I haven't posted in awhile....hi everyone! Maybe I can help a few people with this. I have Bermuda grass and I would think this would work for St. Augustine as well but I’m not for sure.
Basically the drought last summer really screwed over most of us with our yards. When coming out of the drought in late fall / early winter the Bermuda grass was already dormant before outside temps started dropping. Bermuda grass starts to go dormant when temps start falling below ... let’s say 45-50 degrees, or from lack of moisture in the summer. This coupled with heavy rains and cold temps this year created the perfect opportunity for weeds to grow. The year before the drought I had a very nice and healthy green lawn. Now my yard is littered with an infestation of weeds and crabgrass. I am also on a corner lot somewhere on Liberty Fld
Others with corner lots might understand the pain of keeping up with it. (Especially edging that sidewalk and curb)
Ok...so here is my plan of attack for my yard that I have had some success with before...
1) Mow my lawn short: Most of us should be seeing small and green blades of grass starting to sprout now and now is the time to mow the grass short...the purpose is to allow sun and moisture to reach the soil and in turn begin stimulating growth from the root system. This also gets your weeds very short for the next step. Remember Bermuda grass has an extensive root system. By mowing the grass short in the spring you are forcing the grass to grow along the soil base instead of vertically. This will eventually helps fill in any dead spots you have in your yard.
2) Time to throw down some chemicals: I normally try to go organic with the fertilizer...BUT THIS IS WAR MAN!
You will want to go out and purchase a decent weed and feed for your lawn. Make sure you get the right one for your breed of grass...it is very easy to grab the wrong bag if you don't look closely. I am going to use Scotts Turf Builder Plus 2 w/ weed control for the granular and Ortho Weed B Gon Max for Southern Lawns. I'll explain the purpose of both here in a minute. You want to have a moist lawn when applying the granular. This is very important as the chemical that kills the weeds is almost like dust and the moisture helps the chemical stick to the weeds making it much more effective. First thing in the morning before the sun rises and evaporates the dew is a great time if you don't want to hassle with watering the lawn. You want to start by spreading the granular across the lawn with a drop spreader. Make sure and stay away from your drip lines of your trees and bushes...especially the small ones as the chemical used for the weeds can harm trees and shrubs. This is where the liquid spray comes in. I recommend buying a small pump sprayer to do this with...much more accurate and easier to work with. Just mix and spray the weeds! No need to soak the area around it. You should start to see results fairly quickly. Some weeds may need some more “coaxing as needed” but they should give in.
3) Time is a hero: After this I am going to let my lawn get itself together. You should start to see results with the weeds fairly quickly, but you want to give it some time before adding any additional fertilizer or laying down seed for patching. Continue to mow the grass and keep it cut low to help support root growth. I believe we are going to have a wet spring and early summer so watering shouldn’t be much of a concern. If we are light on rain make sure and to water the lawn maybe once a week at the most. Don’t over water…the roots need oxygen to help support growth. This is also a great time to drive fertilizer stakes in the ground for your trees and shrubs. If you want your Oak trees to really get some good growth now is the time. Oak trees are slow to grow and achieve most of their growth in the spring after the loss of their leaves. Planting fertilizer stakes and HEAVY watering seems to really help with growth over the next few months. If you have large oak trees, February and March before the leaves fall off is the best time for trimming larger branches.
4) I hate the summer: So by now my lawn should be looking A LOT better!
I have been keeping the grass cut low and spot treating any remaining weeds around the yard. The trees are looking good and bushes are trimmed. It is early May and it’s time to begin prepping for a great summer lawn. This will be the last time I cut my lawn short and it’s time to visit Fertile Garden Supply up the street. I will begin with a fresh cut and trim and then begin to spread out a compost mixture mixed with sand. This is already mixed for Bermuda grass and is should spread easily across the lawn. Don’t put too much down! You should still see the grass through the compost. If you still have larger bare spots you might want to get the garden soil compost mix and use it to fill in low or dead spots on the yard. Over time applying compost also helps level your lawn for those of you with “bumpy” lawns. You can substitute this with regular grass fertilizer, but I highly recommend the compost. The compost helps loosen soil, it helps retain water, it provides a long lasting source of nitrogen, helps fertilize trees and everything else, and it’s totally organic! After applying the compost it is very important to water it in very thoroughly and continue to water every couple of days for about a week. If you don’t the compost can really burn your grass from the heat that the compost absorbs from the sun!
5) Dude…how do you do it?
That is the question people always ask me, because at this point my lawn is starting to look pretty darn good. After about 2 weeks since I applied the compost my lawn is starting to get really thick and turn a very dark green color. I am also beginning to mow my grass much higher now. The reason for this is to help keep the soil moist during the summer months and to help the grass absorb nighttime condensation and dew helping with the summertime watering load. I recommend to leave it at least 2 inches high. Also mow often to keep yourself from having brown patches when you do mow and give it a good soak at least once a week.
That is pretty much it and all I have time for right now. It sounds like a lot of work but for most people it really isn’t that difficult or expensive. After this point it is very easy to maintain your lawn. Just re-apply the compost/fertilizer in the late summer or early fall and rinse and repeat if needed in the spring.
I hope this helps some of you in the neighborhood and if it works for you share the knowledge with your neighbors and friends. If anyone has any questions I will try and answer them for you on the forum. Good Luck Everyone!
-Chavio
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What great tips.