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rickbubba_gw

striped lawn

rickbubba
15 years ago

Can anyone guess if this is a result of broadcast spreader problem?Or is there any other reason this could happen after spreading SBM and watering it in with molasses.I'd like to try to link a lawn photo in the Garden Gallery photo section.This is a new spreader with pneumaic tires.

http://photos.gardenweb.com/garden/galleries/2008/05/striped_lawn.html

Comments (7)

  • billhill
    15 years ago

    A little more information would be useful. You are in zone 9a. Could you be more specific as to your location. What kind of grass are you growing. When did you apply soybean meal and molasses? Most importantly, how much did you apply? My first guess would be that your lawn is nutrient starved. When you spread you SBM, you had some overlap some areas. Those areas are a little greener. Your lawn needs more SBM to really green up. Apply your SBM in both directions, i.e. North/South and then again East/West. If that is a Bermuda lawn, then it will need a lot of Nitrogen to perform well and stay green. Linked below are pictures and information on a beautiful organically maintained Bermuda lawn by a member here. Bill Hill

    Here is a link that might be useful: OKC Dan's Bermuda lawn

  • rickbubba
    Original Author
    15 years ago

    I'm in North Florida the grass is St. Aug.I applied a mix of Soybean meal 115 pounds Cotton seed meal 115 pounds coffee grounds 40 pounds.I applied it around April 5. The reason I did this was because last year I put down a 150 mix with a Scotts broadcast spreader and had great results. Also added alfalfa pellets by throwing out by hand 35 pounds or so over a 18,000 SF area but my lawn smelled very bad two weeks later.I posted this problem here the advice given was cut back on the amount becasuse it should not smell that bad.
    I'm going to put more down next weekend (Memorial weekend) so I've got to get it right.My plan is to put down 185 pounds of SBM 85 pounds CSM total amount 270 pounds or that should be 15 pounds per 1000 sf. Also adding 35 pounds of alfalfa pellets.
    As for my new broadcast spreader I opened the drop openings all the way and still had to go over my yard twice. Boy was that alot of work "36,000 sf in a day" I suspect the spreader because of the striping.I did go the same direction the second time I went over it which I should have not done.
    I'm trying to create the right non-smelling balance without my lawn being an embarrassment after being so pleased last year. So please jump in with any ideas or suggestions.

    Here is a link that might be useful: http://photos.gardenweb.com/garden/galleries/2008/05/striped_lawn.html

  • whip1 Zone 5 NE Ohio
    15 years ago

    It looks like the yellow stripes are underfed.

  • dchall_san_antonio
    15 years ago

    I think you might have a watering problem. What is your watering situation this year? Have you gotten a lot of rain or not much? Do you have sprinklers that run on a schedule or do you water with a hose and sprinkler above the ground? If you have an in-ground system, where are the heads in relation to the stripes?

    Your total poundage of accumulated grains should be on the order of 10-20 pounds per 1,000 square feet for each application. If you are using 30 or more pounds in total, you are overdoing it.

    Is that the lawn police parked in your driveway?

  • rickbubba
    Original Author
    15 years ago

    Rain has not been seen to much this year.I do have a in ground springler system and water once a week heavy.
    David maybe you saw a garden hose in the picture this was because I have been watering in compost I put down lately to help fill in some bald spots. Also have had some hot spots in the grass to deal with no point in running your whole zone when dealing with that.The springler heads are located the same as last year and I did not have this problem.
    My neighbor is a cop and he was gonna give me ticket for having a crappey looking lawn but my other neighbor robbed a store and used his riding mower for the getaway vehicle as seen in the photo NO KID-IN David !!!

  • dchall_san_antonio
    15 years ago

    Did the cop get the guy on mower?

    I would do the tuna can test along your stripes and between the stripes and see what you get. I know you didn't have a problem last year but something's changed. Maybe last year you got more rain. Or maybe this year the sprinklers are more clogged with gunk. Or maybe it is something else, but you have to start ruling out some things and this one is easy.

  • rcnaylor
    15 years ago

    As suggested above the pattern sure makes fertilizing look to be involved. Where it would overlap in the middle and on the ends is greener. Where it only got the one pass of the spreader, it looks light.

    I'd just hit it with another round of fertilizer, from a 90 degree angle to the last fertilization application and see if that didn't change the look pronto. If it doesn't, then you can go to other possible culprits listed above.

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