Do not fertilize lawns with
warm-season grasses in January or February. Winter weeds are in “prime time.” Warm-season
turf is dormant, or nearly so. Fertilizer in these months only encourages
rampant weed growth and seed production. Warm-season grasses are
not yet actively growing and do not benefit from early spring applications
of fertilizer.
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Home Lawn Maintenance Calendar December 22 - March 21 Grassy winter annuals and broadleaf winter annuals in dormant turf become aggressive and rampant by early March. The seed (for next year’s crop) mature in late winter and spring. Grassy winter annuals include annual bluegrass and little barley. Broadleaf winter annuals include henbit, wild mustard, common chickweed, saw thistle, pepperweed, Carolina geranium, buttercup, wild garlic, narrow vetch, shepherd’s purse, and wild lettuce. Seed from last year’s crop of summer weeds are present and will germinate in February and March. Checklist
March 22 - June 21 Winter annuals grow vigorously and become rampant. Seed production peaks in spring. See winter weeds mentioned above. Desirable warm-season turfgrasses begin “spring transition” from dormancy to active growth. They are sensitive to certain herbicides and cultural conditions during “spring transition.” Transition begins in March and continues through mid-April. Summer annual weeds begin seed germination in early spring. Summer perennials begin regeneration from roots, stems, rhizomes, or tubers of established mother plants. Summer perennials also begin seed germination in spring. Checklist
June 22 - September 21 Summer annuals are at their peak. They can produce several generations of weed seedlings from now until frost. Spring seed-lings have enough time to produce seed. These seed immediately germinate into another generation. The cycle is repeated until frost in October and November. Some scattered seed of summer annuals will lie dormant through the winter months and sprout early next spring. Grassy summer annuals include crabgrass, goosegrass, crowfoot, signalgrass, barnyardgrass, and foxtail. Broadleaf summer annuals include ragweed, spurge, pigweed, chickweed, lamb’s quarter, bitterweed, yellow wood-sorrel, spiney amaranth, and beggar’s lice. Warm-season turfgrasses have the best opportunity for rapid growth and development. Encourage quality turf by proper maintenance suggested. Winter weeds (grassy and broadleaf) begin their cycles in late summer. Winter annuals begin seed germination in early September. Seed are present from last year’s crop that matured in late winter and early spring of this year. The seed and sprouting seedlings are hard to see, because they are below the leaves and stems of your lawngrass. Seed continue to sprout during the fall, but some wait until late winter to sprout. In both cases, you won’t see much growth of winter annuals until cool weather and winter rains arrive in late fall and early winter. Grassy winter annuals include little barley and annual bluegrass. Broadleaf winter annuals include henbit, wild mustard, common chickweed, sow thistle, pepperweed, Carolina geranium, buttercup, wild garlic, narrow vetch, shepherd’s purse, and wild lettuce. Checklist
September 22 - December 21 Warm-season lawn grasses grow more slowly with the cooler fall temperatures. However, moderate growth continues in September and early October in most areas of Mississippi. Dormancy begins with the first frost on all warm-season grasses except St. Augustinegrass, which sometimes does not become completely dormant in winter. Active growth of winter annuals may be seen by December. Checklist
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