I've been getting a lot of people asking me what can be done about all the dove weed, nutsedge, and other weeds they're seeing in their lawn this fall.

The good news is most are summer weeds that will go away soon. The heavy rains from an active storm season made weeds especially prevalent this past year. The bad news is these Gainesville lawn weeds have already left their seeds in the lawn which means they will be back again next year unless something is done over the next few months to prevent them from germinating.

That's why at The Master's, our annual fertilization and weed control program includes fall and winter visits. These are some of the most important visits we make all year, because we are applying preventatives that will keep those seeds from turning into weeds next year.

On these 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-annual 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 much more quickly.

Does this prevent all of the weeds? Unfortunately not. There are three types of weeds: annuals (those that come back from seeds each year), biennial (those that have a two-year life cycle) and perennial (those that come back from their roots every year).

Pre-emergents only work on seeds so they are only effective annuals.  The other two, biennials such as dandelions or perennials, such as dallisgrass can't be prevented and must be controlled after they have sprouted from their roots.

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

I'm often told that some of the gardeners on the radio say a pre-emergent can only be applied in September and ask if our preventative will work when we apply it later.

They are right, what is available at nurseries is only effective during certain times of the year but what we applies is much different. It is more effective than what is available at stores and is applied later in the season.

Another big factor in the success of our 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 watering, it sits on top of the soil for a couple of weeks and then eventually disappears which doesn't do any good.

So what does all of this mean to you and your lawn? Having a great lawn next year starts with how you treat your lawn this fall and winter.

As always, if you have a question regarding your Gainesville, Fl lawn weed control give us call at 352.378.5296 or email us at info@themasterslawncare.com. I love to answer your questions and often turn them into Quick Tips to help teach our customers about all things related to lawn and landscaping!

There is a Freeze Warning coming up in Northern Florida for this weekend. The current forecast is predicting overnight freezing temperatures for both Saturday and Sunday nights, which could result damage or Gainesville sprinkler systems and tender landscape plants. Here are some tips that will help minimize the harmful effects of low temperatures:

• Cover your sprinkler system's backflow preventer with protective covering and change settings like this. Upgrading your weather sensor to a rain/freeze sensor also protects your irrigation from running and leaving moisture to cause freeze damage on plants. 
• Cover your cold-sensitive plants (see list below) with sheets or blankets, but not plastic.
• Don't mow or use heavy equipment on your lawn if it is frozen or if there is frost present the following morning.

Most Common Cold-sensitive Gainesville landscaping plants*:

• Gold Mound Duranta
• Some Palms
• Philodendron
• Bird of Paradise
• Variegated Schefflera
• Some varieties of Ginger
• Hibiscus
• Firespike
• Plumbago
• Bougainvillea
• Lantana
• Croton
• Heather
• Hydrangea
• Oleander
• Butterfly bush
• Impatiens / Sunpatiens
• Warm Season Annuals

*This is just a list of the most common plants. If you have plants not on this list that are fruit bearing or of a tropical nature, it is recommended you protect them as well.

Being prepared and vigilant can help you protect and preserve the investment you’ve made in your Gainesville lawn and landscaping. A little work now will pay big dividends when you have a healthy lawn this coming Spring. 

The Master's Lawn Care is a Certified Gainesville Lawn & Ornamental Pest Control Business, and we want to help you get the best out of your lawn. Call us at 378-LAWN if we can be of any help.

Why would you care about defined landscape beds in your Gainesville lawn? Because there’s nothing more appealing about a landscape than a bed where you can tell that the lawn stops and the flower bed begins. This is one of the fundamenatal pieces of an appealing lawn. It gives the look of organization, intentional landscaping, and a well-maintained yard. See the photo below for an example of how much a clealy defined bed edge can do for your Gainesville curb appeal this spring:

1. Think Proactively about where your bed should be - The picture above shows a lack of proactive thinking. Although the roadway has nothing to do with lawns, you can see where someone simply painted the line where they could, instead of where it should've gone. In your lawn, look at where the edge should be instead of where the edge of the grass actually is. Don’t edge further out if the bed edge would look better closer in, no matter where the grass is growing. Let the grass over time grow to where you want it to be, rather than letting it decide where it should be - you can install some sod. Some tips to help your turf grow in quicker are making sure it has the necessary sunlight, proper Irrigation, and a good Lawn Health Program.

