1. Best Management Practices for Florida turfgrasses – Fertility and Cultural

2. LAWN

3. Have you scalped the lawn?
Used weed and feed more than 2 times a year?
Water more than 2 times a week?
Fertilize with quick release fertilizer?

4. Then lets SHAPE UP!

6. Benefits of Turfgrass Functional Benefits Stormwater Runoff Reduction
Soil Erosion
Dust Stabilization
Heat Dissipation
Aesthetic Benefits
Safe Play Area
Community Pride
Increased Property Values
Compliments and ties together the rest of the landscape

7. Components of best management practices
Right plant, right place
Fertility practices
Irrigation practices
Mowing practices
Pesticide spraying
Best Management Practices is a multi-faceted approach to preventing potential pollution as a result of home lawn and landscape maintenance. Doing things correctly can limit the impact of lawn care on quality of ground and surface water in Florida. It is up to everybody to make sure that they are following the best management practices in an effort to eliminate any potential pollution problems.

8. Which Grass Do You Want to Use?
Bahiagrass
Bermudagrass
Centipedegrass
St. Augustinegrass
Zoysiagrass

9. St. Augustinegrass (Stenotaphrum secundatum)
Advantages
Good shade tolerance
Good salt tolerance
Tolerant to wide range of soil pH
Establishes quickly from sod
Dark green color
Good shade tolerance is a relative thing- no grass will do well in deep shade or if there are not enough hours of sunlight available. Even shade tolerant grasses need at least 4 hours of sunlight daily. Afternoon sun appears to be more important than morning sun in determining number of hours needed. In very shady areas, we recommend that an alternative shade-loving ground cover be used. Within the St. Augustinegrasses, best shade tolerance is found in the dwarf varieties (i.e., ‘Delmar’ and ‘Seville’). Floritam has relatively poor shade tolerance.

10. St. Augustinegrass (Stenotaphrum secundatum)
Disadvantages
Poor cold tolerance
Poor drought tolerance
Poor wear tolerance
Forms excessive thatch
Susceptible to chinch bugs

11. St. Augustinegrass Cultivars
Floratam no longer chinch bug resistant
poor cold and shade tolerance
Raleigh cold hardy poor chinch bug resistance
Bitterblue good shade tolerance, blue green color
Classic good cold tolerance
Amerishade dwarf with good shade tolerance

12. St. Augustine dwarf cultivars
Captiva New dwarf cultivar with great shade tolerance and chinch bug resistance
Seville Great shade tolerance prone to thatch and webworms
Delmar cold tolerant- good for sun too

13. Zoysiagrasses (Zoysia spp.)
Advantages
Tight low growing turf
Good shade tolerance
Resists weeds
Good traffic tolerance
Disney grass

14. Zoysiagrasses (Zoysia spp.)
Disadvantages
Slow growing
Thatch issues
Water needs
Fertilizer needs
Billbugs
Nematodes

15. Zoysiagrasses cultivars
Empire
El Toro
Ultimate flora
Lush look of a Northern-type lawn grass for warm-season climates.
Easily replaces St. Augustine grass as a residential turfgrass option.
Establishes quicker than most other zoysia grasses.

16. Bahiagrass (Paspalum notatum)
Advantages
Good drought tolerance
Low fertility requirements
Low maintenance
Tolerant of sandy, infertile soils
Establishes from seed
Relatively low inputs required.

17. Bahiagrass (Paspalum notatum)
Disadvantages
Produces abundance of seedheads
Open growth habit encourages weed competition
Susceptible to mole crickets
Coarse stems are difficult to mow
Not wear tolerant
Not as popular as other species due to image as “pasture grass” or low quality grass. Can produce a nice lawn if properly maintained.

18. Centipede grass Advantages Slow growing Good drought tolerance
Low fertility requirements
Low maintenance
Tolerant of sandy, infertile soils
Hammock is a good cultivar

19. Centipede grass Disadvantages Poor shade tolerance Nematodes
Can be over managed

20. Fertilization Goals of fertility programs
To produce healthy, stress-tolerant turfgrass
To protect the environment

21. Turfgrass Fertility Considerations
Soil testing
How to apply fertilizer to not pollute
Fertilizer source (quick-release vs. slow-release)
Application amount
Application timing
Fall fertility
Fertilizer storage

22. Know Your Soil
Soil testing should provide the basis for determining a fertility program
This includes pH testing as well as extractable levels of macro and micronutrients
Do not soil test for N, as it is very mobile
Looking at soil fertility levels is widely used in commercial agriculture and on golf courses, but is hardly ever done on residential turf. It is important, however, in determining the fertility regime for a home lawn.

