I've got Dallisgrass incredibly terrible in some bermuda lawns. What are you guys using for Dallisgrass in warm season?
WARM SEASON ONLY : Control of Dallisgrass
BrendonTW
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I might add that YMMV if the lawn is not mowed low. I was involved in some trials with the new products for control of grassy weeds. Where the bermuda was mowed at 3/4 inch or less with a reel mower, initial weed control and long term results were the best. Where it was mowed 2" or higher with a rotary mower, weed control was poor and in the long term, weed control was a total failure. I do not harp on the use of a reel mower for nothing. It is because it affects initial weed control and the long term health of the lawn.
I suppose I could get a tip for my JD 9 knockoff?
Most of my grass is Bermuda, some mixed and few pure st a.
Thanks.
We have two schools around here. Bermuda typically grows about 1/4" per day. Many folks will not mow twice a week just to keep the grass at 3" so they wind up sheathing the bermuda weekly.
Bermuda gets leggy and thin. They think it saves water and shades the ground which prevents weeds growth. It does none of these things but it seems somewhere someone confused winter grass with Bermuda Grass.
The other school is mow often and low, without proper management it looks bad at first but then things start to happen.
I try to preach the benifits of my Primo but few want to buy the program. They could keep the lawn thicker even if it is at 3".
It is not the height as much as the damages done when mowing a height because you do not want to mow more than weekly. If the grass exceeds 1/4" per day then you have lost the lawn in a week and can not catch up.
They would be better off scalping the lawn then riding up for 4 weeks then scalp again. It sounds bad but cutting more than 1/3 each week will do more damage than trashing it one every 4 to 5 weeks.
I know your growth habits are different on the islands but in my opinion this is why taller bermuda grass has so many weed problem. It is not the height as much as the thin leggy grass.
The other problem with broacasting herbicides that yellow is that Primo yellows too.
Otherwise can primo be added to this mix being discussed? Does Iron and Nitrogen help?
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You know I fit a TeeJet gun on the end of my hose. Even then, it is attached with quick couplers because I have 6 or 7 different hand pieces or guns depending on the job.
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Around here, most lawns are maintained with a reel mower on a 7-14 day mowing schedule. The lawns do not look scalped after each mowing. However, those lawns are lightly fertilized if at all. Or, I am the one doing the feeding.We have two schools around here. Bermuda typically grows about 1/4" per day. Many folks will not mow twice a week just to keep the grass at 3" so they wind up sheathing the bermuda weekly.
Bermuda gets leggy and thin. They think it saves water and shades the ground which prevents weeds growth. It does none of these things but it seems somewhere someone confused winter grass with Bermuda Grass.
The other school is mow often and low, without proper management it looks bad at first but then things start to happen.
I try to preach the benifits of my Primo but few want to buy the program. They could keep the lawn thicker even if it is at 3".
It is not the height as much as the damages done when mowing a height because you do not want to mow more than weekly. If the grass exceeds 1/4" per day then you have lost the lawn in a week and can not catch up.
They would be better off scalping the lawn then riding up for 4 weeks then scalp again. It sounds bad but cutting more than 1/3 each week will do more damage than trashing it one every 4 to 5 weeks.
I know your growth habits are different on the islands but in my opinion this is why taller bermuda grass has so many weed problem. It is not the height as much as the thin leggy grass.
The other problem with broacasting herbicides that yellow is that Primo yellows too.
Otherwise can primo be added to this mix being discussed? Does Iron and Nitrogen help?
This mix I use is a huge improvement over the old standards. Little to no yellowing. Celsius and Revolver are mild growth regulators on desirable turf. I would separate the application of Primo by 14 days after. In fact, the Revolver labeling has a caution on applying other products after or in combination with it.
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One more thing. Lawns that are mowed at that 1/2" height tend to be much slower growing vertically than ones mowed higher. Also, it is normally hybrid bermuda that is kept this way. Unfortunately, most areas of common bermuda are kept in appalling condition.
I am thinking my primo apps are about done maybe two more on high maintenance lawns, one on the others.
Next round will likely start in late summer without Primo. This would be a good time to broadcast and use this mix. I will work up a spread sheet.
Just need to think things through a little. Thank you for your help. I know our growth rates are different but I admit it surprises me.
I like the quick couplers. I only run a 55 gallon tank. I am thinking of getting a second tank to switch out. I can switch the tank pretty quick.
Would not mind yacking about Growth Products some more too. They seem like a quality product. I have only used the Ammos 22 and XXtra Iron products.
My biologicals have been PCH.
