st augustine and broad leaf weeds

mato – posted 17 September 2003 13:09

in central florida with st augustine unknown type that has bermuda dispersed through it….and now has broad leaf weeds ….

tried altrazine in june and killed a 10 x 10 section was it too hot??

how do i know if i have the flortram variety which seems to be a concern when using some herbicides like ORTHO weed control….

what can i do about the weeds and when should i do it

my mowere wheels are as high as possible the last 3 seasons but the bermuda persists,,,any tips maybe buy larger wheels?

any help is appreciated

Dchall_San_Antonio – posted 18 September 2003 10:30

I assume you meant that your mower ‘deck’ is all the way to the top and not the wheels.

Are you fertilizing regularly? St Augustine needs to be healthy to choke out the bermuda. If the bermuda looks dark green compared to the St Aug, then you need more fertilizer.

certified-in-florida – posted 28 September 2003 12:37

I would say that June in Florida is too late and hot to use Atrazine. Some Atrazine labels actually prohibit treatment in Florida from April through October. Others simply say do not apply when air temps are above 90.

If you are concerned about removing the Bermuda, the Atrazine should do the trick. You need to apply it as soon as the bermuda is green (depending on how far north you are, it may stay green year round).

If you are concerned about other broadleaf weeds, the previous post is correct that a thick healthy turf is your best defense. That being said, there are some other herbicides you can use. 2, 4-D by itself will be ok, but I would cut the rate in half (if it says 1 oz/1000 sq. ft., use .5 oz/1000sq. ft.). Once again, I wouldn’t apply this in the heat. General rule is not to apply herbicides over 90 degrees.

Hope this helps.