Moss: Invading Lawns Around You Moss continues to be a major topic of discussion with property owners. This is contributed to the above normal rainfall for the past two years along with other site conditions conducive for moss development. Mosses generally do not kill grass, however, it will take over areas in the lawn where… Read more »
Moss continues to be a major topic of discussion with property owners. This is contributed to the above normal rainfall for the past two years along with other site conditions conducive for moss development. Mosses generally do not kill grass, however, it will take over areas in the lawn where turf is unable to flourish and grow properly. Conditions that create moss are excessive shade, poor draining, compact soils, and excessive moisture not allowing the soil to dry properly. Conditions that create moss also create a poor growing environment for quality turf.
Moss is a non-vascular plant and is not controlled by regular weed controls. There is not a reasonable chemical control option to remove moss – it is controlled by eliminating the conditions that created it.
Time is running out to control summer Crabgrass. Crabgrass will usually start to germinate in late March or early April throughout the Transitional Zone. Germination will occur when soil temperatures are between 53 to 58 degrees and 3 to 4 inches deep. Crabgrass germination will be seen first in bare spots with little desirable turf and in full sun. January is the time of year when lawn care professionals will apply your first application of Pre-emergent Crabgrass control. It is imperative that this first application is applied by early March. The required second application of pre-emergent will usually follow in about 6 to 8 weeks.
There are some reports of Crabgrass germination in bare full sun areas along walkways or roads. This is due to the unseasonably warm temperatures we saw in February and early March. This should not be a major issue but should be noted.
Large Patch fungus can be active on Zoysia, Bermuda, Centipede
Poa
Poa
We control about seventy percent of Poa
You will know if your Bermuda, Zoysia, Centipede or St. Augustine received winter damage by end of May. That is usually when you will know for sure. In the Transitional Zone, we do not consider a warm season turf completely out of dormancy and actively growing till the end of May. Sure some will look green or somewhat green before then but they are not actively growing yet. Several new varieties of Bermuda and Zoysia have the characteristics of breaking dormancy earlier and staying active longer into the fall. Centipede tries to break dormancy early and that is why Centipede turf is commonly damaged due to a late frost or cold spell in S
There is something you can do before May if you are really concerned about a part of the lawn that just isn’t looking right. Cut out a small piece of the lawn and bring it inside in front of a window that is getting at least six hours of sunlight. Be sure to dig at least 3” of soil with your sample. Wait approximately two weeks and if you observe greening, the turf is probably fine. If no greening is observed by three weeks, turf is probably damaged.
A misconception with broadleaf weed control is that the weed should turn brown after treatment within a couple of days and die. However, more times than not, this is not the case and most weed species may take a couple of weeks to show signs of control. In fact, signs of control may not even be seen with the plant turning brown. More often the plant will just start to shrivel and disappear leaving a very small Skelton