MAY 2025
As we head into the month of May we
will continue the application of our Florida Friendly Fertilizer—a custom
blended, slow-release, fertilizer for this particular time of year—combined
with an insecticide. Additionally, as long as the temperatures permit for it,
we will continue to spot treat for weeds.
As always, weeds have been abundant
this spring. Among the weeds that are most despised are the weed grasses.
Crabgrass is one notorious example. This class of weeds is especially hard to
eradicate because they reproduce by seed, clippings and stolons. Wind,
rain, and lawnmowers disperse them, which regrettably means that if you employ
a lawn maintenance company or have a neighbor dealing with a weed problem, it
often becomes your issue as well. Another much despised example is sedge
grass. We have had clients who went to the expense of removing their lawn and
having it re-sodded, only to have the grassy weeds return. Because their rhizomes
run very deep and extensive in the soil, it is virtually impossible to
completely eradicate them once they have been introduced into your lawn.
There are products labeled “safe" for the treatment of sedge grass and other grassy weeds in St. Augustine grass lawns, however, we have witnessed it time and time again that simply
isn’t the case. We have had clients who purchased those products only to
severely weaken, damage, and in some cases kill, their St. Augustine grass. One
example is a neighbor of ours who used it throughout his front lawn and ended
up killing all of his St. Augustine grass. He then spent a small fortune having
it re-sodded only to have it return within a year.
The key word in our weed applications is control not elimination. How
wealthy we would be if we had the formula to completely eliminate weeds! The
best approach to dealing with them is a healthy, vigorous lawn which will crowd
out would– be weeds. An example of maintaining a healthy lawn while
controlling weeds would be our own lawn. Roughly 30% of our front yard is sedge
grass and has been that way since we purchased our home many years ago. We
often have friends and neighbors compliment us on how healthy, thick and green it is, never noticing the sedge grass until we point it out. Because we adhere
to the proper cultural practices, combined with our lawn program applications,
we have kept the sedge grass in control.
Lastly, significant weed issues in a
lawn frequently signal that the turf has been compromised due to improper
maintenance practices or pest damage. This is why we consistently emphasize to
our clients the critical importance of adhering to correct cultural practices,
including appropriate mowing height and frequency as well as the right amount
and timing of irrigation. While our applications are an integral part of a
healthy lawn, for the full benefits to be achieved those cultural practices are
as critical as the applications themselves.
In The Garden
This Month
Annuals
The annuals to plant this month include celosia, coleus,
coreopsis, crossandras, exacum, gaillardias, gazanias, hollyhocks, impatiens,
kalanchoe, marigolds, nicotianas, ornamental peppers, pentas, portulacas (moss rose), salvia, thunbergia alata, torenias,
verbenas, periwinkles and zinnias.
Want more tips and info on gardening with annuals in
Florida? Go to: https://gardeningsolutions.ifas.ufl.edu/plants/ornamentals/annual-flowers/
Vegetables
Some southern favorites to plant now are okra, southern pea
and sweet potato.
Want more tips and info on growing veggies in Florida?
Check out https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/publication/VH021
