Can LSU Ag Center (or some other org) help me develop a maintenance calendar for my lawn?

^^^^ this

For the 3-1-2 I buy from Lowe's and have it shipped:

LINK


For Pre-Emergent I use this:

LINK


For Fall Fertilization I use this:

LINK


Get a Scott's push spreader and stick to the schedule, and this time next year you will have the best lawn in your neighborhood.

LSU AgCenter doesn’t have a great lawn maintenance calendar in its pubs but does have great info available - glad you’ve gone to their website - but don’t let the info overwhelm you. Don’t make it any more complicated than it needs to be. But I like this calendar from Auburn University for south AL that is applicable to your Prairieville location. Zoysiagrass lawn maintenance calendar

SiteOne Landcaping Supply in the Industrialplex on Exchequer (off of Siegen Lane) has a great 1 page lawn maintenance calendar for each grass type for free and I think is what you are looking for, and they’ll have Lesco fertilizer and herbicide supplies (pre-emergent granular herbicides) at great prices. Post-emergent herbicides are best bought in smaller quantities at retail plant nurseries or hardware stores - in your area I’ll usually buy at LA Nursery on LA 42.

Since you stated that weeds are your biggest problem apply pre-emergent herbicide in mid-Feb and mid-September. I use Lesco Dimension granular (dithiopyr), Many use Barricade (prodiamine) - the Lesco granular prodiamine is called Stonewall. Both are good. Pre-emergent herbicides are weed control game-changers.

Follow the calendar for lawn fertilization. I use Lesco controlled release 24-2-11. Apply post-emergent herbicides for existing weeds year round as needed. Easier to control weeds when they are young. Follow the H&G for suggestions throughout the year. I primarily use Atrazine, Fertilome Weed-Free-Zone, MSM Turf, and Celsius as post emergents for broadleaf weeds and Sedgehammer for sedges (nutsedge). Always use spreader-sticker (surfactant) when mixing your post-emergent herbicide solutions.

Your AgCenter parish extension area agent Mariah Simoneaux will assist you and answer questions as needed LINK.

Lastly, be patient and persistent, you are not going get it all under control in one year. Cut your Zoysia at the recommended height, fertilizer properly and apply herbicides and you’ll see dramatic improvement in 2 or 3 years.

ETA: it would be a good idea to pull soil samples from your lawn and have them analyzed by the AgCenter - $10 per sample. Postage free, mail-in soil sample boxes are available at local independent retail plant nurseries. Instructions will be in the box. When you obtain the results if there are any soil deficiencies that need correction, instructions will be provided. Usually a lot of soil is moved around in new home construction and grading thereafter brings weed seed to the surface.

Anyone throwing down some 2-4D on weeds right now? St Aug main species

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What about lawns with Centipede? Can you follow Randy Lemon?

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I follow University/LSU AgCenter based recommendations on lawn management care. I checked Lemons webpage, appears he’s from Houston, which would be on the same latitude as New Orleans. He has some good info on his website but it is interesting his lawn grass types does not include centipede which is widely planted in the South, including my front yard lawn.

In regards to lawn fertilization the AgCenter would not recommend fertilization 4 times per year for centipede, and not as early as late-Feb/early March as is recommended on his website. Centipede,fertilize twice per year, with 1/2 pound nitrogen (N) per 1000 ft2 in late March/early April (after you need to cut your lawn twice it should be ready for fertilization), with a second application of 1/2 lb of N in late June/early July if you think it is necessary. Centipede requires 1/2 the amount of N fertilizer as recommended St Aug, Bermudagrass and Zoysia per application, and excess fertilization of centipede can weaken the lawn long-term. St Aug and Bermudagrass love N fertilizer and respond well to it, but not Centipede. I don’t have much knowledge of Zoysia other than what I read.

Also, looking at Randy Lemmons calendar I think his recommendation for fall pre-emergent herbicide application is a is about a month late for south Louisiana, at least the BR area, but the further south you are located, like Houston, the later pre-emergents can it can be applied in the fall. Otherwise, his calendar looks OK.

As an aside, I usually contact Dr. Ron Strahan, LSU AgCenter weed control specialist and professor in late winter and very early fall to verify recommended timing for application of lawn pre-emergent herbicides for the Baton Rouge area - it can vary a little bit based on weather patterns and resulting soil temperature, and their effects on the anticipated time of weed seed germination.

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Is there a website like Lemons for University/LSU Ag that details it all?

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AgCenter doesn’t have a good one that I’m aware of - I’ve looked. But I think this one for centipede from Auburn U. for central and south AL is good, but I’d move the spring fertilization recommendation from May to April for southern LA. Otherwise, everything else is spot on.

LINK

Thanks for all of the great information in this thread! I will start one of the schedules on my centepede asap.

I hope this isn't a dumb question but I am struggling with weeds in both my lawn and my flower beds. Can I apply the same fertilzer & herbicides in these schedules to my flower beds?

I'm required to have the flower beds for my HOA :-( and they contain normal shrubs like azaleas, rose bushes, boxwoods, monkey grass, 2 magnolia trees, and a bunch of other stuff I don't know the names of.

A few other questions?
- Anyone try newspaper for weed management in their flower beds?
- I have a lot of crabgrass - will these herbicides in these schedules take care of crabgrass?

quote:

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For the 3-1-2 I buy from Lowe's and have it shipped:

LINK


For Pre-Emergent I use this:

LINK


For Fall Fertilization I use this:

LINK


Get a Scott's push spreader and stick to the schedule, and this time next year you will have the best lawn in your neighborhood.

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I follow this and my yard is boss of the neighborhood. I had a ring in the front yard you can see. Applied a soil conditioner and a fungicide to it and now it's gone. But that schedule is rock solid. My yard looks better than ever.

Gonzales - good, consider buying your fertilizers and pre-emergent herbicide at Site One Landcape Supply in BR b/c the cost savings are substantial - and I shop at at LA Nursery and Cleggs - and the Fertilome products they recommended to you are very good ones and I used those prior to switching only to save $. The LESCO products are excellent as well.

I fertilize trees in Feb, shrubs in March (often a second application in May/June if the plants are young and I’m trying to push growth). Centipede lawn fertilized the first week of April, with a second application in June.

Yes - apply a fall lawn application of Dimension (or Prodiamine) in the next week if possible - I applied mine yesterday. I use to have a major annual Poa annua and crabgrass problems - began using Dimension pre-emergent 3 years ago and for all practical purposes eliminated those 2 weeds.

You can use your benefin/trifluralin as well - maybe use it this fall if you have enough for the entire yard and the Dimension in Feb. you could prob mix, but I’m not sure, You don’t want to over apply, or just treat side yards with benefin/trifluralin for fall and spring to use it up.

Let me provide some pricing on Site One granular products I use and you can compare, per lb, with the Fertilome products.

LESCO 14-14-14, 40 lbs @$33 (shrubs, trees, perennials)
LESCO Dimension 0-0-7, 50 lbs @ $33 (lawn pre-emergent)
LESCO Stonewall (Prodiamine), 50 lbs @ $24 (lawn pre-emergent)
LESCO 24-2-11 or 15-5-15 for lawn fertilizer, 50 lbs @ $26.

Lastly, to save even more $ to stretch your lawn care budget, consider using the spray version of Prodiamine 65 WDG pre-emergent - I switched to it this fall on advice from this board - cost is cheaper per 1000 sq ft than the granular, but personally I find granular products easier/less cumbersome to apply.