WILD GRASS
Many lawns have areas of wild grass present. These areas are much more noticeable after periods of cold or frost, which send them into varying stages of short-term dormancy. They will typically stay brown until the temperatures are consistently warm, usually around mid April. They will grow vigorously with warm temps, rainfall, and fertilization. The fertilizer applications we apply, makes all things grow. This includes weeds and wild grass.
During active, heavy growth period from April to October, you may only notice wild grass if you spend a lot of time examining your yard (which we encourage), or if you have a trained eye. Depending upon the specific wild grass you have, these may have a slight color or texture difference as compared to your St. Augustine grass. A small area of wild grass may quickly enlarge during high growth periods. It is important to keep the surrounding St. Augustine grass healthy and vigorous to help slow the infiltration. Wild grass produces high quantities of seed and may spread to other areas via wind, water, animals, or your lawn mower.
A few years ago, the State of Florida removed from use the only product (ASULOX) that was available for control of one of the wild grasses we encounter - crabgrass. It is no longer to be used on either residential or commercial lawns and is only available for sod farm use, golf courses, and pine plantations.
This leaves really only two options. Leave the wild grass alone, understand they will look brown and unsightly during cold periods and gradually improve as temperatures warm. Or, we are happy to apply roundup to kill off these areas entirely. After two weeks, these areas need to be removed and re-sodded, while remembering that re-infestation is possible and probable to some extent down the line.
