[Tvflguy]

In the Spring I noticed that we had 'torpedo grass' coming into our front lawn. Slowly it grew into more areas. It's primarily located in the lawn in front of our home - which is zoysia grass. The sides and back and not impacted too badly.

I did a lot of research and found the best killer of torpedo grass is 'Quniclorac' or Drive XLR8. I bought both online months ago along with a substance to allow the mixture to stick to the leaves. And a nice powered sprayer. Did about 3 applications over the last 10 weeks or so (2 week intervals). Was out of town the last couple weeks, and, the torpedo grass is back with a vengence. I know that it takes time and more applications, but...I think I'll now give up the DIY. I really don't trust 'lawn care companies' a lot, but now I guess I'm in search for the best. We have used Dean's before for our lawncare, fert and cutting. But it's been years now.

Perhaps I will get a lot of generic feedback - but I would like to get names of a few VERY REPUTABLE firms around The Villages to help me eradicate this stuff. Only getting worse.
OR - at the proper time, take out all the affected zoysia in front and put in new zoysia sod.

Please help... TIA

[jimhoward]

What about just pulling it all by hand or with the aid of a weed puller.? Most villages front lawns are pretty small. Could you get it all in a couple of long work days? and might that work?

[Taltarzac725]

Torpedo grass - Page 2 - Talk of The Villages Florida Torpedo grass - Page 2 - Talk of The Villages Florida

Zoysia Green Inc - Leesburg, FL - Nextdoor

[village dreamer]

good luck. if you have anyone cutting your grass, that lawn mower will carry all the bad [weed] seeds to your lawn. torpedo grass will never die. its a creeper weed. you can replace all of your lawn and it will still come back.

[Pondboy]

It doesn’t really matter who you call. Everyone will tell you that your only option is to kill all the grass, torpedo and zoysia, with a strong solution of Glyphosate in the infected area. Water that “dead area” extensively…..wait for new growth of torpedo grass to emerge, kill that and repeat….perhaps one more time. Then re-sod and monitor for future growth.

Glyphosate is your only friend in this battle. It sounds like your Torpedo Grass has laid down an extensive root system and the chemicals you’ve been using are only stunting its growth for a short period of time.

So ; Florida Pest would be my go to for a good lawn care co. If you do decide to continue with the DIY, make sure you allow the Quinclorac a minimum of 2 days, preferably 5 days to stay on the grass before you cut it. This way it gets down to those longs roots for a good kill.

[Pondboy]

Originally Posted by jimhoward

What about just pulling it all by hand or with the aid of a weed puller.? Most villages front lawns are pretty small. Could you get it all in a couple of long work days? and might that work?

No, roots go down 2-3’. You’ll never get all of it. It will just regrow.

[Altavia]

Originally Posted by Pondboy

It doesn’t really matter who you call. Everyone will tell you that your only option is to kill all the grass, torpedo and zoysia, with a strong solution of Glyphosate in the infected area. Water that “dead area” extensively…..wait for new growth of torpedo grass to emerge, kill that and repeat….perhaps one more time. Then re-sod and monitor for future growth.

Glyphosate is your only friend in this battle. It sounds like your Torpedo Grass has laid down an extensive root system and the chemicals you’ve been using are only stunting its growth for a short period of time.

I really hate FL lawns...

What would you recommend as the replacement sod?

[Pondboy]

Originally Posted by Altavia

I really hate FL lawns...

What would you recommend as the replacement sod?

I hate the grass as well……if it’s any consolation, even the Agricultural Extension office of the University of Florida says grass is very difficult to grow in this state.

If you were to re sod, you could look at the “ProVista”varietal of St Augustine Grass or the “Viridian” varietal. They are Glyphosate “tolerant” meaning that they can take some applications of glyphosate so that the weeds, such as Crabgrass, Torpedo and Bermuda growing in the St Aug. will die but not the St. Aug.

This video might help


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-NXi0IgV-SE

[Tvflguy]

OP here. Thanks, will contact Zoysia Green tomorrow. Does anyone have experience with 'ripping out' their old grass -totally- and replacing it with new sod? In my case with the torpedo grass, the process of removal would be deep as TG roots etc can go down 4" or so.


If TV allowed a turf lawn (synthetic), I'd jump on that.

