the same thing. Note the higher one in the front of the pic is the same as the shorter ones behind it...they all have seed pods or whatever you call those on the top. I'm thinking the pic I posted earlier is the same thing, without the seed pods on top.



So what is this one?

4/23/2013 10:59:03 PM

Im almost certain thats a type of fescue.

Someone else would probably know better than me. not as familiar with fescue (I have bermuda)

Your "tall fescue" lawn, if left to grow long, will have seedheads everywhere. With that said, I dont think its correct for you to have uniform fescue, and then that really thick bladed "weedy" type of fescue that sticks out like a sore thumb and that grows way faster/way higher than the rest of your lawn.

Like I said, I think fescue you desire in your fescue lawn and "wild" fescue are two different things. If you have a fairly uniform section of fescue grass, then you have this weed that visibly sticks out (wider blades, much more coarse looking, quicker to develop seed head) then it shouldnt be there. Ive always known it as "wild fescue". Probably transferred from a pasture into your yard by a bird or whatnot. The foreground of your photo seems to have more of this coarser variety of fescue, but the background looks more like the desireable "tall fescue" that you buy seed for (its not as coarse/wide bladed. Much more uniform)

Ill let someone else confirm, but a fescue lawn shouldnt have a few plants that are much coarser/thick bladed than the rest. It looks weedy to me, but might just be the perspective of the photo... if it is noticeably different looking than the rest of the lawn, kill it and reseed?

Edit: I dunno, the more I look at it, the more I think you just let it grow too long. It'll always develop a seedhead if its allowed to grow long. All fescue will

[Edited on April 23, 2013 at 11:38 PM. Reason : a]

4/23/2013 11:24:41 PM

Did I mention that i am in outside sales..etc...

4/23/2013 11:52:27 PM

So I'm kind of disappointed that I can't cut my grass yet. Worst part about laying sod is waiting for it to grow high enough to get that first cut in.

Questions (that I will look up online afterwards, just wanted to get some personal opinion as well):

So I laid some Bermuda sod about 4 weeks ago and I've been watering it every day except days that it rains. It came about 80% dormant and now it's looking about 80% green and the roots seem to be fairly well set in with the old soil.

- How long do I keep watering it on a daily basis?

- When should I fertilize it first? And what fertilizer should I use?

- How long do I let it get before I give it its first cut?

4/24/2013 9:16:48 AM

You should only have to water daily for the first 2-3 weeks after laying bermuda sod. Once the roots are established, there's no need to keep watering that much. Your grass should get approx 1" of rain per week. Only water to supplement the rainfall to bring the weekly total up to ~1". It also depends upon your soil type. Clay soil (like most areas around here) retain water much better so you don't have to water as much.

Here's a good generic reference: http://www.supersod.com/free-info/how-and-when-to-water-your-lawn.html

4/24/2013 10:08:02 AM

So I guess I should stop watering unless I'm not getting any rain at all. I'm good with that.

Fertilizing tips?

4/24/2013 10:47:11 AM

Get a bag of 18-24-12 fertilizer and spread it evenly

4/24/2013 10:49:46 AM

Since your bermuda is young, use any balanced fertilizer. Next year go after high Nitrogen fertilizers (N-P-K)

Read the original post here, also known as The Bermuda Bible. Great info for long term care

http://forums2.gardenweb.com/forums/load/lawns/msg081902511912.html

(Note: Below is for long term care, not for new sod. Wanting to make that clear)

If you manually water bermuda, make sure you do it sparingly and deep. Do not water 30 mins per day, for example. All that does is make water plentiful and prevent the roots from diving deep. You want to promote the bermuda roots to go very very deep...thats what makes bermuda great and gives it superior drought tolerance.

Water once a week at most. For my "common" (seeded) bermuda, I rarely ever water it unless its noticeably crunchy sounding when I walk on it or shows my footprints after being walked on (doesnt spring back). For hybrids, this may be a bit different, but overwatering does way more harm than good on summer grasses (bermuda, zoysia, centipede)



[Edited on April 24, 2013 at 1:02 PM. Reason : aa]

4/24/2013 12:49:27 PM

^ Thanks.

But I did need to water it often in the beginning right after I laid the sod, correct?

I'll definitely taper it back now, I was just always under the impression that you had to water heavily right after laying sod.

4/24/2013 1:13:31 PM

Yea, water it daily when its new sod. Didnt mean to confuse you...my post above is more for established long term care.

Id water it daily for 3-4 weeks, as mentioned above. Taper it back after that.

4/24/2013 3:00:46 PM

I can't post here yet, right?

[Edited on April 24, 2013 at 5:06 PM. Reason : oh fuckin Christ I can post here]

4/24/2013 5:06:20 PM

^lol

4/25/2013 8:31:38 AM