UNCCmetgrad Posted June 28, 2011 Share Posted June 28, 2011 My yard after being lush and green is quickly drying out and getting brown. Besides a nice storm I got back on the 5th the most I've recoded in one day is just over a quarter of an inch. I have 1.99" for the month which isn't terrible but unless you get a good soaking downpour the June sun just sucks the moisture out of the ground the next day. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carvers Gap Posted June 30, 2011 Share Posted June 30, 2011 What a great thread! My lawn was bone dry and crackling brown two weeks ago. Today, it is green w/ zero brown in it. It doesn't even look like the same yard. As background, I have one of those yards that looks good fromt the road...but isn't completely grass. It has a lot of clover and weeds to help w/ volume. Anyway, my yard will soon return to the "it looks like crap" phase after these next few weeks of ridiculous heat. My garden needed watering today. That is the first sign that the yard is drying out. Let's hope Foothills is right about that Bermuda high pushing some moisture back this way midmonth. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dsaur Posted June 30, 2011 Share Posted June 30, 2011 I planted some fescue in March. Always a challenge as to temps staying cool enough without going back too cold, and having enough rain. I worked really hard at keeping it well watered, and winter ended early, so I got a nice crop of grass within 2 or 3 weeks. The winter rye died back and the fescue came up strong, and all was happy in Tony land. Then the early and intense heat hit....and, for me, a crippling drought. After the tornado outbreak in April, where I got 1/2 an inch, I recieved a mere 3 tenths of rain until just this week. I tried to keep it watered, but the heat and drought just overwhelmed me. I'm sorry to say the grass in the most worn areas is all dead, and only the bits in the well shaded, or protected areas, where moisture could stay a bit longer, has survived. I'm temped to try to sprig in some bermuda, but with 100's now approaching, and being skeptical of rain chances, having seen so many around me getting hammered over and over while I stayed bone dry, I'm pretty leery of making the effort. If Robert's ideas about a gulf flow coming in then next few weeks come to pass, I might might go buy some flats of grass at the farmers market, but this years, and lasts, desert dry, scorching heat, has me scared for mby. T Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rosie Posted June 30, 2011 Share Posted June 30, 2011 I planted some fescue in March. Always a challenge as to temps staying cool enough without going back too cold, and having enough rain. I worked really hard at keeping it well watered, and winter ended early, so I got a nice crop of grass within 2 or 3 weeks. The winter rye died back and the fescue came up strong, and all was happy in Tony land. Then the early and intense heat hit....and, for me, a crippling drought. After the tornado outbreak in April, where I got 1/2 an inch, I recieved a mere 3 tenths of rain until just this week. I tried to keep it watered, but the heat and drought just overwhelmed me. I'm sorry to say the grass in the most worn areas is all dead, and only the bits in the well shaded, or protected areas, where moisture could stay a bit longer, has survived. I'm temped to try to sprig in some bermuda, but with 100's now approaching, and being skeptical of rain chances, having seen so many around me getting hammered over and over while I stayed bone dry, I'm pretty leery of making the effort. If Robert's ideas about a gulf flow coming in then next few weeks come to pass, I might might go buy some flats of grass at the farmers market, but this years, and lasts, desert dry, scorching heat, has me scared for mby. T Hoping Robert is correct also, same crunchy brown here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaculaWeather Posted June 30, 2011 Author Share Posted June 30, 2011 I haven't done my June fertilizer/weed killer treatment yet because you're not suppose to use it when temps are consistently above 90 degrees. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
POWERSTROKE Posted July 3, 2011 Share Posted July 3, 2011 Powerstroke, do you always do preventative maintenance for Dollar Spot. I know it's extremely common in the south, especially with Bermuda. I've always waited until I started to see it. But if you pre-treat for it maybe I'll start doing the same thing. Thanks! We don't get dollar spot in our lawns. We see more brown patch, pythium, and red thread. I don't use preventative as fungicides are high and customers don't like to pay for it. With the heat like it is lately not much hope. Most all of my lawns are fescue so dollar spot little more common east of me and on golf courses. Go to our website and send me an email, i can get you on right track Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
POWERSTROKE Posted July 3, 2011 Share Posted July 3, 2011 I haven't done my June fertilizer/weed killer treatment yet because you're not suppose to use it when temps are consistently above 90 degrees. you can too. Its all in what you are using. You can fertilize as long as a low nitrogen fertilizer. You shouldn't have weeds if you used pre emergents back in feb nd march. Send me a big winter and i will get your lawn shaped up.. Big key is water, rain or irrigation Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
POWERSTROKE Posted July 17, 2011 Share Posted July 17, 2011 alot of nut sedge taking over lawns now Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
griteater Posted July 19, 2011 Share Posted July 19, 2011 I'm starting to get Dollar Spot in my Bermuda, Time for the fungus treatment! Late to the party with this, but the Turfgrass program at NC State puts out some good info on turf maintenance (incl. diseases) - NC State Turfgrass Site - Dollar Spot It's a given that Brown Patch will rear its ugly head every summer in fescue lawns here. I've noticed that it tends to have a widespread breakout in late May / early June, then once that tapers off in late June / early July, it will be sporadic for the rest of the summer. I've never used fungicide on it, but if I did, I would put it out in early or mid May to try and head-off that breakout. The website above has a list of fungicides that work best for each disease. I've read that you need to buy from a professional landscape shop or online to get the best products that work and are longer lasting. On a related topic, you often hear folks say, "It's not the heat, it's the humidity". I've always argued the opposite. High humidity is not an issue when the temperature is 50 degrees, but it becomes a big issue when the temperature is 90. Heat is the variable that causes the problem. The same can be said for diseases in grass. You can have high humidity / persistant rains in March and not have widespread disease in the grass...but add June heat to the mix, and you've got an epidemic. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
POWERSTROKE Posted July 19, 2011 Share Posted July 19, 2011 Powerstroke, do you always do preventative maintenance for Dollar Spot. I know it's extremely common in the south, especially with Bermuda. I've always waited until I started to see it. But if you pre-treat for it maybe I'll start doing the same thing. Thanks! we use preventative for brown patch. we dont get dollar spot in our area except on golf courses, but yes i would use preventative if i were you Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
POWERSTROKE Posted July 19, 2011 Share Posted July 19, 2011 Late to the party with this, but the Turfgrass program at NC State puts out some good info on turf maintenance (incl. diseases) - NC State Turfgrass Site - Dollar Spot It's a given that Brown Patch will rear its ugly head every summer in fescue lawns here. I've noticed that it tends to have a widespread breakout in late May / early June, then once that tapers off in late June / early July, it will be sporadic for the rest of the summer. I've never used fungicide on it, but if I did, I would put it out in early or mid May to try and head-off that breakout. The website above has a list of fungicides that work best for each disease. I've read that you need to buy from a professional landscape shop or online to get the best products that work and are longer lasting. On a related topic, you often hear folks say, "It's not the heat, it's the humidity". I've always argued the opposite. High humidity is not an issue when the temperature is 50 degrees, but it becomes a big issue when the temperature is 90. Heat is the variable that causes the problem. The same can be said for diseases in grass. You can have high humidity / persistant rains in March and not have widespread disease in the grass...but add June heat to the mix, and you've got an epidemic. you can treat in may but that is a little early. They do have a list of chemicals but I spray daily and no what works as well as the expense of chemicals. Most they list you need a bank loan to puchase Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mencken_Fan Posted July 21, 2011 Share Posted July 21, 2011 I've no idea what they call the stuff that grows upon our sandy coastal soil here in Wilmington, N.C. Pleasing neither to the eye nor the bare foot, I suppose it's a grass of one sort or another - being it does need mowing - whenever we're lucky enough to get rain. If what they call "grass" here were to be found on any lawn seen in my youthful days in Central Maryland, it would promptly be eradicated. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
POWERSTROKE Posted July 24, 2011 Share Posted July 24, 2011 I've no idea what they call the stuff that grows upon our sandy coastal soil here in Wilmington, N.C. Pleasing neither to the eye nor the bare foot, I suppose it's a grass of one sort or another - being it does need mowing - whenever we're lucky enough to get rain. If what they call "grass" here were to be found on any lawn seen in my youthful days in Central Maryland, it would promptly be eradicated. bermuda, st augustine, or centipede is usually what grows near beach Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaculaWeather Posted July 30, 2011 Author Share Posted July 30, 2011 My lawn is doing awesome this year. It's probably greener and thicker than it's ever been. The only problem... I have to cut every 3 days. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Isopycnic Posted July 30, 2011 Share Posted July 30, 2011 The brown stuff that is covering the cracked clay in my yard is laying flat has been mowed once since May just to add "mow lines" for the 4th... If the clay was moist enough I guess one could till the dead and dying "grass" to amend the soil. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
POWERSTROKE Posted July 31, 2011 Share Posted July 31, 2011 The brown stuff that is covering the cracked clay in my yard is laying flat has been mowed once since May just to add "mow lines" for the 4th... If the clay was moist enough I guess one could till the dead and dying "grass" to amend the soil. bermuda? it should be seeding out now if that is what you have Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
griteater Posted July 31, 2011 Share Posted July 31, 2011 I've no idea what they call the stuff that grows upon our sandy coastal soil here in Wilmington, N.C. Pleasing neither to the eye nor the bare foot, I suppose it's a grass of one sort or another - being it does need mowing - whenever we're lucky enough to get rain. bermuda, st augustine, or centipede is usually what grows near beach I suspect it's st. augustine if you are saying that it's not pleasing to the eye or bare foot. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
POWERSTROKE Posted July 31, 2011 Share Posted July 31, 2011 I suspect it's st. augustine if you are saying that it's not pleasing to the eye or bare foot. true but shouldnt be brown Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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