23. pH If you soil pH is too low less than 6 you will need to apply Lime
Only apply lime with recommendations from your soil test
Use either calcitic limestone or dolomite to lime
Water in with ¼ inch of irrigation
It will take 4-6 weeks for you to get the pH were it needs to be

24. The Fertilizer Bag
Numbers refer to percent nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium in the bag
Example: has 15% N, (or 7.5 lbs. in a 50 lb. bag) 0% P, 15% K as K2O5
Nutrient sources also listed

25. Turfgrass Fertility Considerations
How to apply
Fertilizer source (quick-release vs. slow-release)
Application amount
Application timing
Fall fertility

26. How To Properly Apply Fertilizer
Be careful not to apply fertilizer particles onto sidewalks, roadways, or other impervious surfaces where they might wind up in the storm drain
These points are the foundation of the Green Industries BMPs. It is everyone’s responsibility to follow these and avoid potential situations where we might get leaching of fertilizers or chemicals into ground or surface waters.

27. How To Properly Apply Fertilizer
Use a deflector shield when fertilizing near water bodies- this will allow for a 3’ ring – without a shield, leave a 10’ ring
These points are the foundation of the Green Industries BMPs. It is everyone’s responsibility to follow these and avoid potential situations where we might get leaching of fertilizers or chemicals into ground or surface waters.

28. How To Properly Apply Fertilizer
Irrigate fertilizer in with only enough water to move granules off of leaves (~1/4” water)
These points are the foundation of the Green Industries BMPs. It is everyone’s responsibility to follow these and avoid potential situations where we might get leaching of fertilizers or chemicals into ground or surface waters.

29. Elements Required for Turfgrass Growth
Micronutrients:
Iron
Manganese
Boron
Copper
Molybdenum
Zinc
Nickel
Macronutrients:
Nitrogen
Phosphorus
Potassium
Calcium
Magnesium
Sulfur
From Environment:
Carbon
Hydrogen
Oxygen
Sunlight produces the process of photosynthesis, where the grass takes in carbon. Other elements generally must be applied. Turfgrass needs vary depending on soil fertility, but typically have greatest needs for nitrogen, followed by potassium. Except for high pH situations, you seldom see turfgrasses with micronutrient deficiencies.

30. Application Amount Depends on percentage slow-release N
No more than ½ lb. N 1000 ft2 if quick-release
Up to 1 lb. N 1000 ft2 if slow-release
Better to apply smaller amounts more frequently for optimal physiological functioning of turf
Frequent, small fertilizer applications are more beneficial for turf than large, infrequent doses.

31. T-Timing The first fertilization is in the Spring -early April
Then May with slow release
Fall fertilization is done in September-October
Weed control is addressed in late February early March

32. Current UF/IFAS Fertility Recommendations (lbs. N 1000 ft-2 yr-1)
St. Augustinegrass:
North FL: 2-4
Central FL: 2-5
South FL: 4-6
We provide a range of rates for each grass at each location. For example, a homeowner taking care of his own yard would most likely be at the low end of the range, while a lawn care service would typically be at the higher end. Acceptable quality grass can be maintained within this range of rates.

33. Current UF/IFAS Fertility Recommendations (lbs. N 1000 ft-2 yr-1)
Bahiagrass:
North FL: 2-3
Central FL: 2-4
South FL: 2-4
Note the lower fertility rates than in St. Augustinegrass.

34. Current UF/IFAS Fertility Recommendations (lbs. N 1000 ft-2 yr-1)
Centipedegrass:
North FL: 1-2
Central FL: 2-3
South FL: 2-3
Be careful not to overfertilize centipedegrass. Not commonly used in south Florida, but rates included here for comparison.

