[565Hoov2018]

Hey new member here. Have some patience with me as I'm also a newbie as far as lawn care. Here is my situation. I recently (Feb 16, 2018) closed on a home in Rock Hill, SC. Every yard in the neighborhood is a mess....Nobody and I mean nobody gives a darn about their lawn. Unlike most of SC this soil is the Blackjack type and not red clay. It will not absorb much water at all. I had some severe flooding issues on the sides and toward the read of my lawn after a heavy rain. To the point that I installed two sump pump and sump pump basin to pump the water down towards the stormwater outfall. Got that situation handled now however. But the Fescue is actually doing the best in the areas that tend to stay the wettest.
I decided to install Tall Fescue sod. I laid 9 pallets over about 3 days by myself. Everything was good for about the first month and even with proper watering a few spots started to die. Then more importantly starting in late May I started getting Brown Patch. I used the hose attachment sprays as well as granular treatments but this stuff is hard to control!!!! To date I've probably done 3 treatments each of the spray and granular. Spray is good for about a week max.....this 30 day claim is complete false advertising and I've tried a couple different brands. Finally had SpringGreen come out and he sprayed on Friday afternoon a mix of fertilizer (weak like 5/10/31) weed control and fungus control. Sprayed around 5pm and about 7:15pm it poured down rain for a half hour....I'm talking HEAVY rain. So my main question is was around 2 hours enough time for the treatment to be effective or did it just all wash away? I sent a text to the owner and asked and he replied that the label for Armada says it just has to dry. I'm sure it did in the hot as Hell South Carolina sun. Further, I just ordered some Armada myself as I figure his treatment was probably not effective and if Armada is what the pro's use then it must be pretty good. Figure if I see fresh signs I will treat myself......the two pound granular jug is supposed to treat 50,000 square feet so that would be like 13 treatments for my lawn which should last for several years. Tech said right now just have to survive the summer and then the bald patches can be addressed in September with aeration and seeding. I've tried to give as much info as possible here. Mainly looking for general advice from anyone in my area in particular that has a beautiful Tall Fescue lawn as this has been WAY harder than I envisioned. For instance the 1" per week of watering is complete nonsense....lawn guy tells his customers 2" minimum. Get a week straight of 93ºF to 98ºF sun baking the grass and you will have crunch grass here with 1"?! Hell my old neighbors watered 1" a day (

sprinkler on every morning and evening) on their Fescue and it looks great! Thanks

 

[Suburban Jungle Life]

Fescue in SC? Interesting choice. I figure you have long and hot summers. You didn't want a warm season grass? Bermuda/Zoysia/centipede? Maybe less work?

 

[jessehurlburt]

1" a week at once is the standard best practice for normal growing conditions. When you're in a hot spell you will need to break it up and water more frequently. Keep in mind you chose a cool season grass for a warm area. Good luck and welcome to TLF!

 

[565Hoov2018]

Yea we are on the breakline for even being able to grow Fescue. From what I understand it basically goes dormant in June, July, August....but mine grew fine in June? Guess I just thought Fescue was the best looking lawn possible but now I regret not going the Bermuda route. Hopefully once it matures and establishes good root system it will not require the constant care it does now. I don't have an irrigation system so dragging hoses and sprinklers around the house has been rough.

 

[Suburban Jungle Life]

You can let it go dormant and nurse it back in the fall. With fescue, you should overseed every fall. That'll help to fill in dead spots and thicken up the rest. If you keep watering, it's going to be tough. Check soil moisture to see if you need the water. Is the dirt dry and dusty? You can have moist soil and sad fescue due to the high heat. You may need to water every other day to keep it somewhat green and out of dormancy. Mow as high as you can to keep the ground shaded. This will help retain soil moisture but unfortunately increase the chance of fungus. If you keep your fescue tall and thick, it'll survive drought and heat better. Tall, as in 4+ inches...

On another note, you can buy a few pieces of the type of bermuda sod you like and chop it into hand sized pieces. Plant the pieces all over the yard randomly. In 2 years, you probably will have a bermuda lawn... Then use certainty or something like that to spray the whole lawn to get rid of the struggling and leftover fescue. Just an option if you want to do a low cost conversion.

 

[Turfguy93]

So you have brown patch and they applied nitrogen and a herbicide? QOI fungicides should easily get you atleast 14 days if not 21 for brown patch

 

[ForsheeMS]

Brown patch in this area is a tough one. Between the high heat, humidity and heavy dew each night you can expect it to be an ongoing problem. Once you get your preventative treatment program dialed in it won't be nearly as bad. I would just focus on getting it through the summer by whatever means necessary right now. Get some Propiconazole and alternate between it and the Armada to avoid resistance.

I cut a little lower in the spring and fall but as the temps get warmer so does my HOC. Right now I'm at 4.5" and feel this definitely helps it get through the heat. With a preventative fungicide program the brown patch isn't a big problem. In our climate you can't expect TTTF to look it's best mid summer. Around here it's time to really shine is October through May.

You could go the bermuda route but expect a brown lawn from November until the end of May. Just remember if you do go bermuda, once it's done you'll never get rid of it.

 

[Turfguy93]

Brown patch in this area is a tough one. Between the high heat, humidity and heavy dew each night you can expect it to be an ongoing problem. Once you get your preventative treatment program dialed in it won't be nearly as bad. I would just focus on getting it through the summer by whatever means necessary right now. Get some Propiconazole and alternate between it and the Armada to avoid resistance.

I cut a little lower in the spring and fall but as the temps get warmer so does my HOC. Right now I'm at 4.5" and feel this definitely helps it get through the heat. With a preventative fungicide program the brown patch isn't a big problem. In our climate you can't expect TTTF to look it's best mid summer. Around here it's time to really shine is October through May.

You could go the bermuda route but expect a brown lawn from November until the end of May. Just remember if you do go bermuda, once it's done you'll never get rid of it.

Armada contains a DMI so alternating propiconazole with armada would not help to delay resistance something like propiconazole and compass or heritage would though

 

[ForsheeMS]

Armada contains a DMI so alternating propiconazole with armada would not help to delay resistance something like propiconazole and compass or heritage would though

Thanks for catching that one. I haven't used Armada before. So far my go to has been Propiconazole and Azoxy.

 

[Turfguy93]

Armada contains a DMI so alternating propiconazole with armada would not help to delay resistance something like propiconazole and compass or heritage would though

Thanks for catching that one. I haven't used Armada before. So far my go to has been Propiconazole and Azoxy.

No problem! That's a good rotation