Don't Let Moss Grow Under Your Feet

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You have probably seen moss growing on trees and rocks in the forest and perhaps you are growing some right now in your home lawns. In lawns, it’s that soft, dense, cushiony green mat competing for space with your lawn. Moss is a rather primitive plant that forms a dense mat on the soil surface. It absorbs nutrients and water primarily through its leaves and needs some sunlight to photosynthesize and make food. Their rhizoids are not true roots and serve primarily to anchor the plant to the soils; not absorbing water and nutrients. Mosses spread primarily by movement of spores via wind or water. That’s enough of the biology lesson.

Why is it growing so happily in certain lawns? It is an indicator of potentially poor growing conditions like poor drainage, over-watering, shade, compacted soil, poor fertility, and low pH soils in many cases. The long-term solution to keeping moss out is to change the factors that favor the moss infestation and create more favorable conditions to grow grasses.

I would suggest starting the process by treating the moss and raking out the dead plant material. There are several good moss-control products that usually include some form of ferrous sulfate and come in sprays or granules. This is usually done in 70 degree weather and causes the moss to turn black. (Keep off the walks because it can turn them orange.) It should then be raked out. After this, I would aerate heavily and reseed the area with a shade loving grass and keep the mowing height above 3 inches if possible to favor the grass over the moss. If the area is heavily shaded, the surrounding trees could be thinned out to allow more sunlight. Don’t over water lawns, and address poor drainage issues as needed. A soil test will tell you if you need to correct the soil pH.  Soil pH levels below a pH of 6.0 should receive a lime treatment. Regular feeding of the lawn should also favor a healthier and more competitive lawn as well.

Moss is growing there for a reason. Without some positive changes in cultural practices it is not likely to go away completely any time soon. These steps may need to be repeated for a few seasons to make significant changes in the lawn density. You should aerate and feed the lawn regularly, mow high, let proper light in, and treat, rake, and seed as needed in spring or fall. 

If you have questions about moss, moss treatment, aeration, proper fertilization, irrigation, or any other lawn problems call us at Weed Man 

(559) 266-1624 or visit our website at Fresno.WeedManUSA.com.

I’m Looking Over a Three-Leaf Clover

White Clover

Perhaps you have noticed that many school yards around town have an abundance of weeds with white pom-poms throughout the lawns.  What you are likely seeing are patches of white clover that really thrive this time of year.  No, it has nothing to do with the students or faculty or the presence of Leprechauns.  Clovers are legumes and part of the pea family.  As a legume, their roots have symbiotic nitrogen-fixing bacteria which basically allow them to take nitrogen from the air and make it available for uptake by their roots.  Clovers can take advantage in soils that receive little fertilization by making their own and out competing the lawn and other weeds.  They can be good for soil building.  On the negative side, the flowers attract bees which can result in bee stings.  Some clovers like California Burclover produce spiny burs that can be painful on bare feet and become attached to pet’s fur.

There are numerous types of clovers in our area.  Clovers can be annuals, biennials, or perennials.   California Burclover (Medicago  polymorpha)and Black Medic (Medicago  lupulina) are very common annual clovers that invade lawns.  Both of these grow in a low prostrate manner from a single taproot and produce bright yellow flowers.  The leaflets form in threes and are oval shaped.  In flower beds you may see upright-growing sweet clovers like yellow sweetclover (Melilotus officinalis) which may grow 2 or more feet tall.  And finally you will see white (Trifolium repens) and strawberry clovers (Trifolium fragiferum) which are perennials in lawns, school yards, and parks throughout the state.  Their creeping stems can root at the nodes into the soil below. Their common names come from their mostly white or pink-strawberry flowers that can be very prominent.  The white clover also has a white cresent mark on its leaves.  Strawberry clover does not have this distinct marking on the leaves and is generally a more robust and aggressive plant.

