Almost two decades of landscaping and lawn care between Mississippi and Louisiana and I’ve always tried to stress this to people. Centipede AKA what I jokingly call hood grass. Is best left alone. The less you do to it the better it looks. So many people want to pre emerge and dump fertilizer on it and year after year I laugh when I tell them I won’t do it and then either they do it themselves or hire a “professional” to come and fertilizer and then they have a have dead yard full of thatch and weeds. Aerate, water, over seed and fungicide is the most I will ever do to centipede.
True, you can definitely get away with just mowing and it looks healthy. I have a 200 sq ft test area that I did nothing but mow and it looked good last year! Thanks for sharing your knowledge
Your information is helping me but for the opposite reason. My ZP (Zosia Palisades) has been slowly taking over the C (centipede). Your information about < 1.5lbs/K Nitrogen being better for Centipede gave me cause to increase my rate to 3lbs/K. This along with little to no manual watering (ZP is more drought tolerant) is showing a more aggressive movement into the centipede. One other thing that I think are contributing is cutting it lower (ZP has deeper root system than C). My intention next year is to use 2,4-D in varying strengths along the intersecting grasses to see the differences. I've already found that the C will yellow using the 2,4-D instructions but not the ZP. I can't tell at this time whether is has stunted eithers growth.
I'm in a new construction here ism South Carolina and the builder put down centepied sod. Its been down since March, and I let it green up until late may to give it 15-0-15 time release fertilizer a few days ago. I water every other day and the grass is getting full sun all day long. I'm a lawn guy and want a nice lawn. Hopefully I'm on the right track.
That’s good. Just be careful with overwatering. Once you feel it’s well rooted you can just sporadically water when Mother Nature doesn’t take care of it. Some people leave sod alone for an entire year before fertilizer but you should be fine!
Good morning it is June 24 I live in Columbia South Carolina area I have centipede grass it is having a hard time lots of weeds can you tell me what I could do now what type of weed killer and fertilizer should I be putting in my grass for the summer you’ve helped me before thank you so much
Any fertilizers or weed killers I recommend are in the description of each video. Take a look at them and see which ones you like the best. They are all great products. I did find a new fertilizer I’m going to try this week. Stay tuned for video!
I'm in Columbia also. It's been so hot lately over 90. Last few days it cooled off but raining everyday. Can't apply the weed killer above 90 degrees per the label.
I’ve been in the Green Industry for 37yrs., and I’ve been telling people for DECADES to stop pampering their centipede. You more you pamper, the worse the problems.
I have centipede. I have never fertilized it, never aerated, never pre-emergent. I just cut it. The lawn stays green, no dead spots, no problems. Plus my soil conditions are crap.
You recommend staying way from herbicides that contain 2,4-D but you recommend Ferti Lome Weed Free Zone, which contains 10.49% 2,4-D. I have always avoided 2,4-D on my centipede lawn but I have heard a lot of good things about Weed Free Zone. Have you used it safely on your lawn? love the channel, thanks
Correct, WFZ does contain 2-4,D but it’s the ester form, not amine. I’ve used it with no discoloring or damage to centipede. Plus it is labeled as safe on centipede. I would be careful when you apply it that it’s not too hot at time of app, so right at sunset or early morning when temp is below 80-85. Just follow label instructions and it will be fine. Great stuff 👍
I’ve got some volunteer centipede growing on my property but really need to disc up and level the area (several acres). Cant feasible sod everything, when would you recommend planting centipede seed, or would you? Would you plant a cover crop if it’s best in fall? I’m in the Florida panhandle. Thanks!
I would plant centipede seed anytime between May-August where I am. Ideally You want to give it several months of establishment so it can have strong roots for the harsh winter. I overseeded a test patch of centipede with annual rye and didn’t see any damage once it burned off in the heat. But do that at your own risk.
Thanks for the great videos and information! I just purchased a home in NC with a centipede lawn. I have multiple bare spots and other grasses mixed in. Previous owner did nothing to the lawn for 4 years. As we get into Spring, what do you recommend I do to maximize growth? Should I fertilize and if so when? I was planning to get sod/plugs for the bare spots. Thanks!
I’d prob focus on building your soil with carbon (granular Humic acid, biochar). Fertilize well after the green up phase either in mid April or early May. You may want to think about spoon feeding the lawn (monthly fertilizer apps) but you have to keep Nitrogen levels low doing this on centipede. Too much N harms centipede
Thanks for your advice on centipede grass I watched several of your videos so far sadly nowadays it's really hard to come by especially where I live fertilizer that's meant for centipede grass so I just buy the expert lawn fertilizer I can find in the common stores I have a very big yard so it works it has 30% nitrogen 0 4 and 2% iron since I've been applying this my centipede has exploded dramatically I have extremely sandy soil so whatever I put down does not seem to last very long and when I throw it out I do not throw it out the recommended amount on the bag I pretty much spoon feed it I'm hoping my results will continue on to improve
Yeah just be careful with a Nitrogen level that high. If you need more products that are better suited for centipede I link to many of them in the description of each video.
Thank you again for your advice and tips I also have a lot of Bermuda and St Augustine in my yard because of my sandy soil and shade I had mixed in I just threw whatever I could find that would grow the best I will definitely look up the products you recommend and see if they would be good for all my types of grass that is the main reason I use the fertilizer I'm using now I'm hoping since I am just throwing a very small amount out as I do it it will just keep on improving it slow release it's supposed to feed the lawn up to 3 months had one more question for you will centipede grass choke out Bahia grass? I've been having to fight Bahia for a couple years now by either pulling it up or spraying it with Roundup will my centipede grass be able to eventually choke it out permanently?
