Lawn question

[JoHo]

I have a mixture of centipede and bermuda in my yard. We built the house 4 and 1/2 years ago and sodded it with centipede and now just about all of my centipede is dead and the bermuda isn't looking to good. I have a company "managing" my lawn doing pre and post treaments as well as fertilization. I talked with the tech that sprays it and he said centipede will just "wear out". My front yard does not get any traffic except when I cut it. He also said it could be water damage. My question is: Is there anything that could have been used that would have killed my centipede and hurt the bermuda? Also, if they are managing my yard, don't you think this kind of thing should and could be prevented? I'm now looking at sanding and re-seeding or re-sodding which equals a lot of time and money!

Thanks!

[Bababooey]

I think those companies that manage and spray yards are a huge scam. My neighbors on both sides of me have used them for over three years and my yard looks much better than theirs.

I aerate it in the early spring and again in the fall and put out a little fertilizer once in the spring and a couple of months later. Centipede requires VERY little fertilizer and most of the big stores (Lowes and Home Depot) don't sell a fertilizer that is not overkill for centipede.

All that weed and feed crap is kind of a waste too in my opinion. The other thing I do differently from my neighbors is the way I water it compared to them. In the middle of the summer when it gets dry, they will run sprinklers every day for about 30 minutes per area and they have to water everyday.

I usually will water one area for about 1 hour to 1.5 hours and make sure it gets 1-2 inches of water instead of my neighbors method of putting 1/4 inch of water out daily.

Centipede is pretty tough to screw up unless you are over fertilizing it or if your ground has become compacted. You might try aerating it and go from there. I would save your money on the spray companies though, I don't believe that most of them have any clue what they are doing.

[jcthorne]

I have a mixture of centipede and bermuda in my yard. We built the house 4 and 1/2 years ago and sodded it with centipede and now just about all of my centipede is dead and the bermuda isn't looking to good. I have a company "managing" my lawn doing pre and post treaments as well as fertilization. I talked with the tech that sprays it and he said centipede will just "wear out". My front yard does not get any traffic except when I cut it. He also said it could be water damage. My question is: Is there anything that could have been used that would have killed my centipede and hurt the bermuda? Also, if they are managing my yard, don't you think this kind of thing should and could be prevented? I'm now looking at sanding and re-seeding or re-sodding which equals a lot of time and money!

Thanks!

I'm going to take the high road on this one. I will tell you that I would change spray companies and stay away from the National franchises such as Tru Green. Their techs have no clue about what they are talking about. When you've got Bermuda and Centipede together you've asking for one of these guys to screw up when applying chemicals.

[cwink]

Josh,

you might have a fungus in your centipede. We had it at our house on the other side of the neighborhood couple years back. I have centipede also and have a few Bermuda patches that have not started to green up yet. So you may have the fungus keeping your centipede from growing and I think your Bermuda will sprout up soon.

I used Scotts weed and feed this year for the first time (just to see how well it would work). But there are 2 kinds of weed and feed one for centipede and one for bermuda. If you used the centipede one you might be killing your bermuda (which may be why my bermuda patches look bad right now)

The weed and feed appears to have taken care of the few weeds I did have.. But in the past I have been using a 24-6-12 fert miz that I get at Rankin County COOP. That has been great in the past. Might have to go back and add some again here soon if mine doesn't green up like I want it to.

[duckkiller]

you need to find a new company, b/c no grass will just "wear out". There is somthing going on in your soil such as disease or pest infestatiion. When was the last soil test done and what was the results, ie ph and such? What is he spraying and at what rates? Lastly how often is it fertilized and with what and at what rates? Get me some more info and I can help!!! Also when it comes to "weed and feed" type junk from big box stores you are getting mostly filler and very little fertilizer, and what little your getting isnt high grade good quality stuff. Trust me here I just sat through 2 hrs of this stuff listening to a prof bitch about these type apps and the yard companys that apply them(most of the companys that use this type stuff are the guys who do it as a side job and dont know much more than the average joe when it comes to Turfgrass, soils, and fertility) Like I said get me some info and I can help you

[deltadukman]

Yeah I have a fungus in my St. Augustine. I am wondering if i spray Terachlor, how long will it take for my grass to green back up or is it dead and I have to wait for the good grass to grow back?

