Lawn spraying
- indexfundfan
- Posts: 3961
- Joined: Tue Feb 20, 2007 10:21 am
- Contact:
Lawn spraying
I noticed in recent days that TruGreen is spraying some chemicals on many neighbor's lawn (bermuda grass). I assume this is for weed control.
Since I see weeds emerging from my lawn, I was hoping to get some comments related to the lawn spraying service. Is the chemical similar to what I can buy from Home Depot and DIY myself? My concern is that the bermuda grass is currently dormant and whether I need something different from the off-the-shelf weed control spray? Thank you!
Since I see weeds emerging from my lawn, I was hoping to get some comments related to the lawn spraying service. Is the chemical similar to what I can buy from Home Depot and DIY myself? My concern is that the bermuda grass is currently dormant and whether I need something different from the off-the-shelf weed control spray? Thank you!
My signature has been deleted.
Re: Lawn spraying
They are probably spray a pre-emergent for crab grass and other weeds. You can do the same via products available at the local hardware store or landscape supply companies that sell to homeowners. I strongly recommend checking out www.aroundtheyard.com. It's the bogleheads of lawncare. Great advice for DIY.
Re: Lawn spraying
If you don’t put down pre emergents then Bermuda tends to fill up with broadleaf weeds and crab grass. You can get pre emergents from Home Depot. You can either get granular form and use a drop spreader or get some type of spray.
Typically what I so is do preemergent with drop spreader around March and Oct/Nov and then i will apply broadleaf weed killers once or twice a year as needed. What I find best for broadleaf
Weed Killers are the kinds that you screw on to the end of your hose and spray that way.
The premergents help keep weeds down quite a but but they don’t eliminate 100% so I have to use post emergents on occasions.
Typically what I so is do preemergent with drop spreader around March and Oct/Nov and then i will apply broadleaf weed killers once or twice a year as needed. What I find best for broadleaf
Weed Killers are the kinds that you screw on to the end of your hose and spray that way.
The premergents help keep weeds down quite a but but they don’t eliminate 100% so I have to use post emergents on occasions.
- Smorgasbord
- Posts: 422
- Joined: Fri Jun 10, 2016 8:12 pm
Re: Lawn spraying
A while back, I had a restricted use pesticide applicator permit, so I could buy just about anything used by the professionals (except some fumigation stuff). I decided not to renew simply because the vast majority of the stuff is readily available without the permit if you know where to look. Places like Rural King and Tractor Supply will generally have more specialized stuff than Home Depot or Lowes, and if you really want something specialized contact Crop Protection Services (CPS) or a similar company near you.
2,4-D and Atrazine are two of the more widely used broad leaf weed chemicals, and they can be found in variety of products.
2,4-D and Atrazine are two of the more widely used broad leaf weed chemicals, and they can be found in variety of products.
Re: Lawn spraying
They could be spraying down fertilizer, too.
I've done a lot of experiments with various weed killers in my own yard. I would not just put weed killer down without knowing the exact weed(s), the prevailing temperatures, the rain situation, and so on. I prefer to just pick weeds by hand, but some like dichondra require more involved science.
Tru-Green will not pick weeds by hand.
Weed killers will kill grass in most instances because people do not apply them properly. And if they don't kill the grass, they will probably not kill the weeds either because people do not apply them properly.
Anyways, Home Depot and Lowes will have all the major kinds of weed killers that one would ever want to use. There are no magic weed killers that the professional use.
I've done a lot of experiments with various weed killers in my own yard. I would not just put weed killer down without knowing the exact weed(s), the prevailing temperatures, the rain situation, and so on. I prefer to just pick weeds by hand, but some like dichondra require more involved science.
Tru-Green will not pick weeds by hand.
Weed killers will kill grass in most instances because people do not apply them properly. And if they don't kill the grass, they will probably not kill the weeds either because people do not apply them properly.
Anyways, Home Depot and Lowes will have all the major kinds of weed killers that one would ever want to use. There are no magic weed killers that the professional use.
Last edited by livesoft on Tue Feb 20, 2018 11:06 am, edited 1 time in total.
Re: Lawn spraying
Depending on the amount of weeds you can spot spray weed b gone .Its available premixed in a spray container or concentrate which you can mix in a 1-2 1/2 gal. home sprayer. The recommended time ( 24 hours )before you get on the lawn is just that ..recommended .Spot spraying is much more safe than covering 1/4-1 acre with a full spray. A healthy lawn leaves little space for weeds to spread .
Re: Lawn spraying
Weed-B-Gone says right on the label: Do not use on ... bermudagrass ....
Even though it says it can be used on St Augustine, it will kill that, too, in hot weather.
Re: Lawn spraying
Sorry NE located here . The thought is the same though,have them spray ?50+gallons on everything or 1 gallon spot spray
Re: Lawn spraying
Get a weed b gone product for Bermuda grass
https://www.ortho.com/en-us/products/we ... ady-spray2
Honestly Bermuda is hard to kill. A grass killer round up certainly will kill it. But any common broadleaf weed killer will not. It may or may not cause temporary browning. If you add a crabgrass preventer it probably will Brown the grass but it will come back in a week or two. If you use in very hot weather it will brown more and longer. I’d never use crabgrass preventer in st Augustine because it can kill it. I find I don’t need a lot of weed preventers on st Augustine.
