freshare.net
SEARCY, Ark. - Good cultural practices can provide 60 percent to 70 percent of turfgrass weed control, according to the University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture.
“Maintaining a dense, vigorous lawn is essential to prevent lawn weeds. Herbicides should be considered a supplement, not a stand-alone weed control practice,” said Sherri Sanders, White County extension agent.
“If herbicide use isn’t accompanied by proper cultural practices, the weed problem will return because the deficiency which led to the weed invasion hasn’t been corrected,” said Sanders. When herbicides alone are used, the symptoms, not the cause of a weedy lawn, are being treated.
Weeds often indicate specific problems.
Soil compaction may lead to encroachment by such species as annual bluegrass and goosegrass, she said. Poor drainage favors invasion by sedges, rushes and Virginia buttonweed. Saturated soil places the turfgrass under stress because roots need oxygen, which isn’t available in continually wet soils.
The presence of legumes such as white clover and lespedeza is often an indication of low nitrogen level. Cultural and environmental problems should be corrected before embarking on a program of herbicide use, Sanders said.
She advised turfgrass owners to water deeply and infrequently.
“Light, frequent irrigation encourages shallow rooting,” she noted. “Early morning is a good time to water because evaporation loss is minimal, the wind is usually calm and early watering allows the grass foliage to dry during the day.”
Patch bare areas as soon as they appear, to prevent invasion by weeds, she said. Grasses such as Bermuda and St. Augustine will readily fill in bare spots if a few plugs or sprigs of healthy grass are planted in these areas. Re-seeding is an option with common Bermudagrass and tall fescue. Slow-growing grasses such as zoysia and centipede may be sprigged or plugged, but it’s much faster to sod the bare areas.
Here are some other tips from Sanders:
* Use mechanical control methods such as digging and pulling when dealing with small numbers of weeds. Hand pull or dig new or exotic weeds to prevent their spread.
* Follow recommended mowing guidelines for the various types of grasses. Mowing is another method of mechanical weed control.
* Keep mower blades sharp and avoid excessively low mowing, or scalping, which puts grass under stress, she says. Don’t remove more than one-third of the grass height.
* Soil test and lime to determine if the pH level meets soil test recommendations. Fertilize according to soil test recommendations to encourage vigorous turf.
“The extension service provides soil testing at no charge to the homeowner,” Sanders said. “Simply bring a one-pint sample of dry soil, taken from several spots in your yard, to your county extension office. Results usually are back within two weeks.”
For more information on lawn maintenance, contact your county extension office or visit http://www.uaex.edu.
The Cooperative Extension Service is part of the University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture.