Controlling Nutsedge

Nutsedge (also known as nutgrass and sometimes swampgrass) is a perennial grass that drives homeowners, landscapers and turf professionals NUTS - (yea, that just happened)

Nutsedge can be found as either purple or yellow and is defined as a perennial because it repeats its life cycle every year. Reproduction occurs primarily by small underground tubers called nutlets (as seen in the 2nd picture). Nutsedge can also spread by rhizomes.

When identifying this grass in your lawn - you will notice the leaves are light green to yellowish in color and are very slick / waxy to the touch.

Control Options:

Late spring/early summer is the ideal time to control yellow nutsedge. At this time yellow nutsedge is young, actively growing, and most susceptible to herbicide controls.

As summer arrives, the nutsedge becomes more mature and begins to form seedheads. Eradication can still be reached, but is more difficult than during the Spring.

With small populations of nutsedge, manual removal from your lawn can be the best method of control (just be sure to remove the nutlet as well). For large infestations - you can use a herbicide containing the active ingredient Halosulfuron.

We carry Halosulfuron in the trade name Pro Sedge. Use rate is .9 grams (.03 oz) per 1,000 sq ft.

What's My Spreader Setting?

Calibrating Your Rotary Spreader

It's a question asked perhaps more than "what's for dinner?" - - - "What's my spreader setting?"

While there are spreader setting charts out there that list common settings across a wide variety of different spreaders (Lesco, Scotts, Earthway, etc etc), you should always CALIBRATE your spreader to accurately calculate the desired rate for the desired product.

"How do I know how much fertilizer to use?" - Here is an example to help you figure that out.

You have a 10,000 sq ft lawn & you're going to fertilize using our 18-0-3.

1) Choose a desired rate of Nitrogren to be applied per 1,000 sq ft

                          (for this example, I will use .5 lb N per 1,000 sq ft)

2) Divide your desired rate by the percentage of Nitrogen in the bag - this will tell you how many lbs of fertilizer you will need to apply per 1,000 sq ft to achieve your desired rate.

                                  (.5 lb N / .18 N) = 2.78 lbs per 1,000 sq ft.

3) Your lawn is 10,000 sq ft so if you multiply that number (2.78) by 10 - this will tell you how many lbs of fertilizer you will need for the job.


                                            (2.78 x 10) = 27.8 lbs of 18-0-3

Now, you need to calibrate your spreader to apply 2.78 lbs of 18-0-3 per 1,000 sq ft

Click here for step by step calibration instructions

Materials you will need:
- bucket or pail
- scale
- your spreader (don't laugh - you really need it)
- paint can
- marking flags (or anything to help you mark a point of reference)
- measuring tape or wheel
　

Water Wise

Proper Summertime Water Management

Cool season turf requires about 1" of water/irrigation weekly to maintain quality aesthetics and active growth. (If you are irrigating the lawn yourself, I recommend splitting your weekly watering into two 1/2" irrigation cycles).

Before the heat of summer arrives each season - you should decide on one of the following watering practices; to either water consistently all season long, or to allow your lawn to go dormant as conditions get hot and dry.

It is IMPORTANT to choose one of those practices and stick to it. An inconsistent watering practice will only result in damage to your lawn.

The best time to water is between midnight and sunrise. This window of time yields the best opportunity to irrigate down to the root depth and allow the surface to dry out before the heat and humidity arrive after sunrise.

It is best to avoid watering your lawn during the heat of the day, but if you notice your lawn is starting to wilt ("footprint"- see picture below) in certain areas, allowing your irrigation to run for a few minutes to cool the surface is a good idea - to prevent damage to your lawn and/or turf loss.

Ants, Ticks, Spiders ... Oh My!!!

Wouldn't that have made a better line in "The Wizard of Oz"? I think so.

And whether you're a landscape company or homeowner, chances are that ants, ticks and spiders mean more to you than Lions, Tigers and Bears. So whether you need to control some pesky crawlers in your back yard or keep those ants out of your kitchen - we have what you need.

Menace (Bifenthrin)  is a concentrated liquid formulation that controls many surface crawling/flying insects, such as ants, ticks, mites, millipedes, spiders, bees and more.

You can use Menace to spray in your lawn, around your house, anywhere you are looking to control those insects. Use rate is .125 oz - 1.0 oz per 1000 sq ft.

　

Tengard (Permethrin)  is a concentrated liquid formulation that controls most of the same insects as Bifenthrin. You can also use Tengard to control termites, mice and other unwelcomed guests around your home. Use rate is 1 2/3 oz - 6 2/3 oz per gallon of water.

Got Crabgrass?

Controlling Crabgrass In Your Lawn

Maybe you applied a Pre-emergent in the Spring, maybe you didn't. Maybe you could have used another application, maybe it's the weather's fault. No matter who is to blame, you now have crabgrass in your lawn and you want to control it.

You have basically two options, to control the crabgrass selectively or non-selectively. Controlling the crabgrass with a selective herbicide will allow you to eradicate only the crabgrass from your lawn, without injuring your desired turf. A non-selective control will eradicate the crabgrass as well as your desired turf.

Let's talk selective controls. The following is a list of Selective Herbicides we carry that will control crabgrass:

             - Quinclorac 75DF (Equivalent to Drive 75DF): This is a Dry Flowable powder that you can mix with water to create a spray solution. Use rate is .367 oz per 1000 sq ft.

             - Acclaim Extra: This is a concentrated liquid formulation (shown here in a pint container). Use rate is .08 oz - .90 oz per 1000 sq ft.

              - Quincept: This is a concentrated liquid formulation, a combination of 2,4-D, Dicamba & Quinclorac. This combination will allow you to control crabgrass as well as broadleaf weeds such as dandelion, clover, etc. Use rate is 2.6 oz - 2.9 oz per 1000 sq ft.