Enjoy your videos and knowledge of centipede grass. The last time I cut my daughters yard there were a few dark spots on the grass, when you run your shoe over it, looks like a dust comes out in the air. Is this a fungus and if so what should I apply now that it’s the first of Sept in SC. Thanks
Could be brown patch disease. If you think it’s a fungus get a basic fungicide like Bio-Advanced Fungus Control for lawns. They make a hose end spray and granular option. Thanks for watching!
If you are going to do it I would recommend anywhere between May-June when the lawn is growing vigorously. However see my thoughts on dethatching centipede on my video “should you dethatch Centipede grass”
Thanks for sharing your knowledge about centipede grass. I love your content! I have some bad ruts that need leveling in my front lawn installed from sod early this spring. How would you reccomend filling the low spots? Some are about 4 inches deep.
It seems to be the common trend that centipede doesn't like nitrogen and I beg the difference. I revived a wrecked centipede lawn at my new home 2 years ago and going on the third season now. Lessons I learned are: centipede love early feeding (temp 45-65 degrees), spoon feed only, and watch the weather. I fertilize before the rain hit and my first fertilizing of the year is on/around St Patrick Days. After that, very light feeding but i feed it every 2 weeks. Water is key. My centipede needs water 2-3 times a week. Peak heat of summer (june-august) I water 4-5 times a week. Mowing is also important: 1-2 times a week. The lawn is deep green and thick and super healthy. I even feed it iron for the deep green look. Definitely stand out color when it goes dark green. Centipede doesn't like heavy traffic or leaving clumps of grass clippings after you mow. So i bag everything. So far, that's what's working well for me. If you feed it often, you have to water it often and mow often since they grow fast when stimulated.
Well, what I mean by it not liking nitrogen is if you go overboard with it, going over 2lbs N/per 1000 sq ft per year. If you spoon feed and the total N is still under that amount for the year, it should be fine
Thanks, check out the links in the description of the videos for recommended products/fertilizers. Also a great fertilizer you can get at Lowe’s is a 16-0-10. I have a 2 videos on it
Will my centipede grass spread? I recently over seeded my bahia (trying to choke it out) and there's a few areas where I don't see any new growth. Wondering if I should throw some more seed down? Currently lots of rain here in Florida so now would be a good time to add more.
Don’t have any experience w Bahia so I’m not sure which would be the dominant grass. There is a product called MSM that kills Bahia but I don’t think it’s safe on Centipede. Also, Bahia responds well to Nitrogen so keep your N low (which centipede prefers) and maybe it will eventually win over the Bahia
Good morning this is January 30 when is a good time for me to start treating my centipede grass it’s not in very good shape lots of weeds looking for any recommendations. Thank you so much.
Not a centipede grass comment although I do have it. I put down tenacity and change up. I've used PPE boots, long pants, long sleeve shirts, eye and mask protection. Somehow I still walk away feeling toxic after only spot spraying. The blue dye I put into the mixture ends up inside my gloves. And I know that already has the weed kill inside what am I doing wrong? Is it me, or the home Depot 2 gallon sprayer I bought? Love your channel it's the best centipede lawn Care channel on the tube I try to be careful yet somehow
👍 I’ve heard Change Up is good on centipede. Not exactly sure, yeah it could be the sprayer. I’ve heard bad things about the dye. It gets everywhere. Thanks for watching!
@@CentipedeCentralLawnCare Thanks for the reply! Well change up is taking care of my Leopardesia very well with little to no damage to the turf. It's not quick. Been a week and seeing mild to advanced progress. Could be spraying pattern user error. Using 1 oz per gallon with surfactant and dye. I'm in Georgia and a guy from Alabama" lawn care life" suggested it. Definitely spot treat first to be sure.
I have witnessed the same with using pre-emergents However we have a problem with Poa and I haven’t found a post that works well enough to skip my application of Specticle. I’ve found Certainty will work but it’s very slow especially if the temps are cold.
Yes absolutely! Centipede is probably most common in the Carolinas. Tifblair Centipede is supposed to be the best as far as color and durability and germination. I may try some this year in an area just to experiment with it.
My builder mixed a pallet of centipede and Bermuda!! They ran out at the end and it seems they just found whatever they could to finish our lawn. How do I handle this?
Wow that is a tough one. The Bermuda will probably compete with the centipede and it’s more aggressive. There are products that kill Bermuda but not safe on centipede so you would have to be careful applying. If it’s new sod you could scrape up and replace if the size of the area is not too big. Not many options
Yeah I have another video you may want to check out about that. It’s called “fill in bare spots without grass seed or sod”. It shows how bad my yard looked using preemergents. The centipede could not spread and tack down. Not much you can do now, Just treat it right the rest of the season and let the chemical barrier wear off. Atrazine has pre-em properties and about all I feel comfortable using for pre-em
I have centipede grass(1 acre). I have carpet grass and Bahia grass in big patches mixed in my lawn. I have Celsius and it does work. My yard is looking terrible. I was spraying with my back pack sprayer for Lespedeza not knowing that I had so much of the other grasses(weeds)' Big brown patches of dead grass(weeds) but not the centipede. So my question is how to get rid of the remaining grassy weeds without my yard looking so terrible? I did not use pre emergent this year. I used Prodiamine 2 years ago and stopped using it because I thought it would not let my centipede tack down and spread. With so much grassy weeds Im wondering do I go back to pre emergent. Your thoughts please. Love your channel
That’s the toughest thing I have found of making centipede look it’s best. You pretty much have to decide whether to use pre-em and deal with the negative results of grass not tacking down or you just handle the weeds post-emergently. Once the grassy weeds are killed you could either rake them out or pull them up but you have an acre so that would be too much work. I have some carpet grass in spots but since I now so often it blends in well with the centipede
Having a hard time keeping my grass watered. Keeps turning blue and curling. I live near the Carolina coast and no matter what I do looks sick every day when it heats up. Any thoughts?
Haven’t heard of grass turning blue. When it turns purple it’s usually potassium deficiency. Be sure you aren’t overwatering. Centipede is pretty drought tolerant and only needs 1” water a week
New to centipede from the north about a year and a half now living near Hilton Head SC . I’ve Been watching your videos since I got here thank you . My grass is green but I have like a brown thatch underneath any suggestions ?
You could try to use a liquid dethatcher that I link to in the description. Check out my video “Should you dethatch Centipede Grass” and reasons for thatch. Thanks
Chlorophyll…more like borophyll 🤣🤣jk…I’d also add German Shepard and Great Dane urine spots in August…geez the things you do for family allowing them to stay at your place with pets 😬…good points though!
Major transformation over the last year in your lawn. You are definitely doing the right thing. Question have you tested the Live Earth humic granular as a means of supplying humic acid? How often are you applying Humic to your lawn? Keep up the great work! 👍
I haven’t tried the Live Earth yet but it looks good. I try to put Humic down once every 4-6 weeks. Carbon does wonders for the soil and really helps water holding capacity. Check out my Humic acid benefits video if you get a chance. Thanks
@@CentipedeCentralLawnCare Ordered some Humic Acid and Micro Greene to add some nutrients to my Centipede in the front lawn. Two quick questions for you what do you think about using the "Image Kills Nutsedge" product as a post emergent states that it is safe on Centipede? Also how do you tackle fungus like brown patch would you go with a product like Bioadvanced Fungicide that has propiconazole? Going forward I'm going to stop using synthetics and go completely organic on the centipede. Look forward to your response. Thanks
I’m not terribly familiar with Image Kills Nutsedge but it is labeled for centipede. I’ve used a different image product in the past and was not very impressed. Be prepared to wait 2-3 weeks to see any results, the Kills Nutsedge product may be better. Definitely for brown patch propiconazole that is a great all-around fungicide. Good luck!
Yes a few years ago but I don’t think it’s a good option for centipede because of high Phosphorus and zero Potassium. Also don’t like the fact that it is made from biosolids which probably contains toxic metals.
I’d hose down those specific areas maybe twice a day until you see some improvement. Just not at night because you don’t want to promote fungus. Yes you can fertilize now. Labor Day is the latest
Usually caused by potassium (K) deficiency or environmental stress like fluctuating temperature changes. Also could be bug damage from spittle bugs. Get some SOP or liquid potash down and you could also do pesticide in case
Celsius kills crabgrass. Also Atrazine works as a pre emergent as well. It’s the pre emergents like Prodiamine and Dithiopyr that centipede doesn’t like
That’s a tough one but Image kills Crabgrass would be worth a try. Just spot spray. If the crabgrass is mature it may be tougher to get rid of. Celsius is also good for crabgrass in centipede.
I have centipede grass and it looks dark green and beautiful. In the front yard, we have a swale that has centipede grass but it's starting to get mixed in with what appears to be broadleaf carpetgrass. How can I get rid of this grass and not kill my centipede grass? I would say this area is more moist than my lawn because it's a drainage swale for the county. Just don't want it to spread to my lawn. HELP
All are correct but there's two more super important ones not mentioned / Probably the most important is: centipede doesn't like a high Ph. Mid to High 5's is key to the nicest centipede " sulfur, sulfur, sulfur when it comes to centipede. If your soil is over 6.5 and you're looking to have a nice lawn, don't bother with it. Other is centipede hates being cut short, especially if your only doing it every 10 days or so.
Hi, I am desperate for help with my front lawn. (centipede) I have huge brown spots and a ton of weeds. My yard was beautiful when I closed on my house in September 2020. However, it has been in a state of decline since I moved in and I wonder if the lawn spray from the company the HOA uses to kill weeds and insects is doing the damage? I have huge brown patches and don't know how to get rid of them. I bought fungal spray but it didn't seem to do anything and now, there are more brown spots. I would greatly appreciate advice, thank you!
This is the time of year for grubs. If they are spraying insect killer it is only going to kill surface insects, not grubs which are under the soil line eating the roots. I would suggest getting a granular grub killer (Bayer Advanced makes a good 24-hour killer). What happens is the June beetles lay larvae in the soil and these become grubs which eat the roots of the grass and cause dead spots. If this isn’t the cause it’s either fungus or other insects. If the HOA is using a harsh weed killer often that could harm the grass but I’m leaning toward grubs because of the time of year. If you haven’t fertilized you could try a weed and feed that I recommend. Check out the video I did on weed and feed
@@CentipedeCentralLawnCare Thanks so much! Centipede is such a pain to keep up with. I'll give it a try and see how it goes. If that doesn't work I think I will go with St Augustine next spring.
Interesting question. For centipede each runner (stolon) is it’s own individual plant to a degree. A healthy stolon will be able to spread and tack down into the soil. As far as water transport I’m not exactly sure but I think probably not
Thank you for posting this video! I seeded my yard at the river almost two years ago. How could I manage the bare dirt spots better? Grass is growing very well but it’s patchy in places.
The main thing is for now just leave it alone and let it recover and mow at the right height consistently (1.5-2”) Be sure it’s getting an inch (via rain or sprinkler combined) of water per week and let it naturally recover. Just give it time and be patient and it should hopefully be ok especially as the temps warm up. If you over applied Nitrogen (anywhere from .8lb N per 1000 sq ft and up) don’t apply any more for this season.
I know that yes carpet grass requires low fertilization like centipede. Weed control not too sure but just be sure it’s labeled for carpet grass. I would think anything safe for centipede would be ok for carpet grass too.
There is a product called Blindside that is supposed to kill Bahia and Crabgrass and be safe on centipede. I haven’t tried it myself but it’s supposed to work well
I had a beautiful new centipede lawn 10 years ago. I over fertilized it, cut it too short and now half my yard has almost no grass and covered in weeds, I was ignorant on how to care for it. You’re better off putting nothing down except making sure it’s watered properly.
Wish I knew how to distinguish centipede from St Augustine and Bahia. They all look identical, which makes treating Mom's Florida lawn more challenging. Very Best Regards, Tom Scott Author ● Speaker ● World's Leading Expert on the Corrupt U.S. Legal System _Stack the Legal Odds in Your Favor_ _Our American Injustice System_
So on a runner (stolon), centipede has alternating nodes that extend from it. St Augustine the nodes are in the same spot so it looks like a “T”. I’ll try to do a video on identification. Thanks
I think centipede likes the least chemical of any type applied to it. I like St. Augustine but it is so Ph intolerant. St. Augustine likes lots of lime and Scott’s Turf Builder, plus lots of water. I like Bermuda but it likes lots of sun and my yard has lots of shade.
With the popularity of centipede grass. I can’t believe there is no machine that can safely remove thatch from centipede grass. My neighbor gets her grass cut every two weeks. It is so tall that there is no way for this amount of grass to decay on It’s on to be of any benefit. The material that is left basically chokes out whatever growth Is left under it. I tell her she needs to have her landscaper cut the grass Bag it and remove it just to try to save her lawn. Within weeks it is petrified dry dead nothing
Yes it does but I believe since it is the ester based form it is more suitable for centipede. It’s not something I would apply all the time though, especially broadcast applications. The red tips could be from stressors like traffic, drought, low fertility etc. Thanks for watching.
@@CentipedeCentralLawnCare thank you. Any tips on ridding Torpedo Grass in centipede? Currently working a couple spots with sethoxydim. Ferti Lome’s over the top
1. What have you found to keep crab grass out of the lawn without using a pre-emergent such as prodiamine? 2. What max rate for Celsius do you use during summer months?
Luckily I don’t have a crabgrass problem. If I happen to get some Celsius is labeled for it at the high rate. I used the high rate last year once and didn’t notice any damage to the centipede
You won’t survive the winter as a lawn treatment company if you skip pre-emerge….especially in the fall. Customers will be over run with poa-annua and other troublesome winter weeds, more of a problem with properties that are mowed by companies.
Guess what, fertilome weed free zone contains 2,4-D, mecocrop and dicamba, which are all phenoxy herbicides (kissing cousins). Stay in your lane, bro. And read the labels.
@@CentipedeCentralLawnCare Sir, you said in your video not to use 2,4-D on centipede, that you couldn't explain why, but it "does not like it". Then you turn around and recommend what you told people just seconds before not to use! So I am a lawn care professional who has treated literally thousands of acres of centipede grass with Trimec Southern which contains the same three ingredients. It produces ABSOLUTELY NO ILL EFFECTS TO CENTIPEDE GRASS. Perhaps you were thinking of regular strength Trimec, which also contains 2,4-D in an Ester form, but at a higher a.i. (active ingredient) %. My B.S. degree is in pest management and plant protection from the University of Georgia College of Agriculture and Environmental Science and I have worked in the industry since 1979. Don't argue with me.
Almost two decades of landscaping and lawn care between Mississippi and Louisiana and I’ve always tried to stress this to people. Centipede AKA what I jokingly call hood grass. Is best left alone. The less you do to it the better it looks. So many people want to pre emerge and dump fertilizer on it and year after year I laugh when I tell them I won’t do it and then either they do it themselves or hire a “professional” to come and fertilizer and then they have a have dead yard full of thatch and weeds. Aerate, water, over seed and fungicide is the most I will ever do to centipede.
True, you can definitely get away with just mowing and it looks healthy. I have a 200 sq ft test area that I did nothing but mow and it looked good last year! Thanks for sharing your knowledge
Your information is helping me but for the opposite reason. My ZP (Zosia Palisades) has been slowly taking over the C (centipede). Your information about < 1.5lbs/K Nitrogen being better for Centipede gave me cause to increase my rate to 3lbs/K. This along with little to no manual watering (ZP is more drought tolerant) is showing a more aggressive movement into the centipede. One other thing that I think are contributing is cutting it lower (ZP has deeper root system than C). My intention next year is to use 2,4-D in varying strengths along the intersecting grasses to see the differences. I've already found that the C will yellow using the 2,4-D instructions but not the ZP. I can't tell at this time whether is has stunted eithers growth.
Interesting! Thanks for sharing that and watching. Your points all make sense.
I'm in a new construction here ism South Carolina and the builder put down centepied sod. Its been down since March, and I let it green up until late may to give it 15-0-15 time release fertilizer a few days ago. I water every other day and the grass is getting full sun all day long. I'm a lawn guy and want a nice lawn. Hopefully I'm on the right track.
That’s good. Just be careful with overwatering. Once you feel it’s well rooted you can just sporadically water when Mother Nature doesn’t take care of it. Some people leave sod alone for an entire year before fertilizer but you should be fine!
Good morning it is June 24 I live in Columbia South Carolina area I have centipede grass it is having a hard time lots of weeds can you tell me what I could do now what type of weed killer and fertilizer should I be putting in my grass for the summer you’ve helped me before thank you so much
Any fertilizers or weed killers I recommend are in the description of each video. Take a look at them and see which ones you like the best. They are all great products. I did find a new fertilizer I’m going to try this week. Stay tuned for video!
I'm in Columbia also. It's been so hot lately over 90. Last few days it cooled off but raining everyday. Can't apply the weed killer above 90 degrees per the label.
