Category: Lawn & Landscape

MONTH-BY-MONTH GUIDE TO LAWN CARE

(From Month-by-Month Gardening in Florida by Tom MacCubbin/additions by Lukas Nursery)

JANUARY

• NO fertilizer or weed/feed for St. Augustine, Zoysia, or Bahia lawns
• Apply iron at one-half normal rate to renew green if needed
• Apply fungicide to combat “Brown Patch” if needed
• Mow, dig, and spot-kill weeds
• Sow annual rye grass to fill in bare spots and re-green brown lawns if desired
• DO NOT apply pesticides this time of year

FEBRUARY

• First-of-the-year weed/feed application can begin when danger of freezing weather is past
• Remove all growing crabgrass and dormant runners
• Apply a pre-emergence herbicide (repeat treatment may be needed)
• Apply fungicide to combat “Brown Patch” if needed
• Watch for chinch bug and grub activity and treat with insecticide if needed

MARCH

• Complete spring weed/feed applications (temperatures should be below 85 degrees)
• Apply insecticide if you haven’t already to combat chinch bugs, grubs, sod webworm, and bill bugs(Zoysia) if needed

APRIL

• Complete spring weed/feed by early in month if you haven’t already. This is the last chance to do selective weed control before hot weather
• Iron-only feeding (Summer Green) can be given b\Bahia turf if it is showing some yellowing even after earlier spring feeding
• Watch for lawn insects and treat as needed with insecticide DO NOT USE SELECTIVE WEED KILLERS DURING HOT WEATHER!

MAY

• Some vigorous and shallow rooted grasses (bermuda grass, zoysia grass) may need another fertilizer application
• Apply a pre-emergence herbicide if needed
• Apply fungicide at preventive or treatment rate if needed & watch for fungus infestation
• Check Bahia lawns for mole crickets, Zoysia for bill bugs & sod webworm, St. Augustine for cinch bugs & sod webworm, and all lawns for grubs, and apply insecticide if needed

JUNE

• Light fertilizer application if you missed the spring feeding
• Iron-only feeding or Summer Green product if grass is yellowing
• Apply fungicide at preventive or treatment rate if needed & watch for fungus infestation
• Control mole crickets, cinch bugs, grubs, and other insects with insecticide if needed

JULY

• Some yellowing and light green in the lawn is normal this time of year and may actually make the grass more pest resistant. Use iron-only fertilizer (Summer Green) for Bahia and St. Augustine grass or half-strength fertilizer if desired to improve green
• Apply fungicide at preventive or treatment rate if needed & watch for fungus infestation
• Check for Chinch bugs, mole crickets (Bahia), grubs, bill bugs (Zoysia) and other insects, and treat with insecticide if needed
• Mow, dig out, or spot-kill weeds with non selective herbicides (Weed Out/Roundup) during the hot months

AUGUST

• Iron-only (Summer Green) or light fertilizer application to make lawns greener
• Apply a pre-emergence herbicide if needed
• Apply fungicide at preventive or treatment rate if needed
• Check lawn weekly for signs of insects and fungus and treat with appropriate insecticide or fungicide

SEPTEMBER

• Fall feeding with complete fertilizer
• Summer insects and fungus will affect the lawn for at least one more month, treat with insecticide and fungicide if needed
• Apply fungicide at preventive or treatment rate if needed
• Wait until the later part of the month to begin selective weed control. Until then pull or spot-kill weeds with a non selective herbicide (Weed Out/Roundup)

OCTOBER

• Apply fertilizer or weed/feed now if you didn’t in September. Bahia grass will soon begin to slow its growth.
• Insects and fungus begin to decline, however chinch bugs, mole crickets, grubs, and a few other insects might still need to be treated with insecticide
• Mowing, digging, and spot-killing weeds can continue, as well as the use of selective weed-control products. Broadleaf weed types are the easiest to control

NOVEMBER

• Apply winterizer (potassium-only fertilizer) to your lawn.
• Apply a pre-emergence herbicide if needed
• Treat grubs in your lawn, and watch for chinch bugs and mole crickets and treat with insecticide as needed.

DECEMBER

• NO fertilizer or weed/feed for St. Augustine, Zoysia and Bahia lawns
• Fungicide for “Brown Patch” if needed (Fungicides do not help cold damaged lawns)
• Do not use pesticides at this time of year
• Overseed with rye grass if desired
  

Orange County Extension Office: 407-254-9200

Lukas Nursery Recommends:

Fertilome Weed & Feed (atrazine) (ST. AUGUSTINE ONLY!) (cool weather) Fertilome liquid Weed-Free Zone (carfentrazone) (cool weather) Fertilome Weed Out (2-4-D) (bahia, zoysia/ not for St. Augustine) (coolweather) Fertilome New Lawn Starter (new sod) Fertilome Winterizer (high potassium) Lukas Nursery Iron Plus Fertilizer (spring, summer, fall) Summer Green (iron, magnesium, manganese) Fertilome Weed & Grass Stopper pre-emergent (Treflan) Fertilome F-Stop fungicide granules or liquid systemic (Banner) Fertilome Bug Blaster, imidacloprid (systemic), or Dylox product (insect control)

This was a grueling 4 day clean up and landscape project. On the side of the back porch we ripped out grass and weeds then installed sweet smelling Tea Olive Shrubs with Blue Daze in front.

At the back side of the back porch we cleared out stones, weeds and old weed barrier material. then installed White ruffle Azaleas with Blue Daze to enhance the landscape.
The front walk way – In Ohio we call it the devil strip. We cleared out the ferns, (took two days), installed Asiatic Jasmine , which is a ground cover that does fairly well in shaded areas. there are only a few plants that can grow in shade like this in Zone 9a. Ferns and Asiatic Jasmine. the Jasmine won.

The Crape Myrtle we pruned and cleaned up the weeds around the area and topped off the decorative grasses.

Left front yard we cleaned out Many Split Philodendrons, huge prehistoric ferns, a few Elephant Ears and countless bags of leaves. then we installed Formosa Azaleas, enhanced with New Guinea Inpatients.

Right side of back yard we cleaned out Miscellaneous growth and trimmed shrubs.

Left side of back yard as you can see were massive Split Philodendrons and other plant life that was just there. We cleared that area out and home owner may put in rubber mulch or frog plant.

In the back yard next to left neighbors house we tore out more Split Philodendrons and burned off grass, then we installed Orange colored Shrimp Plant (a butterfly attracting plant) next to neighbors house. At the fence we planted Banana Shrubs, which bloom and smell like ripe bananas. Then we enhanced the look with white Angel Wing Begonias.

Ever wonder what to do with an old tree stump in your Casselberry landscape? Here’s an idea. Get an old object, it can be an old table, chair, bench or in this case it was an old wooded eagle from the attic, put on top of the old stump then install some plants around the stump add some red mulch to make it pop and Voila. A beautiful landscape design for your Casselberry home.
Click FREE estimate If you would like us to help with your landscape design.