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Dead Spots in Centipede
Posted on 3/27/21 at 11:27 am
Posted on 3/27/21 at 11:27 am
I have a bunch of spots that are dead or weeds have taken over in my backyard and there is no more grass. I have added a few photos. What can I do to to get grass back there. I was going to till the ground in these few area and go back with new sod or seed, but curious if anyone has done anything and have had success.
2
Posted on 3/27/21 at 12:53 pm to LSUTiger23
I’ll start the discussion. Do you have any living centipede in the backyard? Do you have a drainage, standing water issue? Looks like you potentially have a drainage problem and lost most of the turf from disease (e.g. take all patch) and subsequent winter kill.
If the yard is as bad as the photo depicts (I’m just not seeing much living centipede in your photos, but I’m wrong let us know), I’d nuke it all with generic roundup, and when dead, till it, remove as much debris as you can, level/improve drainage if required, and lay sod. When I bought a pallet of centipede sod last fall, it was $165 per pallet (450 sq ft).
You can do the same if only a portion(s) of the backyard or areas of the turf is dead - nuke, till, improve drainage in that area and re-sod. I’d suggest re-sodding vs seeding for large damaged areas.
If you provide more details, I’m sure others can provide more specific recommendation. Your yard may not be as bad as the 2 photos depict - let us know.
If the yard is as bad as the photo depicts (I’m just not seeing much living centipede in your photos, but I’m wrong let us know), I’d nuke it all with generic roundup, and when dead, till it, remove as much debris as you can, level/improve drainage if required, and lay sod. When I bought a pallet of centipede sod last fall, it was $165 per pallet (450 sq ft).
You can do the same if only a portion(s) of the backyard or areas of the turf is dead - nuke, till, improve drainage in that area and re-sod. I’d suggest re-sodding vs seeding for large damaged areas.
If you provide more details, I’m sure others can provide more specific recommendation. Your yard may not be as bad as the 2 photos depict - let us know.
Posted on 3/27/21 at 1:29 pm to LSUTiger23
Assuming the yellowing in the 2nd photo is in your centipede it is chlorotic. That iron chlorosis is either caused by ferting too early or take all patch. If you are willing to start over I’d do what craw said plus till in some peat moss and sod.
Posted on 3/27/21 at 1:45 pm to CrawDude
I do have living centipede in a portion of the yard. Took another photo below. I do have a drainage issue. I get standing water in the yard after a rain. My yard is still significantly wet from the rains we got this week. My location is in Madisonville. We’ve been talking about putting in French drains to help with this. Do you think French drains would be a good option.
Posted on 3/27/21 at 2:42 pm to LSUTiger23
Well that photo shows a much better pic of the status your backyard than the first 2, and it doesn’t look as bad as I thought
Absolutely French drains would help if you you have somewhere to route the water to get it off the yard, adding sand to smaller areas that hold water and fill depressions can help and you can do that a little at a time. You do have a good bit of annual bluegrass (Poa annua), cool weather annual weed whose seeds germinate in the fall - you can spray the Poa it with Atrazine if you do it soon but also the heat of summer will kill it and then you can apply pre-emergent herbicide this fall to significantly curtail it, and then again in late winter (Feb).
ronk suggested peat moss addition to help with lawn disease issues, plus addition of a synthetic lawn fungicide will likely help if indeed lawn disease from frequently and sustained wet conditions your lawn is experiencing is the cause of your dying grass. In the first 2 weeks of April fertilize the centipede at the rate 0.5 lb of nitrogen (N) per 1000 sq ft (= 3.3 lbs of a 15-0-15 centipede fertilizer). and then again in June. Treat weeds through the summer as needed with MSM Turf herbicide (won’t damage the lawn in hot weather of summer)l.
Keep reading the H & G b/c there are going to be many more threads like yours with similar issues and lots of good advice will be provided. But if a low and wet backyard is a constant issue for you you’ll need to correct that, otherwise everything else being suggested here is not going to be that effective.
Absolutely French drains would help if you you have somewhere to route the water to get it off the yard, adding sand to smaller areas that hold water and fill depressions can help and you can do that a little at a time. You do have a good bit of annual bluegrass (Poa annua), cool weather annual weed whose seeds germinate in the fall - you can spray the Poa it with Atrazine if you do it soon but also the heat of summer will kill it and then you can apply pre-emergent herbicide this fall to significantly curtail it, and then again in late winter (Feb).
ronk suggested peat moss addition to help with lawn disease issues, plus addition of a synthetic lawn fungicide will likely help if indeed lawn disease from frequently and sustained wet conditions your lawn is experiencing is the cause of your dying grass. In the first 2 weeks of April fertilize the centipede at the rate 0.5 lb of nitrogen (N) per 1000 sq ft (= 3.3 lbs of a 15-0-15 centipede fertilizer). and then again in June. Treat weeds through the summer as needed with MSM Turf herbicide (won’t damage the lawn in hot weather of summer)l.
Keep reading the H & G b/c there are going to be many more threads like yours with similar issues and lots of good advice will be provided. But if a low and wet backyard is a constant issue for you you’ll need to correct that, otherwise everything else being suggested here is not going to be that effective.
Posted on 3/27/21 at 4:04 pm to CrawDude
Thanks Craw. Awesome info!
Posted on 4/7/21 at 11:52 am to CrawDude
Craw, will this fertilizer be the best to use?
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[/url][/img]Posted on 4/7/21 at 1:37 pm to LSUTiger23
If you didn't buy it yet I wouldn't. I don't like weed and feeds. You can't put out more or less feed without increasing or decreasing the weed part. Trimec is a strong herbicide and it can set your centipede back. Not that it won't recover but it leaves less of a chance for error. You'd be better off buying a similar fert from Site One and picking up a bottle of MSM.
Posted on 4/7/21 at 4:26 pm to ronk
I found the 15-0-15 ferti-lome fertilizer only! Not using the weed and feed
Posted on 4/7/21 at 5:07 pm to LSUTiger23
Then you are solid. Use away.
Posted on 4/7/21 at 5:09 pm to LSUTiger23
quote:
found the 15-0-15 ferti-lome fertilizer only! Not using the weed and feed
Yes it is a good fertilizer and I used it for many years on my centipede lawn before switching to a 24-2-11 Polycoat from Site One only b/c of price.
You would apply 3 1/3 lbs of 15-0-15 to provide 1/2 lb N per 1000 sq ft
alternatively,
You would apply 2 lbs of 24-2-11 to provide 1/2 lb N per 1000 sq ft. .
The LSU AgCenter recommends 1/2 lb N per 1000 sq ft per application for Centipede, not to exceed 1 lb N per 1000 sq ft per year.
Apply in April (now) and June. The June application is optional depending on how your lawn looks. Centipede does not like a much fertilizer - more is not better.
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