Evaluate this program

[Scott]

I'm in Zone 8b

6 Ea Fert apps
- 2 granular weed & feed fert/Pre-m
- 1 granular Fert/50% slow release
- 2 potash apps
- 1 liquid iron & nitrogen app

6 insectide apps
- 5 liquid apps(cinch bugs sod web worms, army worms, spittlebugs & ants)
- 1 granular(top choice) (mole crickets lasts 4-6mths and gives 1yr cntrl over fire ants)

8 weed cntrl apps
- 4 pre-m
- 4 post

[Ric]

I'm in Zone 8b

6 Ea Fert apps
- 2 granular weed & feed fert/Pre-m
- 1 granular Fert/50% slow release
- 2 potash apps
- 1 liquid iron & nitrogen app

6 insectide apps
- 5 liquid apps(cinch bugs sod web worms, army worms, spittlebugs & ants)
- 1 granular(top choice) (mole crickets lasts 4-6mths and gives 1yr cntrl over fire ants)

8 weed cntrl apps
- 4 pre-m
- 4 post

Scott

If I remember right you are not certified. But never the less I will give my $ 0.02 because you are an older member and should know better.

First you didn't give the type of turf therefore I can only assume you are doing both St Augustine and Centipede in zone 8B. However you choice of Top Choice for mole crickets tells me it may be Bahia, in which case the program would be completely wrong.

The first thing I see wrong is way to much pre-emerge herbicide. I am a believer in post emerge and believe pre-emerge will root prune the good turf. Post emerge seem to be a little to much also 6 application per year. This can really cause weakness in the turf and allow any kind of problem to raise it's ugly head. I am sure 4 of these are spot treatments and I see nothing wrong with spot treating certain areas when needed.

You have not given blends that you would use or the time of year you would use each blend. So it is a little hard to really evaluate your program. 4 pounds N for low maintenance turf per year. 6 pounds for medium and up to 8 pounds for highly main-tenanted turf. Centipede with take a little less but I don't work with centipede because I am in Zone 10 B.

Now rewrite your program giving all the facts and I will be happy to tear it up.

[Scott]

thanks Ric! That's exactly what I was looking for.
I have, what used to be a very nice lawn that I did the rescape on. I didn't do the first years maint. but the owner made me an offer I couldn't refuse last spring.
As time went on I started to see the lawn being stressed out and I questioned the amount of chems going on the lawn but couldn't get any answers and when I finally got up with the current applicator, he gave me a generic chart, which I just posted, that he gives to his customers.
I've commented to the owner several times about his lawn and that it's going to crap and when I was there yesterday he just glared at me, 'this looks like crap!',, 'yup sure does, wish I could do something about it'.
I wish I could post a pic on it yesterday. He must of just put a postm down and it just burnt the crap outta 1/2 the yard, plus he's killing off my gardenias with overspray!!!

I was just just at a BMP class with this guy and he was the GOD of lawns and was somewhat verbal until he was asked how many pres and posts he applys by Dr. Laurie Trenholm from UF. He was somewhat hesitant to answer and when he did, she and a few others from UF just gave him the stink eye. Our county agents just shook his head.

I'll probably lose this client and be blamed for the yard dying off but I'm not going down w/o a fight.

[Ric]

Darn Scott

Maybe I didn't waste my time going back to college. I am glad Dr Laura agrees with me for her Sake But then she is just some Tall Skinny Blond from U of F That wrote the Florida Lawn Handbook. I am sure you would listen to me before you would her.

[Scott]

Ric you are a man-about town if ya know Dr. Laura.
Shoot I'm just a scrub, everybody knows more than I. I just wish some of our local full applicators would stop trashing my re-scapes and learn something from these people(UF) instead of just cussin out us limited fools. But then again, their stupidity is job security for me.

[Ric]

Ric you are a man-about town if ya know Dr. Laura.
Shoot I'm just a scrub, everybody knows more than I. I just wish some of our local full applicators would stop trashing my re-scapes and learn something from these people(UF) instead of just cussin out us limited fools. But then again, their stupidity is job security for me.

Scott

Don't let me lead you on or make myself look better than I am. Dr Laura lives in Gainesville, But travels the state giving seminars at the county extension services. I have attended several of her lectures for CEU's. She is a great speaker and always has something new to tell. She also is not a bad looking women. Not what you might expect a PhD in Turf Science to look like.