9/8/2011 6:09 AM
Jeff- I have seen on this forum several people who do not have success with Andersons Goose Crab. I'll be darned. That product, 25 years ago (Scotts back then), revolutionized greens in the DC/Baltimore area. All the old clubs had crowfoot problems. We called it Washington Bent. You need to get it out at the high rate, 6# of Ronstar as I recall. It will yellow greens up the first couple of years but I swear the following years it is less of a problem. You can't be too early- grass needs to be growing, or too late - you miss germination. The first year at the high rate you'd swear you killed the greens, yellow as the flagstick, but they recover. Next few years it's not as bad and no crowfoot picking in August. You need the Ronstar, that is the key for Goose.
If Goose is that bad you may need some post emerge help until you bring things under control with Goose/Crab. Pete Dernoeden here at UMD worked with Acclaim Extra back in the 80's. Start in late June before you even see any Goose, every 2 weeks, almost every spray app on greens, with 3.5oz/A of Acclaim Extra. Yes that is 3.5oz per ACRE, not per M. It is hot, not 3oz, not 4oz, I mean 3.5 oz/A. It burns the small plants back until late August and then you can lay off. No Goose germinating that late becomes a problem. This is off label, the Acclaim label still says DO NOT USE ON BENTGRASS PUTTING GREENS. The label says nothing on bent under 1/4".
Goose is rarely a problem here around the beltway any more. The young boys have forgotten all about it. The Goose /Crab product was the key. Say what you want about our football uniforms, but UMD has had a crabgrass study of some sort every year for the past 35 years. We know what you are going through. Good luck. Kenneth Ingram, UMD.