Video: Smilax Vines
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.
White, Fluffy Tufts in Lawns May Be Trampweed
Do you have a low-growing weed that is producing tufts of white, fluffy, dandelion-like seeds, which float in the wind when disturbed or mowed? This is Annual Trampweed (Facelis retusa). I did not see this weed in North Florida until recent years. It’s native to South America.
Mid-April to early May is the time of year when this winter annual weed goes to seed in North Florida. That’s what it is doing now and it is a prolific seed producer. Each white tuft contains numerous seeds. Each tiny seed is attached to a small individual bristle, coming out of the larger tuft, which is carried by wind. This allows hundreds of seeds to move to other locations.
Trampweed is approaching the end of its life as we move into early May. As a winter annual, the individual weed dies in response to warm temperatures only to leave behind hundreds of seeds that survive the summer. These same seeds come up the following fall to early winter to begin the next generation. The best time to attempt chemical control with an herbicide is well before these weeds mature and begin flowering.
One chemical control option is to apply a lawn preemergence herbicide during October when nighttime temperatures drop to 55° to 60°F for several consecutive nights. This will be just before these winter annual weeds emerge. Done correctly, the application of a preemergence herbicide forms a temporary chemical barrier along the soil surface preventing the winter annual weeds from emerging. Hence the name preemergence.
A second application of preemergence herbicide may be required six to nine weeks after the initial application to achieve season-long control, based on the product’s label directions.
If you miss this narrow window of opportunity to apply a preemergence herbicide, watch for the small young weeds in winter and treat then with a postemergence herbicide that is labelled for use in the type of lawn grass you are growing.
Waiting until trampweed is producing flowers and seeds in April and May to attempt control is almost worthless in controlling this weed. Correct timing is critical.
Trampweed usually is found in areas of a lawn that are already weak and thinning. It favors open, dry, stressed and low-fertility areas of a lawn. So, try to manage your lawn correctly. This involves learning to mow, irrigate and fertilize correctly for the type of lawn grass you are growing.
More information on Florida lawns is available at https://hort.ifas.ufl.edu/yourfloridalawn or from the UF/IFAS Extension Office in your County.
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.
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.
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
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
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.
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!