help with Bitter Blue

JustLearning – posted 03 July 2004 11:10

HiI purchased my home 2 months ago, 1 of the items that made me fall in love was the lawn. The prior owner took great care, he had Bitter Blue brought in and all admires it. Myself I followed his lead, but something is wrong. I am from Vt so Bitter Blue and this hot FLA sun is new. I mow every 3 to 4 days (at evening) & (as needed) I was watering just as he had, until rain season kicked in. I do still use the sprinkler system when needed. The problem is, it is turning brownish is so many areas, parts it seems to look like they are dying, Also in areas it looks as if someone has tore up parts in between rows. I was raking daily in the early am to get the pine needles off, as some days looks like trucks loads were dumped. Other than mow & raking it gets no traffic.Some are saying Not enough Water- others says To Much and also saying to much raking.I sure don’t want to loose my great lawn so please for any help I sure would be Thankful from you in here.I surfed the net and found your site and here I am.Thank You for being here for lost people like me.JustLearning

certified_in_florida – posted 04 July 2004 13:28

It might not be a bad idea to get a professional opinion. Without seeing it, it could be one of the things you mentioned, it could be fungus (although not likely by description), and it could be something like chinch bugs. Without knowing the problem, it is hard to offer advice.

rgjack – posted 05 July 2004 09:28

I’m in SW Orlando area with bitter blue lawn installed two years ago over mostly black sugar sand “soil” with similar problems. The grass “browned’ over the winter and didn’t really get rid of that look until end of May. I tend to think I did not water enough and rain was scarce this year so roots didn’t develop deeply enough. Then the unusually hot sun (for May June) stessed the grass to the point that there are ‘dry spots’ (curled leaf and dying grass – brown color) in a number of places where the sprinklers are located. The day after the sprinkler waters, the grass in these spots looks like it needs watering again. The only insects found are spittle bugs and black ants (which I’m having a difficult time getting rid of). Just for clarification, even though some of central Florida have gotten several inches of rain lately, those storms have only contributed 3” in two months… I’ve been watering 45 minutes twice a week most of that time and also spot watering the dry spots. Clippings are left on the lawn and name brand fertilizer + iron doesn’t seem to green very well and doesn’t last for more than two months… and I also put down Milorganite.

Long but hopefully enough info to come to some conclusion. I’ve got a feeling the soil needs serious amending especially in the ‘dry spots.

rgjack – posted 05 July 2004 09:42

Forgot to mention I also have tall pines that drop needles which I rake sometimes depending on the amount, otherwise are mulched with the mower. I found that getting the biggest plastic leaf rake and dragging it behing me while walking picks up 95% of the needles and only passes over the bitter blue one time works well without damaging the grass. Bitter blue does not take traffic well. In some of my dry areas I worked some black kow into the grass with a rake and the grass collapsed from the raking.

JustLearning – posted 06 July 2004 17:59

I do not know what Black Kow is? My lawn Pest guy, who has taken care of this lawn for 6 yrs now said last month it wasn’t enough water, so I went up, I have since changed to 5am only now and 25 minutes per zone. The front section, which the one getting worse also gets 100% shade until 2pm then 1/2 shade & sun rest time.. So could that in fact be to much -which in turn is killing my lawn?

JustLearning – posted 06 July 2004 18:01

How will I know a chinch bug? (sorry told you I was new to this topic)What in fact will do to make them leave? Or is that in fact where my lawn pest man comes in?

seed – posted 06 July 2004 22:44

Answer to your first question (knowing a chinch bug):

https://turfgrass.com/pics/pics05.htmlhttp://floridaturf.com/chinch/

Phil