This has been one very mild winter so far and with the early break in the temperatures we are starting to see the emergence of some weeds. While most people will not really begin to have a war with the weeds for a few weeks I have started to notice Poa Annua popping up in several neighborhood’s, parks, and fields. If you’re not familiar with Poa Annua is can be an annoying weed that is spread by the seeds it produces. These seeds can be picked up on shoes, blown in from the wind, come in from the water, and several other ways so keep an eye out for it and pick it as it comes up. Here is a picture of what Poa Annua typically looks like in a lawn area.

It’s a well known fact that the best defense against weeds is to have a good dense stand of grass. If you have followed my previous tips and have been fertilizing on schedule, your lawn is likely thick, lush green and is in perfect shape to fight off weeds. If you are a little behind on your fertilizer applications now is a great time to catch up. You can use our “Seasonal Booster 7-7-7” to help thicken up your lawn and prevent the weeds from encroaching in the open areas. It is very different to control weeds in lawns that are overseeded with ryegrass versus lawns that are left dormant for the winter. I will touch on both. First it is always best to practice weed management by hand pulling weeds before using unnecessary herbicides. If your lawn is being over taken with weeds or is too much to hand pick and you have to apply a herbicide, ALWAYS READ THE LABEL FIRST, AND APPLY AS DIRECTED. I cannot say this enough because it is very easy to injure your ryegrass or underlying bermudagrass by exceeding the label rates. If the label says 4oz/ 1000 SF it does not mean if you apply 8 oz/ 1000 SF that it will die twice as fast. What will die twice as fast is your lawn so follow the instructions carefully.

As I said earlier we are starting to see the emergence of annual bluegrass or as most people know it “Poa annua.” Poa annua is a high seed producing grass that likes wet compacted soils. We often start to see it emerge after rain storms but it is also very common in areas that retain moisture such as retentions or low areas in turf stands. Poa is a light yellow colored bunch weed with seed heads that multiply very quickly. Most people think that by mowing their turf lower they can rid the lawn of Poa, but since it tolerates low mowing heights and wet soils a good way to manage the problem is to keep you’re watering on the conservative side and try to stress it out. While it can tolerate heat up to about 100 degrees it does become weak and easy to pull when it is stressed. Since it is a bunch grass it can be pulled out fairly easy but make sure you get the roots and all when removing it or it will come right back on you. Another option is to let your lawn grow a little longer so the Poa annua can be seen well and really spend some time pulling it out. At the longer height it is easier to spot and it is a little weaker than when the grass canopy is too dense. When you’re mowing the lawn at this time of the year and Poa is present make sure you’re bagging the grass so the seed heads do not escape back into the lawn. If you do have Poa, there are very few chemicals that will treat it, and none are labeled for homeowner use. The best way to control it is to keep it in a confined area and hand pick it out before it spreads. Since Poa Annua is a cool season grass by nature and the only chemical controls are herbicides that kill all cool season grasses they touch, they cannot be used safely until transition time in April or May. Many golf courses and landscape areas transition there courses or lawn areas back to Bermudagrass by spraying out the ryegrass in May and these chemicals also treat and take care of Poa Annua.

In the next few weeks we will start to see Broadleaf’s appear but the nice thing is they’re much easier to control than Poa Annua. Some of the most common weeds that will start to appear soon are clover, mallow, and mustards. Most broadleaf’s are easy to control with a post emergent herbicide but it is best to be preemptive and use a pre-emergent around the middle of February to keep them from showing up. If some do sneak by you there are several options and when selecting a herbicide it is always best to make sure the chemicals contain one of the following active ingredients depending on the type of weed. (2,4-D, Trichlorpyr or Clopyralid) Clover is tougher to kill than dandelions so different active ingredients are necessary depending on the weed. Make to read the label about what weeds are actually controlled by the product. As I said most broadleaves are easy to control and here is a picture of a broadleaf weed.

If in past year’s your lawn has been taken over by Crabgrass and Goosegrass it is really time to look at your fertilization program. These are typically a result of a poor turf stand which has resulted in these weeds encroaching into the open areas of your lawn. These weeds generally will start to emerge between the middle of February and into early March. There are pre-emergents that work well to control these but timing is essential. Some of the best products out on the market are Dimension and Barricade but as with most products these must be applied by a licensed applicator. Since it can be very tricky to get the timing perfect or to get all the crabgrass and goosegrass before it emerges you can safely have MSMA applied to the plant to help control the problem. This will need to be applied by a licensed applicator and after a few treatments the problems should resolve itself if you’re maintaining a healthy lawn. If you’re behind on your fertilizer applications make sure to catch up before it is too late. Keep applying the Soil Burst 7-7-7 and 16-0-4 and get your lawn as healthy as possible. Spending $15 every 21-28 days is much cheaper than $200 pesticide applications. These are some of the nastiest weeds out there and it doesn’t take much for them to take over your lawn so make sure to stay on top of them. I have attached pictures of Crabgrass and Goosegrass to help you identify the emergence of them in your lawn areas.

For those of you who didn’t overseed your bermudagrass I advise putting down a pre-emergent herbicide such as Barricade or Dimension in late February to control weeds summer annuals from starting to emerge in your lawn. Our winter has been warmer than normal with very few freezes so I don’t advise making any late season round-up applications to kill emerging weeds in your dormant turf. I will talk more about pre-emergents in the upcoming weeks and give you plenty of time to get what you need to have the best lawn in the neighborhood. These will be applied when the temperatures dictate us to use them and this is generally around the middle to end of February. If you’ve been putting down your Soil Burst applications I am sure you’re looking at a lawn like this right now. Have a great week!

So just how important is the soil prep? Soil prep is actually the most important step in the operation because having a compacted or poorly draining soil will result in a chlorotic lawn with a shallow root system. A shallow root system will end up costing you double in water, fertilizer, and every afternoon during the summer months you can bet it will be your lawn that needs water first. A properly prepped lawn will allow for a deep root system and even during the hot summer months allow you to water just 3 times week. I know some of you are watering 7 days a week and when you don’t you start to see your lawn shrivel up and that is a direct result of poor water infiltration and shallow roots. We need to learn to train the roots to grow deep and they cannot even begin that process if they can penetrate the soil.

