Now that we are officially into fall, I wanted to address crabgrass and other weeds you may be seeing in your Gainesville lawn. Having a great lawn next spring starts with how you treat your lawn this fall and winter.

The good news about fall is that summer weeds have gone away (or soon will go away with the next cold spell.) The bad news is these weeds have left their seeds in your lawn which means they will return next year unless you do something about them in the next 6-8 weeks.

That is why the Master's Lawn Fertilization & Weed Control Program includes fall and winter visits. These treatments are some of the most important visits we make all year because we apply preventatives that keep these weed seeds from turning into weeds next year.

On our fall visits we apply a pre-emergent that prevents winter weeds from coming up along with a post-emergent for any broad-leaf weeds that have already sprouted. In late winter, around February and March, we apply a different type of pre-emergent to prevent spring weeds, such as henbit or poa from growing.

All of this means when the lawn comes out of dormancy next April, it won't have to compete with a bunch of weeds and will fill in quickly.

I wish I could tell you this prevents all weeds, but unfortunately it does not. There are three types of weeds: annuals (those that come back from seeds each year), biennials (those that have a two-year life cycle), and perennials (those that come back from their roots every year).

Pre-emergents only work on seeds so they are only effective on the annual weeds.  The other two have to be controlled with foliar applications after they have emerged.

Preventing the annuals from growing is a great start though, and allows us to focus on just the other two types the rest of the year.

Another big factor in the success of our fall and winter weed control depends on watering. We apply our pre-emergent in big droplets which makes it fall to the ground instead of misting and blowing around. Once the drops hit the ground they stay on top of the soil. The pre-emergent only starts working when you water the lawn. The water spreads the droplets out evenly across the ground and pushes it down in the soil where the seeds are waiting to come out. Without proper irrigation, it sits on top of the soil and doesn't do any good.

If you have any questions or concerns about your lawn weeds or landscaping, give us a call at (352) 378-5296 or email us at info@themasterslawncare.com.

Written by Adam Dale of the University of Florida IFAS Department

Fall is upon us already, and with that comes the peak of lawn caterpillar pest season. By now, most Gainesville landscape pest control professionals know to expect increased caterpillar pressure in North Florida lawns at the end of summer and arrival of fall. This has certainly held true in 2018, and as we have seen over the past few years, the biggest caterpillar turf pests are causing problems earlier in the year. This year, caterpillar outbreaks began showing up in late June in many areas of Alachua County.

The two biggest caterpillar pests of Florida turfgrasses are the tropical sod webworm and fall armyworm. These insects damage lawns by consuming leaf material above the rhyzome and stolon of turfgrass plants. It is important to remember that these pests are only damaging as caterpillars – that is when they have chewing mouthparts to consume plant tissue. Once the caterpillars complete their development, they turn into moths, which fly around feeding on nectar and depositing eggs on the grass or plant material adjacent to your lawn to re-start the life cycle (and lawn pest damage).

I frequently hear stories of homeowners leaving for a week and coming home to a completely eaten lawn. This recently happened to me, when I returned from an 8-day work trip to a lawn where half of the turf was eaten down to the St. Augustine grass stolons. Since this can happen rather quickly, it is critical that you scout plant material on a regular basis so that you catch the infestation before it becomes damaging.

Quick tips for monitoring for lawn caterpillars

• Watch for moth activity flying within the lawn and along shadier lawn margins
• Inspect light-colored surfaces or ornamental plant leaves adjacent to lawns for fall armyworm egg masses
• Watch for signs of young caterpillar feeding (window feeding) or more mature caterpillar damage (leaf notching) as pictured
• Scout for tropical sod webworms early in the morning when the dew is still on the grass (it will get caught in sod webworm webbing) as pictured
• Look in the thatch layer for green balls of caterpillar excrement. Tropical sod webworms leave behind green poop as they feed and are typically nearby as pictured above.

In addition to looking for those key indicators of an impending caterpillar infestation, you can also utilize the plants in the landscape. Although many people try to keep crabgrass out of their lawns, the reality is most people have crabgrass in their lawns. So, be aware of its location and take advantage of those weeds. Tropical sod webworms tend to prefer feeding on crabgrass. Therefore, in many cases, the path of lawn devastation begins in the crabgrass. Scout your crabgrass, looking for caterpillars or signs and symptoms that they are there, like those mentioned above. One great way to predict a webworm lawn invasion is if you notice a lot of “window feeding” or chewing damage on the crabgrass leaves. Once detected, this can give you enough lead time to treat and prevent the movement into your turfgrass and the subsequent damage, if handled rapidly.