You may wish to keep clovers in your lawn for their ability to add some nitrogen to the soils at no cost to you or you may like the appearance of the plant and its flowers.  Others of you may not like the patchy appearance of the clovers, not like to be stung by bees, or not like to be poked by burs.  Lawn fertilization will help the lawn grasses compete better with the clovers and reduce their advantage   Unfortunately, mowing will not reduce the presence of clovers, but you should still regularly mow the lawn.  The annual clovers may be able to be pulledout by the taproot after a good rain or irrigation, but established white clover patches will not be easily pulled out.  The use of selective herbicides are the best and easiest solution for these.

For more information on clovers and other weeds call Weed Man at 266-1624 or visit our website at Fresno.WeedManUSA.com.

Spotting Spotted Spurge

Spotted Spurge in Lawn

You may or may not know what spotted spurge is, but chances are you have seen it in lawns and especially flowerbeds during the summer months.   Spotted spurge (Euphorbia maculata) is a summer annual broadleaf weed that is native to the eastern United States and is extremely common here in central California.

It grows very close to the ground and forms a dense mat of pinkish-red stems, deep green leaves with a purple spot in the center, and a center taproot pegging it to the ground.  The taproot may extend down as far as 24 inches! If the plant is pulled or broken, a white, milky latex-like sap will ooze out.  This sap can be irritating to some people’s skin.  Its leaves are in opposite pairs along the stems, and the flowers, stems, fruit, and leaves are covered with tiny hairs.

Spurge usually starts germinating in late March or April as the soil temperatures reach 60 degrees F, but really thrives when soils temperatures are 75-85 degrees F.  With little water and sunlight the seed will germinate successfully.  UC Extension literature states that it can produce viable seed within 5 weeks of germination, but I swear that it seems more like overnight.  A single plant can produce thousands of seeds that can germinate immediately if the conditions are right.  If you have ever pulled up spurge plants you can see the massive amounts of seed left behind on the soil surface.  Ants like to help move these around, too.  Maybe they like the shade it produces or perhaps it is a source of food for them.

Now we know when and what to look for in our search for spotted spurge, but how do we reduce its presence in our landscapes?  Culturally, we can watch for weeds in plants and soils we purchase to add to our landscape.  Try to pull, hoe, or spray plants before they have a chance to go to seed. Mulching the soil surface with 3-4 inches of bark chips can also reduce weed germination by shading the soil below and reducing the needed sunlight for germination.  Anything less than 3 inches is only cosmetic in terms of weed control.  In lawns, thin areas should be filled in with sod or reseeded and then fertilized and mowed at 2 inches or higher to increase the competitive edge over the spurge.

Pre emergent products like Amaze, Preen, or Dimension applied starting in March, will significantly reduce spurge populations through root inhibition.  Multiple applications may be needed for season-long control.  Post emergent products come in both selective (broadleaf herbicides for lawns) and non-selective types such as Roundup where sprays must be carefully directed to hit the weeds only.

Spurge will be here for years and years to come.  If you would like to know more about spurge, or other weeds that you wrestle with, you can call Weed Man at 559-266-1624 or visit our website at Fresno.WeedManUSA.com.

Please Water Your Lawn...Responsibly

It is now time to start thinking about watering your lawn, trees, shrubs, and flowers. It’s starting to warm up and you are probably seeing a few lawns showing signs of dry spots. I watered my lawn for the first time since October on March 1^st. We want to strive to use our precious water resources responsibly which means not wasting it.

Broken Sprinkler --bradleygee

How do we waste water? Some people may over-water their landscape because they never shut it off during the winter months. Others may water during rainy periods. Some may have poor sprinkler coverage and water extra to help hide the weak spots. Others may not over-water, but they have sprinklers that spray driveways, walks, and city streets and water ends up in the culverts instead of the lawn. Some sprinklers are being blocked by plants and do not hit their intended targets, leaving a dry spot a few feet away, while at the same time, leaving a swampy lake at the base of the plant. Unfortunately, many homeowners turn on their irrigation clocks in March or April and turn them off in October or November with no seasonal adjustments addressing the temperature changes or the plant’s needs. Then there is the obvious geyser that is the result of broken lines, risers, or damaged sprinkler heads that roar through large quantities of water day after day until someone takes the time to fix it. These problems do not take care of themselves...really!

Okay, so where do you start. The very first day that you turn your irrigation clock to the on position, you should take the time to observe every sprinkler or emitter on every station. Note the patterns, coverage, and especially look for leaks or non-functioning heads. These need to be fixed immediately and checked periodically throughout the season. I would also recommend looking at the running time on each station to see if it is appropriate for the season and plant type. You should note if any runoff occurs and certainly make adjustments when you see the soil is too wet or too dry throughout the season. The City of Fresno and our website has information on the correct minutes per week broken down by month as a conservation guideline.

Water rates will soon climb much higher, so I would highly recommend looking at switching to more efficient smart time clocks and precision nozzles. The smart clocks and moisture sensors can help make logical seasonal adjustments to the plant’s needs and save significant amounts of water. Plants really don’t like too much water, or too little. The new lower precipitation nozzles really reduce runoff and have much higher water efficiency, especially over traditional spray nozzles.

We live in a desert and water is essential for growing plants and people. Let’s not waste it. For free assistance with sprinklers you may call the City of Fresno or Aqua Man, our new irrigation division. You can call Aqua Man at 475-7777, Weed Man at 266-1624 or check out our website at Fresno.WeedManUSA.com to find out more about irrigation or weed control.

Bermuda Grass – Is it Wonderful or a Weed?

We are all familiar with Bermuda grass.  It thrives in our Central Valley climate.  Bermuda is a strong lawn choice in the Valley as it can take the heat and tolerate moderately low levels of irrigation.  If you are trying to grow Bermuda as a lawn grass you probably like the fact that you can treat it sparingly and it will survive, or you can water, fertilize, and mow on a regular basis and it will provide you with a good looking lawn for years to come. 

Bermuda grass does have its limitations though.  It tolerates almost no shade and it goes dormant in the winter months leaving a tan landscape of dead leaves and stems. It has no ability to compete with winter weeds as it lies dormant making it a mottled mess if no measures are taken to prevent the weeds.  Bermuda is very invasive and able to mend open spots through rhizomes and stolons. Surprisingly it does not out-compete crabgrass though.  Keeping Bermuda in bounds and out of the nearby flowerbeds and the neighbor’s tall fescue lawn is a challenge as well.

A weed is a plant out of place.  This describes Bermuda when it is growing in what is supposed to be a tall fescue, bluegrass, or ryegrass lawn (or flower bed).  During the summer months Bermuda grass can progressively invade a lawn unnoticed as both the grasses are fully green.  As temperatures drop and the Bermuda becomes dormant, the realization of the damage is fully seen.  The key to managing the Bermuda population is to identify it early and take steps to suppress it with Turflon or spot-treat it with Roundup and reseed or sod. Applications should be applied to actively growing plants from April – September.  Once the Bermuda makes up more than 25% of the grass mix you can live with it and let it go, or at some point, kill off areas and start over.  Bermuda is not easy to kill once established, even with multiple applications of Roundup.

If you have a Bermuda lawn and it receives plenty of sunshine, I think it makes a great lawn. It should receive regular feeding, watering, mowing, and necessary weed control throughout the year.  If you have it and you love it, but the trees have grown and the shade is so heavy that you have more dirt than grass, it is time to change grasses or shrink the shape of the lawn to what areas are growing well.  If you have Bermuda and hate it and want tall fescue instead, you will need to apply Roundup 3-4 times over a period of 2-3 months starting in August.  After putting in the new lawn you will need to watch carefully for emerging Bermuda stolons and treat every 2-3 weeks with Turflon to suppress the Bermuda selectively. 

If you have any lawn questions please call Weed Man at 559-266-1624, visit our website at Fresno.WeedManUSA.com or check out our Facebook page at Facebook.com/fresnoweedman

Is your Lawn Looking Sad?

Spring is just around the corner and many of you will want to get out and work on the yard. To your dismay, your lawns may fall short of perfection due to “bald spots” or thin turf as a result of pet damage, weeds, sprinkler coverage, fertilizer spill, or any other number of things.  I would like to say “That’s easy.  Just sprinkle a little seed out there” and all will be well, but it is a bit more complicated than that.

