Winter Lawn “weeds,” a Place for Pollinators & Eggs

Winter Lawn “weeds,” a Place for Pollinators & Eggs

As a boy I remember our St. Augustinegrass lawn. I fondly remember winter annual weeds in that lawn.

Many of these so called “weeds” are native wildflowers. And a number of pollinators use these wildflowers.

To see clumps of winter annuals in our yard and in neighbors’ yards was a natural part of the transition from winter to spring. They added interest to the lawn. It was expected to see henbit with its square stiff stems holding up a display of small pinkish purple flowers in late winter to early spring. A clump of henbit was a great place to hide an Easter egg, especially a pink or purple one.

A pink Easter egg hidden in a mix of clover. Photo Credit: Larry Williams, UF/IFAS Extension - Okaloosa County
A pink Easter egg hidden in a mix of clover. Photo Credit: Larry Williams, UF/IFAS Extension – Okaloosa County

Wild geranium offered another good hiding place for eggs with its pink to purple flowers. Large clumps of annual chickweed would nicely hide whole eggs. Green colored eggs would blend with chickweed’s green leaves. 

Crimson clover with its reddish flowers, hop clover and black medic with their bright yellow flowers provided good hiding places for Easter eggs. Plus, clovers add nitrogen back to our soils.

A yellow Easter egg hidden in a mix of clover. Photo Credit: Larry Williams, UF/IFAS Extension - Okaloosa County
A yellow Easter egg hidden in a mix of clover. Photo Credit: Larry Williams, UF/IFAS Extension – Okaloosa County

The lawn was healthy and thick enough to limit summer weeds. But during fall and winter, as the lawn would naturally thin and go dormant, these winter annuals would run their course.

I remember the clean smell of freshly mowed grass in spring with the first mowing. Once mowed and as the heat took its toll, by late April or mid-May, these winter annuals were gone. What was left was a green lawn to help cool the landscape as the weather warmed. The lawn was mowed high as St. Augustine should be, watered only occasionally during dry periods, played on and typically not worried with.

Most lawns have winter annuals that let us know spring is near. Perhaps we worry too much with these seasonal, temporary plants that may have wrongly been labeled as weeds. Besides, how long have we been doing battle with them and they are still here. Most lawns have winter annual seeds that await the cooler temperatures and shorter days of early winter to begin yet another generation. By May they are gone.

UF/IFAS Extension agents in the Florida Panhandle are asking you to join in on “No Mow March” in 2023. The idea is to holdup on mowing until the calendar flips to April, allowing pollinators to enjoy these common winter annuals.

Here is a website with more information on No Mow March. On this site, you’ll find a link to sign up to be a participant, check out what Okaloosa and other counties are doing by clicking on “Events” and see more about pollinators, all on this site. 

https://sfyl.ifas.ufl.edu/escambia/lawn-and-garden/no-mow-march

Laziness  Encouraged: No Mow March Promotes Pollinators in the Panhandle

Laziness Encouraged: No Mow March Promotes Pollinators in the Panhandle

Need an excuse to not mow your lawn this month? UF/IFAS Extension agents in the Florida Panhandle are asking residents to skip their soon-to-be-weekly outdoor chore until the calendar flips to April.

The idea for “No Mow March” is borrowed from “No Mow May,” a concept begun in the United Kingdom that has now spread to northern parts of the United States.

“Obviously, our lawns are growing way too quickly by the time May rolls around,” said Beth Bolles, UF/IFAS Escambia County horticulture agent who is leading the pilot effort this year. “Here in North Florida, March is our transition period, when grass is exiting dormancy. But it’s also when pollinators are starting to become more active, so it’s the perfect time to celebrate them and promote their health and habitat.”

Bolles is quick to point out, though, that the month is about more than just turf.

“We recognize that some communities have rules to follow regarding their lawns,” she said. “There are other things you can do to encourage pollinators to visit, whether it’s container plants or adding new shrubs or pollinator houses. We encourage everyone to find their own way to participate.”