Management strategies

Young, recently born insects are easiest to control with insecticides and cause the least damage. Fortunately, there are several insecticides that can be used to control webworm pests in your Gainesville lawn, several of which are highly selective for caterpillar pests with minimal non-target risks to beneficial organisms and the environment. These products include active ingredients like chlorantraniliprole, spinosad, and Bacillus thuringiensis. Specifically, my lab and others at the University of Florida have evaluated several products for controlling tropical sod webworms in lawns. We have found that the active ingredient, chlorantraniliprole, can provide over six weeks of greater than 80% control of tropical sod webworm caterpillars.

Turf and ornamental pest management always comes back to one thing: cultural practices. How is that plant or plant community being managed? One cultural pest control strategy that many pest or plant management professionals strive for is to identify and plant pest-resistant species or cultivars. That way, pests are not nearly as big of a concern. Unfortunately, fall armyworms and tropical sod webworms do not discriminate when it comes to feeding on warm-season turfgrass species.

Recent research

Unfortunately, pest-resistant plants are rarely an option. To overcome this, my lab has been investigating alternative strategies for preventing insect pest outbreaks in residential lawns. Instead of relying on pest-resistant plants, we are trying to figure out ways to generate host plant resistance using the turfgrass species and cultivars that are already available to us.

So far, we have found that planting multiple St. Augustinegrass cultivars in a mixture may provide benefits like pest-resistant plants. More specifically, we have found that fall armyworm caterpillars preferentially feed on turf cultivars planted with others of the same cultivar and tend to avoid plantings of four cultivars mixed together. For example, when presented with a choice of feeding on a stand of ‘Floratam’ or a stand of ‘Floratam’ mixed with ‘Palmetto’, ‘Bitterblue’, and ‘Classic’, most of the time it will feed on the ‘Floratam’ planted alone.

We have also seen other benefits, like reduced caterpillar feeding damage in mixed cultivar plantings compared to single cultivar plantings. Fall armyworms also mature to smaller individuals when they grow up feeding on mixed planting. We are currently continuing this work in large field plantings to see how other factors associated with lawns play out. Stay tuned for more details.

Helpful resources:

• Fall armyworm identification, biology, and management: http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/in255
• Tropical sod webworm identification, biology, and management: http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/in968
• Managing turfgrass insect pests: http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/ig001
• Helpful, Harmful, Harmless - Insects and Other Organisms of Florida Landscapes: http://ifasbooks.ifas.ufl.edu/p-153-helpful-harmful-harmless.aspx

For updates on turf and ornamental entomology research from the University of Florida Lab, follow them on Twitter (@adamGdale) or on the web at https://dalelab.org

The Master's Lawn Care works with UF-IFAS to promote Integrated Pest Management in Lawns within our team, soil tests for pH and nutrient levels to develops programs for client lawns, and for training at their Pest Managment University in Apopka. If you have concerns about your Gainesville lawn pest control and are looking for a team to help you care for it in an ecologically-conservative manner, we are the team to call. Contact us via the form at the top of the page or by calling our office at (352) 378-5296. 

October is always that in-between month that feels like one foot is still in summer while the other foot steps toward fall. It’s a great month to add new landscaping such as sod, trees, and shrubs and to start planning for your fall / winter annuals.

It’s finally officially fall, and there are several things you want to be aware of in this transitional season as the owner of a Gainesville landscape. 

Lawns
While we’re still getting some leftover summer afternoon rains, it is typical that we experience a little dry spell between now and winter. It can be a tricky time of year irrigation-wise. If you don't have a smart controller that knows to increase the settings to account for dry weather patterns, watch your turf closely. When you see grass blades folded in half and the overall turf color turning bluish-gray, run the sprinklers and add some extra time to the run-cycle for the next couple weeks to get us through to winter. It's also a season we commonly notice shortcomings in our irrigation systems (adjustments off or lacks of coverage) as the supplemental rains aren't there to cover up the incosistencies. 

