This is the time of year when sales of lawn and landscape care products dramatically increase. Weed and feed products, post emergent and preemergent weed controls, raised bed mixes and mulches are among the many items filling the shelves of local garden outlets.
We normally associate mowing with the actual beginning of lawn care, but this isn't true anymore. In the past three years, three hurricanes and one tropical storm have raked through Southeast Texas and Southwest Louisiana and with them came numerous weed and disease problems.
Historically, weeds have been the number one lawn care issue from January through April. Yet, many homeowners have observed that weed problems have greatly increased since the impacts of these major storms. Not only did the storms introduce distant field weeds to local lawns and landscapes, they redistributed the ones already in place.
In those areas where storm surge covered lawns and landscapes, the weed problems are even worse.
The question often is asked as to why we have weed problems in the winter and fewer in the summer. The answer has to do with competition. A healthy lawn of proper density out competes most weeds very well, even in the winter. Yet even a healthy lawn can get some winter annuals and perennials.
The reason for some incidence of weeds in winters before 2005 came about because the grass was dormant and didn't compete as when it is actively growing.
The reason for the exceptionally higher incidence of weeds since 2005 is more complex.
The grass is dormant and hurricane force winds have scattered weeds' seeds all over the place.
For example, two of my clients have potted plants located on their balconies. Quite surprisingly, the pots not only held nice plants, they also had numerous weeds normally not found in such plantings. Winter annuals including Annual Bluegrass, chickweed, henbit and dandelion were growing very well. The only route these weeds could have taken to get to these pots was the wind, hard blowing wind that is. Wind-blown seeds, especially those of annuals are the source of the new crop of weeds found in our hurricane stricken lawns and landscapes.
Controlling these exceptional weed crops in the winter lawn is challenging. Weed and feed formulations have a weed control herbicide mixed with a balanced fertilizer. These can be applied now to control the normal winter weeds as well as those introduced by recent storms. Nitro-Phos Weed and Feed 15-5-10 is an excellent formulation for controlling these weeds.
It also doesn't have excess nitrogen in the balanced fertilizer.
St. Augustine Grass usually resumes growth in late March and the fertilizer will be well distributed into the root zone for a good start going into the upcoming season.
And one last thing, sharpen your lawn mower blade; it will be easier to push through the grass if you do.
Dennis Franklin (The Plant Doctor) has a Ph.D. in Plant Sciences from Texas A&M University and is a plant health consultant.