Okay, the first step is going to be to rent a tiller and start to turn over the soil. This can be very time consuming if you have a clay soil or very rocky conditions but in those cases this is even more important. If you’re simply changing lawn varieties after a couple years or you just recently tilled your yard then you can skip this step but it is always good to do while the ground is exposed. Rototiller’s are available at most rental stores and you can expect to spend about $80-$100 to rent it for an entire day. The goal of the tiller is to turn the soil to a 6-8 inch depth. This can be quite the challenge in some parts of town so you may need to go a few directions to make this happen. As the rototiller’s teeth penetrate into the soil it will open up the soil surface which allows for better water and air infiltration. After turning the soil over one time and getting it to your desired depth you will want to mix 50 pounds per 1000 SF of gypsum into the soil and till it in. The gypsum is not a fast acting product but it will loosen the soil over time. The gypsum will work its way through the soil and help improve air flow into the ground. Gypsum is a relatively inexpensive product and you can apply more than 50 pounds if you have really poor soil conditions but be advised that it will take about 6-7 weeks to break down in the soil before it can react and help loosen the soil. you can expect to spend around $10-$15 for a bag of gypsum so this is a cheap part of the process.

Now that the soil has been loosened it is the perfect time to put in that state of the art irrigation system. Head down to a irrigation store like Sprinkler World and have them help you with the plans and layout for your backyard. Once you have laid out the system it is time to trench the yard. You will trench out the irrigation sysytem to about a 4-6 inch depth and lay the pipe from the water supply line to the valves. The number of valves necessary will depend on the amount of sprinklers, water flow, types of sprinklers, and spacing. I will not go into detail on this but I would advise for more information you visit your local irrigation store or consult a landscape professional to help carry out this step.

Once your sprinkler system has been put in it is best to leave the swing joints capped where the sprinkler heads will go until your final grade is established. Most of the soils in Arizona have a high clay content so it is best to create a better growing medium and sand is your best option. We generally have pretty poor soils in Arizona so it is nice to use a washed mortar sand or a higher grade sand with a mixture of medium fine sand particles to help with drainage and root growth. If you already have a sandy profile you don’t need to add any sand unless it is for leveling but try not to put a different type of sand over top that would create a potential layering issue. Lots of landscapers use wood mulch, a topper or sod mix and these are okay but remember that they hold water and that does not allow your roots to grow deep so sand is a better option.

One of the issues with mulch is it keeps moisture in the top of the soil profile which results in short roots becasue they don’t have to grow deep to get water. You can put down as much sand as you would like and the more the better, but an extremely sandy profile does limit your nutrient holding capacity so if you are going 6 inches or more I would incorporate a little peat in to the mix as well. You can go with a 85-90 percent sand mix that is 10-15 percent peat. After you have put the sand down you will smooth out the surface with a 2 x 4 or drag the area smooth with a mat. It is important to remember to water the sand for a couple days to fix any settling that may occur. When you’re establishing your finished grade remember that you should be ½ inch below where you will set your sprinkler heads. The sod you purchase will come with a 1/2″ of soil and with your sprinklers set 1/2″ above grade the grass will match up perfectly. Now that the sprinklers are in and the grade is done it is time to put down a starter fertilizer. A great starter fertilizer and a safe fertilizer to use throughout the year is the Soil Burst 5-10-15 available from Western Sod and West Coast Turf. You can order it from us directly or purchase it online at www.westcoastturf.com. This can be delivered with your sod and applied to the soil surface a few minutes before you put the sod down with the easy to use shaker cap. The Soil Burst should be applied at 10-20 pounds per 1000 SF as a starter fertilizer and can be used to feed your lawn throughout the year.
Once the soil is prepped it is time to select your sod. Remember to read about all the different types of grasses, maintenance requirements, and decide what works best for you. There are so many great choices for the desert southwest including several bermudagrasses including BOBSod or the popular new Seashore Paspalum.

When the prep is all done and you order from West Coast Turf you can be assured to have a lawn that looks just like the field we put in before the Rose Bowl this year.

1. During the winter months the soil temperatures often drops down far too low to allow for nutrient uptake and retention in the plant. A foliar application allows the fertilizer to get into the grass plant leaves and it is translocated down to the root system for plant uptake.

2. There are three different foliar products and these are designed to help promote root and shoot growth, and get nutrients such as calcium and magnesium into the plant to get a quicker green up.

3. Iron, Magnesium, Calcium, and Magnesium are the kick starters for grass and these nutrients are essential for plant growth all year round. Iron can be found in many products but be careful because it will stain everything it touches. The Soil Burst products were designed to be non-staining so you don’t have to worry about limestone, flagstone, or getting rust spots all over your walkways.

4. The granular 5-15-10 is a great starter fertilizer or pre-plant for a new sod application. It will mix well into the soil and become viable if done during tillage. As the soil temperature warms up you can use this for spring green up, anytime throughout the summer, and as a late fall fertilizer. I highly recommend using this before any new sod application.

5. The Soil Burst line can be ordered online through www.westernsod.com or www.westcoastturf.com, picked up from Sprinkler World and select Ace Hardware locations. Our Scottsdale farm offers sod, fertilizer, and seed pickups. For directions and office hours 888-454-TURF.

6. You want a product that is easy to apply with no mixing and will ensure the correct amount of fertilizer without damaging grass. These products come with the easy to use hose adapter and the granular has a shake top lid making life much easier and saves you money from buying back pack sprayers that break down quickly.

7. The foliar fertilizers are $14.95 per bottle and the granular starter fertilizer is $19.95 per container. Sod can be picked up from the farm for $.29 SF, please call ahead for availbility.

Take a look at the short video on Soil Burst and if you have any questions please email them to me at info@westernsod.com.

Thank you and have a great holiday!

Well I haven’t written a blog in a while since everything is normally status quo after overseed until we start to peak into late November. Since most people overseed their lawns for the winter I will touch on that today and give just some brief directions to those that do not overseed as far as water, fertilizer for the winter months but nothing major. The average household drops their overseed around October 1st each year so usually around the 6-8 week mark is when the grass starts to show its first signs of stress. If you followed my previous overseed directions and put down all three applications of fertilizers this will not apply to you because you will be the one with bright green lawn in the pictures above. Now that December is fast approaching and we are certain to get some hard freezes in the next few weeks how do you prevent your lawn from turning that oh so pretty lime green/yellow color that I often see around town?

Yellow Lawns

Some people feel that having a yellow lawn is inevitable once we start to get cold but then how is it possible that the golf courses, resorts, and many homeowners are able to keep their beautiful color all winter? They have learned over careful trials that the granular fertilizers just don’t react well in the soil during the winter months to green up a lawn and you are throwing your money away on high nitrogen products during the winter months. The winter months are all about spoon feeding and applying the appropriate nutrients to allow your grass to grow. I am not saying that no granular will work but outside of putting down a starter fertilizer under new sod there is not one that I would use from November-March to try and increase growth. I am a huge proponent of finding the right combination of fertilizers that are cost effective and will do their job. At this time of the year the Soil Burst products are extremely effective for helping get growth and color when it is cold outside. Did you know that Zinc and Magnesium are essential for a grass plant to maintain color, not just nitrogen and iron? Not all foliar products are created equal as some are just straight nitrogen, iron, or a combo of N-P-K but are they the right blend? Just because a product is a balanced fertilizer such as 10-10-10 it doesn’t mean it is right for your lawn and that’s why there are three different types of Soil Burst products. (16-0-4, 7-7-7, and 4-0-6) You could buy just one of the Soil Burst products and effectively get color but to maintain plant health I recommend spraying with one of the three products monthly. We are talking about a total of $45 to treat your lawn for the winter and keep it green or you can buy three bags of granular fertilizer at $20/each and wait for the excessive growth in March when the soil warms up. Golf Courses, Resorts, our sod farms all use a program and through soil testing, tissue analysis and other studies they determine exactly what nutrients are necessary to keep the grass in tip top shape from the roots to the shoots.

This is what your lawn should look like at this time of the year but what do you do if you already have a yellow lawn? Is it too late to try and fix the issue? No way, it is only going to get worse as the temperatures drop so it is time to get out there and spray the lawn. It takes about ten minutes to spray 1000 SF of lawn and all you need to do is hook up the easy to use applicator (comes with the product) to your garden hose and spray in a figure 8 pattern over the entire lawn as evenly as possible. If you decide to just use a straight iron product such as Ironite be careful since it will stain your walks, patios, and anything it touches. The three Soil Burst products contain Iron but they are all completely non-staining so a little overlap onto the walks is not going to be problematic. There are lots of options out there and I just want you to know what we are using for the grass that is sent out to you in the the form of sod. If you are using other products make sure you check the labels to see how they compare.

Dog Spots

If you are like me then you have a pet that wouldn’t dare pee on the bushes but loves to pee in the lush green grass causing the nice little yellow spots all over the lawn. I treat these areas just like a divot on a tee box at a golf course by removing the dead material above and mixing up some BOBSeed ryegrass and sand and pouring it into the divot. These areas don’t need extra water to grow but with your normal watering cycles they will fill in over time. The seed won’t pop as quickly as it did in October but be patient and the areas will fill in and don’t worry your dog will find another beautiful piece of grass to kill in the meantime.

Watering during the winter

Most people have established their ryegrass pretty well at this point and the roots are starting to spread out making the grass plant stronger so it is a perfect time to really cut back on the water. From November-February you can get away with watering 2-3x per week for 20-25 minutes each cycle. If you already have a compacted soil surface and with the colder ground temperatures water isn’t infiltrating the soil you should have someone come over and aerify the lawn. You can aerify the lawn year round and there is no reason that you need to fill in the holes, just let the air into the plant. If you have an extremely compacted soil it would be great to get some deeper tines put in the ground but they are not always available so to help alleviate the problem this often needs to be done a couple of times in a six month period to really help. I always recommend aerifying your lawn every 1-2 years and more often when the grass is dying from the compacted earth. Here is a picture of a compacted lawn that resulted in a poor overseed.

If you have a non overseeded lawn you need to water about once per month through the winter for around 60-90 minutes to help keep moisture in the ground. If we receive timely rains then this step is often unnecessary and you can get away with leaving your irrigation clock off all season long. There is no need to fertilize during the winter and your last application of the Soil Burst 4-0-6 can be applied anytime before we get our first frost to help the root structure during the winter months.

I thought I would keep it short and simple today and as I see more issues arise I will address areas of concern. If you have questions please email them to me at info@westernsod.com and you can also attach pictures to this if there is something you would like me to look at. You can find the Soil Burst products at several Ace Hardware stores and Sprinkler World locations. Look for the bottle above and rememner there are three formulations. (16-0-4, 7-7-7, and 4-0-6) If you are missing my running blog updates you can check out the site at www.mcdowellmountainman.com and read about how I did a few weeks ago during my last hundred miler in Fountain Hills, AZ.

Q. I seeded my lawn a couple weeks ago, how long do I continue with my 3x a day watering schedule?

A. Once your grass reaches 1 inch in height and it is filling in evenly all over you can cut the watering back to once in the morning and once in early afternoon until you have a full stand of grass. You should be watering 5-10 minutes per cycle, but making sure that your lawn does not flood and you are keeping the grass moist. During the third week cut your watering to one time per day for 10-12 minutes and then after a month and it is fully established you can start to develop the root system by watering deep and infrequent. During the winter months you can get away with watering 20-25 minutes every 3-5 days.

Q. When is it okay to make my first cut on the newly seeded turf?

A. Once the grass is fully established around the 10-14 day mark it is a good time to go ahead and dry down the lawn during the day and get a clean cut on the lawn. There will be so much moisture in the grass from watering in the seed that it will cause the turf to clump up if you mow it wet and there is also a big potential to cause damage to the ground by rutting it up so make sure to dry it down.

Q. When is the next time I fertilize the ryegrass after the starter fertilizer?

A. After you make you first cut it is a great time to get the second application of fertilizer down and give the lawn an extra push. I like to use the Soil Burst 7-7-7 at this stage as it hardens up the leaves canopy and replenishes the turf with all the nutrients lost during the grow in.

Q. I want to sod my lawn in the winter, is it okay?

A. This is such a good time to put sod down because the soil temperatures are still high and the grass is all overseeded for the winter months. In the spring as the temperatures begin to climb make sure to gradually lower your lowing heights to allow the bermudagrass to grow through the ryegrass. Sod can be planted year round with great success as long as the soil is prepared correctly. Check out my old archives on Soil prep for more information.

Q. How much water should I be applying to my non overseeded turf during the fall and winter?

A. If you are not overseeding this fall it is a great time to really conserve water. If you have paspalum I suggest watering a couple times a week to hold the color as long as you can and if you have bermudagrass you can cut the watering back to one time per week for 20-30 minutes depending on your soil texture. During the winter months it is only important to keep moisture in the soil so there is no winter damage to the root system so watering once every 21-28 days for 60 minutes is sufficient. If we get timely rains you may be able to get away with not watering at all during the winter months and picking it back up as the temperatures warm up in March.

Q. There are weeds coming up in my ryegrass, can I treat them?

A. Weeds get into seed very easily and that is why it is so important to buy a weed free seed to begin with. Remember that just because the price tag looks initially cheaper it will probably end up costing you double in the long run. Since the ryegrass is so new it is too early to put down a post emergent herbicide so you would have to wait till the grass is fully established with a good root system and it has been mowed a few times.`

Q. What fertilizer should I use on my dormant turf heading into the winter?

A. You want to put down a balanced fertilizer at this time of the year and get some potassium into the turf to maintain its strength. I suggest putting down the Soil Burst 5-15-10 @ 20 pounds per 1000 SF on bermudagrass and 10 pounds per 1000 SF on paspalum. This is also a dark pelletized granule that will keep the heat in the plant and keep the tissue green for longer.

Q. Are there any other secrets to keeping the grass in longer into the fall on my dormant turf?

A. A dark pelletized granule is important and so is your mowing height. The longer the turf is, the easier it is for frost to attack the leaf canopy. You don’t want to scalp down your turf because it will not recover at this time of the year but by utilizing foliar feeding and gradually lowering your mowing heights you can get it down to a lower height before applying the 5-15-10 later in the month.

Q. What fertilizers are recommended during the winter months?

A. As soon as we receive some frost and the soil temperature drops the granular fertilizers become very inefficient. During the time frame of December to March it is best to use the Soil Burst foliar spray products can they can easily be taken up by the grass plant. I suggest alternating the three products every 21-28 days to maintain a deep dark green color. You will quickly notice yellow lawns once we get a freeze and that is because of lack of nutrients.

Q. My lawn looks beautiful now but often turns yellow in December. What am I doing wrong?

A. Your lawn is just reacting to the nutrients that are present for uptake so as I said before you need to utilize foliar sprays during the winter months. The other important thing to do is to really get your lawn growing before we get that first frost. In my past blogs I laid out a 3 step process and alternated the three foliar fertilizers all before the first frost arrives and it is important to follow these steps to keep your lawn from ever heading downhill.

Q. I have dog urine spots all over my yard, is there anything I can do?

A. This is a much easier fix during the winter months versus the summer and the best way is to get some extra BOBSeed and make a sand/seed mix just like you would see made at a golf course. Simply dig out the damaged turf and fill the area with sand and seed and it will come up during your normal watering.

Since you are a month into the overseed season it is also a good time to check your irrigation clock, sprinklers, and valves to make sure that everything is running properly. It is very easy to get small rocks stuck in the valves causing tiny leaks in the valve box, or broken sprinkler nozzles from the lawn mower hitting the shorter grass. Turn on each station for a couple minutes and check to make sure you are getting even coverage, good sprinkler output, and that you don’t have too much over spray in non lawn areas.

If you have a couple broken nozzles they are easy enough to change out and if the valve has a rock or two stuck in it you will have to take the set screws out of the top of the valve and change out the diaphragm inside. This is an easy fix and usually they need to be changed out once a year because rocks get inside and don’t allow the valves to close completely which results in small leaks.

If you have any additional questions or have something strange going on in your yard that you’re not sure about please email me pictures to info@westernsod.com and I will answer them as soon as I can.

Until next time,

Jay

Many homeowners, developments, golf courses, and hotels really look forward to the winter weather not only for the visitors but also foe the season when we can grow ryegrass. If only we lived in a place that could grow a year round grass and not get into this mess every year life would be great, but then again we would have to suffer through the cold winters that most people moved away from the first chance they had. Since that is a dream for the unforeseeable future let’s talk about how you will get your lawn to look like the neighborhood country club. If you think they only have perfect grass because they spend a ton of money you would actually be pretty far off base. There are several golf courses with large budgets, but most of the money is in labor, equipment, water, pesticides, and too many other things to name. Yes fertilizer does cost a pretty penny especially with today’s oil prices but when you treat your lawn with the proper nutrients you can save yourself a ton of money down the road.

I can tell you that most golf courses alternate between just a couple foliar fertilizers. They shoot for this initial growing period as a time to get the granular fertilizers down and into the plant so the ryegrass is healthy and growing before the soil temperatures start to drop. Why? This is because when the soil temperature is too cold it can no longer take up nutrients from the soil efficiently and many are left sitting in the ground till the spring or they are eventually leached into the ground water below. Therefore they use this optimal growing season to push the ryegrass and get it up and moving.
Ryegrass is a bunch grass and while it is a single plant it does tiller and become thicker over the year.

In order to get your thin lawn too become dense you need to fertilize it early and often. So that takes me to now. We are one to three weeks into the overseed season depending on when you dropped seed and should be on your second to third fertilizer application already. Lately I have heard some conversations from people who have been using ammonium sulfate to get the ryegrass up and established after the seed goes down. I am not a big fan of this all though you may hear others rave about their success I worry that all you are getting is top growth and you have done nothing to improve your root structure. What is going to hold the grass plant together come late fall? The shoots are going to slow regardless of the amount of nitrogen you put down because of the cooler weather and you will be left with a weak grass plant. So what do I suggest? I outlined the easy 1,2,3 steps in several of the blogs and many of you have used this approach and I have heard rave reviews, but for those of you who are unfamiliar or not sure where to get the products I will give some generic alternatives.

The starter fertilizer is one of the most important steps in the initial overseeding process because you are supplying the seed with balanced nutrients that will help it germinate quickly, establish a new grass plant, and once established get it growing. If you did not put down a starter fertilizer it is not too late and I like any of the following: Soil Burst 5-15-10 (available online at www.westernsod.com) or check the website for a pick up location near you. If you don’t have a participating Ace Hardware, Sprinkler World, or nursery close you can usually pick up a bag of 6-20-20 from most home improvement stores. I do prefer the 5-15-10 because you are supplying the grass with manganese, magnesium, iron, calcium, nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium.

Once the grass has been growing for a couple weeks and you have made your initial mowing it the perfect time to get down a second fertilizer application. When your lawn reaches about two inches it is strong enough to mow and this is best accomplished by drying down the lawn for a half day and getting a clean cut on the turf. It is always better to mow the grass dry so you don’t rut up the ground or pull out new innocent grass plants. Once the cut has been made you can make your second application of fertilizer and this is when I like to give the lawn a little bit of a push. Again sticking to the balance fertilizer method of supplying the grass with the right nutrients I choose to use the Soil Burst 7-7-7 at 1.5 quarts per 1000 SF. All of the Soil Burst products are available online and from several retailers listed online but again if you cannot find any you can use a 10-10-10 or 15-15-15 which is available at several locations. I prefer the liquid application here to help aid the shoots in growth and because it is translocated to the roots for uptake by the new grass plant. This application is usually made 10-14 days after seeding takes place and the first mowing has been made.

Okay that takes us up to where several people are today and that is between the 21-28 day range since they dropped their seed. There are lots of options at this point but the best thing you can do here is give the grass a good push, and make sure you get a good quality fertilizer to help the root system. You can use a balanced shot of Turf Royale 21-7-14, the Soil Burst 4-0-6 or if you desire stick to another application of 15-15-15 and make sure your grass is good and healthy before the middle of November. If you seeded in early September you will need to make another late fall application just to get the ryegrass to outcompete any remaining bermudagrass, but if you went in the last couple weeks you will be good to go for the winter.

These are some of the easiest fertilizer tips I can give you at this time of the year. As I have said you really need to get the lawn up and growing early or it will be a struggle for you all season long. A lawn that lacks in fertilizer going into the cold season will often show lots of signs of dormant bermudagrass in the turf, sometimes yellow spots till the ryegrass fills in, or you will have a yellow color all season long. The great thing about the Soil Burst is you can buy these in a package and use them monthly during the winter months to keep your turf looking like a golf course. The same stuff that is packaged in those little bottles is what golf courses use all winter long to get that dark green color. So if you learned anything from me in the last few weeks it is don’t cheat yourself and buy a low quality seed and get that grass sup and going early.

Race Reports

I have had a few people email me to ask how the running is going lately and if I still have the streak going. I have been running well as of late and the streak hit 580 consecutive days this morning. I do have an interesting race report from this past weekend and some information for those of you interested in getting into running. Be sure to check out my new website at www.mcdowellmountainman.com. This site has tons of different trail maps of all levels, product reviews to help you get into running, and a race calendar with everything from 5k’s to 100 milers. Be sure to join the Facebook Fan Page while you are there and subscribe by email if you would like to receive my blog updates.

Please let me know if you have any questions!

Jay

Our overseeded sod will be available at the farm on October 18th.

Let me know if you have any questions.

Jay

Just like when you put your initial lawn, the prep work is actually more important than the grass itself. If you skimp on this step or try and go the cheap route it will come back to haunt you. If you read my previous blogs I suggested that you let your summer lawn grow up a little higher than normal so when you verticut and scalp the grass down you are actually just taking the lawn to a normal height versus digging into the dirt. You don’t do yourself or your lawn any good by continually scalping it down to the ground with the expectation that it will come back strong every spring. While it seems like it should, you could end up with a year like we just had that was horrible for the transition process. If you want to know what made this year so difficult for so many golf courses, landscapers, and homeowners it was the inconsistent spring temperatures. We never really had the hot weather early and it allowed the ryegrass to stick around much later than normal shading out the underlying summer grass. As I have said quite a few times, shade is the biggest enemy for your summer lawn and ryegrass is just like having a tree on top of it if it is still strong in late May and early June.

Once you let the lawn grow up to the longer height run a verticut or dethatcher (very high setting) if you cannot find a rental place with the verticut. This will open up the grass plant and allow the seed and water to get down into the grass. Every time you scalp the lawn you close the turf canopy and it makes it tougher and tougher for the seed to get down into the thatch layer. The next crucial step is to gradually lower your mowing heights so you can reduce some of the top growth. You are actually just mowing to a height a notch or two below your normal summer height. Now run the verticut one more time over the lawn in the opposite direction to put grooves in the soil and give the seed a place to go. You can clean up the verticut debris by doing another clean up pass with the mower.

Many of you are going into the overseed season knowing that your lawn is so compacted from years and years of traffic, or just the amount of clay in the soil and it is a great time to aerify the lawn. This can be done now prior to the overseeding process to open up the soil and allow for better water infiltration and it also aids in the efficiency of the roots taking up fertilizer. This is a job that is best hired out, but before they start make sure all the sprinkler heads have been marked (flagged or painted) and they go around those areas. If you have already planted ryegrass and compaction and standing water are clearly an issue wait until mid November and aerify the lawn before we get any heavy freezes that would keep the tines from getting good penetration into the soil.

Now many of you have already dropped seed or will be dropping seed this upcoming weekend and the biggest concern you are going to have is with the bermudagrass or paspalum coming back and filling in the space between ryegrass leaf blades. It is often pretty difficult to tell what is bermudagrass and what is ryegrass if you have a finer type turf, but once we get out first freeze it will be pretty evident with the little brown golf ball sized spots all over your yard. The warm season turf is still so strong at this time of the year that it is important that they are really put in check before you start overseeding and the best way is with a growth regulator such as Primo. This is not something you are going to buy over the counter at your local store, but an irrigation or turf specialty store may carry their brand. Primo is a brand name and there are several growth regulators out there but it is the most widely known one. Can you still have a good overseed without using Primo? Of course but it is all dependent upon using the correct fertilizers and pushing the growth.

In my previous blog I gave you the 1, 2, 3 steps to an easy overseed and these really should be followed when it comes to fertilizers. The ryegrass needs to be at its peak prior to the first frost so it can fill in any voids caused by warm season turf that hung around too long. Ryegrass is a bunch grass, but it does tiller and will get thicker as the season goes along with the right fertilizer program. Again here is the fertilizer program I recommend and these products can be bought from select Ace Stores, Sprinkler Worlds, Silverbell Nursery or direct from our website (shipped to your door or picked up at our Scottsdale farm). If you didn’t put down a starter fertilizer with the seed it isn’t too late and you should do so as soon as possible to get optimal growth out of the seed and get better germination.

I mention the type of seed we use on our sod farms mostly because of the high quality seed that comes in the bucket. There are so many cheap ryegrass blends out there that will grow quickly, but inevitably they will have poor color, wear tolerance, or have weed seed in the mix as filler. You don’t ever want to buy a seed that has any weed seed what so ever so make sure the bucket or bag you pick up is 100% clean. The germination rate should be over 96% or you will need to factor that into how much extra seed needs to be put down to get 9.5-10 pounds per 1000 SF. If a bag only has 85% germination you are losing 15% of the bag to seed that isn’t viable and it needs to be accounted for when planting. A normal loss would be around 3-5% and I would worry about anything below that amount. That is typically why you see a cheaper cost of seed between the good, better, and best mixes. Spend now, save the headaches later. The last thing you want to do is incorporate weed seed into your lawn and allow it to fill in the voids caused by frost or wear. Since a weed is a plant out of place we all know they have a big tendency to find voids in turf.

I will get off my soapbox now and onto the next subject of seeding. How much seed should be applied to cover your lawn, do you need mulch, how do you keep the birds away, and how much does it cost to overseed the average lawn?

How much seed should be applied to cover the lawn adequately?

You want to put down 8-10 pounds per 1000 SF of turf area. Remember to account for seed that will not germinate so you may be applying more. There is no need to go over this rate because it will grow very clumpy and choke itself out after a few weeks.

I have so many birds that cover my lawn after I seed, should I be putting down mulch?

I personally don’t ever put down a seed cover or mulch and you would be hard pressed to find a golf course that is going to cover 60-90 acres of turf with a seed cover to keep the birds away. The truth is the birds are going to eat a certain amount of seed anyway and that number is factored into the 8-10 pound per 1000 SF rate.

How much does it cost to overseed a lawn?

I will break this down into approximate numbers and if you are hiring this out make sure you are accounting for dump fees, labor, machinery and profit.

Verticut Rental -$45 for 4 hours or $80/day

Aerifier $45 for 4 hours or $80/day

BOBSeed perennial ryegrass $29.95 for a 10 pound bucket (treats 1000 SF)

Soil Burst starter fertilizer 5-15-10 for a 9 pound container is $19.95

Soil Burst liquid program consisting of 7-7-7, 16-0-4, and 4-0-6 is $14.95 x 3 = $44.85

This is enough fertilizer and product to get you a healthy lawn for 4 months and it costs less than $150 to do it yourself and I would figure around $250-$350 per 1000 SF to have someone do this for you. If you can get it done for this price it is well worth it, but I just want to give you the breakdown if you want to do it yourself.

I hope these tips have helped you this week and I will keep you updated on what to do as we move deeper into the overseed season. If you don’t need to seed your lawn yet, sit back turn on Michigan football and wait for it to cool down a little.

It has started off as a great football season and luckily for me Michigan managed not to stub their toe on any of the cupcakes they played early on. I have been pleasantly surprised with the schedules most of the teams have played so far because there is actually a little competition out there and I am seeing very few North Dakota states on the schedule. I would mention Appalachian state, but even four years later it makes me want to cry and I am reminded daily when Jim Rome plays the “it’s blocked, the kick is blocked” sound bite from the game. As most leagues move into conference play this week I will be picking some of the better matchups. Here are my locks for the week and you can take them to the bank, well maybe that’s not the best idea.

Here we go!

Minnesota +19.5 @ Michigan – This will not be your year Gophers, and even though you are playing for the little Brown jug don’t forget just how bad you are. You were just blown off the field by FBS (Division II) North Dakota State 37-24. I like Denard Robinson to finally find his arm in the passing game and he will throw for 250 yards and rush for 200 more.

Michigan State + 3.5 @ OSU – this may be the surprise line of the week unless the wise guys know something I don’t but the Buckeyes are not a very good football team and MSU is coming off a thrashing at ND a couple weeks ago and is looking to run up and down the horseshoe. I haven’t heard if there latest suspended players were reinstated for the game but I still like MSU by 10. Take the money line and make some cash.

Alabama -6 @ Florida – while this game is being played in the swamp the bad news for Florida is that they have been nothing but an average team since the almighty Tim Tebow left campus. Florida may have a few tricks up their sleeve but don’t expect Saban to play it safe. I like Bama to run up the score and try to catch LSU in the polls.

Arizona +11.5 @ USC – The Wildcats always play out of their minds one game per season but unfortunately it always happens at home. USC is battered, has no confidence and is playing for nothing more than bragging rights but they will annihilate the Cats this weekend. The Wildcats have a QB and are missing the other 21 players that make up the team, take USC and don’t stress about the points. 34-14.

Oregon State – 17.5 @ Arizona State – Devil fans if there was ever another must win game it would be this one. Very few times in Coach Erikson’s tenure has he managed to follow up a good win with a second one. Betting Oregon State is not going to save his job at the end of the year but it will keep him from losing it. This game shouldn’t even be close but I see a huge letdown. Take ASU to win the game but they will not cover 17.5.

Nebraska + 7 @ Wisconsin – A battle of the big boys and a cold welcome to the Big 10 or 12 or whatever they are this week. Nebraska has played solid football and possesses a game changer in Taylor Martinez, but they are in for a long day in Madison. Life was easy in the former Big 12 when you played teams with 250 pound lineman but wait till the 310 average of the badgers gets a hold of the corn fed boys. This line has been as high as 10 and I would take it up to 10. I like Wisconsin to pull away in the second half and cover the spread. Sorry Cole family, sorry Husker nation, but I just don’t think Saturday night will be good for you. Watch the first half and then take the wives to dinner because the half time adjustments will put this game out of reach quickly.

Please let me know if you have any questions on overseeding or want to comment on my picks. Hit the “Ask Jay” button to the right of this page!

Until next time,

Jay

P.S…..if you would like to follow my Ultra Running blog, please go to www.mcdowellmountainman.com. My latest blog is “We all want to be just a little faster!”

I think everyone can have a successful lawn this winter, and next summer if you follow these instructions. A thriving overseed can be accomplished when the night time temperatures are in the 60′s, high quality seed is used, and you don’t get too aggressive with the scalping of the lawn.

Just so you know, the BOBSeed I refer to in this blog is available for sale in Arizona only. And the Soil Burst is available outside of AZ through our website or by calling our order hotline at 888/893-8873.

One week before you’re ready to overseed, increase the height of your lawn by 30-40 percent. This is giving you more leaf tissue and open up the grass for the seed to get into the plant.

1. You will want to rent a verticut and set it at the 1/2 to ¾ depth. Take out the thatch and dead material until you are left with approximately ½” of thatch. If you have any more than this it harbors insects, impedes water and fertilizer penetration. If you have a huge thatch buildup you have probably had some watering issues this summer and that directly impacted your drought tolerance.

2. Next you will lower your mowing height one setting and scalp down the leaf tissue. You are not trying to scalp the grass down to the ground because this will result in a poor stand of grass for next year. You want to save some of the energy of the plant so it can come back strong in the spring. You will drop the height one more setting so you are just below your mowing height from a week ago and get a second scalp on the lawn to clean it up. This often results in the closing of the turf canopy and a second vertical cut is often necessary to open the grass plant back up. Once you have made the second vertical cut, mow up all the clippings and blow off any excess material from the grass. You lawn should have an open canopy so the seed can fall down into the thatch layer.

3. After the lawn has been cleaned up and the yard is clear, it is time to add your starter fertilizer. I recommend using a Soil Burst 5-15-10 at a rate of 9 pounds per 1000 SF. Each container is 9 pounds and it comes with a built in shaker for easy application. You can find this at several PHX/TUCSON ACE Hardware stores, through www.westernsod.com or www.westcoastturf.com.

4. Get your BOBSeed perennial rye seed out and have your spreader calibrated to drop 8-10 pounds of seed per 1000 SF. You will start with the perimeter of the lawn and drop the seed at a ½ rate two directions. I advise having someone follow you while you seed with some paint and mark out where the seed has fallen so you don’t overlap or miss an area. After the edges are complete you will then switch to your rotary spreader and seed the middle of the yard at ½ rate two directions. Again the total rate is 8-10 pounds per 1000 SF so you will be putting out 4-5 pounds at a time. This ensures the grass comes up in corn rows and you have not missed any areas.

5. Turn on your water for 3-4 cycles per day for 5-7 minutes. You are just trying to keep the seed moist throughout the day and free from drying out. This will be the irrigation cycle for the first two weeks until the grass has grown up to an inch. At this point you can gradually reduce some of the daily cycles and get it down to one long cycle early in the morning.

6. At the 10-14 day mark apply your second fertilizer. I like to use a balanced fertilizer that will help keep the grass growing and the root system developing such as Soil Burst 7-7-7.

7. You may be able to mow your grass before the second fertilizer application but if not, you will do it a couple days after it has worked itself into the soil. This is a longer cut and you are just giving the grass a haircut. Ideally this cut will be made to the grass in the afternoon when it has had a chance to dry down a little.

8. At the 3-4 week mark apply your third fertilizer application. You want to do this before we receive our first frost which is generally right around Thanksgiving. A good fertilizer in this situation is Soil Burst 16-0-4. This will both get your grass growing and allow the ryegrass to start to tiller and get healthy. If you wait till after the frost you will often lose color in your ryegrass and get yourself stuck behind the 8 ball.

9. You should be mowing 1-2 times per week after the lawn is established and gradually taking it to your desired mowing heights.

10. Most of you will have your lawn up and established a couple weeks before we receive a frost so it is always a good idea to get another fertilizer application down right before this happens, usually in mid November. I like to use a product that will sustain a good root system and also keep color once the frost hits. On our farm we switch over to Soil Burst 4-0-6 to get the grass winter hardy and maintain good color.

*** It is very important to use the right amount of seed. I have seen several companies advertise that you can get 20,000 SF out of a 50 pound bag of seed. If you read the directions on the back of the bag it clearly states this is for the northern states. These labels can sometimes be confusing so be careful. The BOBSeed is sold in convenient 10 pound buckets and 50 pound bags that are perfect for a home lawn and again it is seeded at 8-10 pounds per 1000 SF of lawn. You can pick it up at several PHX/TUCSON ACE Hardware locations, Elgin Nursery, Silverbell Nursery or directly through us at www.westcoastturf.com or www.westernsod.com. Make sure you are buying a high quality perennial ryegrass seed with a minimum of 96 percent germination and zero weed seed.***

As I said in my introduction, overseeding can be easy as long as instructions are followed and you don’t get overly aggressive during the scalping of your warm season grass. I have attached a video for you to look at that has all the steps I just talked about. You’ll be able to see why the height of the grass is not as important as having an open turf canopy.

Check out my video here: http://www.youtube.com/

Want to know more about how easy it is to use Soil Burst fertilizers, here is a little video: http://www.youtube.com/

I have started a new running blog at www.mcdowellmountainman.com if you wish to follow my runs.

I have had some great feedback already so I hope you’ll check it out!

Until next time-HAPPY OVERSEEDING!

Jay

I think everyone can have a successful lawn this winter, and next summer if you follow these instructions. A thriving overseed can be accomplished when the night time temperatures are in the 60′s, high quality seed is used, and you don’t get too aggressive with the scalping of the lawn.

One week before you’re ready to overseed, increase the height of your lawn by 30-40 percent. This is giving you more leaf tissue and open up the grass for the seed to get into the plant.

1. You will want to rent a verticut and set it at the 1/2 to ¾ depth. Take out the thatch and dead material until you are left with approximately ½” of thatch. If you have any more than this it harbors insects, impedes water and fertilizer penetration. If you have a huge thatch buildup you have probably had some watering issues this summer and that directly impacted your drought tolerance.

2. Next you will lower your mowing height one setting and scalp down the leaf tissue. You are not trying to scalp the grass down to the ground because this will result in a poor stand of grass for next year. You want to save some of the energy of the plant so it can come back strong in the spring. You will drop the height one more setting so you are just below your mowing height from a week ago and get a second scalp on the lawn to clean it up. This often results in the closing of the turf canopy and a second vertical cut is often necessary to open the grass plant back up. Once you have made the second vertical cut, mow up all the clippings and blow off any excess material from the grass. You lawn should have an open canopy so the seed can fall down into the thatch layer.

3. After the lawn has been cleaned up and the yard is clear, it is time to add your starter fertilizer. I recommend using a Soil Burst 5-15-10 at a rate of 9 pounds per 1000 SF. Each container is 9 pounds and it comes with a built in shaker for easy application. You can find this at several ACE Hardware stores, through www.westernsod.com or www.westcoastturf.com.

4. Get your BOBSeed perennial rye seed out and have your spreader calibrated to drop 8-10 pounds of seed per 1000 SF. You will start with the perimeter of the lawn and drop the seed at a ½ rate two directions. I advise having someone follow you while you seed with some paint and mark out where the seed has fallen so you don’t overlap or miss an area. After the edges are complete you will then switch to your rotary spreader and seed the middle of the yard at ½ rate two directions. Again the total rate is 8-10 pounds per 1000 SF so you will be putting out 4-5 pounds at a time. This ensures the grass comes up in corn rows and you have not missed any areas.

5. Turn on your water for 3-4 cycles per day for 5-7 minutes. You are just trying to keep the seed moist throughout the day and free from drying out. This will be the irrigation cycle for the first two weeks until the grass has grown up to an inch. At this point you can gradually reduce some of the daily cycles and get it down to one long cycle early in the morning.

6. At the 10-14 day mark apply your second fertilizer. I like to use a balanced fertilizer that will help keep the grass growing and the root system developing such as Soil Burst 7-7-7.

7. You may be able to mow your grass before the second fertilizer application but if not, you will do it a couple days after it has worked itself into the soil. This is a longer cut and you are just giving the grass a haircut. Ideally this cut will be made to the grass in the afternoon when it has had a chance to dry down a little.

8. At the 3-4 week mark apply your third fertilizer application. You want to do this before we receive our first frost which is generally right around Thanksgiving. A good fertilizer in this situation is Soil Burst 16-0-4. This will both get your grass growing and allow the ryegrass to start to tiller and get healthy. If you wait till after the frost you will often lose color in your ryegrass and get yourself stuck behind the 8 ball.

9. You should be mowing 1-2 times per week after the lawn is established and gradually taking it to your desired mowing heights.

10. Most of you will have your lawn up and established a couple weeks before we receive a frost so it is always a good idea to get another fertilizer application down right before this happens, usually in mid November. I like to use a product that will sustain a good root system and also keep color once the frost hits. On our farm we switch over to Soil Burst 4-0-6 to get the grass winter hardy and maintain good color.

*** It is very important to use the right amount of seed. I have seen several companies advertise that you can get 20,000 SF out of a 50 pound bag of seed. If you read the directions on the back of the bag it clearly states this is for the northern states. These labels can sometimes be confusing so be careful. The BOBSeed is sold in convenient 10 pound buckets and 50 pound bags that are perfect for a home lawn and again it is seeded at 8-10 pounds per 1000 SF of lawn. You can pick it up at several ACE Hardware locations, Elgin Nursery, Silverbell Nursery or direct through us at www.westcoastturf.com or www.westernsod.com. Make sure you are buying a high quality perennial ryegrass seed with a minimum of 96 percent germination and zero weed seed.***

As I said in my introduction, overseeding can be easy as long as instructions are followed and you don’t get overly aggressive during the scalping of your warm season grass. I have attached a video for you to look at that has all the steps I just talked about. You’ll be able to see why the height of the grass is not as important as having an open turf canopy.

Check out my video here: www.youtube.com

Want to know more about how easy it is to use Soil Burst fertilizers, here is a little video: www.youtube.com

College Football Week 3

First let me apologize for slacking on my college football run downs this year but I have had quite the full running schedule which has left me a little bit behind. I have not lost most passion for the game of college football and after last Saturday’s amazing win by the Wolverines against Notre Dame it reenergized me to do a college football write up. There really is nothing more exciting in the sports world than watching 114,800 fans go crazy as Denard Robinson connected with Roy Roundtree with 2 seconds on the clock to put the dagger in Notre Dame. In case anyone didn’t get to see it live here is another look at it. www.youtube.com I am not sure what I can say about this game except I was speechless, what a game and man did it feel good for them to beat the Irish for the third year in a row.

So far this college football season we have seen some great early games and this week is no different as #1 Oklahoma travels to Tallahassee to take on #5 Florida St. I think this game actually looks better on paper than it will on TV but this is the Seminoles time to shine and start a return to glory. It has been years since they showed any promise besides winning the weak ACC but a win against Oklahoma would go a long ways. I am sorry FSU fans but I see this game as a route and Landry Jones will continue his Heisman run as he will rack up over 400 yards passing as Oklahoma wins big 35-14.

Here are my additional picks of the week and must watch games

#3 LSU @ Mississippi State University – I love LSU to not only cover the spread but completely shut down MSU. This game will not be close even though it is an SEC conference game, look for LSU to dominate from the beginning winning 42-21.

#17 Michigan State @ Notre Dame – Can Brian Kelley get his Irish up and ready to play after last week’s defensive debacle? I don’t see good things for ND this week as Sparty comes in rolling and they always seem to play well in South Bend. This will be a back and fourth game with Sparty taking it in the 4th quarter 28-24. Look for Sparty to plant their flag mid field after the game.

Tennessee @ Florida- This used to be a marquee matchup but no one seems to have any interest left in a couple of teams that are going to struggle in a tough SEC conference. Tennessee historically has a tough time in the swamp and this week will be no different. Will Muschamp will have his boys ready to play and will beat Tennessee 35-31 in a shootout.

#18 ASU @ Illinois – Dennis Erickson and the crew are coming off an emotional victory against Missouri in which they need a defensive stop in overtime to win. I really worry about their discipline and I find it hard to believe any team can rack up over 100 yards in penalties and still win football games. The good news for the Devils this week is the Illini is terrible and cold weather has not hit the area yet so the Sun Devils will put a spanking on the Illini 42-14.

Finally how could I not talk about a game that who knows if half of players will even get to participate in because they have had trouble keeping their hands out of the cookie jar. Ohio State travels to Florida to play Miami in a game that is sure to be chippy amongst the players from past rivalries but will also feature some empty sidelines. The Buckeyes looked good in week one and terrible against Toledo last week so I am not sure which team is going to show up. I see this being a low scoring games with lots of turnovers and I like Nevin Shapiro’s Hurricanes 28 and the Columbus Tattoo parlor 24.

Have a great week and I will update my picks then.
I have started a new running blog at www.mcdowellmountainman.com if you wish to follow my runs.

Until next time-HAPPY OVERSEEDING!

Jay