Your turf will still be growing in October, but in general shouldn't grow as rapidly as August and September due to the shortening days and lowering soil temperatures. It’s an ideal time to add new turf or replace problem areas that may have struggled due to lawn pest activity, too much shade, weeds, or lack of water.

If you want your grass to be dense and thick, I highly recommend a good dose of lawn fertilizer to help promote root growth and dense growth. Iron will add some deep green color back into your lawn as well, if it's yellowing. Certainly, fall weed control in the lawn is important as dove weed, basketgrass, crabgrass, and Chamberbitter lawn weeds are fighting to take over Gainesville lawns. There is still some lawn pest activitity in October for Gainesville lawns as well, so watch for chewed and browning grass. 

Flowers
Most warm-season annuals are starting to struggle in North Florida with the shorter days and cooling soil temps. In fact, it’s the month to be thinking about transitioning to cool-season annuals and starting to get beds ready for them toward the end of the month. November and December will be the time to plant cool-season annuals. Popular annuals to plant for high-visibility beds and planters are pansies, violas, flowering kale, dianthus, snapdragons, and petunias.

Keep an eye on your perennials to make sure they’re getting enough water. Refresh mulch layers to a depth of 2-4 inches in the fall to insulate soil and weed pressure. Don’t allow mulch to closely surround the base of the plant as that can lead to root rot. Apply a final ornamental fertilizer treatment for the year.

Citrus
A number of citrus varieties will have ripe fruit that’s ready to harvest, including Satsuma, Ambersweet, navels, Hamlin, Fallglo, Robinson, and Osceola. Some fruit is ripe even though it’s green. Don’t wait for it to turn orange. Taste a sample fruit to determine if the crop is ripe and ready to eat.

Do not spray citrus trees for pest control. You shouldn’t have to because by October, pest activity has lessened. Save the spraying for later, after the harvest has been picked as you don't want the treatment to affect the edible fruit.

Trees & Shrubs
October is a good time of year to add new trees and shrubs to your landscaping. The heat, being less intense, won’t stress the plants as much as summer or spring droughts do. They will need to be watered, however, until they’re established. Water daily for a couple of months, then every other day for several months.

Established trees and shrubs should have been fertilized in September. If that feeding was missed, apply the fertilizer in October. A general florida landscape fertilizer (with no weed killer in it) is fine, cast over the ground from the trunk to just past the edge of the leaves. This will help promote root growth and health for a boutiful spring. 

If we can help you with any of your Fall Gainesville Lawn tasks, don't hesitate to give us a call. We offer Gainesville Lawn Fertilization Programs, Landscaping Installations, and Irrigation as well. Our phone number is (352) 378-5296 or feel free to contact us via the form at the top of the page. 

The shorter days and cooler nights of early September should mean that your lawn is starting to perk up and look better from the summer stress. It's an ideal time for lawns to recover from summer stress and to build a strong foundation and root system for a lush Gainesville lawn next year.

Proper Gainesville lawn fertilization is part of the lawn care regimen needed to help your lawn recover from stress this summer and prepare for winter and next spring. Fertilizing your lawn in September will help the grass fill in thin spots, grow a deep root system, and store energy (carbohydrates) to battle the low temperatures of winter and begin growing early next spring. In addition, fertilizing will provide a deep green color this fall and your lawn will green up early next spring. The Master's is currently fertilizing Gainesville lawns with an organic mixture of Sea Kelp and other soil nutrients to develop healthy roots, some nitrogen and iron to push a healthy green color, and some prevenative products to keep sod webworms and weeds out of the lawn.

By fertilizing in September, it is still warm enough for the grass to take up the fertilizer and utilize it to grow new grass and store energy internally to survive winter and re-grow next spring. Since the air temperatures in fall are starting to reduce, there should be only a modest amount of growth - especially with using the Master's recommendations above, because of it's slow-release mixture and make-up.

Water your lawn in fall if there are periods of dry weather, although Gainesville lawns rarely see dry Septembers due to tropical activity in the Carribbean. Also, keep mowing your lawn by removing no more than 1/3rd of the leaf blade for proper health. Mowing less often and more than 1/3 of the blade add stress to your turf and doesn't allow it to fill in properly. 

Take advantage of the cooling evenings that are coming to help your lawn recover from stress this summer and to get your lawn off to a great start and early green-up next spring!

If you're interested in Gainesville lawn fertilization program options, please don't hesitate to call our team at (352)378-5296 or fill out the form at the top of the page!

There are several common Gainesville lawn diseases that can affect and cause damage to your turf throughout the year. In the industry, a grass disease is seen as a condition that interferes with the normal growth and development of the grass plant, causing the plant to look and grow abnormally. 

In order for a disease in your yard to be active, 3 requirements must simultaneously be present. A susceptible host (type of grass that is susceptible to the disease), Pathogen (the actual fungi itself), and a conducive environment (favorable weather conditions for the fungi to spread). Without the presence of all 3 simultaneously, there is no disease. To visualize this lawn disease triangle, here is a diagram.

Turfgrass diseases can be difficult to identify and decipher between, as many diseases can look much alike from a distance. Noting the appearance of distinctive patterns, specific color variations, and particular grass species affected can help diagnose what disease is present or caused the damage.

Examining individual grass blades up close can reveal lesions, spots, changes in color, and stunting that can narrow the search. Mycelium, sclerotia, and masses of spores can also be present and help diagnosis the disease affecting the lawn. Some common turfgrass diseases include: Brown Patch (aka Large Patch), Pythium Root Rot, Leaf Spot, Powdery Mildew, Dollar Spot and Melting Out.

Gainesville Grass Fungus Control Tips

Curative fungicide applications are not common practice for home lawn applications, as fungicide treatments are predominantly reserved for professional Gainesville lawn applicators. Of course, the big box and garden stores do offer a few turf disease control products, but a much smaller and less-effective type than the licensed pest control applicators have access to.

Most diseases are short-lived if proper measures are taken.  Depending on the type of disease and length of time it is active, varying degrees of damage and unaesthetic appearance can result. Proper measures include some steps the homeowner or property manager can take, and some should be done by a licensed professional.

1. Reduce or stop watering immediately (Reduce the conducive environment of residual moisture)
2. Increase sunlight on the lawn (remove any shade limbs over the affected area)
3. Do not fertilize with any nitrogen products (Nitrogen causes fungi to grow just like they do turf)
4. Treat with a Lawn Disease Control product (such as a fungicide)

Six Gainesville Lawn Fungus Prevention Tips

However, as the old saying goes - "An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure." This is true with fungus in your St. Augustine or Zoysia grass too! Here are a couple quick tips to avoid getting turf diseases in your lawn. 

1. Water Properly - Overwatering is the #1 cause of fungus in your Gainesville lawn. The reason? Most people set their irrigation settings up and forget about them. Regardless if it's summer, winter, spring, or fall they run the same amount of water on their lawn. (Let's be honest though, in Florida we only have 2 seasons!) If you want to "Set it and Forget it," you need to upgrade your Gainesville sprinkler system to a Smart Irrigation Controller that uses your WiFi to adjust the sprinklers to the weather stations nearest your home. 
2. Inspect Your Rain Sensor -  (or install one if you dont have one!) This shuts off your irrigation in times of rain. It saves you money on your water bills and saves you from lawn disease, too. It's a win-win!
3. Sharpen your Lawn Mower Blades - Dull blades cause the Gainesville turf to be torn instead of a clean slice. The tears leave gaping wounds for the disease to attack the lawn 
4. Fertilize the Lawn Properly - Nutrient deficiencies weaken the turf and make it susceptible to disease. Think of fertilizer like taking your vitamins. It keeps your immune system up and ready to fend off disease.
5. Utilize Shade Landscape Beds - Instead of trying to grow turf in areas of deep shade, try a Gainesville Landscape Design with plants more suitable for the reduced sunlight and excess moisture.
6. Install Proper Drainage Systems - If your lawn holds water in areas after downpours, regardless of irrigation settings and proper maintenance - you may need a french drain or downspout extension to help keep the moisture from sitting in the lawn.

Aside from environmental conditions, managing a home lawn by way of maintaining the recommended maintenance practices, improving the growing conditions, selecting resistant grass species, and by managing all turf inputs, greatly reduces disease incidence and susceptibility without the requirement of fungicides. We hope these help you reduce the need for disease control in your Gainesville Lawn. 