[JoHo]

you need to find a new company, b/c no grass will just "wear out". There is somthing going on in your soil such as disease or pest infestatiion. When was the last soil test done and what was the results, ie ph and such? What is he spraying and at what rates? Lastly how often is it fertilized and with what and at what rates? Get me some more info and I can help!!! Also when it comes to "weed and feed" type junk from big box stores you are getting mostly filler and very little fertilizer, and what little your getting isnt high grade good quality stuff. Trust me here I just sat through 2 hrs of this stuff listening to a prof bitch about these type apps and the yard companys that apply them(most of the companys that use this type stuff are the guys who do it as a side job and dont know much more than the average joe when it comes to Turfgrass, soils, and fertility) Like I said get me some info and I can help you

To my knowledge it hasn't had a soil test. I will try to find out what was sprayed and and how much. It gets fertilized 4 times a year, I think.

[duckkiller]

Find out what they sprayed and when and the rates. It could be that what he was spraying in the growing season didnt need to be used of centipede(but could be used of bermuda or vice versa) By law they have to keep records of what they sprayed so they will have it(if they are a good company) Also I cant help but wonder if the applicater is licensed? HE doesnt have to be licensed as long as a licensed operater is on site with him at all times when he is applying chemicals. Keep in mind its hard for me to give a strait up answer over the internet with out actually seeing the turf and visualizing the symptoms. Just spouting off things that come to mind. Its just now time for warm season turfgrass to becomeing out of dormancy so it could be that your grass hasnt checked out yet.

[jcthorne]

you need to find a new company, b/c no grass will just "wear out". There is somthing going on in your soil such as disease or pest infestatiion. When was the last soil test done and what was the results, ie ph and such? What is he spraying and at what rates? Lastly how often is it fertilized and with what and at what rates? Get me some more info and I can help!!! Also when it comes to "weed and feed" type junk from big box stores you are getting mostly filler and very little fertilizer, and what little your getting isnt high grade good quality stuff. Trust me here I just sat through 2 hrs of this stuff listening to a prof bitch about these type apps and the yard companys that apply them(most of the companys that use this type stuff are the guys who do it as a side job and dont know much more than the average joe when it comes to Turfgrass, soils, and fertility) Like I said get me some info and I can help you

To my knowledge it hasn't had a soil test. I will try to find out what was sprayed and and how much. It gets fertilized 4 times a year, I think.

Let us know what the spray company tells you. I really wanna add my 2 cents but I'll wait.

[duckkiller]

[quote="jcthorne"[/quote]


Let us know what the spray company tells you. I really wanna add my 2 cents but I'll wait.[/quote]



I prob should have but after sitting through a 2 hour lecture and slide show I couldnt take it anymore LOL. Now its time to go site through another one.

[JoHo]

The treatment they just put out was urea nitrogen, potassium chloride, MCPA, Vanquish (MCPA, Dicamba) at a mechanical sprayer/spray rate of 2. This in an 8 GL dilute mixture.

[jcthorne]

The treatment they just put out was urea nitrogen, potassium chloride, MCPA, Vanquish (MCPA, Dicamba) at a mechanical sprayer/spray rate of 2. This in an 8 GL dilute mixture.

The current treatment wouldn't be your problem. It's last years treatments that probably got you into your trouble. With out going into detail on my theory. I would just hire a new company. If it was a chemical problem you'll never get them to admit they screwed up. If it's a disease or pest problem it's obvious they are not competent enough to recognize the problem. PM me if you would like discuss this in greater detail.

[JoHo]

The treatment they just put out was urea nitrogen, potassium chloride, MCPA, Vanquish (MCPA, Dicamba) at a mechanical sprayer/spray rate of 2. This in an 8 GL dilute mixture.

The current treatment wouldn't be your problem. It's last years treatments that probably got you into your trouble. With out going into detail on my theory. I would just hire a new company. If it was a chemical problem you'll never get them to admit they screwed up. If it's a disease or pest problem it's obvious they are not competent enough to recognize the problem. PM me if you would like discuss this in greater detail.

I may stop by their office tomorrow and ask for the last years service records. I am definitely going to fire these people but I am going to wait to do it til I have a chance to get those records.

[jcthorne]

What was supposed to be sprayed and what was sprayed is the thing here. Centipede and bermuda have to be treated with different chemicals or the centipede is in trouble. Those records will not do you any good.........tech error has nothing to do with record keeping. Even if it does they can manipulate those records and you would never know the difference.

[duckkiller]

[quote="jcthorne"]What was supposed to be sprayed and what was sprayed is the thing here. Centipede and bermuda have to be treated with different chemicals or the centipede is in trouble.





BINGOOOOOO! It is very hard to deplenish broadleaf weeds in centipede. Ok its not that hard, there just isnt a whole lot of chemicals out there that are safe for centipede, esp what you can spray on Bermuda.