[jaygrizzle]

I am planning to use Tenancity at seed down when I overseed and re-seed a few areas. I'll be using TTTF seed and that is what my lawn currently is. I have read a bunch of threads on here on Tenacity and now I am a bit nervous about applying it. The plan is to use the liquid version in a tank sprayer.

Does anyone have any best practices/tips/do's and don'ts when using Tenacity?

 

[chrismar]

Read the label, multiple times.
Make sure you get the dosing right.
Get familiar with your sprayer. Practice with water, if needed.
Have a beverage of choice on hand for afterwards.

 

[MarkAguglia]

Use blue marking dye.

Last time I used Tenacity I had some white stripes all over the lawn from missing rows.

 

[jaygrizzle]

Read the label, multiple times.
Make sure you get the dosing right.
Get familiar with your sprayer. Practice with water, if needed.
Have a beverage of choice on hand for afterwards.

So my sprayer is just the real cheap sprayer 1 gallon sprayer from Walmart. My yard is very small so it works okay for when I've sprayed post-emergents in the past. Do you know if it is best to use on the setting that it sprays out more of a mist or should I use the setting that sprays more of concentrated straight shot flow?

 

[jaygrizzle]

I also have a question about the application:

I am about to do some spot spraying of weeds today or tomorrow, but it will be at least 6 weeks or so until I would be applying the Tenacity at seed down. So by the time I apply it, there will certainly be some weeds in the yard that I would like the Tenacity to take care of. But I would like to get the pre-emergent benefits of it as well.

So when I am applying it with the intent of getting both the pre and post emergent effects, should I spray with or without a surfactant? It recommends to use some on the label when using as a post-m but I'd also like get the pre-m properties of the product as well.

 

[jaygrizzle]

Use blue marking dye.

Last time I used Tenacity I had some white stripes all over the lawn from missing rows.

I am wanting to use the blue marking dye, but I am afraid I am going to make a huge mess with it. Haha

 

[jessehurlburt]

You would want the mist (fan tip) for foliar post-m apps with a NIS. For using it as a pre-m, I've heard it recommended to use a tip that sprays bigger droplets since the goal is to get it down into the soil. I would hit the weeds you have now, and any that are left again in 10 days. You need to water in Tenacity when using as a pre-m, so I would focus on the weeds you have now, then when seeding this fall, use a tip that makes bigger droplets and water it in.

 

[jessehurlburt]

Use blue marking dye.

Last time I used Tenacity I had some white stripes all over the lawn from missing rows.

I am wanting to use the blue marking dye, but I am afraid I am going to make a huge mess with it. Haha

I used marking dye for the first time this week. It does color the grass, but it went away within a day or two. I'd highly recommend using it. It makes it a lot easier.

 

[pennstater2005]

Don't wear sandals.

 

[jessehurlburt]

Don't wear sandals.

:lol:

 

[Suburban Jungle Life]

Smurf feet?

 

[Harts]

Don't wear sandals.

Is this good practice??

 

[gm560]

It's a different consistency then other herbicides. Much thicker like paint, so be prepared to mix it with something more than just shaking the sprayer. Other people might have techniques they use, but I have one of these for my power drill:

https://www.amazon.com/Allway-10031-gallon-Helix-Paint/dp/B000I1VHG2

 

[jaygrizzle]

It's a different consistency then other herbicides. Much thicker like paint, so be prepared to mix it with something more than just shaking the sprayer. Other people might have techniques they use, but I have one of these for my power drill:

https://www.amazon.com/Allway-10031-gallon-Helix-Paint/dp/B000I1VHG2

I only have roughly 2k sq feet of lawn and my tank sprayer is only a gallon so I believe based on their recommended application rate that I will only used 0.5tsp of Tenacity per gallon. With that little of the product how would you go about mixing it?

For the blue dye, I guess I am just a little nervous about getting it on my driveway, landscaping and white fence. I think I may just plan to hit all of the perimeter spots (maybe a foot of of them) without the dye and then do the main middle sections with the dye. Then I'll just have to worry about getting it on myself...

 

[jessehurlburt]

I only have roughly 2k sq feet of lawn and my tank sprayer is only a gallon so I believe based on their recommended application rate that I will only used 0.5tsp of Tenacity per gallon. With that little of the product how would you go about mixing it?

A 1/2 tsp measuring spoon (that you will never use again for food) and a paint stirrer would work fine

 

[doanster]

do not freak out if your lawn starts looking like a spotted leopard - did a blanket spray as a pre-emergent in the spring.
a week later my lawn started to get white patches that grew and grew - i thought for sure i killed the lawn - but i waited - and as i had been told by others - after a few cuts the white spots grew out and the grass was green and completely weed free - 4 months later - still no weeds to be seen. good stuff!

 

[g-man]

@jaygrizzle For an overseed, tenacity is not that important. For bare areas it helps.

If you apply as a post (with nis) with a blanket application, it will treat your weeds and the bare areas will also get tenacity into the soil.

Practice, practice and practice. Use the die but use a only a small amount with your water practice runs. The die helps to
see overlap or gaps. Use a syringe to measure the tenacity. It will be more accurate that way. Add to tank, add some water and mix, then add the rest of the water.

 

[jaygrizzle]

I'm torn now. With me being new to the game I'm honestly leaning towards just using the Scotts starter fertilizer with the mesotrione added. I've seen it recommended on here before and seems to have pretty good reviews online. Anyone have any experience with it?

At this point with this fall being my first real attempt at improving the lawn with the proper education as opposed to winging it, my goal is to not screw things up. And it seems the tenacity in the Scotts product would be harder to mess up rather than trying to mix in my sprayer and using dye for the first time.

g-man, I believe that you recommended tenacity at seed down as well as 30 days after. If I went the non liquid route, I would probably only use half the bag or less at seed down. Would it be okay to put down the other half of the bag 30 days later? Or would putting the starter fertilizer on the newly germinated/growing seeds be detrimental? I would then put prodiamine or dimension down 60 days after seed down.

 

[g-man]

Tenacity is the brand name for mesotrione. The scott product is good, but it the long run, it is way more expensive. It is granular so that makes it easier to use. Once you get to practice and use liquid applications, it opens a lot of different products to use and a lower cost (pennies vs $20 in some cases). If you have the sprayer, just practice with water and some dye until you dont ended with water in the tank (walked too fast), run out of water (walked too slow) or have areas without dye.

For a reno (no grass in the ground), the recommendation is tenacity at seed down and then at 30 days. It really helps from weeds growing in the bare soil.
For an overseed, I dont see the need for tenacity at all. It wont hurt to use it at seed down or 30 days later.

It is still possible to screw up with the granular, but not so much. You need to follow the label. A bag might cover 5ksqft, but you only have 2ksqft. Therefore half a bag should be too much. Ideally you want to weight the amount you need (lb/ksqft as listed in the label). Then you want to apply that qty evenly thru the 2ksqft. If it is not even, then you will end up with double rate in some areas. Dont trust the spreader settings in the bag since it is too general and easy to screw up, weight it with a bathroom scale and a bucket.

Scott starter with meso is designed to be used for new seeds. Follow their label recommendations and you will be fine.

 

[440mag]

I used marking dye for the first time this week. It does color the grass, but it went away within a day or two. I'd highly recommend using it. It makes it a lot easier.

AND, marking dye is $oooooooooooooooo much cheaper than the chemicals many (most?) of us are using!

(DEFINITELY cheaper than Tenacity ... like two separate universes cheaper!)

Best o' Success! :thumbup: