Bermuda, Zoysia and Fusilade II

XHerakleitos – posted 21 May 2002 14:47

OK…. I see by way of searches that this topic (getting rid of bermuda in zoysia) has been touched upon before…but not systematically – i.e., with respect to home use.

I have seen where someone claims that the proper mixture is 8 small drops per gallon H20. However, I did not see anything regarding the proper coverage area per gallon. I have seen somewhere where it was claimed that 2 to 3 ounces per acre is appropriate – and that mid summer applications perhaps should be avoided (especially insofar as fescue is involved)

So, does anyone have a grasp on this. I, of course, plan on testing anything on small areas. But it would be nice to hear of any success stories – with accompanying specific strategy for application.

XHerakleitos – posted 04 June 2002 12:58

Come on now……..somebody has to know something about Fusilade II. Sounds like this is the only thing one can use to elminate bermuda within zoysia.

seed – posted 06 June 2002 18:10

The label for Fusilade II (24.5% fluazifop-P-butyl ) says that to over-spray zoysia, apply at 3-4 ounces Fusilade II per acre along with a nonionic surfactant, starting late spring (June 1), and repeat every 28-30 days. Late summer applications can be reduced to 2-3 ounces per acre, and during hot summer weather the rate can be increased to 4-5 ounces per acre.

Still, that’s not much product, so measure carefully.

Work in Georgia on this was based on 2 applications; also, there was moderate injury to the zoysia, but it recovered.

Phil

XHerakleitos – posted 07 June 2002 09:51

“nonionic surfactant”

I’m guessing this is water?

Also, these instructions talk about ounces per acre. But I want to know about ratios of Fusillade to water (how many drops per gallon). And then it would be nice to know, hopefully from someone who’s used this, how much heavily/lightly to spray said mixture on the grass.

I’m going to try something soon…….so I’ll post my results on test areas.

bobby – posted 08 June 2002 11:32

i have used 7 to 8 drops of fusilade per gallon of water with a suffacant (tacky suff). bermuda takes a beating while zoysia slows but soon recovers nicely (3 wks). This is placed in a hand sprayer and sprayed over the area that has a mix of bermuda/zoysia.be careful of overspray.——-about 2 years ago i changed my zoysia grassmanagement from high nitrogen/h2o applications to virtually no nitrogen/low h2o but added an application of chelated iron every 3 weeks with just enough nitrogen to carry it. The iron 90 oz is added with a pull behind 25 gallon sprayer/10000 square ft.

Conclusion thus far has been zoysia looksgreat and the bermuda is suffering badly from the lack of nitrogen. I think zoysia will grow with very little applied nitrogen. the h2o encourges bermuda over zoysia. zoysia really greens up with iron applications.

I have the “Meyer” variety.

Something else i am testing is a product called “Bolster”. I have placed this witha sprayer application once a month during the growing season for the last two years. the results have been great! drawback so far is the expense of “Bolster”.

i think h2o and nitrogen benefit the bermuda more than the zoysia. holding back both of these seems to enhance the zoysia over the bermuda.

i also aerate at lease once a season but have not done so this year. zoysia looks so good at this time dont want to core it.

Something else that I have noticed is the cold weather and its affect on bermuda. If we get a really cold winter the bermuda takes a beating and gets set back but the zoysia remains unharmed and seems to thrive the following season. this allows for the zoysia to make headway over the bermuda in spreading into new areas.

i have grown zoysia since setting out my first plugs in 1972.

responses are welcomed. always looking for tips on a better way to grow zoysia.-bobby

XHerakleitos – posted 10 June 2002 12:21

quote:i have used 7 to 8 drops of fusilade per gallon of water with a suffacant (tacky suff). bermuda takes a beating while zoysia slows but soon recovers nicely (3 wks). This is placed in a hand sprayer and sprayed over the area that has a mix of bermuda/zoysia.be careful of overspray.

Thanks……I’ll be gettin some Fusilade II soon and will let you know how it worked.

Now just what does one add as a surfacant?

And what is this “chelated iron” business….is there some easily obtainable product I should look for?

I’ve never done much of anything to my zoysia. Best I can tell I have 2 kinds – one with larger blades and one with very compact blades. The latter type moves more slowly but more densly. This latter type came from some plugs I got years ago (plus one divot I took home from a golf course!). About the only thing I do is burn the yard on the last week of February (Nashville). I had a Forrestry Professor once as a neighbor when I was a kid – and he burned every year…so I’m just assuming this is OK…….besides, it always freaks out the neighbors.

[This message has been edited by XHerakleitos (edited 10 June 2002).]

XHerakleitos – posted 08 July 2002 08:01

Well, so far I have seen no results. Tried once and waited a week: nothing. Have applied again – more saturation in some test areas: nothing after 5 days.

The guy I bought the surfactant from said that one should put less of that than the FusiladeII………so I’ve been using 8 drops F2 and 4 drops surfactant per gallon.

Match – posted 30 July 2002 18:59

quote:Originally posted by XHerakleitos:Well, so far I have seen [b]no results. Tried once and waited a week: nothing. Have applied again – more saturation in some test areas: nothing after 5 days.

The guy I bought the surfactant from said that one should put less of that than the FusiladeII………so I’ve been using 8 drops F2 and 4 drops surfactant per gallon.[/B]

I have been following your messages as I have had the Roundup bottle in my hand ready to delete the Bermuda in my Zenith zoysia. I was hoping to hear of your success. What was the surfactant you used? Did anything you tried slow the bermuda down? I was told to kill the bermuda and seed with zoysia in the dead areas. This will be unsightly and expensive. Please give me another method!

XHerakleitos – posted 12 August 2002 19:17

Well, I am having some decent results now – I think I was too light on application first time around. Still trying to get the right saturation level (or feel for it). I mean 9 drops per gallon Fusilade II (I got the stuff at Lesco) seems correct – as is about 4 drops surfactant.

It seems one must try out in test areas to get a feel for how much saturation of said mixture in a given area. I have some areas where the crabgrass is absolutely halted but Bermuda only slightly fazed. Others where Bermuda is severly suppressed and Zoysia fine….sometimes some discolouration in zoysia.

I’m just now about to apply to a very large area. I will try to report back in a week or so on this.

(Can’t recall name of surfactant right now….something someone at Lesco recommended)

[This message has been edited by XHerakleitos (edited 12 August 2002).]

Match – posted 03 September 2002 13:59

Thank you for getting back with me! In the meantime I have purchased Ornamec. It came with its own surfactant. The man said to use a squirt of dishsoap if it didn’t come with any. He also said to add 2TB. of Epsom salt to each gallon to prevent discoloration to the Zoysia. Ornamec is the same exact chemical as Fusilade but not as concentrated. I will be trying the treatment this week. Wish me luck! My problem with the bermuda is pretty severe. Please continue to let me know your results. IP: Logged

XHerakleitos – posted 03 September 2002 15:57    

Been occupied……….tried an application but I left town and can’t be sure if it rained. Again not nearly the effect I anticipated……however, relative growth rate of bermuda was much lower…….I mean usually it is higher than zoysia but not now…so there seems to have been some effect. I’m going to mow soon and try a real concentrated blast on some test areas this week.

Miscanthus – posted 10 September 2002 16:06

Could you please describe the size if the “dropper” you are using?

Thanks

XHerakleitos – posted 11 September 2002 09:40

Standard eye dropper thing. So the drops are rather small.

Match – posted 12 September 2002 18:50

I used 2 1/2 TB of Ornamec with the included surfactant, along with 2TB of Epsom salt in 1 gallon of water. I misted certain areas of the lawn until I ran out. At first I couldn’t tell it affected the lawn at all. After almost 2 weeks I noticed a light gray haze where there was alot of Bermuda; kind of a “salt and pepper” look where the Zoysia was green and the Bermuda was gray. I was really surprised! Now I can continue with the rest of the lawn and deal with the gray spots as the Zoysia gets stronger.

Lex – posted 24 August 2003 08:48

Interesting thread. Here is what I can add. Fluazifop does not kill crabgrass. General rule of thumb is that 20 drops equal one milliliter. A surfactant weakens the surfact tension of the chemical so most liquid dishwashing chemicals make excellent surfacts. A few (2-10) drops per gallon should be sufficient.

Harold – posted 29 August 2004 12:45

Sir,I noted with great interest the use of Fusilade II for control of Bermuda Grass in Zoysia. I live in North ALABAMA and put in my new house yard EMERALD Zoysia that has a few spots of common Bermuda. I try to dig it up but a loosing battle. I read in this forum that only 6-8 drops per gallon of water with a little soap will work. My spots are small so would only need less than a gallon spray mixture.

Are you still happy with the results of Fusilade? I am having trouble finding it and its very expensive. Comes in quarts and I need a few drops. Any suggestions of a source? Any thoughts appreciated.

quote:Originally posted by seed:The label for Fusilade II (24.5% fluazifop-P-butyl ) says that to over-spray zoysia, apply at 3-4 ounces Fusilade II per acre along with a nonionic surfactant, starting late spring (June 1), and repeat every 28-30 days. Late summer applications can be reduced to 2-3 ounces per acre, and during hot summer weather the rate can be increased to 4-5 ounces per acre.

Still, that’s not much product, so measure carefully.

Work in Georgia on this was based on 2 applications; also, there was moderate injury to the zoysia, but it recovered.

Phil

al-galgano – posted 03 October 2004 14:11

I am looking at a bottle of Ortho Grass-B-Gon and its active ingredient is Fluazifop-P-Butyl. I believe this is the same compound as Fusilade II. Anyway, it’s $6/24 ounce ready to spray. I bought it because it said it killed bermuda but not plants…AND becasue Zoysia was conspicuously absent from the list of grasses it kills! I tested it on a bit of zoysia growing out (literally) of my lawn into some bushes. In ~2 weeks some of it appears to have yellowed. Don’t know if it is dead, but from the discussions above, it is most likely just “injured” and will return. Like when I used Ortho’s Nutgrass killer on the nutgrass in my zoysia. Seemed like top growth all yellowed badly but then grew back OK.

Bottom Line: If you have “patches” of bermuda in your zoysia you may want to try Ortho Grass-B-Gon. BTW my Zenith zoysia grown from seed lives in Virginia Beach, VA.

Disclaimer: My experiment is not complete yet, so I cannot claim successful eradication of the bermuda or survival of the zoysia. BEWARE!

al-galgano – posted 10 October 2004 11:44

I treated an ~4 X 5 ft area of Zenith Zoysia with Grass-B-Gone on 10/3/04. Looks OK today, 10/10/04. I sprayed the area again. Also sprayed Zoysia near by fenceline/boundary with Bermuda growing neighbor. I see dead bermuda and unaffected Zoysia. Actually, there is a slight yellowish tint / cast to the 4X5 area. I will provide an update next week.

syngenta guy – posted 12 October 2004 11:00

Triton B is usually the nonionic surfactant used and it is added at 0.25% by volume. The product will control crabgrass with repeated applications. You have to make repeated applications every 3 to 4 weeks anyway. Aventis’s Acclaim Extra also works. You can experiment with tank mixes of either one with Dow’s Turflon or Aventis’Prograss. *Warning* That last bit is more for fescue grasses, I’m not sure how it will do with Zoysia.

syngrnta guy – posted 12 October 2004 12:23

You can get Triton or Tween nonionic surfactants for less than 20$ from lab supply companies. Rosecare.com or Lesco sell Fusilade for under 65$ a pint. The mix is .75 fl oz per gallon and 1/2 fl oz surfactant. Go to this link

syngenta guy – posted 12 October 2004 14:11

The prior post was for spot spraying using Fusilade II Turf and ornamental, the quantities work out to 4.5 tsp/gal of herbicide and 3 tsp/gal of surfactant. For overspraying zoysia use about 1/2 tsp/gal, between .42 and .56 tsp is the recommended dosage. Again use 3 tsp/gal surfactant. I calculated this on the basis of covering 1000 sq. ft. with one gallon of mix. For Fescue overspraying use 1.5 tsp of herbicide and 6 tsp of surfactant for 2 gallons of mix. The recommended dosage range is 1.4 tsp to 1.68 tsp for a 2 gallon mix.