35. Current UF/IFAS Fertility Recommendations (lbs. N 1000 ft-2 yr-1)
Zoysia grass:
North FL: 2-4
Central FL: 3-6
South FL: 4-6

36. Current UF/IFAS Fertility Recommendations (lbs. N 1000 ft-2 yr-1)
To apply 1 pound of NITROGEN per 1000 square feet
Take the percentage nitrogen from the fertilizer label and divide that into 100. The result will equal the pounds of FERTILIZER to apply to 1000 square feet.
For a
15/100 = 6.5 pounds of fertilizer to 1000 square

37. How Much Phosphorus Do We Need in Florida?
P fertilization should be based on soil test results
If a soil test indicates P is adequate in soil, use a fertilizer with no more than 2% P
P may be required in greater amounts during establishment of lawns
Florida soils often contain high amounts of phosphorus- after all, we supply phosphorus to much of the rest of the world. Since this is an element of concern regarding potential pollutants, it is wise to limit the phosphorus applied as fertilizer unless a soil test indicates the need for it to be applied.

38. Fertilizer Rule in Florida on Phosphorus
This rule limits fertilizers that can be sold for use on lawns to those that contain low or no phosphorus (2nd number on the bag), and limits the total annual amount of phosphorous that can be applied to a home lawn.
You are allowed to apply 1 pound of nitrogen per 1,000 square feet of lawn each time you apply fertilizer if the nitrogen is in a slow-release form, or 0.7 pounds of nitrogen if you are using a quick-release source.

39. Potassium Provides Increased Tolerance to Many Stresses
Helps turf maintain water balance
Functions in cellular activities such as photosynthesis
Can enhance cold tolerance and spring green-up
Potassium does not enhance turfgrass growth or turn the grass green. It functions within the cells and does many important things on that level. You will not see a response to an application of potassium, but it is important for the plant to be supplied with it.

40. Other Considerations for Fertility: Irrigation
Even if fertilizer is applied at proper rates, too much water following fertilizing can result in leaching or runoff
Irrigate fertilizer in with ¼” of water
Don’t fertilize during a heavy rainfall
Amount of water applied through either irrigation or rainfall following fertilization is a critical key in reducing potential leaching. You want to move the fertilizer particle off the leaf blade to just below the soil so the roots can take the fertilizer up. Too much water will move the particles past the root zone, where they can then leach into ground water.

41. It’s raining out- should we leave the sprinklers on?
An efficient watering program must include:
How frequently to water
how much to water
time of day to water

42. How Often to Water
The most efficient way is to apply water when turf begins to show signs of stress:
bluish gray color
footprints remain
leaf blades folded in half
Automatic sprinkler systems should not be set to come on automatically. How often to water is influenced by location in the state, time of year, and grass species. It is better to monitor for these signs of wilt and irrigate when deemed necesssary. Do not irrigate if rain is forecast in the next 24 hours.

43. How Much to Water
An efficient watering only wets the turfgrass root zone, does not saturate the soil, and does not allow water to run off.
Apply 1/2” to 3/4” when turf shows symptoms of wilt and do not apply any more until water stress symptoms are again noticeable.
In the heavier soils in north Florida, ½ - ¾” of water may be plenty to provide adequate irrigation. In sandier Florida soils, higher amounts of irrigation may be needed.

44. Short, frequent irrigations Longer, less frequent irrigations
The objective of drought conditioning is to get the root system to grow deeper. This will make the grass less dependent on irrigation and better able to seek out its own water supply deeper in the soil. Irrigating more often will encourage the roots to remain in the top few inches of the soil, since water is frequently available there. If irrigation becomes less frequent, roots will be forced to grow deeper into the soil in search of water. This will be a much stronger, more stress tolerant plant.

45. Time of Day To Water Wet grass = disease opportunity
Dew point should not be extended – grass must dry out
Best time to water is just before or at sunrise
You want to give the leaf blades a chance to dry out during the day. This is best done by watering around sunrise when possible.

46. Irrigation System Efficiency
One of the most important things to do during a drought is to check the efficiency of your irrigation system

47. We are under Watering Restrictions
Water only one time per week.
Even addresses Sunday
Odd addresses Saturday
No watering between 10 am and 4 pm
Check with GRU or St. John’s River Water Management district for more information.