Re: Lawn spraying
i've been following thelawncarenut on youtube.com he gives lots of advice so that you can do it yourself at a considerable discount to places that come out and do everything.
Re: Lawn spraying
Healthy lawns won't need weed killer
Go to aroundtheyard.com as suggested upthread. With a little work you can get your lawn to be relatively self-sustaining
Go to aroundtheyard.com as suggested upthread. With a little work you can get your lawn to be relatively self-sustaining
Re: Lawn spraying
True as well
I’ve followed aroundtheyard wisdom and the few weeds I get I just pull them out. Not a huge yard mind you (6000 sq ft lot) but a healthy lawn drives weeds away naturally. Pulling a few weeds when I am in the backyard is fairly easy to do, and I can feel better about my kids rolling around in it
Re: Lawn spraying
One more note - if you haven’t had a soil analysis that is where to spend your next $. Get it from the lab aroundtheyard recommends and they will help analyze your results
- indexfundfan
- Posts: 3961
- Joined: Tue Feb 20, 2007 10:21 am
- Contact:
Re: Lawn spraying
Thanks for all the responses. There's a lot to learn.
I bought a bag of weed killer granulars (https://www.homedepot.com/p/Vigoro-5-00 ... /203088932) from HD and applied it this afternoon. At some spots, there's quite a lot of broadleaf weeds. I intend to get a spray and spot treat those areas.
I bought a bag of weed killer granulars (https://www.homedepot.com/p/Vigoro-5-00 ... /203088932) from HD and applied it this afternoon. At some spots, there's quite a lot of broadleaf weeds. I intend to get a spray and spot treat those areas.
My signature has been deleted.
Re: Lawn spraying
I used to be a DIY lawn care person. Then, the grubs killed much of my turf. I had to have the entire yard reseeded ($$$). My friend recommended Davey Tree and Lawn Services. I went with them and never have looked back. If they are in your area I would give them a try if you are so inclined.
http://www.davey.com/residential-tree-s ... -services/
I have also used Davey for tree pruning and removal. They have always done a very professional job and cleaned up afterwards. My yard looks great and I have more time to focus on other things I enjoy more than applying fertilizer, weed control, and insect control materials. YMMV
http://www.davey.com/residential-tree-s ... -services/
I have also used Davey for tree pruning and removal. They have always done a very professional job and cleaned up afterwards. My yard looks great and I have more time to focus on other things I enjoy more than applying fertilizer, weed control, and insect control materials. YMMV
- indexfundfan
- Posts: 3961
- Joined: Tue Feb 20, 2007 10:21 am
- Contact:
Re: Lawn spraying
My signature has been deleted.
Re: Lawn spraying
I am unfamiliar with fescue, but if that was St Augustine and the weather has been cool, I would call that Brown Patch which is a fungus because it starts small, browns the leaves and expands. The inner green is where new leaves have started to re-grow.
You didn't want to learn the science of turf but:
https://bexar-tx.tamu.edu/homehort/arch ... roduction/
Ways I prevent brown patch:
1. Don't overfertilize and don't use a fertilizer with N content greater than 15. Fertilizer should have a significant amount of that as slow-release Nitrogen.
2. Don't overwater. Let turf dry before next watering; water deeply.
Once it occurs:
Treat with fungicide. I like the fungicide in sawdust granules for these small areas because no clean-up of hose and sprayer is needed. I make sure to treat the surrounding uninfected grass, too, in order to build a defensive wall. I will also scalp the grass before applying fungicide without spreading the leaves to any part of the nearby area and remove the cuttings as hazardous waste. I will place peat moss on top of fungicide and water it all in according to the directions of the fungicide. Wear Personal Protective Equipment (gloves, outdoor shoes, long pants).
But it could be where someone put down weed killer or where someone spilled fertilizer when filling a spreader or where someone spilled gas when filling up the lawnmower or the maids dumped a little bit of the mop water or a June beetle laid eggs and there are grubs in the sod or ....
You didn't want to learn the science of turf but:
https://bexar-tx.tamu.edu/homehort/arch ... roduction/
Ways I prevent brown patch:
1. Don't overfertilize and don't use a fertilizer with N content greater than 15. Fertilizer should have a significant amount of that as slow-release Nitrogen.
2. Don't overwater. Let turf dry before next watering; water deeply.
Once it occurs:
Treat with fungicide. I like the fungicide in sawdust granules for these small areas because no clean-up of hose and sprayer is needed. I make sure to treat the surrounding uninfected grass, too, in order to build a defensive wall. I will also scalp the grass before applying fungicide without spreading the leaves to any part of the nearby area and remove the cuttings as hazardous waste. I will place peat moss on top of fungicide and water it all in according to the directions of the fungicide. Wear Personal Protective Equipment (gloves, outdoor shoes, long pants).
