Written by: Charlotte Glen, Horticulture Agent

In southeastern North Carolina, warm season turf grasses are the best choice for lawns. Warm season grasses are those that actively grow when soil and air temperatures are warm—in the spring, summer and fall. These include St. Augustine, zoysia,  bermuda, and centipede. With the onset of frost, these grasses go dormant, or stop growing, until the following spring when soil and air temperatures warm up again. Caring for these grasses in fall and winter is simple because very little work is required. The following turf care tips will help you keep your lawn happy and healthy throughout the year.

Do NOT Fertilize!

Warm season grasses do not grow during late fall and winter and do not require any fertilizer before late March. Fertilizing in fall or winter will only encourage weed growth as well as encourage disease problems like large patch, and may pollute local ground and surface waters. In the cooler parts of NC and the United States, cool season grasses such as fescue and Kentucky bluegrass are grown. Cool season grasses actively grow during the cool part of the year, in fall and early spring, and do require fertilization at these times. Commercials and ads about fertilizing in fall and early spring are referring to cool season grasses only.

Take Soil Samples.

Soil samples for home lawns should be submitted every three to four years. Having your soil analyzed will tell you exactly how much lime or nutrients need to be added to your soil, if any. Do it yourself soil analysis kits are often inaccurate and difficult to read. The NC Department of Agriculture offers free soil analysis for NC residents. Boxes, forms and instructions are available from any Cooperative Extension office in the state. Samples can be dropped off at your local Extension office for free shipment to the soil test lab in Raleigh. Results will usually be available online within three to four weeks of submission. Soil samples can be submitted anytime of the year.

Do NOT Water!

Except during drought, warm season lawns do not require irrigation during fall. At this time of the year lawns are closing down for winter. Continuing to irrigate lawns throughout fall can increase cold injury and encourage disease problems. During winter, lawns are dormant and require no additional watering. The only situation where it is beneficial to water lawns in winter is during extended periods of warm, windy weather.

Overseeding—Good or Bad?

Many people would prefer a green lawn year-round. One way to accomplish this is to overseed dormant warm season lawns with ryegrass. The problem with this is that for most lawns, overseeding with ryegrass is detrimental to the lawn’s long term health. The only type of turf that can withstand this type of treatment every year is bermuda. Overseeding is especially harmful to less vigorous turf grasses like centipede and St. Augustine.

Winter Weed Control

Just as there are warm and cool season grasses, there are also warm and cool season weeds. Annual cool season weeds grow during the cool part of the year, and include chickweed, spurweed, and cudweed. They come up in fall and early spring and grow, flower, set seed, and die before the heat of summer. Cool season weeds can be controlled with herbicides, but which herbicide to use depends on what type of lawn you have and which weeds are growing in it. Most annual cool season weeds growing at this time of the year can be controlled with readily available lawn herbicides containing a mixture of 2,4-D, mecoprop, and dicamba. Apply these products in early to mid November and again in February. Centipede and St. Augustinegrass are sensitive to many of these products so be sure to follow label directions when applying to avoid harming your turf. For further help with weed identification and herbicide recommendations, contact the Pender County Cooperative Extension office.

Long term, the most effective way to control weeds in turf is to nurture a healthy, dense lawn by following correct cultural practices. An abundance of lawn weeds in winter or summer is a sign of poor turf health, which could be caused by compacted soil, low nutrition, pH imbalances, poor drainage, herbicide damage, improper mowing height, or disease and insect problems. Keep your lawn healthy by having any insect or disease problems correctly diagnosed before treating, sending soil samples to the NC Department of Agriculture to determine your nutrient or lime needs, and following the correct cultural requirements for your lawn type.

Learn More!

Learn more about the right way to care for your lawn by getting a lawn maintenance calendar for your turf type. Lawn maintenance calendars are available online on the Lawn & Garden page of the Pender County Cooperative Extension website, scroll down to the heading labeled Lawn Maintenance Calendars.

Learn much more about turf care, download Lawn Maintenance Calendars, find out about current problems, and sign up to receive Turf Alert! emails from NCSU’s Turf Files website, http://www.turffiles.ncsu.edu.