Effective Crabgrass Tools Absent From Store Shelves...A Follow Up

You may be looking for an effective way to get rid of crabgrass from your lawn.  Many products prior to 2012 contain MSMA in products like Weed Hoe, or Trimec Plus.  Well you won’t find it on the nursery or garden center shelves now and probably never again.  As a professional lawn care operator, we have until the end of 2013 to use MSMA and then we must find some alternatives.  There are several products now on the market for homeowners for post-control of crabgrass and they all contain quinclorac.  I have not had good success at all in the Central Valley of California getting any significant control using this or Drive as the trade name.  Maybe you will be lucky and make it work, but my guess is that it won’t and you will be out the time and expense you have invested. 

What are your alternatives?  1. Cutting it out. 2. Ignoring it and letting the frost take it out in November. 3. Hiring a lawn care company that still has some on hand to selectively remove the crabgrass out.

What is the future?  There are some products in development and a few that could be useful in certain cases.  There is a product called Tenacity that has some decent post emergent control on crabgrass, but it will only be recommended for cool season turf as Bermuda will turn temporarily white following application. 

My hope is that EPA will be open-minded and see that our industry has no great alternative to MSMA for crabgrass and even more so for dallisgrass control and that MSMA registration for use on turf grass would be reinstated.  I have heard it suggested that the data supporting a ban on MSMA was flawed, but I can’t say for certain. 

For a free consultation on your lawn call Weed Man at 266-1624 or visit our website at Fresno.WeedManUSA.com.  We would be happy to come out and show you the proper way to cut out crabgrass and not damage your lawn if you want to care for your lawn on your own!

What’s In YOUR Lawn?

My guess is that if you skipped putting down a pre emergent or put it down incorrectly then you may be seeing a new crop of crabgrass emerging from your lawn by now.  Crabgrass is an annual grassy weed that can germinate from early February through September.  It is aggressive enough to overtake any lawn type including bermudagrass.  Crabgrass has broad, translucent spring green colored leaves. 

Now that it is in your lawn you are left with only a handful of choices.  One is to ignore it and just appreciate the fact that it is green.  A second choice is to cut it out using a sharp knife and cutting off the roots at the soil line.  The growing points are all above ground and will not grow back.  This will avoid leaving craters throughout the lawn from pulling it out.  I like using the cheap steak knives you can find at the Dollar Stores.  This option is preferable when dealing with 100 or less plants unless you have more time and patience than I do.  The third choice involves a trip to the nursery or local garden center and finding a sprayable herbicide for killing the existing crabgrass.  This is not a viable option at all as the over the counter products are not effective in our area.  Please don’t waste your time and money.  The fourth and final choice is to hire a licensed professional that still has access to products containing MSMA.  This product will selectively remove crabgrass out of a lawn with 3-4 applications about a week apart.  Some yellowing can occur and other new seedlings can continue to sprout as we move through the summer months.  As a lawn geek, I see only options 2 and 4 making any sense.  If I could cut it out then I would elect that option.  If the task was too monumental for my available time or abilities then I would call someone like Weed Man that can guarantee the results.

Bottom line with crabgrass is prevention.  A pre emergent herbicide applied in the spring can prevent the summer problem of crabgrass along with proper cultural mowing and watering practices.  

If you would like a free opinion on what is the best option for your lawn and its weeds, insects, or diseases give us a call at 266-1624 or look at our website at Fresno.WeedManUSA.com.

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Is There a Fungus Among Us?

Brown Patch

Summer has arrived with its excessive heat, limitless sunny days, and absence of rain.  The struggle for the homeowner is deciding what is responsible for the brown sections of the lawn.  Is it the sprinklers that aren't covering well?  Is it the lawn guy’s fault because he just fertilized, broke a sprinkler, or repeatedly cuts the lawn too short?  Did someone in my family toss or leave something on the lawn causing it to turn brown?  Is the neighbor’s dog or cat squatting on the lawn?  Are there lawn bugs?  Is it bad soil?  Aliens landing?  Perhaps even a fungus?

An experienced and knowledgeable professional should be able to identify and eliminate most of the above causal agents by taking soil samples, looking at patterns, asking questions, and getting on their hands and knees to look at the soil, thatch, and leaves.  I maintain that lawn diseases are too often made the scapegoat when really something else is causing the problem.  I can’t tell you how many times we have been told that ”My gardener says that I have a fungus” when they just have dry spots in the lawn.

Make no mistake.  We do experience a good deal of disease activity on tall fescue, bluegrass, and ryegrass lawns in the summer months.  Many of these are soil borne or at least lay dormant in the soils or thatch until the proper conditions arrive.  Symptoms are usually spots or circular rings in the lawn unlike many sprinkler or insect patterns.

Brown Patch is probably the most common lawn disease in our market.  It likes hot sunny areas, ample irrigation, poor air circulation, warm nights, and late evening watering.  You can’t control the weather, but you can manage the amount, frequency, and timing of your irrigation.  Deep, less frequent watering that is done between 3-6 am is best.  The sun can then dry out the lawn and leaf blades by mid morning reducing the period of leaf wetness.  

Southern Blight is another fungus that infects the same cool season grasses during the summer.  It has sclerotia, seed like structures, that hibernate in the soils and thatch until the conditions are favorable for “germinating”.  Typically yellow to brown rings of 1-12 feet in diameter will form. We do not feel the watering schedule has a significant impact on its spread or damage.  A preventive fungicide is the key for this one.

