It typically takes 7-10 days for browning to occur. This will only happen if you follow our watering guidelines which is watering in the product within 48 hours. Each zone needs at least 20 minutes to have an impact. Also, keep in mind that it only takes 3-5 days for a seed/weed to germinate and you could possibly have new growth. The more bare areas you have the more apt you are to have weeds. Healthy thick turf will help keep weeds out of your yard. Watering to soon or over watering can have a negative affect as well as it causes the chemicals to be diluted and re-treatment necessary. It is also possible that broad leaf control being done manually on a spot treatment basis that the spray tech missed the area and a service call would be put in at no charge to come treat the area.
All bugs, fungus and weeds are developing tolerance levels to all chemicals being applied. It is important to know that lawn maintenance always has been and will be a partnership with the homeowner. Proper application, followed by proper watering, followed by proper mowing and proper monitoring are all necessary components to minimize bugs and weeds. It is also important to know that no matter where you live, the condition of your yard, you will never be 100% weed or bug free. Several bugs, Including chinch and web worm are winged and can move from yard to yard. The timing of the mowing, fertilization and watering all impact kill off, hatching and spreading of these pests. In an optimum situation, the yard would be freshly cut with sharp blades, a liquid application applied within 2-3 days and watered in the next two days. This process will kill most turf destroying insects on contact. However, the eggs that are in the stolen (stem) of the turf may hatch and get spread through the yard with a mower if the chemical was not watered in. The watering is important as it has an intravenous effect in that the root system picks up the chemical and prevents the eggs from hatching.
Chinch bugs go after healthy tissue. You will not find the colony located in the center of the brown areas but along the fringe of the green and brown areas. Chinch bugs are driven by drought and feed on the root system. It is important to contact us as soon as you feel or see there is active chinch. Make sure the area is getting proper irrigation(2-3 inches of moisture in the soil) to keep the bugs down or out of the yard. Chinch bugs have the same effect as a baseball bat would to your leg. If you were to be hit, you would have a bump or contusion, but you would see a bruising effect over the next couple of days. Whatever area you see active chinch in, you can expect to see spread or usually double in size before stabilizing. The best remedy after the bugs are killed is to replace the area with new sod to keep weeds from filling in the area.
We would love to have video footage of that actually occurring, as it would be corrected immediately. Unfortunately/fortunately that has yet to happen. In all instances the homeowner is alone. We have two technicians per truck (most companies only have one), one is in the front and one is in the back. We all know Mom said she had eyes in the back of her head, but she really didn’t. Companies that have one sprayer have the same amount of stops as those with two and the reality is that humans get tired and when they get tired they make mistakes. We prefer to reduce mistakes and keep our technicians sharper by reducing the work load and improving the quality of their work as well as their attitude. The only other time this would happen is when a home owner forgets to unlock a gate to the back yard.
Fungus is usually caused by over watering, standing water or soil problems. It is usually correctable with a fungicide which dehydrates the affected areas. Treating your whole yard with a fungicide would be like putting your whole body through chemotherapy when you have a spot of skin cancer. You do not want to dehydrate healthy areas.
As time goes on, your yard matures your trees mature and your soil matures. Over time the PH is affected by rainwater, chemical applications, leaves from trees. Oak trees will consume most of the fertilizers and water near the root system causing sod die off. Also, as the tree matures more shade is occurring which will cause a decline in turf that initially was planted for full sun. Tree pruning is absolutely necessary to keep a health balance of sun and shade for the type of turf you have installed. Following the same mowing patterns also can cause turf loss especially if done at low levels, when the turf is wet or turning improperly. Regular tree pruning, PH amendments and proper mowing will reduce turf loss significantly.
During normal weather conditions, you should water 30-45 minutes in pop-up zones with a maximum of 60 minutes. You should water 45-60 minutes minimum in rotor zones with a 90-minute maximum. You should water 90-minutes minimum on a drip system (daily in sunny areas and every other day in shady areas to prevent root rot). Drip systems are considered low volume irrigation and not restricted by county watering restrictions at this time. Watering restrictions for Hillsborough county are listed below.
Water is just as important if not more important than the chemicals applied to your yard. The timing of it is just as important. Most all our products require watering in and YOU ARE ALLOWED TO FOLLOW OUR INSTRUCTIONS. If you don’t, you are wasting your money on chemicals that will have a negative or no effect.
