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PostPosted: Tue Jun 08, 2010 7:34 pm 
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Thank you so much for the new information! I've been spraying milk for 2-3 weeks. Combined with the increase in temperature, I believe I'm seeing improvement! I received confirmation this past weekend that I am most likely battling fungus.

I was told that commercial fungicide would take two months to see results. What is the approximate timeline for milk? I rescued rancid buttermilk from being dumped recently - just want to make sure that this is OK to use too?


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PostPosted: Wed Jun 09, 2010 8:03 am 
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Location: Dallas, TX
I've read that you will be in better luck if you can get your hands on raw milk. The pasteurization process destroys some proteins that provide even more benefit to grass.


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PostPosted: Wed Jun 09, 2010 10:42 am 
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That makes perfect sense, and I was thinking the same thing too! But if I were to get some raw milk, I'd be drinking it rather than putting it on the lawn! :wink: So, I am using organic milk, the closest thing I can get to the real stuff. And I'll be applying the rancid buttermilk, unless it is deemed off limits!


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PostPosted: Thu Jun 10, 2010 7:50 am 
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Any kind of milk that has enzymes and protein should work. Buttermilk should be fine. I think of buttermilk as the milk that comes out of the butter making process but I understand it is made commercially in another way. Still, as long as there are enzymes and protein it should be fine. In saying that, perhaps reconstituted dry milk might not have all the enzymes. Don't know about that.

Timeline to see improvement with milk? I have not used milk and have not read anything believable about the time. Some people write that they see improvement almost overnight. I find that very hard to believe. VERY. I have a spot in my yard that I could treat with milk spray but I have not gotten to it. I had other issues pop up last week (lost three trees). The tree removal folks typically don't care much about damaging anything else so my lawn looks pretty poor right now. Hard to say if there is disease or just wear and tear. But a week later I think the good parts held up and the bad part is still bad.

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PostPosted: Thu Jun 10, 2010 2:49 pm 
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Dchall,

Thanks so much again for the info! We've had substantial rain this week, so I'll apply the milk again this week and see what happens. (I hope you all are OK down there in San Antonio with all the heavy rainfall... :shock: ) I may combine milk and buttermilk for a real whirl! I may also try baking soda and molasses on the most egregious spots (and follow up with compost) to see what happens time wise - my inquiring mind would like to know!

I wish your lawn a very speedy recovery. I know you can rebuild it! :D


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PostPosted: Fri Jun 11, 2010 8:52 pm 
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Today I sprayed milk and molasses. We'll see what happens.

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PostPosted: Tue Jun 15, 2010 4:11 pm 
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Hello!

Last Saturday, after the heavy rains, I thought that the brown patch had spread in the part of the lawn that I had been treating diligently with milk. So, I had had it, grabbed the baking soda and molasses, put it in water in the sprayer, and blasted it. (Come to find out from pictures I had taken earlier, that the lawn had actually been getting better, and the other parts of the lawn treated with milk look so good!! That's what I get for looking at the lawn in the evening...)

My question is now that I went all out with the baking soda, I would really appreciate thoughts on how to go about applying the horticultural corn meal (that I just bought that is already starting to grow the lovely beneficial fungus)? I would like the corn meal to promote growth of the beneficial fungus, but I don't want the effect to be canceled out by the baking soda mixture I applied. Should I water the area first then apply the corn meal or wait a certain amount of time?

Thanks so much for any and all info. that may be provided!


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PostPosted: Wed Jun 16, 2010 8:59 am 
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My question is now that I went all out with the baking soda, I would really appreciate thoughts on how to go about applying the horticultural corn meal (that I just bought that is already starting to grow the lovely beneficial fungus)? I would like the corn meal to promote growth of the beneficial fungus, but I don't want the effect to be canceled out by the baking soda mixture I applied. Should I water the area first then apply the corn meal or wait a certain amount of time?

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Howdy!

I am happy to hear your turf is doing better!

I cannot answer your question about the baking soda. I have never used it. But I do spread corn meal once a month. I put it down the night before I do my once a week deep root watering.

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Char Harris,
Flower Mound, TX


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PostPosted: Wed Jun 16, 2010 1:47 pm 
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Hi Char!