Pythium is a water mold and it loves wet and saturated conditions for its spread and infection of the cool season grasses.  It will appear as spots of greasy matted leaves in lawns generally over watered.  This is the least common of the three and can mostly be managed with proper watering practices and use of a fungicide as needed.

We have found that prevention with fungicides is a terrific option. Some offer up to 30 days of protection in our area.  

For more information on lawns please check out our website at Fresno.WeedManUSA.com or call us at 266-1624.

Mowing 101

There are few things nicer than the smell and sight of a fresh cut, lush, beautiful lawn.  Although mowing is not complicated, there are some best mowing practices.  Proper mowing habits can extend the life and vigor of your lawn for years to come whereas poor mowing habits can take a good lawn and make it a poor lawn faster than you might think.

Mow regularly so that you are removing 1/3 or less of the leaf length in a single mowing.  Weekly mowing is advised and during a spring flush of growth a second could be needed.  If the grass has gotten ahead of you and it is twice or more the normal height it would be best to raise the mowing height and come back a day or two later and lower gradually until you reach the preferred height. Do not allow excess clippings to remain on the lawn. Mowing too much off at once will shock the grass and result in scalping.  Two weeks between mowing is too long for a healthy growing turf.

Mow at the proper height for the grass type.  I would recommend 3 inches for tall fescue, 1-2 inches for common bermuda, and 0.5 to 1.5 inches for hybrid bermuda lawns.  Taller cuts result in deeper roots, cooler soils, less stress, and fewer weeds in most cases.

Replace or sharpen dull mower blades regularly to maintain a clean cut. Dull mower blades result in a raggedy cut.  Aesthetically, the lawn will have a dull look and potentially more susceptible to disease.  
Edging should be vertical not beveled off.  A vertical cut along walks and driveways keeps the mowing height in the ideal range leaving a healthier stand, cooler soil, longer root system and a more competitive situation against invading weeds.  If you like the idea of your lawn slowing shrinking away and weeds coming in then scalping down the edges with a string trimmer may be just what you are looking for.

Mow patterns should be varied regularly.  This will help reduce the rutting and spread out the compaction of repeatedly rolling over the same lines time after time.  It also helps reduce the grain of the lawn as it gets mowed from various directions.

Recycle the clippings by using mulching mowers especially during non-flush periods of growth.  The clippings will add much needed organic matter and nutrients to enrich the soil and feed the beneficial microorganisms in the soil.
Mow at a slow enough speed as to allow a good clean cut.  Mow at full throttle.  Going too fast will result in an incomplete cut and possibly excessive piles of clippings.

Other things include removing obstacles and debris before mowing, ensuring that the wheels are evenly inflated or the wheel height settings are all the same, mowing dry grass is preferred over wet, and always being careful of toes when backing up the mower.

For more information on lawns and lawn problems check out our website at Fresn.WeedManUSA.com or call Weed Man at 266-1624.

It’s a Weed, It’s a Grass, No It’s a Sedge!

I know you have seen them. They hibernate in the winter, but by late April they have started to pop up in your lawn. You mow the lawn and for the most part they have disappeared, but by the next afternoon there they are again sticking up above your lawn. Many call these grass-like weeds nutgrass, but actually they are in the sedge family.

The sedge family will have thicker leaves that come in sets of three with triangular stems which is unlike the grass family that has flat or oval stems. In the Central Valley we are blessed with two main types; yellow and purple nutsedge. The color referenced in the name refers to the color of the flower head with yellow ranging from yellow to light brown and purple having a reddish tinge to it. Hopefully you are mowing weekly or as needed and never see the formation of a seed head.

Yellow Nutsedge

Really, I look at the leaves and the underground nutlets to help me determine which one I am dealing with along with my nose and taste buds. Yellow nutsedge has a more slender and lighter green leaf than purple. It tends to grow taller as well. Underground tubers or nutlets form on the terminal end of the rootlets and are round. They are tasty and edible, too and much better if the dirt is washed off first. Purple nutsedge on the other hand has a denser, shinier, thicker, and more blunt leaf. Its underground tubers are scaly and can form in chains like Christmas lights. The soil around them has a distinct smell and the nutlets are bitter tasting. The nutlets can get much larger than the yellow nutsedge at maturity. 

Purple Nutsedge

The key to control is by managing the development of further nutlets. A healthy nutsedge plant will be collecting the sunshine and nutrients to expand both above ground parts and storage of carbohydrates in the formation of tubers. The goal therefore is to disrupt the happy leaf factory. Years ago, Kern County Farm advisor Harold Kempen showed that regular hand pulling of the plants could reduce populations by 60% in the first year and close to 80% or so by year two. Obviously pulling helps, but that is not very practical. There are several selective herbicides that will “hide” the above ground parts for 4-6 weeks thus slowing down the tuber formation and further expansion. I have not seen any silver bullets that fully eliminate nutsedge populations in 1 or 2 sprays, unfortunately. Persistence is the key to reduction and eventual elimination.

Finally, I would advise not over watering the lawn or flowerbeds as this favors expansion as well. Once established, they will do just fine under normal watering practices. If you would like to know more about nutsedge and proper control measures call Weed Man at 266-1624 or visit us at Fresno.WeedManUSA.com.

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.