Preparing Your Turf for Winter
Start reducing the nitrogen rate on warm weather turfgrasses that go dormant or are susceptible to periodic low winter temperatures. This helps maintain but not push excessive new top growth.
A kelp based potassium source applied in the fall will strengthen your turf and enhance root growth to combat the cold winter time temperatures.
If applicable - preemergents should be applied.
Raising mowing heights will help reduce weed-seed germination and reduce frost damage throgh the winter months.
Poa Annua aka Annual Bluegrass has started to show its ugly face again this season. As many of you know this is the most troublesome winter weed to control and eliminate. Poa has a very short life cycle only from February to late May in most cases. Studies have shown that the Annual Bluegrass seed can stay viable in your lawns soil for up to 10 years! If you were able to eliminate a large population last season you most likely will have do it all over again with brand new weeds. There are not many organic solutions to control Poa Annua however, once the temperature and humidity rises the plants will naturally die off. With soil conditioners and cultural practices, the seeds that lay waiting in your soil can be combated, but this process takes time.
Army Worms
ll Hudson Extension Entomologist, University of Georgia
In late summer, almost every year, caterpillars invade turfgrass throughout the state. The damage to established turf is mostly aesthetic, but newly sodded or sprigged areas can be more severely damaged or even killed. While there are several caterpillars that can damage turfgrass, in late summer most of the problems are from fall armyworms. Their favorite turf to feed upon is Bermuda grass. Adult armyworm moths are active at night and females lay eggs in masses of 50 to several hundred. Eggs hatch in a few days, and the young larvae begin to feed on leaf tissue. Damage from small larvae may at first look like skeletonizing, but as the worms grow, the entire leaf is consumed. Armyworms are most active early and late in the day, spending the hotter hours down near the soil in the shade. Larvae feed for 2 to 3 weeks before pupating in the soil. Moths emerge 10 - 14 days later. The entire life cycle from egg to adult moth takes about 28 days in the warm weather of August and September. If there is any doubt about whether worms are present, pouring soapy water on the grass (1/2 oz. dishwashing soap/gallon water) will bring them up very quickly. If the worms are detected while they are still small, Bacillus thurengiensis (B.t.) based "biocontrols" like Dipel can provide good control. Armyworms are most active late in the day and at night. Do not cut grass for 1 - 3 days after application.
