I think someone is full of crap. Not you.

 

You could take soil and tissue samples for testing. The time frame would make me suspicious too.

How does the healthy turf along it look? Growing like crazy, much faster than the rest of the lawn?

If not I wouldn't even take it further and would probably tell him to pound sand.

 

You could take soil and tissue samples for testing. The time frame would make me suspicious too.

How does the healthy turf along it look? Growing like crazy, much faster than the rest of the lawn?

If not I wouldn't even take it further and would probably tell him to pound sand.

I'm talking with the agricultural extension agent. I'm looking into soil testing. The grass all over the property is like 8 inches in the part sun and drought stressed in the full sun. No, nothing noticeable greener than the rest of the grass

 

Definitely looks like a spray chemical burn. No granules any where. Ask him what was sprayed there.

 

The dead weeds make me suspicious, but there is a lusher and greener ring around the dead grass in the first photo that may be caused by fertilizer?

 

I'm not sure if it's much more lush. Potentially because it's right under the hose... getting more water maybe. My objection to it is the shape and straight lines. Also it would take like a 1/3 bag of 32-3-8 too leave that much inert material behind

 

The lines on the left side of the first picture are way too straight. Something man made did that.

 

Looks like some bags of mulch were laying there for a while.

 

Lab here costs about $300 to test for gly. Usually not worth it. And you have to tell them what to test for. Say it was killed with diquat dibromide. The flu test will come back negative. $300 wasted.

 

OP isn't an investigator, he just needs to cover his ass.

I don't work in a lab so maybe I'm playing out an episode of "CSI: This Isn't What Real Life Is Like" in my head but I'd be hoping they can provide some feedback on whether or not excessive amounts of nitrogen are/were present.

 

Yeah what's the saying... Something like there are no straight lines in nature. Looks like something was lying there for a while. Now that it can get some sun will probably perk right back up. But worse case I'd not admit fault and tell them you would put 3 pieces of sod in for them. $10 for sod and 15 minutes of time. For goodwill if you want to keep the customer.

 

"flu test" that's funny... Gly test. Yeah a NPK general test only runs around $16.50 through Waypoint is who we use.

 

And can anyone offer some insight into the toxicity of nitrogen to plants? My knowledge has led me to understand that the salt index of the products we use is the biggest risk and osmotic damage is the real culprit.

That's why people who can't calibrate love milorganite, right? :drinkup:

 

https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/garden-how-to/soil-fertilizers/too-much-nitrogen-soil.htm

Not that this answers your question but this is the first I have ever heard that mulch depletes N as the mulch breaks down.

 

Thanks everyone. Yeah y’all confirmed what I already thought. My thoughts.. this customer may appreciate, or not, the concrete evidence I can produce through lab work. Big concern, I don’t think my guy put down the fertilizer spill. Also the killed area resembles herbicide more than fertilizer. Mulch bag on top of grass would give a similar shape too I believe.
Either way I’m the guy that replaces it and takes the blame or I’m the guy that rubs his nose in the fact that I had nothing to do with it. I think I’ll replace it and let him go, saying I don’t believe we played a role in it. This was his second treatment with us at full price this time. He could be a future problem. Might just cut my losses now.

 

Thanks everyone. Yeah y'all confirmed what I already thought. My thoughts.. this customer may appreciate, or not, the concrete evidence I can produce through lab work. Big concern, I don't think my guy put down the fertilizer spill. Also the killed area resembles herbicide more than fertilizer. Mulch bag on top of grass would give a similar shape too I believe.
Either way I'm the guy that replaces it and takes the blame or I'm the guy that rubs his nose in the fact that I had nothing to do with it. I think I'll replace it and let him go, saying I don't believe we played a role in it. This was his second treatment with us at full price this time. He could be a future problem. Might just cut my losses now.

Did he switch from another company to yours?

 

I’ve seen that perfect square pattern twice and both were from the customer or contractor Leaving a window laying on the grass on a sunny day.

 

There are charts showing the burn potential and "salt index" of fertilizers.
https://soilsextension.webhosting.c...sting.cals.wisc.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/68/2016/07/Laboski_salt2008ppt.pdf

 

There are charts showing the burn potential and "salt index" of fertilizers.
https://soilsextension.webhosting.c...sting.cals.wisc.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/68/2016/07/Laboski_salt2008ppt.pdf

I don't see milorganite on the chart, therefore it has no salt in it, therefore you can't burn your lawn with it.

Prove me wrong. :drinkup:

 

I need to disclose that I have never applied any milorganite in my life.

It's not even available here in SW Idaho.

