[RigglePLC]

Land has a good idea. Cut small plugs from other parts of the lawn and move them to the bare spots. Let them creep out and fill in. The more you do the faster it will fill in. Keep the soil moist of course. Two-inch square would work fine. Trade for 2 inch plugs of soil from the bare spots if you want--probably not necessary.
I am using this method to fix a couple snow plow injuries in my yard this week.

 

[MSlawnman]

This is something I formulate from its respective components. Per acre: 50 lb ammonium sulfate 50 lb potassium nitrate 6 lb FEature 6-0-0. This is to be applied in at least 200 gallons per acre if no irrigation will occur immediately after application. Note what is not in it. No urea. No potassium chloride.

I've read every reply to this post as I too have a centipede lawn and I too have been helped by the responses from other members with a special thanks to greenDoctor. Your response (greendoctor) above makes me wonder though; why no urea? My spring fertilizer recommended by the extension service following a soil sample was to apply 33-0-0. All I could find at that formulation was 33% nitrogen with 10% being derived from ammoniacal nitrogen and 22% being derived from urea nitrogen. It also contained 12% sulfur (presume that is good). I understand the no potassium chloride part and when I apply potash I do not use potassium chloride salts which are apparently bad for centipede.

In a separate response greendoctor mentioned that "What I prefer to do is apply a combination of potassium nitrate, ammonium sulfate and micronutrients as a spray monthly". Can you tell us where you find that? I was able to find the micronutrients online in a liquid formulation and have started using that... waiting to see results yet. I also wanted to ask about the monthly fertilizer applications. Everything I've read about centipede is to NOT fertilize it frequently. I believe (greendoctor) you're in Hawaii and probably get a lot of rain as we do here in South, coastal Mississippi. Our soil is sandy and with all the rain I'm pretty sure we loose nutrients rapidly so I'm going to adopt a plan of monthly fertilizing like greendoctor recommends.

BucNut912, I lived in Augusta, GA for two years, and depending on your rainfall, please do let your centipede completely dry out. I'm convinced that my bare/dead areas were, in part, caused by my sprinkler system missing areas of my lawn (since corrected).

BucNut912, DO NOT apply any more lime to your soil. My extension service advised me to do the same when my pH was 5.5 and were TOLD that the sample was for centipede grass and they still recommended liming it. My relatively poor performing lawn became a lot worse after following their recommendation and applying lime. Now, I'm trying to get my pH levels back down to what centipede loves.

On my bare spots, that look suspiciously like yours, I've treated for insects, fungus and reworked my watering schedule. I then aerated the bare areas, turned the top layer and used a good brand of centipede seeds. I'm very, very pleased with the new growth in these areas, both from the seeding and from existing grass growing into it (runners). I really wanted to re-sod but got caught up in other projects and didn't go that route. I was going to buy plugs from seedland but missed their spring deadline and they were sold out. I have taken plugs from other areas of my 2 1/2 acres and put them in my bare areas and that really helps.

Others advice on weed control products is also spot-on. I use(d) 2,4-D but it does yellow the centipede. I'm using Celcius now and it seems a bit more gentle on the centipede. I still have a horrendous problem with spurge but spend my free time pulling it up by the roots which is, strangely, very satisfying

Your pictures show a very nice lawn... a lot like my front yard. Best of luck to you in getting that 'perfect' lawn which I'm also trying to achieve. Oh, and down here we call that weed a blackberry/dewberry bush and pick them (the berries) around Mother's Day. I've got them everywhere around my perimeter and their suckers/runners come up everywhere.

Lastly, I DO NOT BELIEVE centipede is the lazy mans lawn!!!

 

[hort101]

still have a horrendous problem with spurge but spend my free time pulling it up by the roots which is, strangely, very satisfying

:clapping: as much as squishing bugs or dropping in soapy waterThumbs UpThumbs Up

Our soil is sandy and with all the rain I'm pretty sure we loose nutrients rapidly so I'm going to adopt a plan of monthly fertilizing like greendoctor recommend

Look into organic matter and a slow release fertilizer

 

[hort101]

too have been helped by the responses from other members with a special thanks to greenDoctor.