RHD – posted 22 October 2004 14:05

I have emerald zoysia that was overun by hybrid 419 Bermuda. The zoysia was planted before all the existing burmuda was killed 10 years ago. This appears to be a common problem when homeowners convert from bermuda to zoysia in Atlanta where I live. This is what makes people both love and hate hybrid bermuda – it is really hardy, grows quickly like a weed, and is very hard to get rid of. I was about ready to resod with emerald zoysia this year when I discovered this site and tried Fusilade II (bought from Lesco). I followed the directions (.75 oz of fusilade and .5 oz of the “sticker” per gallon). My application rate was about 1 gallon per 600-700 sq feet. At that (slightly heavy?) application rate, the bermuda has a very severe setback (maybe 90% kill rate)while the zoysia is only “stunted” for a few weeks. I sprayed over some areas where I thought the bermuda had already completely killed the zoysia, but to my surprise, zoysia was still living under the bermuda roots and is coming back to life. I do know that fusilade works but have not tried the other recommended products. Do not expect instant gratification. First, it takes several weeks to see results. Second, your lawn will look a lot worse before it looks better with the dead/dying bermuda and suppressed zoysia from the fusilade. The more bermuda you have, the worse it will look. I can see that several fusilade applications may be required over a couple of years. Mid to late October is a particularly good time to apply the product since (here in Atlanta) all the turfgrass is going dormant in a month or so anyway. I am looking forward to seeing what comes back in the spring, and plan to heed the advice offered relative to cutting back on the nitrogen. I also plan to set my reel mower a bit higher to help favor the zoysia over the bermuda (actually, I hope I do not have any bermuda left!).

turfman – posted 09 March 2005 07:14

3 ounces per 1000 square feet.of course i like to over do it a bit but it also depends on the coditions you are applying it.

quote:Originally posted by XHerakleitos:OK…. I see by way of searches that this topic (getting rid of bermuda in zoysia) has been touched upon before…but not systematically – i.e., with respect to home use.

I have seen where someone claims that the proper mixture is 8 small drops per gallon H20. However, I did not see anything regarding the proper coverage area per gallon. I have seen somewhere where it was claimed that 2 to 3 ounces per acre is appropriate – and that mid summer applications perhaps should be avoided (especially insofar as fescue is involved)

So, does anyone have a grasp on this. I, of course, plan on testing anything on small areas. But it would be nice to hear of any success stories – with accompanying specific strategy for application.

Gardenflyer – posted 23 March 2005 20:57

OK, for those of you using Fusilade, how are you getting an even application? I simply don’t see how I can come close to a uniform application using a pump up sprayer or other typical “homeowner” type equipment.

From the directions on the product, it is fairly sensitive to application rate…

Thanks in advance.

RHD – posted 27 March 2005 14:47

I have not encountered any problem with obtaining an even application with the hand held (pump) sprayer. I hit my lawn pretty heavy last fall with two applications, but the applications appeared to take “evenly” accross the lawn. It appears that the bermuda is not coming back from the winter(at least not yet!), and the zoysia is just starting to come back (at least two weeks later than neighbors). Overall, the fusilade II is doing exactly what it was supposed to do. Again, be careful about following the typically male addage, “If a little of this stuff is good, then a whole lot of this stuff must be really, really good”. If I had it to do over again, I’d go a bit slower and lighter. In my case, that means: Only use one application as per the directions, then sit back and wait about five or six weeks of growing season to see exactly what is happening. Consider light spot spraying after that, again with at least a one month interval. As I mentioned in an earlier post on this thread, your lawn will look pretty bad for some time if you are getting rid of a lot of bermuda – be patient.

Harold – posted 28 May 2005 18:17

I appreciate the recent discussion about killing Bermuda grass in Zoysia with Fusilade. I discussed this again with our local Agriculture Extension Service in North ALA. and they indicated that ACCLAIM would also kill Bermuda in Zoysia. I have the Emerald Zoysia and it is looking good the end of May. However, the Bermuda is creeping back so I have to do something soon. Anyone familiar with Acclaim and if so, what mixture? Thank you.

kyleinmarietta – posted 29 May 2005 17:14

Harold,

I went through the same quest a couple of months ago. I found that Fusillade was available for $100/gallon locally (Fusillade DX is the same as Fusillade II, just labeled differently), and that Acclaim was special order only and would cost $400 or so per gallon.

I went with the Fusillade and have had noticable success.