The first step in participating is to sign the pledge at go.ufl.edu/NoMowMarch. Visitors can also use the website to find virtual or in-person events geared to the topic, learn tips for adhering to homeowners association guidelines while still promoting pollinators, and record observations to a No Mow group on iNaturalist.

Follow the Gardening in the Panhandle Facebook page to stay in the know throughout No Mow March.

Kirsten Romaguera, UF/IFAS public relations specialist,
O: 352-294-3313, C: 936-689-2754, kromaguera@ufl.edu

Fall into Action – Winter Weeds & Turfgrass

Fall into Action – Winter Weeds & Turfgrass

Weeds are basically unwanted plants or plants growing out of place. Proper identification and some understanding of how and why weeds are present in a lawn are important when selecting the best management tactics. All turf weeds can be grouped into one of three life cycles: annual, biennial, or perennial.

Annual: Produces seeds during one season only

Biennial: Produces seeds during two back-to-back seasons

Perennial: Produces seeds over many seasons

Knowing the types of weed previously present in an area also can help one to be better prepared and what control measures to employ in the future.

Weeds may appear in multiple categories, either broadleaf, grass, or Sedges/rushes.

Lawn with winter annual weeds in early spring
Winter annual weeds in lawn in early spring. Photo credit: Larry Williams

Broadleaves, or dicotyledonous plants, have two cotyledons (seed leaves) when the weed seed germinates.

Appearance: Broad, flat leaves with net-like veins and usually have showy flowers.

Common types: Clover, ground ivy, dandelions, chickweed, plantain, henbit, beggarweed.

Grasses are monocotyledonous plants that have only one cotyledon, or seed leaf, present when seedlings emerge from the soil.

Appearance: Narrow leaves with parallel veins in their true leaves. Hollow rounded stems.

Common types: crabgrass, goosegrass, crowfoot grass, bull grass, annual bluegrass, alexander grass, cogon grass, torpedo grass, and smut grass.

Sedges/rushes. Both favor a moist habitat. Appearance: triangular-shaped, solid stems, while rush stems are round and solid.

Common types: yellow and purple nutsedge and, to some degree, globe, Texas, annual, and water sedge.

One of the first steps in managing weeds is to have a healthy dense lawn/ turf to provide shade that prevents seed germination. Having a healthy lawn depends on turf species selected – making sure you put the right plant and right place. Other factors that influence a heathy turf and a reduced amount of weeds include proper cultural control, fertilizing regularly, mowing at the appropriate height, watering deeply, reducing traffic, pest control, and sanitation. If you only have a few bothersome weeds in your lawn, you may be able to dig them up by hand—but if your lawn is overrun with weeds, you may need to start from scratch. If you decide to start from the beginning, you have a choice ahead of you. Do you want to lay down seed or sod? There are pros and cons to each.

Seed

Pros: Less expensive, more variety

Cons: Takes longer to germinate, can only lay at certain times of year depending on grass type

Sod

Pros: Instant grass, can lay any time of year, requires little maintenance

Cons:  More costly, less variety in grass can mean less healthy lawn overall

To prepare the soil after either method, make sure you till it down to roughly 6 to 8 inches.

Supporting information for this article can be found in the UF/IFAS EDIS publications (Weed management for Florida lawns)  https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/publication/EP141 or contact your local Extension Office!

You Only Need Four Post-Emergent Herbicides

You Only Need Four Post-Emergent Herbicides

It’s the most asked question of Extension agents everywhere.  “What is this weed and what herbicide should I buy to kill it?”  The first part of that question is straightforward.  Between personal field experience, formal plant identification training, and a team of weed science specialists to call on, Florida Extension Agents can get your weed accurately identified.  The second part of the question is slightly more nuanced.  Many weed problems can be avoided by following lawn and landscape Integrated Pest Management (IPM) practices, like not overwatering, mowing at the correct height, using mulch where you can, etc., but sometimes herbicides are required.  For these situations, if you follow the “homeowners only need four post-emergent herbicides rule”, you’ll be ready for any weed challenge you face!*

Doveweed seedlings just emerged on July 9, 2021. Photo courtesy of Daniel Leonard.