48. Mowing
Don’t mow grass when wet
Keep mower blades sharp!

49. Mowing Mow at highest recommended height for species
Don’t remove more than 1/3 of the leaf blade at any one time
Leave clippings on the ground
Increase mowing height under any environmental stress (shade, drought, etc.)
Mowing at higher heights will also help train the roots to grow downward, resulting in a stronger, more stress tolerant turfgrass. Do not scalp the grass if a mowing is missed- mow at a higher height and bring it down gradually. Scalping causes stress and reduces the vigor of the turf.

50. Influence of mowing height on rooting depth
Mowing at higher heights will also help train the roots to grow downward, resulting in a stronger, more stress tolerant turfgrass.

51. Mowing Under Drought Conditions
Grass growth is reduced during drought
Therefore, mowing needs are reduced
You should mow less often, but at the highest recommended height for your grass. This will help to encourage a deeper root system and place less stress on the grass
Keep your mower blades at their sharpest to further reduce stress on the grass

52. This is far too shaded for turfgrass to grow well in
This is far too shaded for turfgrass to grow well in. This portion of the lawn will not survive after a couple of years.

53. How Do I Manage Turf in the Shade?
Remove shade sources (trimming trees)
Reduce traffic in shaded areas
Increase mowing height if possible – more shoot tissue for photosynthesis will help turf perform better
Reduce irrigation in shaded areas
Reduce fertilization – trying to promote shoot growth with high fertility will further stress the grass

54. Shade Tolerant Turf Centipedegrass Bahiagrass Bermudagrass
St. Augustinegrass = zoysiagrass
Centipedegrass
Bahiagrass
Bermudagrass
St. Augustinegrass and zoysiagrass are generally your best choices for shady areas. However, remember that even the most shade tolerant grass can not handle dense shade- generally at least 4 hours of direct sunlight daily are necessary for proper turfgrass growth.

55. St. Augustinegrass Shade Tolerance
Captiva, Seville, Delmar,
Bitterblue
Palmetto
Floratam
There are differences between shade tolerance within the St. Augustinegrass species. A dwarf cultivar such as Seville or Delmar will provide the best choice for shaded areas. Floritam has poor shade tolerance.

56. Weeds
Broadleaf
Sedges
Grass weeds

57. Weed Control Begins With Proper Management
Proper Turfgrass Selection
This results in thin, weak turf that is very susceptible to weed invasion
Proper Cultural Practices
Proper fertilization, watering, mowing, and control of other pests are required to produce a dense turf that will prevent weed infestation
Sanitation
Many times we introduce the weeds

58. Chemical Controls Selective, Non-selective Contact, Systemic
Pre-emergence
applied prior to weed seed germination
Read your herbicide label very carefully

59. Spreading Dayflower
Hawksbeard
Dollarweed
Chamber bitter

60. Crowfootgrass
crabgrass
Pendamethalin
Halts crabgrass preventer
Sandspur

61. Nutsedge
Globe Sedge
Basagran
Manage
Image

62. Hand weeding can work!

63. Diseases Gray leaf spot azoxystrobin, propiconazole,
thiophanate methyl,
trifloxystrobin.

64. Diseases Brown Patch now Large patch Cool weather disease mancozeb,
azoxystrobin
propiconazole
thiophanate methyl

65. Insects
Chinch bugs

66. Suck the plant juices from grass (generally on nodes
Chinch bugs
Suck the plant juices from grass (generally on nodes
of runners) resulting in yellowish to brownish patches
Damage often first noticed in water stressed areas
along edges of lawns
Treat with triazicide or bifenthrin

67. Tropical Sod Web Worms Summer and fall Notched feeding on blades
Associated with moths
Dipel or Sevin

68. Grubs Grass thins, yellows, wilts, dies. No roots
Many different beetle culprits
Grub Ex

69. Inspecting for Grubs
Treat with labeled pesticide

70. Monitoring for Turf Pests
Weekly pest monitoring is recommended

71. Monitoring Chinch Bugs
1) Insert open ended metal can 2 inches into soil
in suspected areas
2) Fill can with water, chinch bugs will float
3) Wait 5 minutes
then count
4) Repeat in 3 - 4
locations

72. In general, healthy turf is better able to withstand pest
pressure than stressed turf
Follow guidelines for growing healthy
turf printed in the Florida Lawn
Handbook

73. Now you are ready to attack the lawn! Contact me for help.
Wendy Wilber