:clapping: @greendoctor has alot of experience with the warm season grasses and a wealth of informationThumbs UpThumbs Up

 

[MSlawnman]

:clapping: as much as squishing bugs or dropping in soapy waterThumbs UpThumbs Up

Look into organic matter and a slow release fertilizer

I'm working on that. I found a site to purchase 'humectant' and micronutrients. I've purchased those and started using this season... still waiting to see what they may do.

And yes... pulling spurge up by their roots and hearing their tiny screams is as satisfying as squishing bugs or putting salt on slugs

 

[hort101]

@MSlawnman
What kind of spurge are you dealing with?

 

[MSlawnman]

Mainly prostrate but a little spotted here and there.

 

[hort101]

Mainly prostrate but a little spotted here and there.

Is it this?
http://www.walterreeves.com/gardening-q-and-a/prostrate-spurge-identification/

 

[greendoctor]

I've read every reply to this post as I too have a centipede lawn and I too have been helped by the responses from other members with a special thanks to greenDoctor. Your response (greendoctor) above makes me wonder though; why no urea? My spring fertilizer recommended by the extension service following a soil sample was to apply 33-0-0. All I could find at that formulation was 33% nitrogen with 10% being derived from ammoniacal nitrogen and 22% being derived from urea nitrogen. It also contained 12% sulfur (presume that is good). I understand the no potassium chloride part and when I apply potash I do not use potassium chloride salts which are apparently bad for centipede.

In a separate response greendoctor mentioned that "What I prefer to do is apply a combination of potassium nitrate, ammonium sulfate and micronutrients as a spray monthly". Can you tell us where you find that? I was able to find the micronutrients online in a liquid formulation and have started using that... waiting to see results yet. I also wanted to ask about the monthly fertilizer applications. Everything I've read about centipede is to NOT fertilize it frequently. I believe (greendoctor) you're in Hawaii and probably get a lot of rain as we do here in South, coastal Mississippi. Our soil is sandy and with all the rain I'm pretty sure we loose nutrients rapidly so I'm going to adopt a plan of monthly fertilizing like greendoctor recommends.

BucNut912, I lived in Augusta, GA for two years, and depending on your rainfall, please do let your centipede completely dry out. I'm convinced that my bare/dead areas were, in part, caused by my sprinkler system missing areas of my lawn (since corrected).

BucNut912, DO NOT apply any more lime to your soil. My extension service advised me to do the same when my pH was 5.5 and were TOLD that the sample was for centipede grass and they still recommended liming it. My relatively poor performing lawn became a lot worse after following their recommendation and applying lime. Now, I'm trying to get my pH levels back down to what centipede loves.

On my bare spots, that look suspiciously like yours, I've treated for insects, fungus and reworked my watering schedule. I then aerated the bare areas, turned the top layer and used a good brand of centipede seeds. I'm very, very pleased with the new growth in these areas, both from the seeding and from existing grass growing into it (runners). I really wanted to re-sod but got caught up in other projects and didn't go that route. I was going to buy plugs from seedland but missed their spring deadline and they were sold out. I have taken plugs from other areas of my 2 1/2 acres and put them in my bare areas and that really helps.

Others advice on weed control products is also spot-on. I use(d) 2,4-D but it does yellow the centipede. I'm using Celcius now and it seems a bit more gentle on the centipede. I still have a horrendous problem with spurge but spend my free time pulling it up by the roots which is, strangely, very satisfying

Your pictures show a very nice lawn... a lot like my front yard. Best of luck to you in getting that 'perfect' lawn which I'm also trying to achieve. Oh, and down here we call that weed a blackberry/dewberry bush and pick them (the berries) around Mother's Day. I've got them everywhere around my perimeter and their suckers/runners come up everywhere.

Lastly, I DO NOT BELIEVE centipede is the lazy mans lawn!!!

Why no urea? Agronomists say that nitrogen is nitrogen. Yes. However, in real life conditions on grass growing on questionable soils, I have noticed a differential in color between various N sources. Also, Ammonium Sulfate is the most acidifying fertilizer one could buy. That is what one wants if trying to maintain a monostand of Centipede. That is also what one wants if you are on an island like me and most turf is being grown on top of coral. Which is pure Calcium Carbonate with some salt added. Urea turns into ammonia gas and is gone in a week if applied to soil with a high Calcium Carbonate content.

