Well I screwed up my yard in a big way today

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Mar 28, 2010
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Michigan
So today I got out all my weed control products, loaded up my Ortho Dial and spray hose end sprayer and sprayed the entire back yard. I was extra thorough and sprayed a few feet into my neighbors yard. A couple hours later while tossing stuff into the trash I noticed I used this stuff instead of regular weed killer. Welp, say goodbye to grass in the back yard for 5 or so months!

High strung German Shepard plus a dead yard, it's going to be a muddy mess for a long time. The wife isn't very happy with me at the moment!


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What kind of grass?

Chances are it won't be quite as dead as you think. That sort of thing often takes 2 or 3 applications to fully kill it off.

In Charlotte we would roundup specific areas of the yard that had been infested by St. Augustine from all the golf courses around. It took 2 or 3 sprays a few days apart to really get it dead. You ended up with a whole bunch of spots you killed off. Then you got ie aerated and seeded and it would come back in a couple months.
 
It doesn't seem too promising but wait and see. Maybe your application method and "thorough coverage" was a blessing in disguise. It contains "spreader-sticker" adjuvants to lock it onto the leaf surface, good for weed control/bad in your instance. The second ingredient fluazifop (Fusilade) is the main post emergent grass killer to be most concerned about. The 4th. ingredient Oxyflorfen (Goal) is a combo post/preemergent that might also kill the existing grass, but is the pre-emergent portion that locks into the top inch of soil to prevent new weed seed (and new grass seed) germination for several months. The label shows it to be at a very low %, so you have that in your favor. The other components are broadleaf contact herbicides not to worry about.

You might get away with a deep tillage of 3 to 6 inches that would dilute that Oxyflorfen enough to allow new grass seed germination. Hopefully you have good topsoil to a six inch depth. If only 3 inches of top soil over bad fill, reconsider deep tilling it. Prime seed sowing timing is up to late September for our mid-Michigan area. A bit later might work depending on our variable weather patterns. Bluegrass takes over 2 weeks to germinate. I prefer blends of bluegrass, fescue, and rye for best pest resistance, wear & tear, less fertilizer/water., etc..

Good luck. Sorry for your predicament, but it is not permanent. You also should consider "stealing the thunder" by letting your neighbor know that you will take care of them also.
 
@doitmyself Sounds like Spartan Grade A Mix would be a contender. We shall see what happens over the next few days.
40% Kentucky Bluegrass
20% Perennial Ryegrass
20% Creeping Red Fescue
20% Chewings Fescue
 
So today I got out all my weed control products, loaded up my Ortho Dial and spray hose end sprayer and sprayed the entire back yard. I was extra thorough and sprayed a few feet into my neighbors yard. A couple hours later while tossing stuff into the trash I noticed I used this stuff instead of regular weed killer. Welp, say goodbye to grass in the back yard for 5 or so months!

High strung German Shepard plus a dead yard, it's going to be a muddy mess for a long time. The wife isn't very happy with me at the moment!


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Fall is a good time for growing grass if that stuff is not still there.
 
Last time I used a lawn "enhancement" product was 10+ yrs or so ago. I think it was 'weed & feed.'
I inadvertently over did it on 3/4 of the lawn. Killed the lawn. It's just now grown back in most areas. Still dead on
the North side of the house. Never again. Now my lawn is just 100% natural. Nothing gets added.
 
I mixed up products before. I did that once for the weeds in my flower beds, wiping out a few shrubs along the way. You will find out if the up to five month claim is valid. I think you are out of luck for a while with a new lawn.. Maybe till next spring.

Only thing you can hope for is a lot of water to wash down the grass killer, tilling alone won't help much.
 
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