Cultural Practices
Have a question related to weed control and fertilization you would like us to address? Send an email to operations@easybuttonlawnservice.com and you may see that topic in a future post.
Spring Preemergent Time is Upon Us!
As we move in to January we will be starting our spring weed management program and begin our spring pre-emergent applications. This application helps prevents weeds such as crabgrass among others.
For best results it is extremely important that the preemergent is watered in with approximately .25 inches of water within two days of application. Failure to do so may result in less than optimal results.
We use one of the best pre-emergent's on the market for preventing many winter and summer weeds but it works particularly well again Poa Annua. We combine it with several other pre-emergents as well depending on the time of year.
If you have any questions about your spring pre-emergent treatments please let us know.
Dethatching, Fertilization and Aeration, On the Way!
As the grass greens up, it means it's time to get ready for the growing season here in the south. First, determine if you have a heavy thatch layer and if so, dethatch your lawn. It helps prevent disease, encourages proper decomposition, allows helps nutrients enter the soil profile.
Next, throw down some fertilizer according to your turf type's needs. Turf like centipede need less fertilization than a bermuda turf like TIFWAY 419.
Finally, once your lawn is vigorous with growth, aerate. It loosens the compaction of the soil and provides for better nutrient, water and oxygen uptake by the roots of the plant.
Give us a call with any questions, we'd love to help!
Watering to Limit Heat Stress
To prevent or limit heat stress on your lawn during periods of drought, water your lawn two times per week for 35-40 minutes per zone. For smaller yards you may be able to reduce the amount of time but the goal is to provide 1.5 inches of water per week to your lawn.
This encourages deep root growth of your lawn helping reduce the effects of heat stress on your lawn while also discouraging the growth of sedges.
If you have clay soil as many of us do, and even better approach is to split those times in half during your watering session. For example, for a three zone system, water zone 1,2 and 3 for 20 minutes each, then repeat the zones a second time for an additional 20 minutes each. By splitting your cycle it gives the soil time to absorb the water, reducing the amount of runoff.
January is Preemergent Time
It's coming up on prime time to apply preemergent. If you want to prevent nasty invasive weeds like crabgrass ensure you get it down in January or early February dependent on weather.
For DIYer's we recommend Spectracide products as they have the best combination of chemicals in our opinion.
If you prefer professionals take care of your lawn treatment needs, give a call @ 706-941-6600. We would love the opportunity to keep your lawn looking beautiful and the envy of the neighborhood!
Yellow Nutsedge
Yellow nutsedge is perennial weed that plagues many lawns here in the CSRA. Unfortunately because it is a perennial, this sedge can not be controlled with preemergent herbicides. It seems to do well in poorly drained areas and compact soil in which desired grass may struggle.
Best cultural practices are to cut your lawn high and water your lawn deeply but less frequently, making the area less desirable to the sedge. Read our blog article on watering practices to learn why deep watering is a better choice for your lawn.
You can accompany these cultural practices with fertilization which helps your grass out compete the sedge, and chemical controls which help kill the plant over time.
Fall Preemergent
If you want a pristine lawn we are very close to our fall preemergent window here in the CSRA. If you've lived here for a year or more, you've likely heard of and seen poa annua, also known as annual bluegrass. Your fall preemergent application will ensure little to no poa annua germinate and develop in to the adult plant, which can detract from the curb appeal of your lawn.
There are several products on the market but if you want the best, Specticle Flo is the only way to go. This is the industry go to for those companies willing to spend a little extra for a premium product. If you want to apply this product yourself, ensure you do so before your soil temperatures drop below 70 degrees.
Feel free to contact us with any questions. We'd love to help in any way we can!
Winter Dormancy
Unless you plant a winter rye or some other cool season grass, lawns will begin going dormant over the next couple of months. Although weather determines when warm season grass goes dormant, we typically see this change no later than mid November.
A few best practices would be to cut your lawn low for the winter, typically 1.5 to 2 inches in height. This reduces the chance for fungal problems over the winter. Once your lawn goes dormant, you can stop watering as well. This saves money and also helps in prevention of fungal growth.
If you have any weed problems that show up during or continue through dormancy, this is a great time to address them because you can use glyphosate for those hard to kill weeds like dallisgrass without harming your bermuda lawn.
We hope this information is useful and if you have any questions feel free to contact us at 706-941-6600.
Poa Annua
Although we love to be able to provide methods in which to control weeds without chemicals, poa is one that you really need to apply a fall preemergent to control. Because it can become such an eyesore we felt it was important enough to discuss in our cultural controls section.
There are many products on the market available to homeowners such as Prodiamine but the most effective preemergent for poa annua control is Specticle Flo. It is rather expensive, selling for around $300 for their smallest bottle, but is also a prime example of the saying, you get what you pay for.
If you prefer to have a professional treat your lawn, you're in luck, we use Specticle Flo and are currently running a signup discount for those who start service before October 1st 2021.
Give us a call so we can get this preemergent applied before soil temperatures drop below 70 degrees.