(Fall) Sifi Elite Treatment Doorhanger

                              

Today we applied our Sifi-Elite Turf Disease Program for the Fall.
(Information and notes are subject to change, because this is written specifically for this visit.)

This treatment will prevent and/or control turf diseases if activated correctly.  

Be diligent to follow the preventative measures bellow as best as you can. 

This treatment was a liquid application that dried to the touch in approx. 1hr.  Limit your exposure to the treated area(s) until after it has been watered-in and dried.

Do not use any bagged grass clippings as mulch for any eatable vegetables or herbs. 

Watering Instructions: (Based on “Rotating” sprinklers 40 to 80 min = approx. 1/2" of water. Reduce to half that for “stationary” or “spray-head mister type” sprinklers, use rain gage to confirm exact amount)
To activate this treatment correctly:

Water ASAP anytime after the application is completed, the sooner the better.  There is NO time limit or waiting period before watering. 

Activation requires a 1/2" of water per area with sprinklers. (See above calibration).

Regular watering thereafter. CLICKHERE to see our watering guide to water correctly throughout the year. 

Mowing Instructions: 
To activate this treatment correctly: Avoid mowing until after watering-in this treatment and soil dries. Always use a sharp blade. Avoid excessive clippings or mowing when wet. Mow often enough to cut approx. 1/3 of the grass canopy off per mowing.


Additional Preventative Measures for Turf disease: 
Avoid extended hours of leaf wetness of 12hrs or more as best as you can (see John to advise).

Avoid high levels of nitrogen - DO NOT apply any extra fertilizer on your own.

Avoid vigorous growth flushes that may cause excessive clipping accumulation, or use a bag if unavoidable. Mow often enough to only cut ~1/3 of the grass length and use a bag during May & June and/or when rainy, humid, muggy conditions persist. Avoid mowing when wet. 

Improve airflow and soil drainage as best you can (see John to advise).

Use a core aerator (one or twice per year) when the turfgrass is actively growing and NOT under stress - to oxygenate the soil and elevate any anaerobic soil conditions.


Sifi-Elite: Turf Disease Control: This is a preventative program you sign up for. For those who want the best, here it is. Many lawn-lovers prefer this program as a means of ongoing prevention and/or some added insurance to help that their lawn always look its best, and they’re willing to pay for it. When done in combination with Grub/insect control it represents the very best service the professional lawn care industry has to offer, right up there with golf course quality.

Disease Cause & Effect: Turf disease (Pathogens) are always present in the soil everywhere. Everyone has them. Symptoms (turf damage) from these pathogens are triggered and appear only when the right conditions (soil temperature, humidity, moisture & nitrogen levels) are present for a sufficient amount of time. It’s worth noting, that if you’re seeking disease control because of repeated disease occurrences or outbreaks, its likely because the micro environment around your turf is promoting favorable condition for the disease to reproduce and thrive. For example: extended periods of leaf wetness of 12hrs or more or incorrect watering at the incorrect time or amount, soil compaction/poor drainage, limited air flow, high nitrogen at the wrong time, excessive thatch build-up. If any of these examples are present in your turf and not corrected or cannot be corrected, then only two options remain. Either, replace the turf with other plants suitable for that environment (converting to flowerbeds, ground covers or other hardscapes) or manage and control the inevitable disease with our SifiElite turf disease control applications.

 Disease Cure & Expectations: We carefully time these treatments during the typical time when turf diseases most commonly manifest their symptoms. A normal preventative treatment consists of an initial treatment then a follow-up treatment 28 days later as outline by most chemical labels. We also implement integrated pest management (IPM) practices by changing fungicide chemistries with different modes of action to prevent pathogen resistance. Fungicide treatments are very effective, however, repeat treatments may be necessary if conditions for disease persist. In the cases where prevention does not seem to last, we almost always find the above micro environmental conditions readily present, and therefore either the environment or the plant species need to change. Potential treatment success is assessed during an examination estimate prior to any treatment or plan of action by GreenMaster.  It’s also worth noting that simple drought/heat stress is commonly mistaken for turf disease.