If you have more questions about disease in your lawn, or need a licensed lawn pest professional in Gainesville, Florida, don't hesitate to call our office at (352) 378-5296 or fill out the form at the top of the page for a free proposal or to be added to our seasonal lawn tips newsletter. You can also like us on Facebook or our Gainesville Lawn Tips YouTube Channel. 

Do you ever ask yourself, 'Why does my Gainesville lawn have spots in it?' or 'Why does my Gainesville lawn have mushrooms?'

This video from The Master's Lawn Care can help you find out. Grey leaf spot and mushrooms are both types of fungi, which come from overwatering. Sometimes, overwatering a lawn cannot be helped - because of extreme amounts of rain (like at the time of this video), however other times it comes in shaded areas of the lawn when an irrigation system is compounding with the rain to cause too much moisture in the lawn.

The grey leaf spot can be treated with a contact fungicide, such as Spectator,  but the more effective and better way would be to have a rain sensor installed on your irrigation system and cut back the watering times until the wet season has passed.

If we can help with your lawn or orrigation concerns, please don't hesitate to call our office at (352) 378-LAWN, contact us by filling out our contact form, or by emailing us at info@themasterslawncare.com

Gray leaf spot of St. Augustinegrass (pictured above) is a disease caused by fungal spores that are common during extended periods of hot, wet, and humid weather (which almost encompasses half the year in Gainesville, Florida lawns). Newly sodded or rapidly growing grass is more susceptible than well-established lawns. Although primarily a disease of St. Augustinegrass, it also attacks centipedegrass.

Melting-out leaf spot is a similar disease that attacks Zoysia grass (pictured below) in similar weather. As we have recently had rain for about the past week, and forecasted for rain over the past 10 days, these are the ideal scenarios for these 2 lawn diseases.

The fungus is most noticeable in the leaf blades as you can see in the photos. The infection produces gray or dirty-yellow spots with brown or purple borders. A water-soaked border will be seen during high moisture periods around actively growing spots. The general area around some spots may turn chlorotic (yellow), or much of the leaf blade may have a yellow cast.

The diseases are mostly a threat to the immediate visual appeal of the turf more than long-term health - although extended moisture conditions can lead to other fungal conditions that attack the long-term health of the turf. 

The fungus thrives and the disease is most noticeable when air temperatures are 70–85 ºF, but it can reproduce and increase at cooler temperatures as well. For spores to germinate and infect the turf, they need 16 hours of free moisture on the leaf surface - which has been the case for most Gainesville lawns over the past week. 

Tips for Leaf Spot Disease Management

• Avoid too much nitrogen lawn fertilization (slow release is okay, not quick-release) during these extremely rainy weeks.
• Set irrigation timers properly (early morning) so foliage doesn’t stay wet for extended periods. 
• Repeated application of fungicides will be needed to control this disease effectively during warm, wet periods - but we

It’s already been a pretty unique year in our Gainesvile, Florida lawn and landscapes, and there’s still time left for more unusual activity from Mother Nature. But, homeowners and business owners across North Central Florida need to start looking ahead to the fast-approaching dawn of the summer growing season and giving some thought to how to best handle your lawn service in the coming months.

There are four major types of Gainesville grass types that most commonly are seen in our market: 

• Zoysia
• Centipede
• Bermuda
• St. Augustine (we saved the most common for last)

They’re each different, and have their own set of best practices for yearly lawn care. Here’s a brief primer for caring for each of these four grass types as we look forward to the spring thaw:

Caring for Gainesville Zoysia Lawns
Zoysia grass requires a little extra attention, but it can make for a beautiful, lush lawn if it’s properly cared for. Some points to keep in mind about this turf variety:

• Prefers sunny areas, not as successful in shade
• Has good drought resistance (but looks worse in drought!)
• Prefers slightly acidic soil
• Will turn brown while dormant in the winter

To give your zoysia grass lawn the best chance to thrive, follow these simple care instructions:

1. Mow the grass short (between 2-3”)
2. Mow at least weekly (this grass grows quickly and needs to stay short to thrive)
3. Keep your mower blade very sharp (it gets tougher as it grows, so it’s more prone to tearing when hit with a dull blade than other varieties)
4. Maintain about an inch of watering per week (including natural rainfall), don’t overwater.
5. Small, frequent lawn applications of fertilizer during the growing season works best (don’t fertilize too late in the year or your lawn won’t properly go dormant)
6. Keep an eye out for signs of pests or disease (this grass can be prone to some common Gainesville lawn pests and diseases)

