Glad to see you back. Yard looks stunning. Hope all is well.

 

Welcome back!

 

We finally have some life in the test plot.

Prior to seeding, the plot was Sun Joe'd several times to remove dead grass. There was still a thatchy layer at the bottom riddled with old bent seeds that needed to be removed as well. I used a square shovel to scrape all that off and expose the sand/topsoil.

I pre-germinated the 4 cultivars in the garage using buckets and paint strainers. It was very warm in the garage. Completely submerged the seed for the first 24 hours. Then drained and re-wet, but did not submerge, the seed every 12 hours. The seeds were in the buckets for 6.5 days.

Seed down day, 2.5 lbs seed/k. Used milo as carrier, 8:1 milo to seed ratio (lbs when the seed was dry) is what felt best. Garden weasel to rough up surface, seed with handheld broadcast spreader, garden weasel again, rolled. Tried to roll with greensmower, but moist soil was sticking to roller and making a mess. Ended up walking over the ground instead. I didn't use tenacity or peat moss this time.

A downpour rolled through the area about 5 days after seed. I covered the plot with tarps/painters plastic and it worked well to prevent washout.

First sign of germination was 2.5 days after seed in ground (9 days in total). However not really widespread until 7.5 days in the ground and 14 days in total. I don't think the process moved any faster overall but it was nice to not worry about washout or keeping the seeds moist for half the time. I think next time I'll keep the seed in the buckets longer.

Plot is split into 4 sections, about 115 sq ft each. Left to right facing house: Prosperity, Moonlight, Full Moon, Appalachian. The Appalachian and Prosperity are establishing the fastest so far. The Pure Seed varieties are lagging behind a bit.

8/26 started pre-germ
9/2 seed down
9/4 first germ
9/9 widespread germ

Day 14

Prosperity

Moonlight

Full Moon

Appalachian

In the lawn, I've been dealing with something over the last month. I thought they were localized dry spots, but the grass is completely dead/pulling out. I need to take out cores and investigate further. I couldn't find any lesions.

The roughs are looking pale again, and the rotary mower is tearing up the grass for some reason. I replaced and sharpened the mower blade. It cuts clean in neighbors yard but not on my roughs. I can't figure it out, maybe they're too thick for the mower. I was planning to dethatch the whole lawn this month anyway, so we'll see if that helps.

8/14 0.4 oz T Nex/0.77 oz azoxy
9/6 0.5 lbs NPK

 

We finally have some life in the test plot.

Prior to seeding, the plot was Sun Joe'd several times to remove dead grass. There was still a thatchy layer at the bottom riddled with old bent seeds that needed to be removed as well. I used a square shovel to scrape all that off and expose the sand/topsoil.

I pre-germinated the 4 cultivars in the garage using buckets and paint strainers. It was very warm in the garage. Completely submerged the seed for the first 24 hours. Then drained and re-wet, but did not submerge, the seed every 12 hours. The seeds were in the buckets for 6.5 days.

Seed down day, 2.5 lbs seed/k. Used milo as carrier, 8:1 milo to seed ratio (lbs when the seed was dry) is what felt best. Garden weasel to rough up surface, seed with handheld broadcast spreader, garden weasel again, rolled. Tried to roll with greensmower, but moist soil was sticking to roller and making a mess. Ended up walking over the ground instead. I didn't use tenacity or peat moss this time.

A downpour rolled through the area about 5 days after seed. I covered the plot with tarps/painters plastic and it worked well to prevent washout.

First sign of germination was 2.5 days after seed in ground (9 days in total). However not really widespread until 7.5 days in the ground and 14 days in total. I don't think the process moved any faster overall but it was nice to not worry about washout or keeping the seeds moist for half the time. I think next time I'll keep the seed in the buckets longer.

Plot is split into 4 sections, about 115 sq ft each. Left to right facing house: Prosperity, Moonlight, Full Moon, Appalachian. The Appalachian and Prosperity are establishing the fastest so far. The Pure Seed varieties are lagging behind a bit.

8/26 started pre-germ
9/2 seed down
9/4 first germ
9/9 widespread germ

View attachment 56236
View attachment 56233
View attachment 56235
View attachment 56234

Day 14

Prosperity
View attachment 56237

Moonlight
View attachment 56238

Full Moon
View attachment 56239

Appalachian
View attachment 56240

In the lawn, I've been dealing with something over the last month. I thought they were localized dry spots, but the grass is completely dead/pulling out. I need to take out cores and investigate further. I couldn't find any lesions.

The roughs are looking pale again, and the rotary mower is tearing up the grass for some reason. I replaced and sharpened the mower blade. It cuts clean in neighbors yard but not on my roughs. I can't figure it out, maybe they're too thick for the mower. I was planning to dethatch the whole lawn this month anyway, so we'll see if that helps.

8/14 0.4 oz T Nex/0.77 oz azoxy
9/6 0.5 lbs NPK

View attachment 56242
View attachment 56243

Part of my collars are the same. It looks like crap at the normal HOC and I have to raise the deck of the rotary.

 

Strange pattern too. Do you treat for grubs or other insects? My roughs keep growing so fast that when I hack them down they look pretty bad compared to the short turf.

 

@Wile I'm guessing it was grubs as I've skipped the GrubEx the past couple of years and symptoms were so similar to what @Carlson had. I won't be so lazy next year.

@Jeff_MI84 my roughs require frequent thinning to look nice consistently and especially to lower the HOC, even by only 1 notch. 1-2 dethatches per season. I think this is somewhat normal for KBG, but my longer KBG seems more high maintenance. I don't think it liked being converted from fairway to rough height. The fairway stuff only needs a thinning every couple of years. Aggressive HOC adjustments don't faze it at all.

Fall cures all ills, anyway. The roughs and grub damage are looking much better.

Don't ask me how, but I chemical burned the lawn in October with 0.3 lbs of N. It was mixed with 8 oz of 5% iron, sprayed in the morning but not watered in. Seasonably cool, sunny day. I've done this app so many times and was very confused. But it rebounded within a week with a good amount of rain.

LAWN
9/14 dethatch
9/19 0.75 lbs N
9/27 0.5 lbs N
10/4 0.3 lbs N (spray); 8 oz 5% iron
10/11 first freeze
10/12 0.3 lbs NPK

The test plot is cooking. Initial observations: Appalachian is a fast grower. Moonlight has the best early color, by far. I did the same N/iron spray app on the plot but thank goodness watered it in. A foliar uptake might have smoked it.

PLOT
9/19 .25 lbs N
9/20 first mow
9/27 .25 lbs N
10/4 .3 lbs N (spray and watered in); 8 oz 5% iron
10/12 .25 lbs N

From left to right: Prosperity, Moonlight, Full Moon, Appalachian

9/22

9/28

10/3

10/6

🔥 🙈 fert burn

1 week later

Last look at hydrangeas before freeze

 

Moonlight is looking D A R K