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Your growth rates are what surprise me. A bermuda lawn only gets about an inch or so taller in 14 days. Zoysia is even slower. Of course, none of those lawns are getting 1 lb of urea nitrogen every fertilization. The people that do that have bad problems with scalping until the N wears out. This is even with slow release. I use ammonium N at no more than 3/4 lb on low cut bermuda and zoysia. High rates are only for grow in or damage repair.
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Yesterday, I was at the seminars and trade show put on by Agrium. Got to see many of my old friends. Including the sales rep for Growth Products. My best tool for a damaged or new lawn is their Essential Plus product. That is like applying organic matter. It is not to be used instead of fertilizer, rather as a supplement to fertilizer. Of course, this can go in with my routine liquid applications. All of my fertilizers are sprayed. No granules.
I get this info from Dr. Jim McAfee, A&M and the Texas Turf Association.
They all jive and hence the push for Primo on managed turf. Seems to hold true but I have not broken out a ruler.
We discussed before briefly, The PCH product was built on Mycorizial for trees.
They also have the nitrogen fixing bacteria. Great stuff, good color and such. Recently sold to lebenon turf. Not sure it is the same now but still very good and very expensive.
I have about 50 pounds of Flexx / PCH bio pac @ 10 pound. I have seen the results on trees particularly with their Mycorizail is used too. The lawns respond well.
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In bermuda and zoysia, I believe that more water is lost from the excessive leaf and stem area when it is allowed to get stringy. Low cut bermuda and zoysia forms a tight sod. I have seen it for myself on improperly mowed bermuda. It wilts before the bermuda kept at low heights.
I think the difference in growth rates have something to do with the short days close to the equator. Here, the sun is down by 7 even in summer. In winter, it is dark at 5:30.
I think the difference in growth rates have something to do with the short days close to the equator. Here, the sun is down by 7 even in summer. In winter, it is dark at 5:30.
Almost has to be the reason. Bermuda loves full sun all day. Obviously Fertilization and water play a factor. While bermuda wants 3 to 5 pounds of N, now one said this has to be apply in 4 feedings.
Most of the tall growth folks seem to get info from the cool season grass folks. Short grass uses less water. It counters what most of us are told but two or three irrigation auditing classes and discussion of ET says diiferent. Larger leaf size requires more water.
Where are the weeds?
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The better maintained lawns are also not watered with more than an inch of water per week. Go ahead and overwater if all manner of weeds is desired. It can be dry for months on end here, but 1/2" of water every 3 days works out the best. Those that water daily are in for a ride as far as the weeds go. In that case, the grass also grows so fast that it is not maintainable on a 7 day mowing schedule. Water and fertilization can be used to manage growth. I will use Primo to manage stringiness under low light and/or excessive rainfall conditions. Otherwise, growth is regulated by watching the fertilization and irrigation.
I agree 100%. 1/2" twice per week is plenty. We can lose .28 inches of water per day via ET measurements. Hope your roots are deeper than 1 inch for this too work well but they should be.
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If you do not over do the N in relation to K, the roots go down at least a foot in any soil. Using all N or fertilizers that have less than 10% available K does not work. That kind of lawn is hooked on watering and needs a daily mowing. I have seen lawns fed on that type of program. They wilt when it goes above 80 and heaven help them if the irrigation system has a breakdown. My lawns can get by up to 10 days before any noticeable damage.
Good point. However it does take time plus in TX we have hard pan soil. In residential areas they strip and selll the top soil. Throw down construction trash. Install the fence, the irrigation, cover / level with sand then tosss on sod.
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I have one just as bad. Try stripping the topsoil, backfilling the entire neighborhood with coral and putting about 6 inches or so of subsoil on top of the coral. This is why I need to soil test every lawn I take. I never know what is underneath and what effect it is having on the visible soil. The coral backfill normally causes a pH of about 8, excessive sodium and the subsoil is normally high in manganese and aluminum to the point of those elements poisoning plants.
This is why I use all solubles and spoon feed. No such thing as a three or four month application that is actually good for the turf. I need a lot of potassium, iron and sulfur to deal with the developer's idea of good soil. Several months of this normally gives me healthy, deep roots.
This is why I use all solubles and spoon feed. No such thing as a three or four month application that is actually good for the turf. I need a lot of potassium, iron and sulfur to deal with the developer's idea of good soil. Several months of this normally gives me healthy, deep roots.
Our water and soil is both alkaline in most cases then having to deal with serile soil is the pits. It takes years to really develop the lawn. They look a couple of season then go to crap. That is where I step in.
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