Thanks! I'm happy the lawn is doing better too! (I got a compliment today from a neighbor on the part of the lawn that looks really good - that milk is amazing stuff, combined with the newly adopted practice of watering deeply and infrequently! I was thrilled when he started asking about organic lawn care too - but I digress...)

I just bought the corn meal, because I was waiting to clear away the annual bluegrass before spreading it. Now that I've cleared an area and the bluegrass has stopped growing, I don't want to waste the corn meal by having it interacting with the baking soda. So I wanted to see what the organic lawn care community had to say!

Thanks for sharing how you apply your corn meal!


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PostPosted: Wed Jun 16, 2010 3:18 pm 
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So I wanted to see what the organic lawn care community had to say!
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Me too!

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Char Harris,
Flower Mound, TX


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PostPosted: Sun Jun 20, 2010 10:20 pm 
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I apply corn meal by hand. I have a small plastic container (about 32 ounces) that holds roughly a pound of corn meal. I use my eyes to measure 100 square feet (10 feet x 10 feet) and scatter the container of corn meal over that. This is not an exact science. If I am trying to get rid of a disease, then I use two containers of corn meal for each 100 square foot area.

Baking soda is a non selective fungicide and fungi are important to have in your soil. Since you applied baking soda, in order to replenish the beneficial fungi in the soil I would apply compost at a rate of 1 cubic yard per 1,000 square feet. Even compost tea would be better than nothing. I would wait 2 weeks from the time you applied the baking soda to apply the compost. That will give the baking soda time to wash through the soil and do its deed. If you apply the compost too soon the baking soda might knock out the beneficial fungi in the compost. Then after that you could apply the corn meal and be reasonably assured it will get going with the beneficial fungi it provides.

By the way, used coffee ground also provide the same fungi.

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PostPosted: Mon Jun 21, 2010 8:04 am 
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By the way, used coffee ground also provide the same fungi.

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Starbucks (if you have one close by) is wonderful about giving the community their used cofffee grounds. My local Starbucks puts the used coffee grounds in heavy duty foil bags. The bags are then put in a big bucket in the store. They save then all day. You just come in and take as many as you need. Sometimes the bucket is empty. I think more and more people are becoming 'organic.'
Yeah! :D

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Char Harris,
Flower Mound, TX


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PostPosted: Mon Jun 21, 2010 1:40 pm 
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Thanks SO much!

I'm glad I checked with you all, because I'd rather wait longer than not. I applied the corn meal (after about 6 days), because I was told that after three or four days, it was OK to apply. So, I'll wait two weeks before applying any compost, and I will definitely keep applying the milk regularly and seriously look into compost tea!

I have a big 5 pound plastic container (like the type institutional mayonnaise comes in), and I fill it and broadcast by hand as well! (However, I did go a little further and measured out the lawn by 1,000 sq. ft. intervals 3 yrs. ago... (grins sheepishly...))

It is so wonderful that you all told me about coffee, because I was talking today about getting used coffee grounds in order to really feed the lawn for the remainder of the growing period. Now I've learned that it will promote the growth of beneficial fungus too! How awesome is that? And from reading the posts, I knew to check with Starbucks! Thanks so much, Dchall and Char!


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PostPosted: Mon Apr 25, 2011 2:41 pm 
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Location: Dallas, TX
Here's my 1 year follow-up. I now know its SAD.

Primarily because last fall I planted some Raleigh in a few bare spots and it's holding firm while what's left of the old SA continues to slowly wither away.

Also, this description matches my problem perfectly.

http://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/archives/parsons/turf/publications/staugdecline.html


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PostPosted: Tue Apr 26, 2011 7:56 am 
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Here's my 1 year follow-up. I now know its SAD.

Primarily because last fall I planted some Raleigh in a few bare spots and it's holding firm while what's left of the old SA continues to slowly wither away.

Also, this description matches my problem perfectly.

http://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/arch ... cline.html


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Thank for the update!

We gave up and removed all our SA and planted Celebration Turf. It is doing great. Very easy to care for.

Good luck!,
Char Harris
Flower Mound, TX


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