Lawns in Sampson County are suited to heat season turf grasses comparable to Bermuda, Centipede, St. Augustine, and Zoysia grass species. These heat season grasses thrive in our scorching and humid local weather, however are harassed after they start to transition into the dormant winter season. Components that stress lawns are drought/flood, shorter days, cooler evening time temps, and pests. This stress will not be seen till subsequent season when your yard has delayed green-up, uneven development, skinny or naked spots, or useless patches. To assist promote your garden’s well being now, and for subsequent season, there are a number of issues that you must and shouldn’t do that fall.
When you didn’t gather a soil pattern this season, the autumn is a superb time to get this process performed. Accumulate 15-20 soil cores from random areas in your garden 4 inches deep. Combine all of the sub samples collectively to create a composite pattern that’s consultant of your garden. Fill a soil pattern field out of your composite pattern and full the proper paperwork. Deliver your soil samples to the Extension workplace for supply to the NC State Soil Lab. Soil pattern check kits can be found on the Extension Workplace at no cost. Be sure to gather your pattern earlier than Thanksgiving to keep away from having to pay peak season charges to the NCDA&CS.
Don’t fertilize your garden with any nitrogen product till Might of subsequent yr. Nitrogen encourages leaf development that may be broken by frost or early freezes. This harm can improve pest stress and stunt your garden subsequent yr. You possibly can and may add Potassium to your lawns within the fall within the type of potash. Fertilize with 1 pound of potash per 1,000 sq. ft. One pound of potash might be utilized through the use of 1.5 kilos of muriate of potash (0-0-60) is the best to search out round right here, 2.5 kilos of 0-0-41, 2 kilos of potassium sulfate (0-0-50), or 5 kilos of sul-po-mag (0-0-22) per 1,000 sq. ft. This potassium utility will assist forestall harm to heat season grasses from the stresses of winter and strengthen the foundation system of the garden. When you have white grub points, August and September is the optimum time to regulate them. Milky spore might be utilized to the garden as a organic management that’s gradual to begin, however lasts as much as 30 years. Faster appearing merchandise embody carbaryl, bifenthrin, and malathion. Fireplace ants ought to be managed through the use of the 2-step technique of baits adopted by mound drenches.
Weed management is an space the place you possibly can have nice success. A preemergent utility made after Labor Day, and one other made close to Thanksgiving can maintain your yard freed from winter annual weeds comparable to garden burweed, chickweed, annual bluegrass, dandelions, cudweed, clovers, plantains, and henbit. Apply merchandise with the energetic substances pendimethalin, benefin, trifluralin, prodiamine, or oryzalin. These merchandise create a weed ‘barrier’ that can cease weeds from rising as soon as they germinate. For current weeds, you possibly can apply merchandise comparable to Speedzone, Speedzone southern, Celcius, or Imazaquin to all forms of lawns.
For extra data on fall garden care, contact the Sampson County Extension Grasp Gardeners at 910-592-7161.
Brad Hardison is the director of the Sampson County Cooperative Extension and has served as an agricultural extension agent specializing in horticulture. Contact him by calling the Sampson County Extension Heart at 910-592-7161 or by emailing [email protected]
