November Lawn Service | Jacksonville, FL

In October we did not see the widespread “large patch fungus” we were expecting in our lawns.  It was a historically dry month.  Our lawn service will continue to treat any fungus as we see it in November.  This months primary focus will be weed control.  We will be putting out several weed control products.  As we head into winter, lawns will typically thin out due to lower temperatures and fewer hours of sunlight.  Chickweed and hawksbeard only grow in cooler temperatures and will the target of our pre and post emergent herbicide.  We will take advantage of the changing season to address issues that we cannot other control chemically.  A hard freeze will selectively control crabgrass.  Mowing your lawn higher than you typically would during the summer months will help preserve its color into late December.  We recommend mowing at 4.5 inches.  Lawns cut short this time of year are particularly prone to yellowing out and cold damage.

We put out a pre-emergent to prevent as many weeds as possible.  You will notice lawns that do not receive treatment this time of year will be littered with weeds.  For more information please visit our website or give us a call for a free estimate.

October 2014 - Lawn Care in Jacksonville, FL

Typically in October we find "Large Patch" fungus in many of our lawns.  This October was extremely dry.  The fungus will only thrive in moist soils so we did not see much of it.  We are starting to see more of it as we head into November, and we will have to treat it throughout the rest of the year.

Sod Webworms, Army Worms and Chinch Bugs were still active.  As we head into November I'm seeing almost zero Army or Sod Webworms in our lawns.  Chinch bugs will cause damage throughout the year.  In fact, with October being as dry as it was we actually saw a slight increase in chinch bug activity.

Some of our lawns were even showing slight drought stress.  We recommend watering once a week throughout October, but if we get little rainfall it is a good idea to increase watering.  It is extra important to mow your lawn high this time of year.  Short lawns lose their color more rapidly going into dormancy.  We don't have much control over turf color going forward as lawns have to be actively growing to take up fertilizer.  St Augustine is a warm season turf and it is natural for it to go dormant and lose color this time of year.  Tree cover, mowing height, and water all factor in to how long your grass will stay green.

As we lose hours of sunlight going into winter turf in the shade may thin out.  Mowing high will help reduce this, and as long as their is no major change in tree cover it will return next year.

Chickweed, hawksbeard, clover, and dollar weed will thrive this time of year and do no go dormant.  They will take over a lawn if proper weed control is not applied and in addition to large patch will be our focus over the next few services.

If you have any questions, or would like a free estimate call us! Or visit our website!

September 2014 - Lawn Care Services in Jacksonville, FL

In September our lawn service treated sod web worms, army worms, chinch bugs, and countless weeds.  Dove weed and army worms were particularly bad this year.  Dove weed loves moist soils and we got 10 inches of rain.  All that rain made weed very difficult.  We will continue to treat weeds in October.  Fall army worms, chinch bugs, and sod webworms are still around and causing damage.  We will continue to monitor, scout, and treat for these insects as well.
Last month there was almost no dry damage.  Heavy rains will also slow down some turf destroying insects.  Temperatures dipped about mid month, and we began to see the start of large patch fungus.  Large patch will be our primary focus area in October.  In addition to that we will continue to work on weeds.  October temperatures allow us to us stronger herbicides will less chance of causing stress to the turf.  As we treat dove weed it may leave bare spots.  It is a very aggressive weed and we were hit hard by it this year.  We will fertilize to help fill in bare areas as we always do.  Towards the end of the month we began to see cool season annual weeds.  Hawksbeard, clover, dollar weed, chick weed, and rye grass actively grow all winter long.  They really take advantage of St. Augustine's reduced growth over the next few months.  Our lawn treatments will treat these weeds over the next few services.  Summer annuals are going to be a little harder to treat as weeds must be actively growing to take up our herbicides.  Chamberbitter in particular will be difficult this month.  Our lawn service starts at $33 per service.  Please feel free to give us a call at (904) 303-7285 with any questions or for a free lawn evaluation.

