Lawn Disease: Red Thread

[RickO]

Red Thread is in my lawn all over the place. Okay, fine, no one said this was going to be easy but jeepers, I'd love to get ahead on this.

I understand what Red Thread is and why. My lawn isn't draining well enough. I only water early and it has all day to dry out. I have a service come in for all the growing season applications. After two years of Red Thread, I had the lawn aerated last fall.

The lawn was fed two weeks ago and I know one of the fixes is more nitrogen. The broadcast sprayer I'm having built will enable me to get out there and do a quick, mid term application.

To the question: How to effectively battle Red Thread?

I hit it with fungicide (spray type) last season and didn't really see much of a change. I plan on doing it again within next two weeks but I'd like the advice from the gang.

If it's not Red Thread on the lawn, it's Poison Ivy in the fields. Jeepers Crow.

Rick.

 

[NEgravely]

I'm just south of you and had some problems with red thread this year. It has to do with all the rain we had this spring. I did fertilize and applied a fungicide. When the sun did come out a few mowings took care of the problem. The problem was mostly at the top of the grass with some deeper areas. Most of the problem is gone but still have a couple of isolated areas. Be patient unless you have a very serious problem. If that is the case call a lawn care company.They have access to treatments we can't buy at the Home depot or Lowes.

 

[RickO]

NEgravely, yeah, the problem is as bad as it could possibly be. There's a Lesco (John Deere) store in Nashua were I can get the needed product. That's all good right up till the point where I broke my agricultural sprayer. ******. Waiting on a 99 cent part to get me going again. If the part doesn't come in from Northern Tool very soon, I'll have to pay my guy (Lawn Master) to do a spray. I will admit that Lawn Master does a good job but he's on the rotation. I need a couple of additional sprays to get this under control. The lawn is breaking my heart. (Which can only be said by a lawn junkie.)

 

[RickO]

Apparently I can't say what I did so the replacement would be...

"Darn it" :smile:

 

[NEgravely]

I feel your pain. Keeping a nice lawn goes against all the rules of nature and mother nature is always conspiring to win back what is hers.

Good luck, you will get it back to the way you like it. We always do...for now!

 

[RickO]

The sprayer has been repaired and I went to Lesco/John Deere yesterday. $500 plus later I have the tools and product to put down on the lawn to address two issues. Lawn Disease on the lawn, Broad leaf control on the fields and I also bought a product called Bolster.

I will admit I am lost in trying to figure out the amount of product to water ratio.

1. Red Thread/Dollar Spot: Eagle 20EW, "Speciality Fungicide". The label says 1.2oz per 1000ft. I have a 16 gal sprayer and it's marked to show 10 gals. (Reason: I don't have an agitator in the tank and I wanted the space to allow the product to slosh around and remain in a good mixed state.)

I understand I need 1.2oz of product for 1000 sq. ft BUT how much water goes in to the tank to dilute? Does it matter? I mean do I just fill the heck out of it and then watch to see that I spray the contents over that section?

More detail: Before I went to Lesco/John Deere I had a bunch of bottles of Fungicide (Spectracide) from Home Depot. These are the type you attach to you hose and spray. The bottle says it will treat 3000 sq.ft.. To use these and get the easy of application I attached them to the hose and shot it in to the sprayer. I then found that I was indeed traveling at the right speed and broadcast rate because I was in fact getting 3000 sq.ft. per bottle and application while driving the tractor with the agriculture sprayer. At least I was doing that right.

So I have a good understanding of speed and coverage using this premixed, (well not really pre-mixed) product to 3000 sq ft. Based on this experiance, how do I figure out how much Eagle 20EW to water to spray 3000 sq ft. The Eagle 20EW would be 3.6 oz. BUT how much water to I put in the sprayer tank? Help please.

 

[Parkmower]

I'd look for a percentage rate. The label usually says something like mix at a 3% concentrate of your intended batch size. So one gallon is 128oz so three percent would be 3.84oz pesticide per gallon water.

This is all just an example.
First thing you learn here when getting a pesticide license is "the label is the law"
Good luck.

 

[RickO]

Is it as simple that I use 1.2 oz per 1000 sq ft, (3.6 oz for 3000 sq ft) and fill the tank? Looking at the water added to the tank as simply the carrier and the important part is just 3.6 to that amount of square feet?

 

[RickO]

Parkmower: Yes, I am diligent in reading the label. There is no corresponding percentage of product to water. Hence my dilemma.

 

[RickO]

On their web site is states: "How to apply. Thoroughly mix the label-recommended volume of Eagle 20EW in a spray tank or backpack sprayer with the appropriate amount of water for good coverage."

This suggests my post where I just look at the added water as the carrier and all I need to do is add the 3.6 oz (1.2 per 1000 sq) to do 30x100 (3000) sections.

Sorry for these stupid questions but I am very careful in handling and use. It may be apparent to you guys but I'd rather bug you guys and owe you a beer than mess up.

RickO