[RayFinkle]

Based on some feedback I got from a previous post I've decided to go with sprigging my 5,500SQFT backyard with TifTuf Bermuda.

Things already done:
1. Irrigation Installed

Things ordered
1. 7 Yards of 80/20 Sand/Topsoil for leveling
2. Electric Scarifier and Dethatcher
3. Lawn Roller
4. Gorilla Cart with a fancy towing capability
5. Tow behind drag harrow

I think I have the correct order of action, but can make adjustments if necessary
1. Scalp
2. Dethatch
3. Clean up debris
4. Kill the yard
5. Irrigate
6. Mow
7. Kill the yard again
8. Mow
9. Dethatch
10. Clean up debris
11. Topdress/Level
12. Drag Harrow
13. Lawn Roller
12. Pick up 1 pallet TifTuf
13. Lay in a long row and run the dethatcher over it in multiple directions
14. Spread Bushels across the yard
15. Lawn Roller
16. Irrigate like a madman for 2-weeks straight
17. .2/N a week Peters 20-20-20

Gonna be a fun but long season. I'll get some pictures up once the sun comes out.

 

[El_cesped]

When you say “Kill the yard” what do you mean?

 

[RayFinkle]

When you say “Kill the yard” what do you mean?

Glyphosate!

 

[WillyT]

Laces out Dan!!! Best of luck to you, holler if you need anything.

 

[RayFinkle]

I have the regular old Orbit timer on my irrigation system.

I can only set up 12 times per day and I've scheduled 5 minutes starting every hour on the hour at 5 AM through 5 PM.

This will cover me from early morning sleep to the end of the workday. I've seen folks setting up timers to run at intervals throughout a 24-hour period which I can't do with this system.

I can manage manually turning on the irrigation from 6 PM for 5 minutes each hour until I go to bed around 10 PM to 11 PM.

Hard question, but are these sprigs really going to dry and die out between 11:05 PM and 5 AM?

I bet where I live matters to this question... Florida.... hot and humid.

 

[RayFinkle]

Laces out Dan!!! Best of luck to you, holler if you need anything.

I've been blessed by THE WillyT! Nothing can go wrong now!

 

[RayFinkle]

Just got my dethatcher/scarifier in and couldn't help myself... absolutely wild how much this thing picks up! Tested on about 500sqft and have a pile about 1.5 feet tall and 10 feet long.

 

[RayFinkle]

Dethatched! Will finish up raking before end of day!

 

[Bubba1855]

i love your idea of using the dethatcher to shred the tiftuf...

 

[RayFinkle]

i love your idea of using the dethatcher to shred the tiftuf...

Wish I could take credit! I got it from @WillyT

His journal is WILD. I've read it all the way through several times. He's who gave me the courage to go nuclear on my backyard.

 

[RayFinkle]

Any benefit to soaking the sprigs in a water/rgs mixture while I'm between gathering and spreading them out? Other than the obvious of keeping them wet.

 

[RayFinkle]

Have a bunch coming up in the next several weeks, so I'm going to have to update my timeline.

3/16 - Dethatch and Clean Up - DONE
3/21 - First round of RoundUp Super Concentrate
3/22 - Normal Irrigation
3/31 - Mow
3/31 - Second round of RoundUp Super Concentrate
4/1-4/9 - Out of town
4/10 - Mow
4/10 - Dethatch
4/10 - Clean up Debris
4/10 - Spot Spray anything still living
4/22-4/23 - Topdress 80/20 Sand/Soil Mixture, 7 Yards
4/23 - Lawn Roller
4/23 evening - Cry
5/12 - Pick up Pallet of Tiftuf
5/13 - SPRIG BABY
5/13 - Lawn Roller
5/13-5/27 - Irrigate every hour on the hour for 5-minutes
5/13-5/20 - Will likely lawn roll every night to make sure sprigs stick to soil
Weekly application of .20/NPK via Peters Water Soluble Fertilizer
Weekly application of RGS

 

[Twodollarblue]

4/22-4/23 - Topdress 80/20 Sand/Soil Mixture, 7 Yards
4/23 - Lawn Roller
4/23 evening - Cry

 

[ChocoLab]

@RayFinkle Did you get your Orbit timer squared away? I have the four-outlet one, and although it's complicated until you figure it out, you can set it to water every five minutes all day (and night) long with no problem.

But I will say that when I've seeded in a much hotter and drier climate than yours, no, it doesn't dry out overnight because that's when temps are lower and humidity is higher. But in a particularly hot and dry period, you might need to water at least a time or two at night.

 

[RayFinkle]

@RayFinkle Did you get your Orbit timer squared away? I have the four-outlet one, and although it's complicated until you figure it out, you can set it to water every five minutes all day (and night) long with no problem.

But I will say that when I've seeded in a much hotter and drier climate than yours, no, it doesn't dry out overnight because that's when temps are lower and humidity is higher. But in a particularly hot and dry period, you might need to water at least a time or two at night.

I have this one. Only 3 programs with 4 start times each. I'm happy to be wrong here, but i don't think i can schedule more than 12

 

[WillyT]

Any benefit to soaking the sprigs in a water/rgs mixture while I'm between gathering and spreading them out? Other than the obvious of keeping them wet.

If it was strictly sprigs it may work but if there’s dirt with them it may clump and be a pain to spread. Not sure.

 

[RayFinkle]

If it was strictly sprigs it may work but if there’s dirt with them it may clump and be a pain to spread. Not sure.

Thanks, Willy. I'm trying to think of the best way to go about keeping them wet between the dethatching and laying process. I've read somewhere that they need to be wet within 30 minutes of being sprigged. I don't really want to water for the 3-4ish hours it'll take me to completely dethatch the sod and place it. That'd be around 3 inches of irrigation.

I suppose I could just run it on manual mode for 5-10 minutes every time I bring a new batch out to spread out and that'd suffice.

 

[RayFinkle]

3/16 - Dethatch and Clean Up - DONE
3/19 - First round of RoundUp Super Concentrate - DONE
3/22 - Normal Irrigation
3/31 - Mow
3/31 - Second round of RoundUp Super Concentrate
4/1-4/9 - Out of town
4/10 - Mow
4/10 - Dethatch
4/10 - Clean up Debris
4/10 - Spot Spray anything still living
4/22-4/23 - Topdress 80/20 Sand/Soil Mixture, 7 Yards
4/23 - Lawn Roller
4/23 evening - Cry
5/12 - Pick up Pallet of Tiftuf
5/13 - SPRIG BABY
5/13 - Lawn Roller
5/13-5/27 - Irrigate every hour on the hour for 5-minutes
5/13-5/20 - Will likely lawn roll every night to make sure sprigs stick to soil
Weekly application of .20/NPK via Peters Water Soluble Fertilizer
Weekly application of RGS

Got to get down my first blanket of Round Up Super a couple days early. I hate how my Chapin backpack sprayer fits. Maybe it's because I'm 6'4 but that thing SUCKSSSSSS!.

I'll check back in with photos on day 7!

 

[RayFinkle]

I can see VERY little to zero effect of the Glyphosate blanket application I did on Sunday. 7.5OZ per 1,000 ---

I know it's only been 3 days, but I thought I'd see a hint of evidence it was doing something at this point.

 

[BeCeee]

Give it 10-14 days and it will look like you’re imagining, like a bomb went off.. broadleaf weeds will go first, probably at 5-7 days you’ll see them start to show signs. The grass and sedge will be last to show. I’m in this same process right now, had the same thoughts 😆