the grasshopper's gazette MAY 2022

WEEDING THROUGH IT! 

In Florida, there is constant battle with weeds in the lawn and landscape areas.  Weeds can certainly make a lawn look unkept quickly.  By definition, a weed is an unwanted plant. This can be based on the type of plant or simply because of its location.   Beautiful, healthy St. Augustine grass can be desired in the lawn, but once it encroaches into the flower beds, it becomes a weed.  This can make proper management difficult.  It is important to understand the different categories of weeds to better control each one.    

GRASSES 

Grassy weeds have blades that are longer than they are wide and have round, hollow stems.  These can include turf grass that is growing where it isn’t desired or intended.  One of the most prevalent grassy weeds in The Villages is crabgrass.  This can be tricky and time-consuming to control based on its reproduction pattern.  Some other frequent grassy weeds we see in Florida are sandspur, goose grass and torpedo grass.  They are best controlled with specific selective herbicides.  Proper herbicide use is important to balance control of the weed while not harming the desired turfgrass variety.  One of the most common issues we get asked to mitigate is Bermuda grass encroaching into St. Augustine.  Unfortunately, only way to get rid of Bermuda is to use a non-selective herbicide like glyphosate which will also kill the St. Augustine. SEDGES Sedges can be identified by their triangular shaped, solid stems. An easy trick for ID is to remember, “Sedges have edges.”  The most common in The Villages is perennial kyllinga and globe.  Sedges will grow faster and taller than grass and can quickly give a lawn an “unkept” look.  The perennial nature of sedge can make them difficult to eradicate.  They reproduce by seeds and underground tubers.  As soon as you get one set gone, seeds blow in and more establish.  The best defense against sedge is a thick healthy lawn.  Overtime, their window to establish will close.   

BROADLEAF 

Broadleaf weeds are easy to differentiate from grasses and sedges because they have a rounder, broad leaf, hence their name.  The veins on the leaf usually separate the leaf into two side and have netlike branches out from the center vein.  They can be annual or perennial based on the specific weed.  Many of them are actually edible and quite nutritious, though we would caution anyone from eating anything from a treated lawn.  Some common bread leaf weeds are dollarweed, woodsorrel and chamberbitter.  Dollarweed looks like small Lily pads in the lawn and reproduce via tubers, rhizomes and seeds which makes controlling them a long term project.  Woodsorrel is another common weed that often gets misidentified as clover.  While it does look similar, it has its very own category.   

NON-CHEMICAL CONTROL 

There are several non-chemical actions that can assist with a minimal weed lawn.  Proper mowing is great start.  If a lawn is mowed too short, especially in summertime, it will create an opening for weeds to get established.  St. Augustine grass should be mowed at 3.75”-4” during it’s growing season.  Oftentimes lawn companies will come through and cut down a lawn lower than 3” to “buy them time” before the next cut.  This is not good for the long-term health of the turf.  Shorter lawns, especially during the summer months in Florida require more water to stay green.  Another maintenance procedure for discouraging weed growth is to keep the mower blades sharp.  This will decrease the stress on the grass blades.  Reducing foot, vehicle and golf cart traffic on your grass will also help reduce weed growth.  If there is a trampled path, the grass is put under stress which causes a space for the weeds to grow.   

CHEMICAL CONTROL 

Weeds can be controlled through chemical methods such as selective & non-selective herbicides and a proper fertilization program.  The thicker and healthier a lawn becomes, the less space the weeds have to establish.  Remember, weeds don’t create a void, they fill a void. A thick turf will minimize the physical space available for weeds to establish.  Late  summer is the most tricky time for weed control.  It is still too hot to use many herbicides.  Sometimes, it is the healthiest thing for the turf, to wait until the weather cools down to below 85˚ consistently before addressing the weeds.  Chemical control should only be handled by a educated, trained, licensed professional.  In the State of Florida anyone treating turf they do not personally own is required to have a pest control license. 

BENEFITS 

Believe it or not there are some benefits to having weeds in your lawn.  They are especially helpful when attempting to fill in bare spots.  Not only do they provide erosion control, they also help keep the soil temperature down and actually provide balance to the soil where the grass died.  Think of them as a cover crop.  They are growing and even thriving where grass is not.  There is a reason for it, whether it is lack of moisture or nutrients.  While some weeds will compete for nutrients, others will actually provide them.  Another way to look at them is as a scab on a healing wound.  While temporarily unsightly, important to the healing process and best when left alone, no picking.