[Nevinator]

Originally Posted by Tvflguy

OP here. Thanks, will contact Zoysia Green tomorrow. Does anyone have experience with 'ripping out' their old grass -totally- and replacing it with new sod? In my case with the torpedo grass, the process of removal would be deep as TG roots etc can go down 4" or so.


If TV allowed a turf lawn (synthetic), I'd jump on that.

I had a huge torpedo grass issue. I tried several weed killers and glysophate in the heavily infested areas but it just kept getting worse. I eventually put enough weed killer down that it practically killed my entire lawn.

I called Chessari Sod Services and Landscape LLC to replace the entire lawn with new St Augustine grass. Not sure which variety they used.

They used a sod cutter to remove what was left of the existing lawn on a Monday.

On Tuesday, using a sprayer, I applied several gallons of glysophate to the dirt that remained to hopefully get anything that was left. The following day, Chessari installed the new sod. It seemed to be a much better quality than what was initially installed during my build.

Now it’s been a year this month since the replacement. My yard looks like a carpet. There is an occasional torpedo stringer that pops up here and there, but I treat that spot directly. The grass is extremely thick and I think that helps choke out some of the bad things that try to emerge. Good luck.

[Rwirish]

They can’t get rid of it and with a new lawn you will continue to have the same issue.

[La lamy]

Originally Posted by Nevinator

I had a huge torpedo grass issue. I tried several weed killers and glysophate in the heavily infested areas but it just kept getting worse. I eventually put enough weed killer down that it practically killed my entire lawn.

I called Chessari Sod Services and Landscape LLC to replace the entire lawn with new St Augustine grass. Not sure which variety they used.

They used a sod cutter to remove what was left of the existing lawn on a Monday.

On Tuesday, using a sprayer, I applied several gallons of glysophate to the dirt that remained to hopefully get anything that was left. The following day, Chessari installed the new sod. It seemed to be a much better quality than what was initially installed during my build.

Now it’s been a year this month since the replacement. My yard looks like a carpet. There is an occasional torpedo stringer that pops up here and there, but I treat that spot directly. The grass is extremely thick and I think that helps choke out some of the bad things that try to emerge. Good luck.

Wow that is nice grass!

[Miboater]

Having a nice lawn in Florida is a lot harder than it was up in Michigan. I have ProVista and I would recommend that or the newer variety called Viridian. Viridian is also called Texas ProVista and has the same glyphosate tolerance but is a darker green and more cold tolerant. They both have the same problems with insects and fungus as any other variety of St Augustine but at least it is easy to kill weeds using glyphosate.

I have a small common area on one side of my house that has every weed and grass known to Florida. Once I got the ProVista nice and thick it has made the weed issue a lot less prevalent and anything that crops up a spray of glyphosate will kill it.

[bonbonn]

Originally Posted by Tvflguy

In the Spring I noticed that we had 'torpedo grass' coming into our front lawn. Slowly it grew into more areas. It's primarily located in the lawn in front of our home - which is zoysia grass. The sides and back and not impacted too badly.

I did a lot of research and found the best killer of torpedo grass is 'Quniclorac' or Drive XLR8. I bought both online months ago along with a substance to allow the mixture to stick to the leaves. And a nice powered sprayer. Did about 3 applications over the last 10 weeks or so (2 week intervals). Was out of town the last couple weeks, and, the torpedo grass is back with a vengence. I know that it takes time and more applications, but...I think I'll now give up the DIY. I really don't trust 'lawn care companies' a lot, but now I guess I'm in search for the best. We have used Dean's before for our lawncare, fert and cutting. But it's been years now.

Perhaps I will get a lot of generic feedback - but I would like to get names of a few VERY REPUTABLE firms around The Villages to help me eradicate this stuff. Only getting worse.
OR - at the proper time, take out all the affected zoysia in front and put in new zoysia sod.
greensmiths
Please help... TIA

green smiths

[BookerBo]

Originally Posted by Rwirish

They can’t get rid of it and with a new lawn you will continue to have the same issue.

A neighbor had a crew come in to replace his badly damaged grass. They rototilled and raked, then laid the new grass. Seems to me they should have used a sod cutter and removed everything without mixing the bad back into the ground. If I were having this done I surely wouldn't allow rototilling. All of the disease, weed seeds an weed roots are just mixed back in.