First I would determine what it was that caused the turf to thin out or disappear altogether.  If it is something that you did wrong then I would be sure to not do it again and maybe hire a professional.  If it thinned out due to shade then you need to find another grass or plant material that can tolerate the increased level of shade or open up the trees to allow more light in.  Grass does not grow here without adequate water, so be certain your sprinklers cover well.   I know this sounds really basic, but these are the problems that are often ignored and we repeat the same thing year after year and get the same mediocre results.

The next step is to determine what kind of lawn you have and learn what makes it happiest.  Tall fescue, ryegrass, and bluegrass lawns generally stay green year-round if they get fed, watered, and mowed regularly.  They thrive on 50-75 degree weather, tolerate some shade, don’t spread well or none at all if damaged, and don’t compete well with warm season grasses like bermuda.  Bermuda thrives on 70-100 degree weather, but can spread by rhizomes and stolons to repair thin turf under good growing conditions.  Don’t try to reseed bermuda in the winter, early spring, or fall because it will have little chance to establish.  Don’t seed tall fescue in the middle of summer or winter either for similar reasons.

Pet Damage (dog spot)

Finally there is the matter dealing with the threat of crabgrass.  It will out-compete all lawn types from March through September.  It starts to germinate mid February and if there is a history of crabgrass in the lawn I would not feel good about the chance of successfully seeding a lawn during this time frame.  For cool-season grasses like tall fescue, I would delay seeding efforts until October 1.  If I had bare spots or thin weedy spots I would consider resodding those areas February through early May to allow establishment prior to our hot summer months.  Bermuda can be sodded most any time, and it does have the ability to fill in by itself under good conditions and without seed or stolons in many cases.

If you are not sure about what to do with your lawn we will give you a free evaluation quickly.  Call Weed Man at 559-266-1624 or visit us at fresno.weedmanusa.com to learn more or schedule a free evaluation.

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Dandelions, Clovers, and Stickers…Oh My!

We are quickly approaching the time of year that I love.  Days are getting longer and temperatures are slowly moving up to near perfection. Flowers will be blooming and trees will be pushing new growth.   I can just imagine the smell of the freshly cut grass.   Life is good isn't it!

Dandelion

From my perspective this is also a happy time for many of our favorite weeds.  As soils warm up crabgrass will be popping up in late February.  The winter weeds including dandelion, clover, prickly lettuce, groundsel, henbit, chickweed, sowthistle, cheese weed, filaree, mare’s tail, wild celery, fleabane, Poa annua, and others will enjoy this burst of sunny days as well.  They will start to grow rapidly, flower, and go to seed in order for them to spread into next year.  It’s great for them and for us as a weed control service as well.  Like long hot summers in Fresno, we can pretty much count on weeds year after year.

Weeds are invasive plants that just find opportunities to thrive in lawns and landscapes.  In some cases there are decent pre emergent products to prevent their germination, but others will be missed.  Some weeds like clovers are often an indicator of soils that are low in fertility.  Because they are legumes and can fix their own nitrogen, they are able to have a strong competitive advantage over dormant or neglected lawns.  Have you seen many of the school’s lawns lately?

Selective post emergent broadleaf weed control products can offer effective relief from a majority of the broadleaf weeds.  Greater plant safety is often noted on tall fescue and ryegrass lawns over bermuda lawns that are waking up from dormancy where some caution should be taken.  Weeds themselves should be actively growing and not freshly mowed at the time of application.  Irrigation or rainfall following the application in the first 24 hours may reduce effectiveness as well.  In some cases a second or third application may be needed to achieve complete control.

Not all lawn care products are alike and certainly not all landscaping providers are alike. I know when I am looking for help, I want to talk to live people that know what they are talking about, they’re honest, and they keep their promises and stand behind their work.  Weed Man lawn care is fully licensed and has all technicians nationally recognized as Landscape Industry Certified Technicians by the end of their first year. Results are guaranteed.  Feel free to call us for a free lawn analysis and quote at 559-266-1624 or visit our website at Fresno.WeedManUSA.com.