View Full Version : Fixing customer mistake
06-25-2004, 08:03 AM
Got a customer with a BERMUDA lawn, every other week schedule. Not a bad lawn but far from "great", guy is always messing in it and the shrubs, just has me mow it when its hot. 'Bout 6 weeks ago start noticing some patches turning brown. By last week they looked full out fried. Asked him and he said he read about mixing herbicides on the Internet! Asked him what he did and he showed me his supply of chemicals in the garage. He said it was an equal (full stregth) mix of Ortho Weed b Gone (Mecoprop, 2,4-D, Dicamba) and Ortho Crabgrass killer (methanersonate). I saw Round-up among other things on the shelf and I'm thinking that found it's way by mistake in his sprayer. He asked me about the grass coming back and I tried to be positive. We have had 2 weeks with a lot of rain. If it was Round-up, (I think it was, the spots look pretty gone...) I know it's not coming back soon, but what about brown outs from the other 2 products. I don't use them and haven't mixed 'em, so I can't really guess what to expect. Any opinions I can offer him or steps to nurse back the injured areas?
One big clump of Dallisgrass was over by the corner of his lot. Had to point out to him "Looks like you missed a spot!"
06-25-2004, 08:30 AM
I think it's because he used the products full strength.
06-25-2004, 09:34 AM
Most homeowner (cheap) sprayers don't have a complete shutoff meaning it will drip some when you release the trigger. If he likes to kill Bermuda, send him up here!
06-25-2004, 09:46 AM
1. Take his sprayer away!
2. Remove the contaminated soil if you can.
3. Make a topdressing mix with sand and topsoil and dress the affected areas.
4. Water daily (in the morning).
5. Don't tell him how to do it, he'll probably undermine you with the internet again. Charge him and you do it yourself (but have him do the watering).
06-25-2004, 01:00 PM
Spoke with the homeowner again today and he swears he didn't put down any Round-Up. I'll take his word for it - We did have some low 90 temps around the time he did this so I'm sure he burned it bad.
3 questions- What's does ******'s suggestion (above) do to help the turf recover?
And if the Bermuda isn't dead, anything to do to ease it back?
Last, can those chems be mixed together?
06-25-2004, 02:00 PM
The bermuda will come back and it will come back faster than you think. You can spray an entire yard with a 2% solution of round up on hottest of days and it will not kill it. It will turn it yellow but it will green up nicely after a week or so. I you are not cutting it but every 2 weeks it has plenty of time to seed and spread.
DFW Area Landscaper
06-25-2004, 03:33 PM
The MSMA is causing the brown spots. The 2, 4 D never had a chance to be absorbed into the plant because the MSMA dehydrated the plant immediately. MSMA can yellow a bermuda lawn in hours on a sunny, hot day.
It'll green back up within 10 to 14 days.
But I wouldn't tell him that. He wants to be mr cheap and do it himself...let him. He's trying to get free advice from a professional that he knows shouldn't give him answers for free. Just shrug your shoulders and say, "Gosh, I don't know. I never have this problem. All my lawns are healthy and green. If you're interested in my plan, it's only $xx.xx"
DFW Area Landscaper
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