Chute N The Bull

Summer isn't always kind to Texas turfgrasses. Heat and drought combine
to put lawns through real struggles. Here are some simple guidelines to
help you – and your grass – survive summer intact.
Common bermuda should be fertilized every 8 weeks (dwarf hybrid bermudas
more often, but with lighter doses at each feeding). Use a high-nitrogen
or all-nitrogen lawn food, very preferably one that does not have a
weedkiller included. Mow it at 1-1/4 to 1-1/2 inches, and mow on 4- or
5-day intervals to keep the grass low and spreading. If you find that
the grass is brown for 2 or 3 days after you mow, consider raising the
mower one notch (but not above 1-3/4 inches). That browning is because
you have been mowing down into stem stubble. Raising the blade will
help. However, you will need to remember to drop the blade down that
same notch in late winter next year so that the grass doesn't become
gradually taller.
If you have weeds in your bermuda lawn use the appropriate herbicide(s)
to control them. Apply a broadleafed weedkiller (containing 2,4-D) for
the non-grassy weeds, and apply MSMA to control grassy weeds such as
dallisgrass, crabgrass and grassburs. Use Image or Sedgehammer to
eliminate nutsedge ("nutgrass"). Read and follow label directions
carefully.
St. Augustine is a tropical grass that loves the heat. It also does its
best in the sun. Many of us use it, however, because of its tolerance of
shade. While bermuda and other grasses need 6 to 8 hours of sunlight
daily, St. Augustine can thrive on as few as 4 hours. St. Augustine is
the dominant grass of all the types we have at our disposal. As such, it
will crowd its way into all other types of grasses.
Fertilize St. Augustine in early summer, then wait until mid-September
to feed it again. Gray leaf spot (a fungal disease) can be an issue in
the hottest part of the summer when you apply nitrogen to it. If it does
show up, apply a labeled fungicide to stop its spread. Watch, too, for
chinch bugs. They will leave sunny, hot areas of the lawn dry-looking,
even after you water. They're small, black insects with white diamonds
on the backs of their wings. You'll be able to see them at the interface
of dying grass and healthy grass on the hottest summer afternoons. Lawn
insecticides will control them.
If you have nutsedge in your St. Augustine, apply Image or Sedgehammer
as mentioned for bermuda. If you have dallisgrass, you'll either have to
spot-treat with a glyphosate herbicide or hand-dig the weed. MSMA cannot
be used in St. Augustine turf. In fact, you can actually use MSMA to
eliminate invading St. Augustine from bermuda lawns.
Zoysias are warm-season grasses, and, as such, can be handled similarly
to bermuda and St. Augustine. Feed your lawn now and again in very early
fall. Mow as needed and at the height recommended for the variety you're
growing. There are scores of varieties, so ask questions of your turf
vendor. Some are intended to be mowed very short, while others must be
allowed to grow taller, to 2 or 2-1/2 inches.
Buffalograss grows slowly. It also requires a lot less maintenance than
the other grasses, and it's drought-tolerant to boot. However, bermuda
invades it and cannot be controlled. In areas where we have turf or
native stands of bermudagrass nearby, buffalograss will probably never
become mainstream so long as we have no herbicide that will eliminate
bermuda without harming the buffalograss.
Fescues look their worst over the summer. That's because they are
"cool-season" grasses that gear up and start growing in late September
and October, then breeze through the winter and into mid-spring, before
Texas' hot season takes its toll. Apply ample water regularly. Avoid all
plant foods until fall. Make plans to overseed every September to keep
fescue lawns full and dense. For the record, fescues are better suited
to Northwest Texas, where summer evenings are somewhat cooler. You can
find this and past articles on the web at www.mycountrytractor.com for
your reference. Extensocioeconomic level, race, color, sex, religion, disability, or national
origin. The Texas A&M University System, U.S. Department of
Agriculture, and the County Commissioners Courts of Texas Cooperatings
serve of all ages regardless of socioeconomic level, race, color, sex,
religion, disability, or national origin. The Texas A&M University
System, U.S. Department of Agriculture, and the County Commissioners
Courts of Texas Cooperating.


Thank you,
Tommy Neyland
County Extension Agent
Texas Agrilife Extension Service
P.O. Box 188
Centerville, Texas 75833
903.536.2531 phone
903.536.3804 fax