Large Patch Fungus in September 2014

In September we got hit very hard with rain at the beginning of the month.  Temperatures dipped down into the 70s at night.   Large patch fungus will thrive in these conditions.  The good news is that daytime temperatures hit 90 degrees.  At this temperature the fungus is no longer active.  Effected turf will grow back out as the pathogen does not effect stolons or roots.  If you happened to notice brown to yellow circles  popping up in your lawn over night you may have the pathogen in the soil.  It is very important to cut back on watering and fertilizer immediately.  Take full advantage of the fact that daytime temperatures have temporarily suppressed the fungus and give the lawn a chance to recover.  Watering more will only accelerate the fungus.

The most common question regarding large patch is "Why do I have it?".  A pathogen in the soil is the cause.  The pathogen is there year round, but dormant.  The fungus only becomes active when conditions allow for it.  Temperatures dipping into the 70s and heavy rainfall will cause the fungus to show itself.  You can keep it from appearing by watering less or not at all.  Raking out affected leaf blades will also reduce the unsightly appearance.  When we run your lawn care service we will apply fungicides to active fungus.  Our fungicides will suppress the fungus but new turf will not fill back in until we have a period of rapid growth.  Putting down new sod will not be effective because the pathogen is in the soil.  It is also not necessary as the turf will recover on its own during the next growth period.

Large patch fungus will appear in circles or rings.  The turf will easily be removed when you grab and pull up on it.  It will feel as though it was not attached to the stolons.  Sheaths will appear rotted.  The fungus is unsightly but is only temporary.  It will go away when we get a hard freeze and recover during the next period of growth.  If you are unsure whether you have the fungus or another problem feel free to give us a call and we will set up a service call at no charge.

What Is Lawn Pest Control?

Lawn Care Services In Jacksonville, FL

Our Lawn care services include fertilization, weed control, insect control, and disease suppression. Each county in Florida can have difference ordinances relating to fertilizer. In Duval it the guidelines permit 2-4 pounds of nitrogen per 1000 square feet of turf each year. We put out one full pound in the spring and then spoon feed the lawns throughout the duration of the summer, holding back one pound of nitrogen for when the lawn exhibits unexpected stress. Spoon feeding does not over fertilize which can lead to problems such as fungus and insect acceleration.  It also allows us to adjust the amount of nutrients you receive each month to keep your lawn looking great.
Weed control requires a lot of expertise as different herbicides are used to treat different weeds. Combining herbicides improperly can kill desirable turf. Different herbicides have different modes of action and different temperature requirements and limitations. Weeds can develop resistance to herbicides over time. There are numerous herbicides on the market that will treat nearly all weeds. Certain weeds such as torpedo grass can not be treated selectively.
There are multiple insects that need to be treated in St Augustine lawns. The most harmful is the chinch bug. Chinch bug populations suck nutrients from the lawn with piercing mouthparts and inject a poison that will kill the lawn to the point where it will need to be resodded. The damage spreads outwards rapidly as chinch bugs will continue to feed on healthy grass leaving behind the damage they have just caused. Lawn caterpillars such as army worms and sod webworms will eat grass blades from late summer to fall. With treatment grass will typically recover. If they are left untreated for too long they can accelerate other stresses such as drought, weed presence, and light deficiency causing permanent damage.
Diseases in St Augustine lawns vary in occurrence but severity. Grey leaf spot for example is extremely common, but does little damage and will appear and go away on its own a few times a year in a lawn. Large patch fungus is common in Jacksonville, and will cause unsightly rings or circles in lawns. It can be treated by reducing fertilizer, watering, and a fungicide treatment. Treatment will suppress the fungus and in combination with proper watering will stop it from spreading further. The turf will recover and spots will go away during the next period of active growth. Take all root rot is rare in Jacksonville, but is very severe. It can not be effectively treated and will cause damage to lawns.

 

August 2014-Trutco | Lawn Care Services

August was a very busy month for Trutco.  Chinch bugs were very active this year, particularly in new subdivisions.  Many of these yards are full sun and homeowners may have not yet hired a lawn service.  Temperatures were over 100 degrees with very little rain.  Watering was very difficult, and chinch bugs love hot dry turf.  Populations were spreading very rapidly.

Lawns in the shade were hit hard by army worms and sod web worms.  It is important to know that these insects love new growth.  High nitrogen fertilizer can accelerate these populations.  We treated many infestations.  The good news is that after the worms have been properly treated lawns will typically recover within a few weeks.  When left untreated they can compound other stresses causing permanent damage.

