Turf Care for Warm Climates Like Fleming Island

  What do we do when we have drought conditions followed by lots of rain in the middle of the summer? Well our Fleming Island turf needs the moisture to pull it out of the stress from the drought, however when we have as much moisture as we have after a long drought combined with humid nights, we need to maintain our lawns with a plan in mind. Here are some things to do that will help you.

  1st. Let’s discuss Mowing. The majority of the lawns in Florida are Bahia and St. Augustine. They are two totally different grasses. Bahia grass needs to be cut 3 inches in height. It is more drought tolerant than St. Augustine. Bahia grass needs to have approximately 1/3 of the length of the blade cut off at each mowing. That would be 41/2 inches tall when it ready to cut again. It will take 4 to 5 days between cuttings to reach that height. St. Augustine Grass should be cut at 31/2 to 4 inches. This height maintained weekly will help keep down thatch buildup. Every 5 to 6 days would be the best schedule to prevent the thatch buildup. Do not mow the grasses if you have a water standing or on the other side of the scale do not mow the turf during heavy drought season. It does too much damage to run mower tires on the turf during both conditions. You either break down the turf with the tires with the weight of the mower during the drought or you make trenches in the turf when it is too wet and the soil too soft during the rainy season. You have to manage the lawn care needs if you want a beautiful lawn.

  2^nd Lets discuss insects. The main predator of the Bahia grass in Fleming Island  is the mole cricket. They are a tough insect to manage and require a lot of attention. They have certain times when they need to be hit the hardest. The Bahia grass is a grass that doesn’t hold up under high insect populations. It does not replace itself like the St. Augustine Grass when attacked and after treatment. St. Augustine grass main predator is the Chinch Bug. They attack the base of the grass blade and after treatment the turf will replace itself if the damage isn’t too wide spread. If it is wide spread the turf weeds take over too easily in open areas and affect the St. Augustine re-growth habits. The Chinch Bug is a year round problem however going into a dormant stage during winter months. With insecticides and insecticide baits both insects can be controlled.

   3^rd Lets discuss nutrition. Both grasses need food and water. Not too much of either. A Good fertilizer is a 16-4-8, 1 percent iron, 25 percent sulfur coated urea. Treat the two grasses every 120 days with fertilizer, preferably March, July, and November. Treat the St. Augustine every 8 weeks like clockwork to build up a residual. Alternate the insecticide regularly so that the chinch bugs will not build up a resistance to the insecticide. In Bahia treat it regularly, concentrating on June and July mole cricket hatching. That is the months to really scout for the Mole cricket. The other months, keep and eye on the activity of the mole crickets. Baits are best to use for treatment of the mole cricket.

  Keep in mind that if you want a beautiful lawn you will have to work hard to keep it that way. In the south we have a lot of challenges with the turf. It is the climate of preference for a lot of vacationers including insects. The only problem with that is the insects don’t leave. They are here to stay. The Florida Landscape Doctor- Fleming Island lawn care.

The Landscape Doctor – June 16, 2011