[g-man]

In case you havent noticed, summer is here! Otherwise get up and open the front door and get that humid hot air nice welcome. The summer solstice is in a few days (21Jun) and then we start the countdown to fall nitrogen.

Some tips for the summer:

• 
  Nitrogen - I like the recommendation from UNL Calendar: "Apply fertilizer if lawn quality is unacceptable." A bit subjective since you have to define acceptable. I tend not to apply much and let the lawn survive the summer heat. In my opinion and experience, applying any nitrogen with temps above 95F is just foolish asking for more water and then more fungus. I used to apply a lot of milorganite, but I learned my lesson. First I feed too much, so I had to water more and second there was no way to stop the slow release if the weather turned bad two weeks later. How much to apply? the least to get by.
  
  Fungus - I suggest you start a daily walk across the yard. 2 min is all it takes to look around and notice a change. You will spot a problem area before it becomes a big deal. Have a fungicide at hand. Something that will treat brown patch. If you need to apply it, there is no need to rush to try to find one. Sometimes is makes sense to apply more nitrogen to grow out of a problem. Other is best to let is starve and dry up (ie. brown patch).
  
  Enjoy - Summer slows down the grow of a cool season lawn. Ideal temp for grow is 68F. As the summer temps climb away from 68, the grow slows or stops. There is no much we could do about it unless you live in northern Utah and barely hit 90F. Just enjoy the lawn with some games. Water the annuals and garden. Smokes some ribs or a cigar. Clean up the garage and start sourcing some nitrogen for the fall.

 

[social port]

No words bring relief from summer heat better than 'fall' and 'nitrogen'
My cool season turf is missing cool season weather, and I haven't fertilized with N since February.

 

[Alpine]

An excellent description of summer lawn - oh and keep fighting those pesky weeds too.
Thanks @g-man !

 

[MarkAguglia]

Good advice as always. Everyone ENJOY their hard work in the lawn this summer!

 

[glenmonte]

I agree about backing off on the nitrogen as well. I'm at about 2.75 lbs N/k for the year. My goal is 4 lbs. My last application was just this week- Espoma with iron ("summer," even though it's still early). Any other nourishment will be from water, which will make me mow (and mulch), which provides more than enough N. I'll nurse my lawn back after the heat with a light dose of N and an overseed in September, then make up the rest in early October through fertilizer and leaf mulching.

 

[Budstl]

What's the cracked corn and alfalfa recommendation? 10lbs/k ok?

 

[SNOWBOB11]

I put alfalfa at 10lb/k and corn at 20lb/k on @probasestealer advice.

 

[kolbasz]

Putting pgr is still cool in the summer, right?

Unless things are dormant and the need is eliminated by self not growing of course

 

[Ldware9]

For a cool season lawn I wouldn't put down pgr right now if your suffering from the summer heat. It would stress the turf even more. Best times is fall and spring(which was non existent for me this year).

 

[g-man]

@kolbasz Still do pgr, but lower your rate if things look too dry or too hot. I have irrigation and I can keep it going, but there is no point in fighting a drought 100F days. Remember that pgr is a 3-4 week decision. Once you apply you can't take it off.

 

[kolbasz]

Well, I applied Friday. Super hot Sunday and today, end of week cools down.

Guess I will check rachio for when it will run and run if needed.

 

[j4c11]

PGR is ok and actually helpful during summer, it helps significantly increase drought tolerance of cool season grasses.

 

[Turfguy93]

PGR is ok and actually helpful during summer, it helps significantly increase drought tolerance of cool season grasses.

Pgr is helpful in summer when started applying in spring to help build carb reserves

 

[gregonfire]

Thanks for the info, @g-man. Any tips for those of us with less than 1 year old renos going into summer? Anything different we should be doing?

 

[j4c11]

PGR is ok and actually helpful during summer, it helps significantly increase drought tolerance of cool season grasses.

Pgr is helpful in summer when started applying in spring to help build carb reserves

Well that's part of it, but there are studies showing that trinexapac effectively lowers water usage by reducing evapotranspiration rates. Thus, your grass goes longer on less water.

TE-treated plants exhibited a reduced rate of water depletion from the soil as demonstrated by higher soil water content, lower evapotranspiration rates, and higher leaf relative water content during 28 days of drought stress compared with non-TE-treated plants. During the later phase of drought stress, TE-treated plants had a greater reduction in leaf ψS at full turgor or greater osmotic adjustment, which was associated with increased accumulation of soluble sugars and inorganic ions (Ca and K) in leaves of TE-treated plants. Proline content increased in response to drought stress, but was unaffected by TE application, suggesting that it may not contribute to the effects of TE on osmotic adjustment. TE-treated plants maintained significantly higher turf quality and leaf photochemical efficiency under drought stress. The results suggest that the promotive effects of TE application on turf growth during drought stress were associated with the reduction in water depletion or lower water use and increases in osmotic adjustment due to the accumulation of inorganic solutes and soluble sugars.

http://journal.ashspublications.org/content/134/5/505.full

 

[Turfguy93]

@j4c11 I wonder when they started applications to the turf

 

[j4c11]

@j4c11 I wonder when they started applications to the turf

The study says:

For TE treatment, turf foliage was sprayed 14 d before drought treatment began and on the day of drought stress imposition with a hand-held sprayer

 

[Paulsprimecuts]

I'm in eastern NC on all my fescue lawns I'm going out with fungicide and a liquid 0-0-10 with sea kelp every month

 

[Delmarva Keith]

In case you havent noticed, summer is here! Otherwise get up and open the front door and get that humid hot air nice welcome. The summer solstice is in a few days (21Jun) and then we start the countdown to fall nitrogen.

Some tips for the summer:

• 
  Nitrogen - I like the recommendation from UNL Calendar: "Apply fertilizer if lawn quality is unacceptable." A bit subjective since you have to define acceptable. I tend not to apply much and let the lawn survive the summer heat. In my opinion and experience, applying any nitrogen with temps above 95F is just foolish asking for more water and then more fungus. I used to apply a lot of milorganite, but I learned my lesson. First I feed too much, so I had to water more and second there was no way to stop the slow release if the weather turned bad two weeks later. How much to apply? the least to get by.
  
  Fungus - I suggest you start a daily walk across the yard. 2 min is all it takes to look around and notice a change. You will spot a problem area before it becomes a big deal. Have a fungicide at hand. Something that will treat brown patch. If you need to apply it, there is no need to rush to try to find one. Sometimes is makes sense to apply more nitrogen to grow out of a problem. Other is best to let is starve and dry up (ie. brown patch).
  
  Enjoy - Summer slows down the grow of a cool season lawn. Ideal temp for grow is 68F. As the summer temps climb away from 68, the grow slows or stops. There is no much we could do about it unless you live in northern Utah and barely hit 90F. Just enjoy the lawn with some games. Water the annuals and garden. Smokes some ribs or a cigar. Clean up the garage and start sourcing some nitrogen for the fall.

Great tips g-man.

Among a few other things I like to do (I like to keep busy), get a soil moisture meter and really dial in irrigation. I shoot for minimum frequency of minimum water but still good looking turf. It has become like a contest - I see sprinklers running in early morning all over town and mentally track what other guys are doing. The standard formula of my competition seems to be at least three times a week and way too much water (sedge / kylinga season has just begun here and it's easy to spot in overwatered lawns). So far, I win :lol: .

 

[Alpine]

I think I'm done with any Nitrogen until the fall, but just wanted to check on other items. Per my soil tests have been putting down 2 lbs/K of SOP every month. Also would like to drop some fast acting lime like Solu-Cal due to low pH - probably mid July. Is this OK during the hot weather?