MARCH 2025

As we enter March, we will continue with our applications of Florida Friendly Fertilizer, a specially formulated slow-release fertilizer tailored for this season, combined with pre-emergence and post-emergence herbicides for effective weed control—"pre" for those weeds that have yet to sprout and "post" for those already present. 

One of the most frequent questions we receive this time of year is "when will my grass come out of dormancy?" While mid to late March typically marks the onset of our turf growing season, we've received some atypical cold weather due to the "winter storms" that extended to our area. In simple terms, once we start experiencing a steady stream of warm days and nights, our growing season will officially commence. 

Moving forward, this is the time of year to keep in mind that the applications we apply only make up one-third of what contributes to a beautiful, and most importantly, healthy lawn. The remaining two-thirds is dependent on you adopting the proper watering and mowing practices. 

Mowing

St. Augustine grass should be maintained at a minimum height of 3.5–4 inches. Repeatedly mowing at lower heights increases stress on the lawn, discourages deep rooting, increases the chance for scalping if a mowing event is missed or postponed due to weather, and increases susceptibility to pest and weed issues. Maintaining the correct height helps the grass develop a deep root system which not only gives a better appearance to the turf, but also promotes healthy grass. No more than 1/3 of the leaf blades should be removed with any mowing. When possible, mowing height should be increased during periods of moisture stress or if the grass is growing in shade. Mowing too infrequently or too high and over-watering and over-fertilizing can cause thatch buildup. Grass clippings should be left on a lawn that is mowed at the proper height and frequency. Under these conditions clippings do not contribute to a thatch layer, but rather, they put nutrients and organic matter back into the soil system. If the clippings are excessive and clumping occurs, let them dry out and then disperse them over the lawn. It is also very important to frequently switch your mowing patterns to prevent ruts in your lawn.  

Irrigation 

We recommend 3/4” water applied (usually 45 min running time, per zone, for those of you with irrigation systems) during your allotted watering days, which is twice a week this time of year. Also remember that overwatering can be just as harmful as insufficient watering, causing more weeds, pests and diseases.

We also recommend you start the season by performing a simple DIY test of your irrigation system. This is particularly important for those of you with areas in your lawn that seem to dry out quicker than the rest and/or are disease and weed prone. To determine the amount of irrigation supplied by your sprinkler system, place several straight-sided cans (e.g., tuna fish or cat food) throughout zone and run each zone to determine how long it takes to fill the cans to the ¾-inch level, then record the time. Each zone will likely take different amounts of time to supply the same quantity of water. Take your recorded run times for each zone and program them into your automated system. If the variation in the catch cans is great, a more thorough audit of the irrigation system is needed, however, remember that when you hire an irrigation company it is good practice to run your own “tuna can test” afterwards to insure you are indeed getting the proper amount of water and coverage.

Remember, our lawns are ornamental grasses, meaning that they are not as hardy as the indigenous weed. It needs optimal conditions and the best cultural practices of correct irrigation and mowing in order to be healthy and thrive.

LAWN, GARDEN AND LANDSCAPE CHECKLIST

Turf

• On March 9, when Daylight Savings Time begins, set your irrigation system to a twice weekly schedule. Go to https://www.sjrwmd.com/wateringrestrictions/ to find your allotted watering days.

• Run your irrigation system manually and check the sprinkler heads to see if they are broken, misdirected, and/or blocked by grass or plugged with dirt. Replace broken heads, adjust any that are misdirected, clean up the grass that may have grown over and blocked them, raise them if they are not high enough and clean them with a piece of wire if they are plugged. If your pop-up sprinkler heads are over five years old, check to see if they are leaking between the shaft and the housing and replace them if the leakage is significant. Leakage reduces the water available to the rest of the zone making coverage less effective due to less pressure. Leakage also floods the surrounding area and encourages fungal infection in the turf. During dryer weather malfunctioning sprinklers are apparent by the brown grass in areas that don’t receive proper watering.

Vegetable and Fruit Gardens

• Most gardens will produce better by amending the soil with compost (organic matter). Perform a soil pH test to determine the soil’s acid/alkaline level.

• Warm season fruits and vegetables can be planted now: snap beans, pole beans, cantaloupe, sweet corn, cucumbers, eggplant, peppers, squash, tomatoes and watermelons.

• This is the time to plant the seeds you started indoors in January and February. 

Landscape 

• Annuals that can be planted this time of year are ageratum, alyssum, amaranthus, asters, baby’s breath, balsam, begonia, browallia, calendula, celosia, calliopsis, cosmos, dusty miller, exacum, gaillardia, gazania, geranium, hollyhock, impatiens, lobelia, Marguerite daisy, marigold, pentas, phlox, rudbeckia, salvia, strawflower, strepocarpus, Sweet William, thunbergia, torenia, verbena, vinca, and zinnia. 

Ornamentals

• After the threat of a frost or freeze is gone, prune back the plants that received cold weather damage. If in doubt, wait for new growth to see where the live plant is, but remember that it can be quite a while until new growth begins on damaged plants. A quick way to determine if a stem or branch is alive is to cut it and see if any green is present. If all the leaves have fallen off, the branch is probably alive, but if the leaves have stayed on the branch, that’s usually an indication that it's dead.