What I did was take my backpack sprayer and put 1 gallon of water in it and add dye. Then, I sprayed a test patch with the water/dye solution and discovered that at “my” walking speed and applicator settings, one gallon of solution covered 750 sf.

Then, mixed a 3 gallon tank of water, dye, and fusillade (2250 sf worth) and added the proper amount of fusillade (.14 ounces/1000 sf, if I recall correctly) or about .31 ounces. I used a syringe without the needle to properly meter the stuff.

The dye (available at the local farm supply store) tints the chemicals and gives you a visual indication of where you’ve already sprayed. You don’t double apply or miss spots…

Harold – posted 31 May 2005 06:34

Kyle,Thanks so much for reply on Acclaim and glad you had sucess with Fusilade. My problem is that I have less than 900 ft sq with a little of common Bermuda in it and can only buy a quart of Fusilade which wil last two lifetime for me. Made a mistake when I didnt kill it with roundup before I put down Emerald Zoysia 2 years ago when built new house.

Do you know a supplier of small quantities? How did the Zoysia look after application of it on your yard? Did it stunt it and kill or just supress the Bermuda? Did you apply more than once and what was waiting period? Sorry for so many questions but I get nervous just thinking about what if I killed the Zoysia! THANKS AGAIN.

kyleinmarietta – posted 01 June 2005 17:17

I looked for several weeks for a supplier who would sell a quart of either Acclaim or Fusillade. The best I could do was to find the gallon of fusillade, which is enough to treat something like 900 acres of lawn. Hopefully it has a long, long, shelf life.

It did yellow the “good” grass slightly, but didn’t kill it. Also two applications didn’t kill all of the bermuda, but sure has put the brakes on its growth this spring. Hopefully a couple of fall applications, then more applications in the spring will keep the bermuda in decline.

As an aside, one of the very noticable things the fusillade did was to create a very prominent line in my yard. I sprayed the stuff up to that line, but not beyond, knowing there was no bermuda past the line.The grass that was sprayed with fusillade practically stopped growing for a few weeks, and right next to it, the area I didn’t spray needed weekly mowing. The line was very evident, although isn’t really noticable now.

frommo – posted 17 July 2005 17:16

FusiladeII @ rosecare.com—-$65/pt

docrings – posted 07 September 2008 13:05

I have Empire Zoysia and the Grass-B-Gone spray from Wal-Mart does very well with eradicating Bermuda while only stunting the Zoysia…

BUT!

I dilute the Ortho Grass-B-Gone bottle 4:1 with water (0.12% final concentration Fluazifop) and only *LIGHTLY* mist the bermuda/Zoysia patches in once coat. The Bermuda yellows in about 10 days, and eventually dies, and the Zoysia bounces back within a month.

A heavy wetting coat of undiluted Grass-B-Gone will kill the Zoysia outright (Believe me), and take two seasons to come back.

Dilute + very light misting. No double coats of spray!

Wait two weeks for results.

I have bought a quart of Fusilade II, but have not had to use it yet. It is 24.5% concentrated Fluazifop, and if I use my same dilution as the Grass-B-Gone 4:1 dilution, I will have to dilute it to 0.12% (200:1) so, doing the math, that’s 14ml of Fusilade II to 700ml (24 oz spray bottle). 14ml = 3 tsp or 60 drops for basically 3/4 of a quart.

From what everyone is saying on the forum, at a rate of 10 drops fusilade II per gallon, I should use 2 or 3 drops in the 24 oz bottle (approx).

——–

EXPERIMENT ON A REMOTE SMALL AREA, WAIT TWO WEEKS!!!10 drops in one gallon = 0.000132

Math:1 gallon = 3785 ml = 75700 “drops”.

[This message has been edited by docrings (edited 07 September 2008).]

[This message has been edited by docrings (edited 07 September 2008).]

Larryect – posted 02 October 2013 11:37

Sorry, for waking up an old topic. I found this from a Yahoo search.

I am having trouble with Saint Augustine grass invading my Tall Fescue.

I understand Fusilade can be carfully used on Fescue. However, I can’t find reference of it controlling Saint Augustine. I believe Saint Augustine and Bermuda may be related.

Would any of you know if this will control St. Augustine?