Your info and explanations are FABULOUS! Sent it to my son, now he knows why he 'creates' his own dead spots.
Thank you! And thanks for watching!
I’ve been in the Green Industry for 37yrs., and I’ve been telling people for DECADES to stop pampering their centipede. You more you pamper, the worse the problems.
Sooooooo true
I have centipede. I have never fertilized it, never aerated, never pre-emergent. I just cut it. The lawn stays green, no dead spots, no problems. Plus my soil conditions are crap.
@@jasndavsdo you water it??
I’m new to centipede grass. Someone told me it likes a lot of water?
You recommend staying way from herbicides that contain 2,4-D but you recommend Ferti Lome Weed Free Zone, which contains 10.49% 2,4-D. I have always avoided 2,4-D on my centipede lawn but I have heard a lot of good things about Weed Free Zone. Have you used it safely on your lawn? love the channel, thanks
Correct, WFZ does contain 2-4,D but it’s the ester form, not amine. I’ve used it with no discoloring or damage to centipede. Plus it is labeled as safe on centipede. I would be careful when you apply it that it’s not too hot at time of app, so right at sunset or early morning when temp is below 80-85. Just follow label instructions and it will be fine. Great stuff 👍
Really great video! Love the detail on nitrogen and phosphorus. I heard, "Plant centipede, fertilize with nitrogen sparingly, and leave it alone."
I’ve got some volunteer centipede growing on my property but really need to disc up and level the area (several acres). Cant feasible sod everything, when would you recommend planting centipede seed, or would you? Would you plant a cover crop if it’s best in fall? I’m in the Florida panhandle.
Thanks!
I would plant centipede seed anytime between May-August where I am. Ideally You want to give it several months of establishment so it can have strong roots for the harsh winter. I overseeded a test patch of centipede with annual rye and didn’t see any damage once it burned off in the heat. But do that at your own risk.
Thanks for the great videos and information! I just purchased a home in NC with a centipede lawn. I have multiple bare spots and other grasses mixed in. Previous owner did nothing to the lawn for 4 years. As we get into Spring, what do you recommend I do to maximize growth? Should I fertilize and if so when? I was planning to get sod/plugs for the bare spots. Thanks!
I’d prob focus on building your soil with carbon (granular Humic acid, biochar). Fertilize well after the green up phase either in mid April or early May. You may want to think about spoon feeding the lawn (monthly fertilizer apps) but you have to keep Nitrogen levels low doing this on centipede. Too much N harms centipede
Thanks for your advice on centipede grass I watched several of your videos so far sadly nowadays it's really hard to come by especially where I live fertilizer that's meant for centipede grass so I just buy the expert lawn fertilizer I can find in the common stores I have a very big yard so it works it has 30% nitrogen 0 4 and 2% iron since I've been applying this my centipede has exploded dramatically I have extremely sandy soil so whatever I put down does not seem to last very long and when I throw it out I do not throw it out the recommended amount on the bag I pretty much spoon feed it I'm hoping my results will continue on to improve
Yeah just be careful with a Nitrogen level that high. If you need more products that are better suited for centipede I link to many of them in the description of each video.
Thank you again for your advice and tips I also have a lot of Bermuda and St Augustine in my yard because of my sandy soil and shade I had mixed in I just threw whatever I could find that would grow the best I will definitely look up the products you recommend and see if they would be good for all my types of grass that is the main reason I use the fertilizer I'm using now I'm hoping since I am just throwing a very small amount out as I do it it will just keep on improving it slow release it's supposed to feed the lawn up to 3 months had one more question for you will centipede grass choke out Bahia grass? I've been having to fight Bahia for a couple years now by either pulling it up or spraying it with Roundup will my centipede grass be able to eventually choke it out permanently?
Great information. I have also found that the 2,4-D weed killer will yellow and kill my Centipede grass. Thanks for the information.
Enjoy your videos and knowledge of centipede grass. The last time I cut my daughters yard there were a few dark spots on the grass, when you run your shoe over it, looks like a dust comes out in the air. Is this a fungus and if so what should I apply now that it’s the first of Sept in SC. Thanks
Could be brown patch disease. If you think it’s a fungus get a basic fungicide like Bio-Advanced Fungus Control for lawns. They make a hose end spray and granular option. Thanks for watching!
Your info is very helpful. We have a new house with centipede grass. What month in South Mississippi would you think we should dethatch? Thanks James
If you are going to do it I would recommend anywhere between May-June when the lawn is growing vigorously. However see my thoughts on dethatching centipede on my video “should you dethatch Centipede grass”
Would this be a good grass for a fenced area for chickens? Zone 8A
Thanks for sharing your knowledge about centipede grass. I love your content! I have some bad ruts that need leveling in my front lawn installed from sod early this spring. How would you reccomend filling the low spots? Some are about 4 inches deep.
I would mix 50-50 with potting soil and sand. The sand is good for leveling/drainage and potting soil adds some organic matter. Thanks for watching!!
It seems to be the common trend that centipede doesn't like nitrogen and I beg the difference. I revived a wrecked centipede lawn at my new home 2 years ago and going on the third season now. Lessons I learned are: centipede love early feeding (temp 45-65 degrees), spoon feed only, and watch the weather. I fertilize before the rain hit and my first fertilizing of the year is on/around St Patrick Days. After that, very light feeding but i feed it every 2 weeks. Water is key. My centipede needs water 2-3 times a week. Peak heat of summer (june-august) I water 4-5 times a week. Mowing is also important: 1-2 times a week.
The lawn is deep green and thick and super healthy. I even feed it iron for the deep green look. Definitely stand out color when it goes dark green.