2. Keep Your mulch thick at the edge - Don’t let it wash out into grass causing it to thin out, and don't let it sit back in the bed, leaving bare dirt. It isn't supposed to go from grass, to dirt, and then mulch. It should be lush healthy turf with a firm line of transition to thick dark mulch like the photo below.

3. Watch your herbicides! Many time we see weeds getting sprayed too close to the bed edge, causing herbicide “drift” where rain or irrigation washes it into the edge of the lawn. This creates unsighlty brown edges and leave a yard very undefined, like the bed below. When using herbicides, make sure to use them a minimum of 18" from the edge of the bed to account for drifting from wind while spraying, irrigation, or rain runoff.

At The Master's Lawn Care, our goal is for you to love your lawn again. If we can be of any help in you being proud of your Gainesville, Florida yard, please don't hesitate to fill out the Contact us form above or call at (352)378-5296.

Ornamental Grasses such as Muhly grass, Fountain grass, and Pampas grass are some of the most common plants in Gainesville Landscaping due to their ability to withstand drought. However, they are commonly left completely unmaintained to grow wild and look unsightly. This short video is a quick tip on how to cut back your grass after winter and help it look like the photo below.

There is a Hard Freeze Warning coming up in Northern Florida this week. The current forecast is predicting overnight freezing temperatures for extended hours which will likely result in some amount of damage or Gainesville lawns and landscape plants on Tuesday. Here are some tips that will help minimize the harmful effects of low temperatures:

• Run your irrigation system for 15 minutes per zone for rotor heads and 5 minutes per zone for spray heads tonight and again in the morning once temperatures rise above freezing.
• Cover your cold-sensitive shrubs and ornamentals (see list below) with sheets or blankets, but not plastic.
• Don’t mow, drive over, or walk across your lawn if it is frozen or if there is frost present.

If you have any questions, whether you’re a The Master's Lawn Care client or not, please call our office at (352) 378-5296. 

Most Common Cold-sensitive Gainesville landscaping plants*:r

• Gold Mound Duranta
• Some Palms
• Philodendron
• Bird of Paradise
• Variegated Schefflera
• Some varieties of Ginger
• Hibiscus
• Firespike
• Plumbago
• Bougainvillea
• Lantana
• Croton
• Heather
• Hydrangea
• Oleander
• Butterfly bush

*This is just a list of the most common plants. If you have plants not on this list that are fruit bearing or annuals, it is recommended you cover them as well.

Being prepared and vigilant can and will help you protect and preserve the investment you’ve made in your Gainesville lawn and landscaping. A little work now will pay big dividends when you have a healthy lawn this coming Spring.

The Master's Lawn Care is a Certified Gainesville Lawn & Ornamental Pest Control Business, and we want to help you get the best out of your lawn. Call us at 378-LAWN if we can be of service.

We are fortunate to live in a climate where landscaping and planting can be a year round activity. When many of us think of landscaping our yards spring usually comes to mind as the best time of year to get started. I think that is a pretty logical assumption, and in many parts of the country this is true, but in Gainesville spring actually ranks as the second best time of year to start new landscaping projects. First place actually goes to fall!

If you are looking to spruce up your yard with some new plantings, it’s actually fall that tops the list of the best season for Gainesville, FL landscaping installations. Our seasons are a little bit different than the rest of the country, instead of winter being the harshest season for our landscapes, it’s actually summer that brings the most stressful conditions. This time of year the cooler temperatures help the plants roots to get well established and the soil is still warm enough to allow the roots to grow until the first frost hits. We are also fortunate to have mild winters in our climate so the roots can grow throughout the season. By the time the next summer arrives, new shrubs and plants will have had plenty of time to become acclimated to their new homes, giving them more resiliency to withstand heat and drought conditions that our warmer weather brings. 

For the same reasons, this is also the best time of year if you are thinking about re-sodding your lawn. The decreased rainfall helps us to better control the amount of moisture your new lawn receives which can help alleviate some of the fungus issues that might affect a new lawn planted in the wet season, and the cool temperatures are much better tolerated. This gives the lawn time to establish deep roots and gives you a great chance at cultivating the lush green lawn that so many of us desire!

Remember that our fall is a very short season in Gainesville, so make sure to get started on your fall landscaping right away to give your new plants and shrubs the best start. If you are interested in a consultation for any landscaping project please give us a call to set up a free consultation at 352-378-LAWN.

Related Posts: 

Five Tasks to Improve Your Gainesville Landscape in Fall
When is the Best Time to Plant A Gainesville Landscape?
Can You Have an Orange and Blue Landscape in Fall?