The primary weeds we saw were dove weed and chamber bitter.  Both of these weeds are relatively difficult to control without causing damage to healthy turf in high temperatures.  If your lawn is shady and wet dove weed will thrive.  Reducing irrigation is critical.  Dove weed appears rapidly and can leave holes in turf after treatment.  Our service will treat the weed limiting damage and help your turf recover after our lawn treatments.

In September we will be evaluating your lawn, and performing insect control, weed control, and fertilization as needed.  We will continue to see fall army worms, sod webworms, and chinch bugs.  August caused a lot of stress with temperatures dipping back down to the low 90s and high 80s we will have weed control and fertilization options available.  If your lawn is full sun I recommend continuing to water 2 times a week through September with a reduction to once a week in October.  For lawns in the shade, we suggest watering only as needed as to not accelerate dove weed and large patch fungus.

Please feel free to check out our website or give us at call at (904) 303-7285.

Excerpt from an article posted on Jacksonville.com

The following is an excerpt from an article I found on Jacksonville.com.  I felt that it was well written and applied to Trutco's Lawn Care Services:

Maintaining a working relationship with a pest control company is not like paying someone to mow your lawn. If you hire someone to mow your lawn, all you need to do it to have your lawn waiting for them.

But hiring a company to handle the chemical part of your lawn care is more like a partnership you enter into, simply because having a healthy lawn requires that many factors work well together. The pest control company applies fertilizers, weed control, disease control and insecticides as needed. Timing is critical for the applications and for many homeowners that schedule is too rigid for them to do the work themselves and maintain their day jobs.

The pest control company, depending on the details of the agreement, commits to apply fertilizers on the proper schedule, weed control as needed and as temperatures allow and insecticides or fungicides as needed.

Homeowners commit to mowing their lawns to keep the blades at the correct length, and water the lawn as needed. This includes watering in chemicals when the pest control company leaves a note after it applies a chemical saying water must be applied to complete the chemicals’ installation.

Weed control becomes more challenging every year. Some especially troublesome weeds may take a few years to be eliminated from a lawn in the best of situations. For some weeds, there are no chemical controls. When temperatures rise in the summer, most chemicals can no longer be used without burning the lawn.

Once fungal diseases are present, fungicides DO NOT kill them. Sadly, the best we can do is to keep them in check and try to control their preferred conditions (when the lawn is wet and it is dark) so that the fungus is held in check.

Pest control operators have to be licensed and should always be carrying their ID cards that show they are licensed. Ask to see an ID if you think the company is not doing the job.

If I were unhappy with my pest control company, I would call and talk to them about it. If it were a weed problem, I might need for them to make a house call and talk about the individual problem areas. Start there. Talk to people with healthy lawns. I think you will find they water and mow according to recommendations. This is a working relationship and both sides have to work together.

Read more at Jacksonville.com: http://jacksonville.com/entertainment/home-and-garden/2014-08-15/story/garden-qa-those-blotches-are-actually-mealy-bugs#ixzz3BEoRLvA8

Crabgrass in Jacksonville, FL

In most people's minds the lawn care season begins in the spring here in Jacksonville, FL.  However, most experts would say that the most critically timed lawn care service application of the year take place in February.  This is your crab grass pre-emergent.  Unlike other parts of Florida, Jacksonville will often get a freeze in the winter.  A freeze can selectively kill crabgrass in your yard.  

This is a case where nature can do what chemicals cannot.  It is only after a freeze selectively controls crabgrass, but before soil temperatures reach 65 degrees when you must apply your pre-emergent crabgrass application.  Pre-emergent weed control is highly effective in keeping crabgrass and other weeds from germinating.  Over time crabgrass can be greatly reduced or eliminated with proper year over year care.  

It is important to ensure your desirable turf is hardy enough to withstand the freeze itself.  Mow higher than normal recommended heights for your turf and water the night before a hard freeze if possible.  Lawns in the shade will often withstand cold damage better than yards in the full sun.  