Centipede doesn't like heavy traffic or leaving clumps of grass clippings after you mow. So i bag everything.
So far, that's what's working well for me.
If you feed it often, you have to water it often and mow often since they grow fast when stimulated.
Well, what I mean by it not liking nitrogen is if you go overboard with it, going over 2lbs N/per 1000 sq ft per year. If you spoon feed and the total N is still under that amount for the year, it should be fine
@@CentipedeCentralLawnCarenew to this . I now have 2 acre lawn. What does SPOON FEED mean? Liquid formula as opposed to dry?
Thank you, for the information. Nice video. What fertilizer do you recommend?
Thanks, check out the links in the description of the videos for recommended products/fertilizers. Also a great fertilizer you can get at Lowe’s is a 16-0-10. I have a 2 videos on it
Will my centipede grass spread? I recently over seeded my bahia (trying to choke it out) and there's a few areas where I don't see any new growth. Wondering if I should throw some more seed down? Currently lots of rain here in Florida so now would be a good time to add more.
Don’t have any experience w Bahia so I’m not sure which would be the dominant grass. There is a product called MSM that kills Bahia but I don’t think it’s safe on Centipede. Also, Bahia responds well to Nitrogen so keep your N low (which centipede prefers) and maybe it will eventually win over the Bahia
Thanks for the info I use the heck out of 24d I really needed to hear that new subscriber
Good morning this is January 30 when is a good time for me to start treating my centipede grass it’s not in very good shape lots of weeds looking for any recommendations. Thank you so much.
Stay tuned for a video on this topic. Plenty of time until the lawn greens up. For now let it naturally wake up and then worry about applications
Not a centipede grass comment although I do have it.
I put down tenacity and change up.
I've used PPE boots, long pants, long sleeve shirts, eye and mask protection.
Somehow I still walk away feeling toxic after only spot spraying. The blue dye I put into the mixture ends up inside my gloves. And I know that already has the weed kill inside what am I doing wrong?
Is it me, or the home Depot 2 gallon sprayer I bought?
Love your channel it's the best centipede lawn Care channel on the tube
I try to be careful yet somehow
👍 I’ve heard Change Up is good on centipede. Not exactly sure, yeah it could be the sprayer. I’ve heard bad things about the dye. It gets everywhere. Thanks for watching!
@@CentipedeCentralLawnCare
Thanks for the reply!
Well change up is taking care of my Leopardesia very well with little to no damage to the turf.
It's not quick. Been a week and seeing mild to advanced progress.
Could be spraying pattern user error.
Using 1 oz per gallon with surfactant and dye.
I'm in Georgia and a guy from Alabama" lawn care life" suggested it.
Definitely spot treat first to be sure.
I have witnessed the same with using pre-emergents However we have a problem with Poa and I haven’t found a post that works well enough to skip my application of Specticle. I’ve found Certainty will work but it’s very slow especially if the temps are cold.
I have found that the best thing for poa in my yard is Atrazine.
Would you recommend this grass in Raleigh NC? Which Centipede seed brand is the best in your opinion? Thank you
Yes absolutely! Centipede is probably most common in the Carolinas. Tifblair Centipede is supposed to be the best as far as color and durability and germination. I may try some this year in an area just to experiment with it.
My builder mixed a pallet of centipede and Bermuda!! They ran out at the end and it seems they just found whatever they could to finish our lawn. How do I handle this?
Wow that is a tough one. The Bermuda will probably compete with the centipede and it’s more aggressive. There are products that kill Bermuda but not safe on centipede so you would have to be careful applying. If it’s new sod you could scrape up and replace if the size of the area is not too big. Not many options
After watching this, I believe I killed my grass with pre emergent a few months back. What should I do to bring that grass back to life?
Yeah I have another video you may want to check out about that. It’s called “fill in bare spots without grass seed or sod”. It shows how bad my yard looked using preemergents. The centipede could not spread and tack down. Not much you can do now, Just treat it right the rest of the season and let the chemical barrier wear off. Atrazine has pre-em properties and about all I feel comfortable using for pre-em
Hi just a quick question I live in South Carolina is been very rainy. Should I be putting fungicide in my grass now?
Probably not now but if you have fungus issues or want to prevent them I would wait until the growing season to apply fungicide
I have centipede grass(1 acre). I have carpet grass and Bahia grass in big patches mixed in my lawn. I have Celsius and it does work. My yard is looking terrible. I was spraying with my back pack sprayer for Lespedeza not knowing that I had so much of the other grasses(weeds)' Big brown patches of dead grass(weeds) but not the centipede. So my question is how to get rid of the remaining grassy weeds without my yard looking so terrible?
I did not use pre emergent this year. I used Prodiamine 2 years ago and stopped using it because I thought it would not let my centipede tack down and spread. With so much grassy weeds Im wondering do I go back to pre emergent. Your thoughts please.
Love your channel
That’s the toughest thing I have found of making centipede look it’s best. You pretty much have to decide whether to use pre-em and deal with the negative results of grass not tacking down or you just handle the weeds post-emergently. Once the grassy weeds are killed you could either rake them out or pull them up but you have an acre so that would be too much work. I have some carpet grass in spots but since I now so often it blends in well with the centipede
@@CentipedeCentralLawnCare is 15 0 15 urea nitrogen ok for centipede. I heard urea is not the best for my grass
If part of it has polymer coating or some type of slow release coating that should be fine
@@CentipedeCentralLawnCare Thank you very much for your time
Having a hard time keeping my grass watered. Keeps turning blue and curling. I live near the Carolina coast and no matter what I do looks sick every day when it heats up. Any thoughts?
Haven’t heard of grass turning blue. When it turns purple it’s usually potassium deficiency. Be sure you aren’t overwatering. Centipede is pretty drought tolerant and only needs 1” water a week
Love the channel sir. I was wondering why my centepede died last year when I applied a pre emergent.