Caring for Gainesville Bermuda lawns
Bermuda grass is a tough, durable, and aggressive variety that has a lot of strengths adapted to hot Florida summers. These same qualities can also present challenges if it starts taking over areas where you don’t want grass, like your ornamental hedges, flower gardens, or other turfgrass. Some general highlights of this variety include:

• Highly weed resistant
• Excellent drought resistance
• Prefers direct sun, not nearly as successful in shade
• Handles salt well
• Great traffic tolerance for sports fields and dog parks

Here are some important tips for caring for bermuda lawns in the Gainesville area:

1. Mow the grass very short (1” in most cases)
2. Mow every few days (you never want to cut more than ⅓ of the length of each blade of grass)
3. Recycle the clippings (grass clippings are the very best mulch source for bermudagrass)
4. Maintain about 1” to 1¼” of water per week (including natural rainfall), a little more in very sandy soil.
5. Standard fertilizing works well (just be sure to have your soil tested to verify pH balance prior to treatment)
6. Keep an eye out for signs of pests or disease (while this grass fights off weeds very well, and doesn’t provide an optimal environment for some lawn pests, burrowing insects are still a danger such as mole crickets)
7. Needs to be aerated early in the year

Caring for Gainesville Centipede lawns
Centipede grass is probably the best choice if you’re looking for a low-maintenance Gainesville lawn. It’s tough and durable, and does very well resisting weeds and pests without a lot of lawn applications. Its one Achilles Heel though, is that it doesn’t do well with heavy foot traffic, so it may not be the best choice for yards where kids and pets regularly romp.

This variety is known for:

• Excellent weed and pest resistance due to its rough texture
• Does well in shade, but can handle moderate sun too
• Can thrive in acidic soil
• Not very drought resistant, so watering is important

Here are some key tips for caring for a centipede grass in Gainesville, Florida lawns:

1. Mow the grass at a moderate height (between 1½” and 2” is best)
2. Mow less often (biweekly mowing is enough unless you have tall weeds)
3. *Very Important* Maintain up to 1½” of water per week (including natural rainfall), and keep an eye out for signs it needs more.
4. Recognize that centipede grass is naturally a much lighter color (yellow-green) than other varieties. (This doesn’t mean it needs more water or fertilizer — a common misconception.)
5. A minimal fertilizing schedule is best (it easily burns from excess lawn fertilizer applications)
6. Stay vigilant against white grubs and nematodes (these are the only pests that routinely harm centipedegrass, but a bad infestation can cause a lot of damage)

Caring for Gainesville St. Augustine grass lawns
St. Augustine grass is very popular in the North Florida area because it can thrive in sandy soil and hot temperatures. However, it tends to be higher maintenance, has a low tolerance to cold, and can be more susceptible to diseases than other varieties. Some points to keep in mind about St. Augustine turfgrass:

• Not as hardy as other varieties
• Does very well in sun, but can also handle shade (with certain varieties)
• Can thrive in sandy soil, so it can thrive right on the coast
• Not very drought resistant, so it needs to stay well-watered

Here are the best practices for caring for St. Augustine lawns in Gainesville, Florida -

1. Mow the grass higher than other varieties (preferably between 4-5”)
2. Adjust the mowing schedule to avoid “shocking” the grass or creating too much thatch. (1/3rd leaf rule)
3. Water regularly, and extra when it begins to fold.
4. Do regular lawn applications based on specific soil needs and pest prevention
5. Stay on the lookout for any signs of chinch bugs (these lawn pests are very common in our area, and they love St. Augustine grass)

If you’d like more tips for caring for whatever grass your Gainesville lawn is made of, or if you’d like to explore outsourcing your lawn care this year to professionals, contact The Master's Lawn Care and we’d be happy to help. (352) 378-5296

April slipped right past us and here we are in mid-May, knocking on summer's door. This is the time of year that we hear from a number of clients who are particularly concerned about their lawn. The typical call may sound a lot like this:

"I'm really worried about my lawn. It started to green up from winter and was looking nice right after you fertilized. Suddenly, it's getting worse. Is there a pest eating my lawn or does it need more fertilizer?"