Stay away from lawn care service companies that only come every 45 to 60 days.  It is not possible to properly time crabgrass and large patch applications on this schedule.  It is our recommendation to use a monthly lawn service for best results. Longer service intervals mean poorly timed applications which can lead to failures.

Winter is the season when people tend to overlook lawn care, but it is extremely important to have your lawn service company apply these critical applications with proper timing.  Once crabgrass has germinated it cannot be controlled in St. Augustine turf throughout the remainder of the growing season. Crabgrass pre-emergent is included in our regular service.

Lawn Fertilizer

Properly applying fertilizer can require some expertise.  When you are picking a lawn service company here in Jacksonville.  We recommend selecting a monthly lawn service and staying away from companies that come only 45 to 60 days.  Proper knowledge of a landscape and timing is everything.  A company that comes only 6 times a year cannot possibly know your landscape well enough to make the correct decisions.  

Current recommendations from the University of Florida suggest applying the first fertilizer application of the year in the beginning of April.  In the past the first application has been applied in March, but homeowners were not getting the full benefit due to a number of late freezes.  In Duval county you are permitted to apply between 2 and 4 pounds of nitrogen each year.  Current fertilizer restrictions make timing and proper applications even more critical.

We recommend applying one pound in the spring.  Then putting your turf on a spoon feeding regimen.  Our lawn service company, Trutco, applies low amounts of nitrogen every month to keep the turf properly fed.  We will use one pound of nitrogen to apply to a landscape that has experienced unexpected stress throughout the duration of service.  We advise homeowners to stay away from heavy fall feedings here in Jacksonville, FL.  The large patch fungus has become so prevalent that it is very risking to put a full pound of nitrogen on a landscape.  Nitrogen can also have undesirable results to your turf.  Not only can it accelerate a fungus, it can make your lawn a more desirable feeding ground for fall army worms.  Army worms are selective feeders.  They prefer heavily fertilized lawns in the shade.  It would be unwise to use a heavy nitrogen fertilizer in response to worm damage.  

For more tips or free advice please don't hesitate to give us a call at (904) 303-7285.

Rain and proper lawn irrigation.

Irrigation can often be a point of contention with a  lawn service.  We don't think it has to be.  To get to the bottom of the irrigation issue it is important not only to check system coverage but also know your weather conditions and the value of natural rainfall.  

If it does not rain for one full hour, you should still irrigate.  Without doubt, accounting for rain is the most difficult part of deciding how often to water your lawn.  A good quality irrigation should be in the morning for 45 minutes to one hour each zone.  The goal should be 3/4" to 1" of water uniformly across all turf areas.  Current watering guidelines allow homeowners to water twice a week.  We recommend taking full advantage of both irrigations during the hottest months of summer.  Let's take a look at this month's rainfall to date at Julington Creek, the 32259 zip code, to illustrate how difficult determining when to irrigate can be:

Week one: It rained twice.  Monday's rainfall was 1/4".  This was not enough to account for an irrigation.  Short, heavy, rainfall can often have a negative effect on turf.  Roots will grow towards the water to soak up as much as possible in order to survive.  Over time, without proper irrigation practices roots will shorten, causing the turf to look yellow and be susceptible to nematodes, fungus, insects, and drought. The next rain was Friday.  Fridays rain was heavy and put out between 3/4" and 1".  If your irrigation was scheduled to run on Friday, it would be ok to skip this irrigation.

Week two.  Week two was interesting. It rained 6/7 days, however, only once day did it run long enough to warrant skipping an irrigation. The other 5 days of rain can have a negative effect on the turf if proper watering practices were not observed due to rain.

Week 3:  No rain at all.  It is critical to water properly and uniformly.  In a week with no rain, weakness in your irrigation coverage can more clearly be seen.  If one area of your yard is not as green as another it is a good idea to check to make sure you are getting the full 3/4" to 1" per irrigation.  Putting out less than that can cause shorter roots, yellow turf, and attract insects.

In summary, It has rained ten times so far in the month of June.  Only 2 of those rainfalls have had a positive effect on the turf.  Proper watering can be very complicated.  Looking backwards at the rainfall is the only way to make the right determination for your yard going forward.  A good rule of thumb is if it does not rain for one full hour you should still irrigate.