Do you have small purple flowers popping up in your lawn? This is likely henbit, the broadleaf weed that actually germinates in fall and flowers in spring. Follow the link below to learn about the pros and cons of henbit:
Central Kansas Lawn & Garden Blog Post https://ckdgardens.com/2023/03/15/henbit-a-weed-with-benefits-2/
By: Cassie Thiessen
Grassy sandbur is the “sticker” plant that looks like a grass. It will often invade thin lawns, especially in dry years. Therefore, the best control for this weed is a thick, healthy lawn. However, if your lawn is thin this spring and grassy sandbur was a problem last year, use a preemergence herbicide before the sandbur comes up. Not all preemergence herbicides are effective. The three products that can help minimize grassy sandbur are oryzalin, pendimethalin and prodiamine.
Oryzalin is sold under the trade names of Surflan and Weed Impede. It can be used on all warm-season grasses as well as tall fescue. It should not be used on cool-season grasses other than tall fescue such as Kentucky bluegrass. Oryzalin is also sold as a combination product with benefin as Green Light Amaze. As with oryzalin alone, it can be used on all warm-season grasses as well as tall fescue. It should not be used on cool-season grasses other than tall fescue such as Kentucky bluegrass. Apply Amaze or an oryzalin product about April 15 when redbud trees approach full bloom.
Pendimethalin is sold commercially as Pendulum as well as several other names. On the homeowner side, it is sold as Scotts Halts. Pendimethalin is best applied as a split application with the first half applied about April 15 and the second about June 1. Alternatively, make the first application when redbud trees approach full bloom and the second six weeks later.
Prodiamine is sold under the commercial name of Barricade. It is also sold as a homeowner product Howard Johnson Crabgrass Control Plus with 0.37 Prodiamine 00-00-07. It can be used on all of our common lawn grasses. Apply as is done for oryzalin, about April 15 or when redbud trees approach full bloom. Only one application is needed per year.
None of the “weed preventers” will give complete control but each should help. Quinclorac (Drive) can provide some postemergence control especially if the sandbur is in the seedling stage. Quinclorac is also found in a number of combination products that control both broadleaf weeds and crabgrass such as one of the following:
Ortho Weed-B-Gon Max + Crabgrass Control
BioAdvanced All-in-One Lawn Weed and Crabgrass Killer.
Monterey Crab-E-Rad Plus
Fertilome Weed Out with Crabgrass Killer
Trimec Crabgrass Plus Lawn Weed Killer
Bonide Weed Beater Plus Crabgrass & Broadleaf Weed Killer
Spectracide Weed Stop for Lawns Plus Crabgrass Killer
Again, the best control for grassy sandbur is a healthy, thick lawn.
By: Cassie Thiessen
If you only fertilize your cool season lawn once a year, September is the best time to do it. Do you know the best practices to keep your lawn looking great? The link below is an excellent cool season lawn care guide and calendar:
https://www.bookstore.ksre.ksu.edu/pubs/MF736.pdf
By: Cassie Thiessen
Lawn care can be confusing, but we are here to help. It is important to fertilize your lawn at the right time and with the correct amount of fertilizer. This video provides information on the best time to fertilize your lawn.
By: Cassie Homan
During the fall, winter annual weeds start to thrive. Henbit and chickweed germinate in the fall, but are small and often aren’t noticed until spring.
Early November is a great time to control these weeds. Use a postemergence broadleaf herbicide, such as Weed Free Zone, Trimec, Weed-Out, Weed Stop 2X or Weed-B-Gon to kill the weeds.
For more information click here:https://hnr.k-state.edu/extension/info-center/common-pest-problems/common-pest-problem-new/Henbit%20and%20Chickweed.pdf
By: Cassie Homan
Warm seasons grasses include Bermudagrass, Buffalograss, and Zoysiagrass they require special care to survive our hot and dry summers. Year round attention is needed to keep the weeds down and help your grass look green and lush. Follow this DIY calendar to care for your lawn each month.
View the whole article for even more tips:
https://blogs.k-state.edu/turf/homeowner-do-it-yourself-lawn-calendar-for-warm-season-grass/
By: Cassie Homan
The month of September signals the prime time to fertilize your tall fescue or Kentucky bluegrass lawns. If you could only fertilize your cool-season grasses once per year, this would be the best time to do it.
These grasses are entering their fall growth cycle as days shorten and temperatures moderate. Cool-season grasses naturally thicken up in the fall by tillering (forming new shoots at the base of existing plants) and, for bluegrass, spreading by underground stems called rhizomes. Consequently, September is the most important time to fertilize these grasses.
Apply 1 to 1.5 pounds of actual nitrogen per 1,000 square feet. The settings recommended on lawn fertilizer bags usually result in about 1 pound of nitrogen per 1,000 square feet. We recommend a quick-release source of nitrogen at this time. Most fertilizers sold in garden centers and department stores contain either quick-release nitrogen or a mixture of quick- and slow-release. Usually only lawn fertilizers recommended for summer use contain slow-release nitrogen. Any of the others should be quick-release.
The second most important fertilization of cool-season grasses also occurs during the fall. A November fertilizer application will help the grass green up earlier next spring and provide the nutrients needed until summer. It also should be quick-release applied at the rate of 1-pound actual nitrogen per 1,000 square feet.
By: Cassie Homan