Oh I'll stop horsing around, I'm just goofin. I can't help but wonder if I'm not missing on a chance to capitalize on an underfed market though. I'll look into processing it locally if anyone can help me source some raw materials.

How bout it guys?

 

In my experience id have to say thats not fertilizer burn. Ive burnt a couple lawns many years ago and it is not perfectly square like that. Its usually patches or if in one area, its round, not square. I'd have to say BS on this one. I agree with others that possibly a bag of something may have been left on it.

 

Check the area carefully for granules. Do I see round black Milorganite pebbles at triple strength? If you over-applied yellow sulfur coated granules--there should be plenty visible. If fertilizer granules are 2 inches apart or more --not likely a fert burn. A fert burn will have distinct darker green areas at the edges. I don't see how a round spreader could make a square burn. If using a rotary spreader--you would be pushing it parallel to the house and about 5 feet away. Suppose a drop spreader that was 3 feet wide approached the house and stopped at the foundation. Suppose a construction contractor laid a half-sheet of 4 x 8 plywood there. Or a sheet of plastic. Plastic trash can? Measure the exact dimensions--let us know.
Suppose someone used something like Roundup Extended control to keep weeds out of the bark along the foundation of the house. Used too much--or rained.

Or something to kill that weedy grass.

Was he trying to kill some Bermuda?

Hose-end sprayer? Wrong mix ratio?

 

Dunno. The customer is keeping the conversation pretty short. Seems upset at me though lol. What I think is he did something to it himself. I think he took some fertilizer and lined it on the mulch himself. Trying to pull a fast one. There are my pellets from 6 weeks ago that are sulfur coated. I have to search for them. They aren't overapplied. I did see some forest green pellets though. Same look as the miracle gro ones he has around his shrubs.
I'm reading in between the lines with this guy. Even if he did admit to doing something to it and trying to cover it up, I wouldn't want him as a customer anyways.

 

Just throwing this out there, Weed spray boom left on while machine was stopped?

 

Just throwing this out there, Weed spray boom left on while machine was stopped?

Negative ghost rider. I did the weed control a day prior with a spray gun. My technician followed up with granular fert the next day

 

Dunno. The customer is keeping the conversation pretty short. Seems upset at me though lol. What I think is he did something to it himself. I think he took some fertilizer and lined it on the mulch himself. Trying to pull a fast one. There are my pellets from 6 weeks ago that are sulfur coated. I have to search for them. They aren't overapplied. I did see some forest green pellets though. Same look as the miracle gro ones he has around his shrubs.
I'm reading in between the lines with this guy. Even if he did admit to doing something to it and trying to cover it up, I wouldn't want him as a customer anyways.

My first thought was weed killer damage

Could be a bad case of fungus if his hose leaked unlikely imo but possible

I looked at the pictures again yesterday and I think I see footprints

I had a customer spray there walkway and track it all over there lawn:hammerhead:
first glance looked like dollar spot

Hard to prove anything imo good luck

 

I agree with a sheet of plywood or something left there for a little while.....but, I definately would just replace with new sod...can't cost much and then discontinue his service.

 

I must have missed it in your post but I just noticed that clump of bermuda in the mulch and reread and it's two inches from the pile but wasn't injured?

Oh what a load of bovine scat, right @Charles?

 

Looks like bent grass was killed with tenacity. I have seen tenacity do similar things. FYI tenacity can be bought on amazon.

 

It's a Bermuda lawn, but I agree with your assessment. I just think it would be nearly impossible to differentiate the two in this condition without some lab analysis.

It looks like it's blanched, aka severely chlorotic. Not very desiccated though. Covering a plant does the same thing Tenacity does, disrupt chlorophyll production.

I think you're making the correct decision to resod and part ways. This guy might honestly be innocent but still a piece of work, maybe he hired some Chuck for $10/hr that did this to his lawn and then put the pile of fert in the mulch and told him that was the problem. :laugh:

 

I don’t know if anyone has done the mental math but it would take a half bag of fertilizer to make a burn that big and it would look like Easter basket grass along the fringes.

Fert burn is orangey tan not dull tan
The mulch there in some pics says it all
He left bags of mulch piled there for ages days in hot sun
Some of it leaked from the bags

 

Don't let these customers blame everything on us. Often times the customer knows they are at fault, but wants it fixed for free. A few weeks ago I had a customer claiming we burned off patches of his lawn. Guy yelled and would not listen to one word I tried to say, demanded a refund and to cancel his contract. Turned out the landscaper sprayed the beds with roundup prior to mulching. He knew this all along and tried to blaim us. I lost it with this guy.. he is no longer a customer and did not get a refund. If we keep giving in people will only take more.