After spending a few minutes on the phone with the client asking questions, we're typically able to identify one of the 3 primary spring issues.

The majority of problems in Gainesville lawns over the past couple weeks has come from 3 primary concerns:

Drought Stress - This is the most common issues, and luckily, drought stress in lawns is one of the easiest problems to identify. Take a look at areas of your lawn that get some shade throughout the day. Does this area look healthier than the areas that are in full sun all day long? If so, you most likely have irrigation issues to address.

Many clients will increase the length of time their irrigation is running, or perhaps add another day of irrigation. But the answer may not be as simple as that. I met with a client just last week that was certain her sprinkler system was running several times a week because she sees it running as she goes to work. She was correct, the system was actually set to run every other day, which is actually far too often. What the client didn't realize is that only half her system was functioning correctly. She had 1 zone not operating due to cut wires, 2 broken heads, and large shrubs blocking several of her sprinklers from covering her turf. Long story short - just because your sprinklers are running doesn't mean your lawn is getting enough water!

This is why we recommend seasonally inspecting your sprinkler system for proper coverage and operation. Here are a couple photos of shrubs blocking irrigation coverage, broken sprinkler heads, and a close up photo of drought stress (notice the folded leaf blades).

#2 - Winter Damage- This past winter got substantially colder than we're used to experiencing in North Florida (see the link).The cold weather also dragged on for a longer time than normal, giving us a slow start to spring. (We had lows in the 50's in the first week of May!)

January's hard frosts did a lot of damage to Gainesville lawns that didn't have deep roots - especially recently sodded lawns. Many of these lawns are starting to come back, but it will take some time for them to recover from the stress. Most lawns that have been established and fertilized for a couple years didn't experience frost damage due to their roots being deep down in the insulated soil. This is another reason our fertilization program focuses heavily on soil nutrition and root development in the fall - to prepare for frosts. 

#3 - Chinch Bugs (which originate from drought stress)- 

In actuality, we haven't seen many chinch bugs this spring in comparison to prior years because of the lingering cold weather. Chinch bugs rely on two factors to thrive - heat and drought. Because the heat has just really kicked off in the past couple weeks, they have gotten a slow start but will be beginning to spread quickly over this dry and warm weather we are experiencing. Keep a lookout for signs of chinch bugs dry areas near concrete and asphalt.  (see link for YouTube video on identifying chinch bugs). Below is a photo of where chinch bug damage typically begins.

If we can help you with your Gainesville, Florida lawn's sprinkler system coverage, recovering from winter, or protecting your lawn from chinch bugs - please don't hesitate to call us at (352) 378-5296 or fill out the form at the top of the page. 

Broadleaf weeds in North Florida lawns are not only a nuisance, but they actually make it more difficult for your grass recovering from winter frost damage to fill back in and recover. Weed control applications with pre-emergent and post-emergent products are a must for North Florida lawns looking to recover from a tough winter. Proper identification of weeds is a must for targeted control with so many different herbicides on the market. 

It’s a never-ending battle. No matter how hard you try, weeds want to take over your treasured lawn. Using the University of Florida's IFAS website to help you identify types of broadleaf weed and which products control it best is a suitbale method, and if you prefer the DIY method, here are some more tips to hel you in your battle against Gainesville lawn weeds.

3 Tips to Broaleaf Weed Control in Gainesville Lawns

1. Promote a healthy root system - Healthy plants with strong roots naturally fight weeds by absorbing the water and nutrients your plants need to flourish and starving the weeds of those nutrients. Potassium lawn applications in the fall help your turf's root strengthen throughout the winter. 
2. Prevent winter weed growth - The cooler months are an ideal time for winter weed growth because your lawn goes into a dormant state. You can prevent this winter weed growth by applying pre-emergent treatments in the fall, before the cooler temperatures arrive.
3. Ensure proper lawn watering - Improper use of your irrigation system can cause a variety of issues, including broadleaf-weed growth. Plants like dollarweed thrive in over-watered lawns.

Your landscape creates a powerful first impression. At The Master's Lawn Care, our customized Gainesville lawn health program is much more than just lawn spraying. It targets common lawn problems that negatively impact the health and appearance of your turf. If you're tired of fighting the battle for weed control in Gainesville lawns, call our office for a free lawn evaluation today at (352) 378-5296.