The first weed scenario you should be prepared for is spot spraying weeds in landscape beds and around hardscapes like concrete pads, sidewalks, pools, driveways, etc.  For this situation, you’ll turn to the backbone of the four herbicides rule and a staple in any weed management program, glyphosate.  Glyphosate is the active ingredient (AI) in many non-selective products ranging from the infamous Roundup brand to cheaper generics like Killzall and Cornerstone.  Glyphostate is extremely cost-efficient and very effective on a huge range of emerged weeds including grassy weeds, broadleaf weeds, and even sedges (also called nutsedge or “nutgrass”).  Just be sure not to get any overspray on desirable plants or they’ll be seriously damaged!

The second situation we face occurs when “bad” grassy weeds invade landscape beds, shrubs, and vegetable gardens.  These cases call for a grass-selective herbicide that you can spray right over the top of your broadleaf annuals, perennials, and shrubs to take out the unwanted grasses.  In this case, there are two options at your disposal:  sethoxydim (AI in many products like Fertilome Over the Top, Hi-Yield Grass Killer, Poast, etc.) and fluazifop (AI in the product Fusilade).  Both products work well in removing weeds like crabgrass, bermudagrass, goosegrass, and others and can be safely applied over the top of many ornamentals.

Seeds from annuals like Chamberbitter easily get into mulch and turfgrass from surrounding areas. Photo by Beth Bolles, UF Extension Escambia County

From time to time, we need to treat a broadleaf weed like dollarweed, doveweed, chamberbitter, or any number of others, that have invaded our lawn grass.  Some of these weeds are tougher than others, but almost all of them can be managed with the proper rates of 2,4-D, Dicamba, other similar products, or a combination of several of them.  These active ingredients have been on the market for decades so there are many generic options at your disposal.  However, if you have a truly tough broadleaf weed problem, the newer product Celsius WG from Bayer (a combo of Dicamba and two newer AIs), while a little pricey and only available online or at specialty chemical dealers, is well worth the expense and knocks out the most gnarly of lawn weeds.

Finally, there is a category of weeds that aren’t broadleaves and aren’t quite grasses either.  These are the sedges.  Commonly known around the Panhandle as “nutgrass”, sedges are a serious pest of lawns, particularly those that stay a little on the damp side, and vegetable gardens.  Sedges, with their glossy leaves and distinctive flowers, stand out in lawns and gardens, are very unsightly in an otherwise well-maintained area, and can outcompete the desirable plants they invade.  Fortunately, there are several AIs that work very well on sedges and are safe to use around turfgrass and many other plants.  The most effective sedge herbicide AI for homeowners is halosulfuron-methyl (AI in Sedgehammer in lawns and Sandea and Profine in vegetables).  Sedgehammer works very slowly (results can take up to a month) but is very safe in turfgrass and ornamentals and highly effective!  If Sedgehammer and other halosulfuron products are difficult to obtain, Imazaquin is a slightly less effective but more common substitute.  This AI can be found in the product Image Kills Nutsedge and is safe for use in turfgrass and most ornamental plantings.

The challenge of controlling the many types of weeds in your lawn, landscape, and vegetable garden seems daunting, but having just four basic classes of herbicides on hand can greatly simplify things!  Whether you need to control a broadleaf, grass, or sedge weed problem, putting together a weed control toolbox containing a non-selective herbicide like glyphosate, a broadleaf selective like 2-4,D, a grass selective like sethoxydim, and a sedge selective like halosulfuron-methyl can allow you to handle most any weed you come across at home.  For more information on controlling weeds in home landscapes and gardens or any other horticultural topic, contact your local UF/IFAS Extension office.  Happy gardening!

*Most homeowners discover weed problems after the weeds are already up and growing, making post-emergent products necessary.  Pre-emergent products have a place in weed management programs but are not the focus of this article.

Video: Collecting a Quality Plant Sample

Video: Collecting a Quality Plant Sample

Having a quality turf or plant sample is important to help us at UF IFAS Extension diagnosis a problem or identify a plant. Learn how to collect a sample of both turf and plant material if you will be bringing a sample to your local UF IFAS Extension County office.