Well folks, the earth has made yet another trip around the sun, and we find ourselves in another of hopefully many a new year. The weather has been cold, but it’s important that we spend a few moments plotting a strategy for our lawns in the coming year. Lawncare is a subject which is shrouded in myths and often misunderstood. Luckily, a little bit of knowledge can help you achieve stress free healthy turfgrasses.
Lifecycle
The first thing homeowners should understand is how turfgrass grows throughout the year. Turfgrass is split into warm and cool season species. You may have guessed that in the Florida Panhandle, warm season grasses are dominant. These grasses perform well in warmer weather going dormant when temperature begins to fall. During this dormant period, these grasses turn brown and may appear to have died. The grass itself is alive and well, but the roots have died back significantly.
Fertilizers
Why is this an important piece of information? There is no point in applying fertilizers to turfgrasses with no ability to absorb them. Instead, waiting until mid-April (think Tax Day) for fertilizers provides two key benefits. First, it allows time for the grass to develop a thick mat of roots. As roots are the main tissue for nutrient entry into plants allowing your lawn to utilize the applied nutrition. Second, waiting until a little later evades late season freezes. Cold weather may harm early season growth which stresses your lawn which could cause die back allowing weeds to take over.
UF/IFAS photo: GI-BMP
Weed Prevention
The subject of weeds brings us to a critical cultural practice in terms of lawncare. The application of preemergent herbicides. These herbicides are designed to create a barrier in the top 1/2 inch of soil which prevents shoot and root growth after weed seed germination.
Now, it’s important to understand, there are hundreds of thousands of weed seeds in the top layers of soil all over the world. Weeds take advantage of open spots in your lawn as does any plant in any ecological system.
A preemergent herbicide prevents weed from being able to fill those spaces, by preventing their growth. Given the proper watering and fertilization, your grass may now fill these voids. Your lawn will outcompete the weeds and become its own preventative.
Selecting and application of a pre-emergent herbicide does have some nuance. Not every product is compatible with every grass type, consult our Weed Management Guide to select a product that will work for your lawn. Another concern is application timing and frequency. Multiple applications will likely be required in the spring due to those triggers which break seed dormancy combined with product efficacy timelines. Local extension offices are a great resource for specificity, but generally application will need to be mid-February with a second application 6-8 weeks later based on the product label. Also important to note is that this is a long-term process. It may take a few years of spring and fall application to eradicate the weeds in your lawn.
Lawn decline from weed infestation UF/IFAS Photo: Pawel Petelewicz
To Sum Up
Turfgrasses make excellent groundcovers and are look best when grown as stress free as possible. In the early parts of the year that entails holding off on fertilization and adding a layer of protection for summer weeds. Getting to know your turfgrass and familiarizing yourself with proper cultural practices will go a long way to making a healthy lush lawn. For more information you may read through our Florida Lawn Handbook or consult your local Extension Agent.
Not all trees and woody species are welcome in the landscape. In fact, some woody species can be pesky and problematic and for lack of a better term “weeds”. Despite the fact that some of these species are native trees, bushes, and vines, many can be aggressive and problematic in the home landscape and urban settings. If you have ever cared for a flower bed or garden in the Panhandle, you are probably well acquainted with these and have pulled seedlings and small saplings out of beds, hedges, and seemingly any other nook and cranny of your landscape. If you cut them off using loppers or a saw you also know how aggressively they resprout and how extensive their root system can become. Vegetation grows quickly and often aggressively in our humid sub-tropical climates. If you leave an area of land vacant for very long here, it quickly becomes a thicket in no time. Some of our oaks, particularly water and laurel oaks, can be pesky and troublesome. It seems like I am constantly battling problem oaks in my home landscape, with varying degrees of success. I will pull out, cut out, and apply herbicide only to look up and see a substantial oak sapling rocketing up through azaleas or other hedges. Without fail this is a water or laurel oak nearly 100% of the time, with some other hardwood trees and shrub species thrown in occasionally.
Oak sapling overtaking shrubbery in a local landscape Escambia County, FL Photo Credit: Ian Stone
What is the best way to tackle these pesky woody “weeds” when they cause persistent problems and pop up in undesirable spaces? The answer is to either mechanically removal them or employ very careful and targeted herbicide application. As a professional forester I have spent a large part of my career controlling these brush species using a host of mechanical and herbicide control methods and very well planned prescribed fires. Obviously using large heavy machinery and prescribed fire in urban and suburban settings and landscapes is not an option but using hand tools for mechanical removal and herbicides where needed and best suited is a winning combo for the home landscape.