But it could be where someone put down weed killer or where someone spilled fertilizer when filling a spreader or where someone spilled gas when filling up the lawnmower or the maids dumped a little bit of the mop water or a June beetle laid eggs and there are grubs in the sod or ....
- gmaynardkrebs
- Posts: 2337
- Joined: Sun Feb 10, 2008 10:48 am
Re: Lawn spraying
Get rid of dogs.indexfundfan wrote: ↑Thu Feb 22, 2018 7:33 am I noticed this in my backyard which has fescue grass. Any idea what is it and how to prevent it?
-
- Posts: 2423
- Joined: Thu Feb 08, 2018 12:20 pm
Re: Lawn spraying
Once you get a healthy, thick, lawn established, there should be very little need for weed killer chemicals. One of the keys is to NOT mow your lawn too short. The shortest that your grass should be is 2 1/2" to 3" in the Spring/Fall and try to maintain around 3" in the heat of the summer. Longer grass helps to shade out weed seeds from germinating. Also, don't cut more than 1/3 of the grass blade at a time. This may mean you need to mow more frequently than you currently do, but it's worth it! I see so many people cut their lawns really short time and time again and they end up with a yard that is 50% weeds.
- indexfundfan
- Posts: 3961
- Joined: Tue Feb 20, 2007 10:21 am
- Contact:
Re: Lawn spraying
My bad. I have Bermuda in the front lawn and Tall Fescue at the back yard (which was hydroseeded last fall). I can see that by asking the question about the brown patch in the same thread, it is confusing people.
There is a weed problem in the front lawn (Bermuda). But I don't have weed problem in the back yard except several brown patches. I haven't spilled fertilizers or weed killers on the brown patches. So it is probably animals' doing? I don't have a dog or cat, but the yard is not fenced.
There is a weed problem in the front lawn (Bermuda). But I don't have weed problem in the back yard except several brown patches. I haven't spilled fertilizers or weed killers on the brown patches. So it is probably animals' doing? I don't have a dog or cat, but the yard is not fenced.
My signature has been deleted.
Re: Lawn spraying
In my yard with a dog, the grass is very green coming out of winter wherever the dog has peed or done his business. Your photo goes not suggest dog to me. There would be many such spots if it was dog.
- indexfundfan
- Posts: 3961
- Joined: Tue Feb 20, 2007 10:21 am
- Contact:
Re: Lawn spraying
I think the recommended height for tall fescue is about 3" like you said. But for Bermuda, I believe it is lower, e.g. 1" ?Glockenspiel wrote: ↑Thu Feb 22, 2018 8:42 am Once you get a healthy, thick, lawn established, there should be very little need for weed killer chemicals. One of the keys is to NOT mow your lawn too short. The shortest that your grass should be is 2 1/2" to 3" in the Spring/Fall and try to maintain around 3" in the heat of the summer. Longer grass helps to shade out weed seeds from germinating. Also, don't cut more than 1/3 of the grass blade at a time. This may mean you need to mow more frequently than you currently do, but it's worth it! I see so many people cut their lawns really short time and time again and they end up with a yard that is 50% weeds.
My signature has been deleted.
- gmaynardkrebs
- Posts: 2337
- Joined: Sun Feb 10, 2008 10:48 am
Re: Lawn spraying
If the rest of the lawn was brown, with a circular green spot, I think I could buy that explanation. But, what I see is a green lawn with a brown spot, which suggests a lawn that has already come out of dormancy, followed by a visit from Lassie.
- indexfundfan
- Posts: 3961
- Joined: Tue Feb 20, 2007 10:21 am
- Contact:
Re: Lawn spraying
Actually the picture you saw was from a fescue lawn. It did not go dormant.gmaynardkrebs wrote: ↑Thu Feb 22, 2018 9:09 amIf the rest of the lawn was brown, with a circular green spot, I think I could buy that explanation. But, what I see is a green lawn with a brown spot, which suggests a lawn that has already come out of dormancy, followed by a visit from Lassie.
My signature has been deleted.
Re: Lawn spraying
It could be necrotic ring, a fungus, or grubs. If you can pull the grass up, it is probably grubs. Sometimes you can see them very close to the surface. I'm thinking of calling a service this spring because we have (what I am pretty sure is) fungus. The neighbors don't take care of their lawn and it spread from there, so not sure if it is even worth it.
- gmaynardkrebs
- Posts: 2337
- Joined: Sun Feb 10, 2008 10:48 am
Re: Lawn spraying
Yup, missed that, but a spot like that on a green lawn still looks like Lassie to me, although the slightly green center does suggest a fungal cause is possible. I'd have thought it's a bit early for fungus.indexfundfan wrote: ↑Thu Feb 22, 2018 9:11 amActually the picture you saw was from a fescue lawn. It did not go dormant.gmaynardkrebs wrote: ↑Thu Feb 22, 2018 9:09 amIf the rest of the lawn was brown, with a circular green spot, I think I could buy that explanation. But, what I see is a green lawn with a brown spot, which suggests a lawn that has already come out of dormancy, followed by a visit from Lassie.