Chamberbitter is now sprouting in my north FL centipede, will Celsius take care of that post?
Absolutely it’s the best thing to use for chamberbitter and one of the only herbicides labeled for it.
New to centipede from the north about a year and a half now living near Hilton Head SC . I’ve Been watching your videos since I got here thank you . My grass is green but I have like a brown thatch underneath any suggestions ?
You could try to use a liquid dethatcher that I link to in the description. Check out my video “Should you dethatch Centipede Grass” and reasons for thatch. Thanks
Thank you I’ll try it !!! 👍👍
I had the same problem I got a soft rake and removed the dead grass and put down top soil in those spots...
Chlorophyll…more like borophyll 🤣🤣jk…I’d also add German Shepard and Great Dane urine spots in August…geez the things you do for family allowing them to stay at your place with pets 😬…good points though!
Major transformation over the last year in your lawn. You are definitely doing the right thing. Question have you tested the Live Earth humic granular as a means of supplying humic acid? How often are you applying Humic to your lawn? Keep up the great work!
👍
I haven’t tried the Live Earth yet but it looks good. I try to put Humic down once every 4-6 weeks. Carbon does wonders for the soil and really helps water holding capacity. Check out my Humic acid benefits video if you get a chance. Thanks
@@CentipedeCentralLawnCare Ordered some Humic Acid and Micro Greene to add some nutrients to my Centipede in the front lawn. Two quick questions for you what do you think about using the "Image Kills Nutsedge" product as a post emergent states that it is safe on Centipede? Also how do you tackle fungus like brown patch would you go with a product like Bioadvanced Fungicide that has propiconazole? Going forward I'm going to stop using synthetics and go completely organic on the centipede. Look forward to your response. Thanks
I’m not terribly familiar with Image Kills Nutsedge but it is labeled for centipede. I’ve used a different image product in the past and was not very impressed. Be prepared to wait 2-3 weeks to see any results, the Kills Nutsedge product may be better. Definitely for brown patch propiconazole that is a great all-around fungicide. Good luck!
@@CentipedeCentralLawnCare Thanks!
Have you ever tried Milorganite fertilizer on your Centipede lawn?
Yes a few years ago but I don’t think it’s a good option for centipede because of high Phosphorus and zero Potassium. Also don’t like the fact that it is made from biosolids which probably contains toxic metals.
It’s been hot and dry where I am and I’m having some brown spots. How do I fix this? Can I fertilize this late into the summer?
I’d hose down those specific areas maybe twice a day until you see some improvement. Just not at night because you don’t want to promote fungus. Yes you can fertilize now. Labor Day is the latest
@@CentipedeCentralLawnCare thanks!!!
Question for you. Some of my centipede now has a reddish/purplish color on the blades. Whats going on? What should I do?
Usually caused by potassium (K) deficiency or environmental stress like fluctuating temperature changes. Also could be bug damage from spittle bugs. Get some SOP or liquid potash down and you could also do pesticide in case
How do you get rid of/prevent crabgrass if you can't use PE
Celsius kills crabgrass. Also Atrazine works as a pre emergent as well. It’s the pre emergents like Prodiamine and Dithiopyr that centipede doesn’t like
What would you recommend from a big box store to get rid of crabgrass out of my centipede
That’s a tough one but Image kills Crabgrass would be worth a try. Just spot spray. If the crabgrass is mature it may be tougher to get rid of. Celsius is also good for crabgrass in centipede.
I have centipede grass and it looks dark green and beautiful. In the front yard, we have a swale that has centipede grass but it's starting to get mixed in with what appears to be broadleaf carpetgrass. How can I get rid of this grass and not kill my centipede grass? I would say this area is more moist than my lawn because it's a drainage swale for the county. Just don't want it to spread to my lawn. HELP
Celsius herbicide is the answer. Kills carpet grass and safe on centipede
All are correct but there's two more super important ones not mentioned / Probably the most important is: centipede doesn't like a high Ph. Mid to High 5's is key to the nicest centipede " sulfur, sulfur, sulfur when it comes to centipede. If your soil is over 6.5 and you're looking to have a nice lawn, don't bother with it. Other is centipede hates being cut short, especially if your only doing it every 10 days or so.
Hi, I am desperate for help with my front lawn. (centipede) I have huge brown spots and a ton of weeds. My yard was beautiful when I closed on my house in September 2020. However, it has been in a state of decline since I moved in and I wonder if the lawn spray from the company the HOA uses to kill weeds and insects is doing the damage? I have huge brown patches and don't know how to get rid of them. I bought fungal spray but it didn't seem to do anything and now, there are more brown spots. I would greatly appreciate advice, thank you!
This is the time of year for grubs. If they are spraying insect killer it is only going to kill surface insects, not grubs which are under the soil line eating the roots. I would suggest getting a granular grub killer (Bayer Advanced makes a good 24-hour killer). What happens is the June beetles lay larvae in the soil and these become grubs which eat the roots of the grass and cause dead spots. If this isn’t the cause it’s either fungus or other insects. If the HOA is using a harsh weed killer often that could harm the grass but I’m leaning toward grubs because of the time of year. If you haven’t fertilized you could try a weed and feed that I recommend. Check out the video I did on weed and feed
@@CentipedeCentralLawnCare Thanks so much! Centipede is such a pain to keep up with. I'll give it a try and see how it goes. If that doesn't work I think I will go with St Augustine next spring.
How does the front lawn look now?
Is every blade of grass its own plant? Does every blade of grass need water or can it transport it from other grass areas?