First you want to determine what species you are dealing with and what stage of development it is in. As I mentioned, water oak and laurel oak are usually the problem oaks we encounter and can reproduce at extremely high rates and create undesirable crowded stands of stunted oak. These species are what foresters call early successional, meaning they tend to establish in forest openings and areas impacted by a disturbance such as a hurricane or windstorm. They produce large amounts of small acorns and grow very fast and they also have poor characteristics where they are susceptible to wind throw and disease. Effectively, they reproduce heavily, grow fast, and die young; that is their natural adaptation and life cycle and what causes them to be pesky and weedy in the home landscape. We don’t realize it, but our home lawns and flower beds create the perfect early successional habitat for these oaks and other brush species such as yaupon holly, titi, wax myrtle, and others. It doesn’t stop there – in heavily shaded areas, very shade tolerant oaks, brush, and vines tend to become established. Vines such as Virginia creeper, greenbriers (Smilax spp.), pepper-vine, and others are particularly annoying as these woody species also love to grow up in fences, particularly chain link, and are difficult to remove.
So what are the best methods to handle problem woody species in the home landscape? The best option is to catch them as seedlings and young plants and pull them up by the roots and all. If you can do this, you will avoid issues with resprouting. If you have larger, more well-established brush and small trees in your landscape, you can cut them back close to the ground, but you are likely to have issues with resprouting. This can be very frustrating and can result in a persistent problem. By consistently cutting these back you may be able to exhaust the plant’s reserve, but this is unlikely. Depending on the size of the root system you may be able to dig up the roots using some elbow grease and a shovel or mattock, but if significant roots are left behind, some woody species can resprout from the remaining roots. This is when simply cutting off the main stem or other mechanical methods often are not sufficient for long term control.
When dealing with well-established woody species with a significant stem size, using a properly labeled and effective herbicide can be a big time and hassle saver. You want to use a herbicide that is labeled for hack and squirt applications and/or cut stump applications. Many brush control and tough brush herbicides are labeled this way and can be applied using these methods. Herbicides with the active ingredients of triclopyr or glyphosate are the most effective for these methods and readily available for home use. Triclopyr products are usually the most effective on tough brush and woody species. Make sure the species you are targeting is listed on the label and follow the label directions exactly for the methods and concentrations to apply the herbicide correctly.
Oak resprouting from stump after herbicide treatment. Note the deformed leaves on the regrowth showing herbicide damage. Photo Credit: Ian Stone
Cut stump and hack and squirt applications require a bit of a different method of application. Instead of spraying foliage, you apply the herbicide into fresh cuts using a squirt bottle or a paint brush. You should wear proper protective equipment when working with any herbicide and this is also listed in the label. Long sleeves and pants along with chemical resistant gloves and eye protection is usually the minimum recommended. For hack and squirt, make a series of connecting cuts in a ring around the problem stem and squirt the herbicide mixture into the fresh cuts using the squirt bottle. For cut stump treatments cut the stem(s) of the problem tree or shrub off slightly above the ground and apply the mixture using a paint brush or squirt bottle, focusing on the outer portion of the stump right next to the bark. These methods work by introducing the herbicide to the cambium layer, which is the actively growing and live tissue just under the bark in woody plants. By doing this it will travel through the tissue and kill both the roots and stems. It is very important that the cuts are fresh, and the application must be made as soon as possible after the cuts are completed. Once the brush is killed back, you can wait for the stem or stump to rot or remove it once it has completely died. This method is effective at controlling resprouting but is not 100% effective on all applications. If the woody plant in question continues to resprout, you can make fresh cuts and reapply. An advantage of this method is it can be done in winter even when the plant is dormant, as it does not rely on foliage to uptake the herbicide. That means you can use it year-round, and you can take advantage of the cooler winter weather to do this labor-intensive work.
With careful work and proper technique, these methods can be beneficial to control persistent brush problems in the home landscape. When using herbicides it is very important to be aware of off target damage to desirable plants. One of the advantages of hack and squirt and cut stump applications is that they are very targeted and minimize issues with off target damage and drift. Care should be taken not to get the herbicide mixture on the stems of desirable shrubs and trees, and they can penetrate the bark and do damage, especially on thin barked species. If you have questions about how to properly use a herbicide or reading the label contact your local extension office.
Spring is approaching and the main thing on my mind is controlling annual weeds. The most effective way to control crabgrass and other summer annual weeds is with a pre-emergent herbicide. Pre-emergent herbicides should be applied prior to weed seed germination. They don’t prevent germination, but they do prevent emergence of shoots and roots by forming a barrier on the soil surface.