I do not believe in applying large amounts of fertilizer less often. Too much of it leaches, runs off, or is otherwise lost. Ideally, I want to apply only as much as grass is able to utilize immediately. There is no harm in applying low rates rather often. That mix I gave you is no more than 2 lb of fertilizer per 1000 sq ft containing close to 0.25 lb N per application. Compare that to the normal application of 1 lb+ of N. Do that to Centipede without supplying a comparable amount of micronutrients and Potassium, then the warnings about a lot of fertilizer hold true. Supply a complete fertilizer in moderate amounts according to the needs of the grass and it is hard to go wrong. If you want to find Potassium Nitrate and sprayable Ammonium Sulfate, I would look at vendors that supply greenhouses, nurseries, or golf courses. I am lucky in that my vendors supply those operations as the majority of their sales. If they only serviced "lawn people", I would have a harder time finding solution grade fertilizers.

You are totally right about Centipede needing its water. In my state, Centipede lawns are most common in the wet parts or else where there is a super irrigation system. Places were the irrigation system is not covering show up as burnt out areas where weeds take over. I actually do not get a lot of rain. In many parts of the state, it is less than 30 inches of rain annually with a 365 day growing season. Most of that rain falls as random storms that drop 5 inches of water at one time and then no more for weeks or months on end. If someone wants grass, they have irrigation.

 

[MSlawnman]

Is it this?
http://www.walterreeves.com/gardening-q-and-a/prostrate-spurge-identification/

Yep, I have both of them. The spotted is not so bad and can easily control it. The prostrate is another matter altogether....

Why no urea? Agronomists say that nitrogen is nitrogen. Yes. However, in real life conditions on grass growing on questionable soils...

Thank you greendoctor for a very 'down to earth' explanation. Your explanation makes perfect sense and cleared up several misconceptions I've had since purchasing this 2 1/2 acres with a pretty poor stand of centipede, weeds and bare areas.

My extension service gave me a plan that I followed the first two years here with poor results. Even my limited amount of common sense (regarding centipede grass) kept telling me that once or twice a year fertilizing on very sandy soil with frequent downpours didn't sound right.

Why no urea? Agronomists say that nitrogen is nitrogen. Yes. However, in real life conditions on grass growing on questionable soils, I have noticed a differential in color between various N sources. Also, Ammonium Sulfate is the most acidifying fertilizer one could buy. That is what one wants if trying to maintain a monostand of Centipede. That is also what one wants if you are on an island like me and most turf is being grown on top of coral. Which is pure Calcium Carbonate with some salt added. Urea turns into ammonia gas and is gone in a week if applied to soil with a high Calcium Carbonate content.

I do not believe in applying large amounts of fertilizer less often. Too much of it leaches, runs off, or is otherwise lost. Ideally, I want to apply only as much as grass is able to utilize immediately. There is no harm in applying low rates rather often. That mix I gave you is no more than 2 lb of fertilizer per 1000 sq ft containing close to 0.25 lb N per application. Compare that to the normal application of 1 lb+ of N. Do that to Centipede without supplying a comparable amount of micronutrients and Potassium, then the warnings about a lot of fertilizer hold true. Supply a complete fertilizer in moderate amounts according to the needs of the grass and it is hard to go wrong. If you want to find Potassium Nitrate and sprayable Ammonium Sulfate, I would look at vendors that supply greenhouses, nurseries, or golf courses. I am lucky in that my vendors supply those operations as the majority of their sales. If they only serviced "lawn people", I would have a harder time finding solution grade fertilizers.

You are totally right about Centipede needing its water. In my state, Centipede lawns are most common in the wet parts or else where there is a super irrigation system. Places were the irrigation system is not covering show up as burnt out areas where weeds take over. I actually do not get a lot of rain. In many parts of the state, it is less than 30 inches of rain annually with a 365 day growing season. Most of that rain falls as random storms that drop 5 inches of water at one time and then no more for weeks or months on end. If someone wants grass, they have irrigation.

Thanks greendoctor. Sound, practical advice. I wish I had this advice when I first moved here, I think I could have avoided a lot of missteps.

 

[weeze]

So should I cut it low then? I usually keep it pretty high like 2-1/2".

if you are using a normal rotary mower then mow it at 2-2.5". only mow it shorter if you have a reel mower to use.