Disclaimer: There may be other unseen or unknowable factors contributing (either now or in the future) to the declining condition of your lawn. It is impossible to eliminate all unknown factors that might result in treatment failure.

Disease Testing: Testing for disease pathogens at OSU turf diagnostic lab prior to treatment is recommended, however it can get expensive, and its very time sensitive and should be done ASAP. Infected turf samples should be dug up from the edge of the area where there is active disease (ex. from the edge of a patch).  The sample should encompass approximately half diseased and half healthy tissue.  Soil-laden ends of the sample should be wrapped in aluminum foil.  Samples could be placed in a plastic bag, but DO NOT seal the bag completely. The package should be sent using expedited mailing such as FedEx or UPS.  Hand-delivering the samples directly to the laboratory is also an option.  The quicker they get the sample, the faster they can diagnose the problem. Don’t want to do it yourself? GreenMaster can extract and deliver a sample same day for a fee of $75.00.   

OSU Turf Diagnostic Lab location: 127 NCR, Stillwater, OK 74078

Lab Phone: (405) 744-6830

Contact person(s): Nathan Walker Ph.D

Test Pricing: Residential $25/sample, Commercial $100/sample

Other Recourses: Dennis Martin (PhD) Turfgrass professors at OSU or Keith Reed our county extension specialist.

See what else we do at GreenMasterStillwater.com
Contact us at mail@greenmasterstillwater.com / (405) 707-0151

Sifi Treatment Doorhanger (R3)

                              


   (Information and notes are subject to change, because this is written specifically for this visit.)

Today’s visit contains pre-emergent weed control (Liquid) & season-long fertilizer (Dry) for extended turf feeding of key nutrients. 

Some turf discoloration may occur, like a temporary sunburn, this is normal and turf color will recover with mowing of new growth.  

This spray dries to the touch in ~2hrs, but limit exposure until watered in and dried. Once watered in & dried, all normal outdoor activity can resume, including mowing. 

Your next official visit may be during turf dormancy, however, you have on-call weed insurance, so call the WEED HOTLINE (405) 707-3054 anytime to report weeds or lawn problems (no charge). 

You get 1 free Q/A consultation visit/yr, so use it. Call John (owner) if you have questions or issues and let’s fix it.

- To the extent that this treatment is activated correctly, will determine its effectiveness.

Watering Instructions: (Calibration based on “Rotating” sprinklers 20 to 40 min = approx. ¼” of water. Reduce to half that for “stationary” or “mister-type” sprinklers, use rain gage to confirm exact amount)
To activate this treatment correctly:
WAIT ~24 to 48hrs. before watering to allow the weed killer to stick & kill weeds (2hr rain fast warranty).

THEN water-in to activate the fertilizer & pre-emergent, wait no longer than 10 days, the sooner the better.

For the best possible results, use gentle irrigation sprinklers 48hrs after treatment, NOT waiting on unpredictable rainfall which may wash it away or may not be the correct amount of water.

Activation requires a light watering of ¼ of water per area with sprinklers. (See above calibration).

Regular watering thereafter. CLICKHERE to see our watering guide to water correctly throughout the year. 

Mowing Instructions: 
To activate this treatment correctly: Avoid mowing until after watering-in this treatment and soil dries. Always use a sharp blade. Avoid excessive clippings. Mow often enough to cut approx. 1/3 of the grass canopy off per mowing.

Lawn Treatment Disclaimer
If your lawn is in a weakened/unhealthy condition, treatments may temporarily stun/damage your grass.  A soil test should be taken to determine turf health.  If you see signs that your lawn is responding negatively to any treatment, please contact us ASAP so we can do a soil test and place your lawn on “Sensitive status” which means we will use different treatment methods until the problem is corrected.  



See what else we do at GreenMasterStillwater.com
Contact us at mail@greenmasterstillwater.com / (405) 707-0151

Basic Plan: Spring Weed Control Treatment (BPSN)

   

Today We Applied Our Spring Weed Control Treatment.
   (Information and notes are subject to change, because this is written specifically for this visit.)

This treatment contains weed preventer lasting up to 6 months if  
   activated correctly.

Weed killer was also applied, results may be slower (up to 1 
   month) in cooler temperatures below 65°.

