May2015

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by Brian Van Dam
Best Management Practices for Healthy Lawns
Weeds Be Gone!
L
iving in South Florida means we
should be able to enjoy our lawn
and landscaping all year long. The
South Florida temperatures, humidity,
and rainfall typically create an environment
where your lawn and landscaping
will flourish. However, there are some
environmental impacts that can affect
their health and appearance. What
does that mean? We live within 30 minutes
of the coast. That means in most
areas, we have sandy soil filled with
rock, coral, and sediment. Sandy soil
does not hold onto moisture or nutrients
too well. We also have high winds
and salt air that can cause damage to
plants and trees and can draw moisture
out of the lawn. These are conditions
that are out of our control.
Here are some helpful tips you can
use for maintaining a healthy lawn and
landscape. The tips are called Best
Management Practices, and you can
apply them yourself or pass them on to
your landscaper.
Watering tips: If you have a lot of
shade or see specific weeds like sedge
and dollarweed in the lawn, this can
mean your lawn is getting too much
moisture. Look at your irrigation timing
device to make sure the lawn is only
being watered two times per week, for
about 25 minutes in each zone and
always during the early morning hours,
between 5am and 8am. Also check the
irrigation heads to make sure there is
proper coverage and no overlapping
when in operation. Turn the irrigation
system off when there are frequent
or heavy rains or install a rain shut-off
sensor. If your lawn starts to appear
dry in certain areas, you can add a
little more time to that zone, but do not
increase the frequency. Too much water
or not enough time to dry out will create
conditions ideal for fungus disease.
Mowing tips: The majority of
South Florida lawns have St. Augustine
grass. For this type, the
grass blades should
be maintained at 3” to
4“. You will have better
overall color. Try not to
remove any more than
1/3 of the grass blade
per mowing. Mower
blades should be
sharpened regularly
as this will aid
in a nice clean
cut of the blade
instead of
tearing
it. Mower blades should be cleaned
regularly as well to prevent the spread
of pathogens from one lawn to another.
You can practice “grasscycling” by leaving
the clippings on the ground. Do not
blow clippings into bodies of water or
onto impervious surfaces like sidewalks.
A healthy lawn that is mowed and
watered properly will be better at withstanding
environmental stress and will
also minimize the amount of weeds. You
should trim or prune trees annually or as
needed to minimize wind resistance and
allow enough sunlight to reach shady
areas of the lawn and landscaping.
When deciding what plants to place
around your home, make sure it is the
right plant in the right place. You should
consider sunlight, drainage, irrigation,
and space requirements.
Each property can have unique
circumstances. Remember that
your lawn, landscape, and trees
are all living organisms. They
need proper care and sometimes
protection from insects
and disease. P
Brian Van Dam is a manager
with JP Miller & Sons
Services in Deerfield
Beach.
50 JANUARY MAY 2016 2015