Weeds in my Meyer Zod

Rentals – posted 28 May 2009 10:07

I had Meyer sod placed about 2 months ago and I have cut the lawn 4-5 times now. Weeds are coming back just as fast as the grass grows. How long do I need to wait until I can treat it with some type of weed and feed? I live in NW GA where the temp is in the mid 80’s now. Thanks for any advice.

tommy – posted 28 May 2009 21:12

Go ahead and do it now! Throw down some ‘Turf builder plus 2’.

Rentals – posted 08 June 2009 10:08

I took your advice and applied Scott’s turfbuilder+2 that I had in my garage for a couple of years. (not sure if this product goes bad or not) I used the product last Sunday and when I came back a week later from vacation I had 2 problems. 1-the weeds were still there. 2-I had several burn spots in the yard. The grass is actually green except for the several burn spots. What do I need to do now? Do I treat the grass with just a weed killer? What about the burn spots, how do I get them back green again? Thanks for your input.

Turfguy_UF – posted 08 June 2009 16:18

I would have to think the active ingredients in the pesticides in that bag degraded over that two year time.

I do not know if the fertilizer you applied burned the grass or not, but I am thinking it did. Most fertilizers are “quick release” and that can be nice for a quick BBQ weekend to green the grass up but for long term care go “slow release”. I do not know if Scotts makes a Turf Builder with a slow release but that is what I would look into.

Also a couple of tips on apply fertilizer.

Make sure you have the proper rate of application set before you apply anything. (If you dont know how to calibrate a rotary spreader or drop spreader, or want to check your spreader let me know).

Don’t refill your spreader over the grass. If you slip and drop half the bag on the grass it is a pain and most likely will burn the area.

Dont open the spreader while standing still. Make sure you are moving before you open it.

Cut your rate in half, and apply in two directions normally perpendicular to the other. This allows for better coverage as you wont see “lines” of green in the yard.

If you do spill any clean up as much as you can, and water the area heavily, I mean a lot. You want to work the fertilizer through the profile. So like 4-6″ of water.

As long as that Turf Builder is safe for you lawn. I would purchase a new bag, and go to the back of the yard, and apply a 20’x20′ section and see what happens. If it works then use it over the whole yard. But again look into slow releases also.

TurfGuy

Rentals – posted 08 June 2009 18:43

My first application of turfbuilder was actually a bottle that I hooked to the end of my water hose. It sat in my garage for several years. I’m guessing that’s what burned the grass. Will watering the spots help green it up? I have a commercial spreader and will apply half of the recommendations. I didn’t know if a second application would be too much too soon. Thanks for the fast response.

Turfguy_UF – posted 08 June 2009 22:57

Ah so its a liquid fertilizer. Now that changes things. Did you add more liquid fertilizer over the grass? Or did you unscrew the bottle and add it over concrete? The burns could also be from the pesticide killing off weeds, but I would be surprised if that was the case.

I would diffidently water those areas heavy every day with a hose. They should come back if not from that exact location or from the surrounding areas.

Side note: My suggestion to reduced rates were for granular fertilizers. But you could also reduce the rate by half, and apply in two directions for liquid fertilizers as well. You still want to apply the recommended amount.

You mentioned on getting just a herbicide for now. I would look into a selective herbicide for Meyer sod, and apply that in a week. Your turf sounds healthy but just has a couple of “bad” spots. Follow the directions carefully and you should see an improvement.

TurfGuy

Rentals – posted 09 June 2009 07:34

My lawn is starting to look outstanding with the exceptions of those few burn spots and some pesty weeds. I just hooked the ready to use bottle to the water hose and went at it. I think for now my best results will be to water the spots as you mentioned and wait a week or so to apply a weed killer to the lawn. Do you suggest liquid weed killer or granular? Temp is starting to reach the 90’s by now. Thanks again Turfguy. I learn quite a bit from this forum.

Turfguy_UF – posted 09 June 2009 10:17

Did you see a reduction in weeds since you applied the TurfBuilder?

If so I would suggest applying something different and see if that controls the rest of the weeds.

I found this: http://www.scotts.com/smg/catalog/productTemplate.jsp?tabs=general&proId=prod90026&itemId=cat50060&id=cat50016

But I do not know if that will control all of your weeds.

In the Weed and Feed category I found this: http://www.scotts.com/smg/catalog/productTemplate.jsp?tabs=usage&proId=prod90008&itemId=cat50044&id=cat50016

This seems like it might hit more of the weeds in the yard.

I would make sure you wait 30-45 days from the time you last applied the TurfBuilder before you apply anything again.

As for granular vs. liquid, they are both very good. As long as you feel you are getting good coverage from both, go with what makes it easy for you.

Side note: Make sure to not stand in the same spot when you apply the liquid fertilizer. Reason I say this, not saying you did, but only thing I can think of to cause burns, is you stayed in one spot and sprayed around you, the hose will drip right at your feet while you stand there and that might have caused the burn. Just me thinking .

And always here to help!.

TurfGuy

Rentals – posted 09 June 2009 11:09

No that’s why I was a little concerned. After I sprayed the turfbuilder I still had a lot of weeds in my yard. My landscaper came today just to spray fertilizer and said that it would really toughen up the sod and choke out the remaining weeds as well as make the grass greener. I hope that it’s not over kill with me spraying a couple of weeks ago. I really think what I sprayed last time had diminished over time and lost its effectiveness.

Turfguy_UF – posted 09 June 2009 14:11

Your landscaper is correct in saying a healthy turf will often choke out a majority of the weeds in the landscape. But there might still be an occasional weed here and there. Correct mowing, irrigation, and fertility program will help remove a lot of weed problems.

You should be fine with the new application of fertilizer. Zoysia is like Bermuda, or Paspalum in that it loves to be loved .

I would talk to your landscaper and ask them to look into slow releases fertilizers. This will help a lot with controlling your weeds because the grass will not have a high, and low period any more, but rather a consistent green, and healthy appearance.

I would try another weed and feed in about a month, and see how that goes. Or monitor the grass now, and see if you can choke out the weeds in there.

TurfGuy