Crabgrass growing in centipedegrass lawn. Photo credit: UF/IFAS Extension
Summer annuals such as crabgrass and chamberbitter begin to germinate when soil temperatures warm in the spring. Preemergence herbicides should be applied when daytime temperatures reach 65oF to 70oF for 4 or 5 consecutive days to form a barrier to help prevent these weeds from emerging. This is about the same time azaleas and dogwoods begin to bloom. Goosegrass is the exception for this temperature rule. For good goosegrass control, preemergence herbicides should be applied 3 to 4 weeks after the suggested daytime temperature application date.
It is important to note that you should only use preemergence herbicides on lawns that have been established for at least a year. These herbicides are prone to injure newly planted lawns. In addition, many preemergence herbicides may interfere with lawn grass seed germination, so make sure to refrain from reseeding for at least six after application.
Commonly available preemergence herbicides contain the active ingredients oryzalin, benefin, pendimethalin, DCPA and bensulide. However, there are a wide variety of products on the market. For more information on weed management please read the UF/IFAS publication “Weed Management Guide for Florida Lawns”.
Syrphid larva and oleander aphids. Photo credit: Lyle Buss, University of Florida.
When we think of pests we tend to focus mainly on insects. Insects make up roughly 80% of animal life, however only about one percent of insects are considered pests. The rest help pollinate crops, kill pests, clean up dead stuff, and make honey. Unfortunately, plants suffer from many more types of pests such as weeds, disease, and us. This episode of “Gardening in the Panhandle LIVE!” was all about managing pests.
Many soft-bodied insect pests can be controlled with insecticidal soap. Many insecticidal soaps are on the market that can help control pests like aphids and whiteflies. However, dish soaps are manufactured for cleaning dishes and not labeled for pest control. More information on insecticidal soaps can be found in the publication “Managing Plant Pests with Soaps”.
Although dish soap isn’t a good option for insect control, there are some things from around the house that can be used to help manage pests. The publication “Do-It-Yourself Insect Pest Traps” offers some excellent options for monitoring and managing pests with traps.
Florida is home to a plethora of insect pests. The Ask IFAS website has many articles on insect pests common in the garden.
Companion planting is the practice of planting two or more plant species close to each other to improve growth and/or pest control of one or more of the species. The article “Companion Planting: What is it?” offers some great recommendations and examples of this technique. Marigolds are an excellent companion plant because they can help deter and suppress nematode populations.
Some people prefer to only use naturally derived products for pest control. The publication “Natural Products for Landscape and Garden Pests in Florida” extensively reviews some of these products. Bacillus thuringiensis (BT) is a bacteria found in soil that can be used for caterpillar pest control.
We love our squash, cucumbers, and watermelons in the South, however there are a number of insects that like to eat them too. More information on cucurbit insect pests and their management can be found in the publication “Insect Management for Cucurbits”.
Armyworms like to feed on just about everything. The Ask IFAS website has a nice collection of publications on all types of armyworms.
Some fungi are fun to eat while others kill our landscape plants. One common fungal disease found in the landscape is Entomosporium leaf spot. This disease is very common on Indian hawthorns. The article “Keep an Eye on Your Indian Hawthorn” describes this disease and it’s control.
Aphids are a very common insect pest. In fact, some plant species have specific aphids. More information on different aphid species and their control can be found in the publication “Aphids on Landscape Plants”.
A plant in the wrong place is considered a weed. Some plants are particularly good at finding the wrong place and can take over our lawns. The publication “Weed Management Guide for Florida Lawns” offers solutions on controlling common lawn weeds.
Cockroaches do a nice job cleaning up litter when they’re outside, but we don’t need want them in our houses whether they’re cleaning up trash or not. The publication “Cockroaches and Their Management” is a great resource for cockroach species identification and management.
As previously mentioned, there are a lot more good insects than bad insects. For more information on predatory insects and biological controls check out the publication “Natural Enemies and Biological Control”.
Nature is fascinating and most people are lifetime learners. To help find out what you’re looking at, give the iNaturalist website and app a try.
Armadillos don’t mean any harm and can be kind of cute. However, they can make a mess of our yard and they build their dens in some undesirable locations. The publication “The Nine-Banded Armadillo” provides information on armadillos and their management.
Fire ants are pests of our lawns and pastures and their sting is brutal. For more information on fire ants please refer to the publication “Managing Imported Fire Ants in Urban Areas”.
Pests can be pesky, but they are manageable if you keep up with the art and science of their control. If you need help with identification and pest management options please don’t hesitate to contact your local Extension Office.
Past episodes of Gardening in the Panhandle LIVE can be found on our YouTube playlist.
Smilax is a common vine that can pop up in unwanted spots in landscapes. Learn about how this plant grows and management techniques with UF IFAS Escambia County Extension.