This spray dries to touch in ~2hrs, but limit your exposure until it 
  has been watered-in and dried. Once watered-in & dried, all 
  normal outdoor activities can resume.

- If you have any weeds at all, it will likely be in late summer. For 
  additional weed control, call the WEED HOTLINE (405) 707-3054 to 
  report weeds/lawn problems (additional charges may apply). 

- Upgrade to the Sifi lawn program anytime - controls more weeds, 
   includes fertilizer and is more eco-safe. 

- Basic fertilizer is available/optional – usually applied in June          
     (additional charges may apply).  

- To the extent that this treatment is activated correctly, will determine its effectiveness.


Watering Instructions: (Calibration based on “Rotating” sprinklers 40 to 80 min = approx. ½ of water. Reduce to half that for “stationary” or “mister-type” sprinklers, use rain gauge to confirm exact amount)
To activate this treatment correctly:
WAIT ~24hrs. before watering to allow the weed killer to stick & kill weeds.

THEN water-in to activate the pre-emergent weed control, wait no longer than 10 days, the sooner the better.

Activation requires 1/2" of water per area with sprinklers. (See above calibration).

For the best possible results, use gentle irrigation sprinklers 24hrs after treatment, NOT waiting on unpredictable rainfall which may wash it away or not be the correct amount of water.

Regular watering thereafter. CLICK HERE to see our watering guide  to water correctly throughout the year. 

Lawn Treatment Disclaimer
If your lawn is in a weakened/unhealthy condition, treatments may temporarily stun/damage your grass.  A soil test should be taken to determine turf health.  If you see signs that your lawn is responding negatively to any treatment, please contact us ASAP so we can do a soil test and place your lawn on “Sensitive status” which means we will use different treatment methods until the problem is corrected.  



See what else we do at GreenMasterStillwater.comContact us at mail@greenmasterstillwater.com / (405) 707-0151

Top 5 Things You Can Do To Insure Good Weed Control

1. Watering-in treatments correctly as advised on the E-Doorhanger sent to you after each treatment. Watering too little, too much or waiting too long can all compromise the weed control results. Waiting on rainfall is not recommended. Rainfall can wash away weed spray & fertilizer or worse, force the pre-emergent too deep into the rootzone of the turfgrass which can cause turf damage. Gentle irrigation is much preferred to unpredictable rainfall.

When irrigated correctly, the pre-emergent can get to the exact depth required and then dries and bonds to the soil creating a weed prevention barrier – this is how it’s done.

2. Avoid mowing with dirty/weedy mowers. Even lawn mowing services can bring in unwanted weeds. The best way is to use your own mower and don’t mow weeds with it, keep it clean & uncontaminated.

3. Turf must be healthy enough to pose natural competition to weeds. Be sure it’s not being suppressed by: Grubs/insects, lack of sunlight, soil compaction, soil infertility, poor drainage, soil movement. Have us do a soil test.

4. Take what measures you can to reduce high weed pressure from surrounding areas.

5. Avoid over watering (includes rainfall) which prematurely washes away & dilutes the weed preventing active ingredients in the pre-emergent. Over watering causes weed problems like “Nut-Sedge” & “Crabgrass” & other hard to kill weeds. See our season-long water guide

Top 5 Reasons Why Your Lawn Might Be Thinning Out

You almost assuredly have at least one, if not multiple of the following things acting on your lawn.

1. Shade/Tree suppression of turfgrass – all grasses need at least some sunlight and good airflow to be healthy. Trees rob grasses of water, nutrients & sunlight.

2. Grubs - eating the root system of your grass.

3. Winter Kill - root system too shallow or not enough turf canopy cover to protect from extreme freeze (this one mainly applies to Bermuda grass).

4. Soil Infertility – A pH imbalance or lacking key nutrients like Nitrogen, Phosphorus & Potassium or other micro nutrients. We can take a soil sample and do a soil test.

5. Soil Compaction – we have mostly clay soil here in our area and it gets hard as a brick & roots cannot penetrate, core aeration & top dressing with “Rich-Mix” top soil will introduce organic matter, loosening the soil allowing it to breath.