Interesting question. For centipede each runner (stolon) is it’s own individual plant to a degree. A healthy stolon will be able to spread and tack down into the soil. As far as water transport I’m not exactly sure but I think probably not
@@CentipedeCentralLawnCare Thanks
Thank you for posting this video! I seeded my yard at the river almost two years ago. How could I manage the bare dirt spots better? Grass is growing very well but it’s patchy in places.
Think about soil health, so carbon (Humic acid) and I’ve also added some peat moss before and just keep it irrigated but not flooded
We have over fed with fertilizer. How can we bring it back? It is turning brown
The main thing is for now just leave it alone and let it recover and mow at the right height consistently (1.5-2”) Be sure it’s getting an inch (via rain or sprinkler combined) of water per week and let it naturally recover. Just give it time and be patient and it should hopefully be ok especially as the temps warm up. If you over applied Nitrogen (anywhere from .8lb N per 1000 sq ft and up) don’t apply any more for this season.
Would carpet grass have the same requirements as centipede as far as not to much nitrogen and same type herbicides?
I know that yes carpet grass requires low fertilization like centipede. Weed control not too sure but just be sure it’s labeled for carpet grass. I would think anything safe for centipede would be ok for carpet grass too.
I will try celuis
How do you get rid of bahia grass and crabgrass from a centipede lawn?
There is a product called Blindside that is supposed to kill Bahia and Crabgrass and be safe on centipede. I haven’t tried it myself but it’s supposed to work well
I had a beautiful new centipede lawn 10 years ago. I over fertilized it, cut it too short and now half my yard has almost no grass and covered in weeds, I was ignorant on how to care for it. You’re better off putting nothing down except making sure it’s watered properly.
You can definitely get away with that but the key as you mentioned is not over-feeding.
Wish I knew how to distinguish centipede from St Augustine and Bahia. They all look identical, which makes treating Mom's Florida lawn more challenging.
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So on a runner (stolon), centipede has alternating nodes that extend from it. St Augustine the nodes are in the same spot so it looks like a “T”. I’ll try to do a video on identification. Thanks
I think centipede likes the least chemical of any type applied to it. I like St. Augustine but it is so Ph intolerant. St. Augustine likes lots of lime and Scott’s Turf Builder, plus lots of water. I like Bermuda but it likes lots of sun and my yard has lots of shade.
With the popularity of centipede grass. I can’t believe there is no machine that can safely remove thatch from centipede grass. My neighbor gets her grass cut every two weeks. It is so tall that there is no way for this amount of grass to decay on It’s on to be of any benefit. The material that is left basically chokes out whatever growth Is left under it. I tell her she needs to have her landscaper cut the grass Bag it and remove it just to try to save her lawn. Within weeks it is petrified dry dead nothing
Yeah hopefully you aren’t getting the weed seeds from your neighbor!
Doesn’t Ferti-lome weed free zone contain 24D? I use it and wondering if this is causing some red top.
Thank you for the knowledge
Yes it does but I believe since it is the ester based form it is more suitable for centipede. It’s not something I would apply all the time though, especially broadcast applications. The red tips could be from stressors like traffic, drought, low fertility etc. Thanks for watching.
@@CentipedeCentralLawnCare thank you.
Any tips on ridding Torpedo Grass in centipede? Currently working a couple spots with sethoxydim. Ferti Lome’s over the top
#6 centipede grass doesn’t like fire ant killer. Dries it out and almost kills it
Luckily I don’t have fire ant issues so I havent tried that, but thanks for sharing.
1. What have you found to keep crab grass out of the lawn without using a pre-emergent such as prodiamine?
2. What max rate for Celsius do you use during summer months?
1. Elbow grease.
2. We use fahrenheit here. Not sure what the max temp is for centipede.
😄
Luckily I don’t have a crabgrass problem. If I happen to get some Celsius is labeled for it at the high rate. I used the high rate last year once and didn’t notice any damage to the centipede
What about speed zone
Speed Zone Southern is exact same formulation as Fertilome Weed Free Zone so it works well
@@CentipedeCentralLawnCare thanks
@@CentipedeCentralLawnCare best time to put the speed zone for the weeds mid april
I think it's because centipede grass is considered a weed type grass. Personally I hate how it looks along with other broad leaf grasses
Not all preemerges are root pruners
Recommendation?
Ronstar
From everything I've read and heard about centipede I don't think it likes anything.
Ha, I will probably do a vid on 5 things centipede likes.
You won’t survive the winter as a lawn treatment company if you skip pre-emerge….especially in the fall. Customers will be over run with poa-annua and other troublesome winter weeds, more of a problem with properties that are mowed by companies.
Guess what, fertilome weed free zone contains 2,4-D, mecocrop and dicamba, which are all phenoxy herbicides (kissing cousins). Stay in your lane, bro. And read the labels.
It’s an ester form of 2,4-D, and it’s labeled safe for centipede and I’ve never seen any negative effects to the grass from using it.
@@CentipedeCentralLawnCare Sir, you said in your video not to use 2,4-D on centipede, that you couldn't explain why, but it "does not like it". Then you turn around and recommend what you told people just seconds before not to use! So I am a lawn care professional who has treated literally thousands of acres of centipede grass with Trimec Southern which contains the same three ingredients. It produces ABSOLUTELY NO ILL EFFECTS TO CENTIPEDE GRASS. Perhaps you were thinking of regular strength Trimec, which also contains 2,4-D in an Ester form, but at a higher a.i. (active ingredient) %. My B.S. degree is in pest management and plant protection from the University of Georgia College of Agriculture and Environmental Science and I have worked in the industry since 1979. Don't argue with me.
This confirms to me that centipede is worthless
Not really worthless, just sensitive 😂
I think my neighbors poured nitrogen on my lawn
😂
No😅😅