Home Lawn and Turf in Mississippi
Maintenance Calendar for Most Mississippi Home Lawns
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
- To control existing winter weeds in the dormant lawn in January,
February, and very early March
- (a) Use a post-emergence herbicide to kill existing weeds, and
- (b) keep your lawn mowed closely at recommended heights for your type of lawn grass. Most winter weeds cannot tolerate close mowing and will be stressed, damaged, or even killed by mowing heights used on warm-season lawns.
- (c) Plan to use a preemergence herbicide next fall to kill next year ’s crop. If you have had several winter weeds to mature and produce seed, you will certainly have the potential for a big weed crop next winter. Make notes and plans now.
- 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.
- Plan to use a preemergence herbicide in late winter to control summer annuals that will be sprouting then.
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
- Continue to mow lawn at recommended heights for your particular type of lawn grass. Regular mowing helps control weeds.
- Fertilize the lawn to allow quick coverage. Always be sure the turfgrass, and not weeds, is responding to the nutrients by applying proper herbicides.
- Do not apply postemergence herbicides to warm-season turf during “spring transition.” They can damage or hinder turfgrass in the early stage of active growth. Postemergence applications are safe beginning May 1 on the Gulf Coast and May 15 in central and north Mississippi. Lawns with severe thatch problems may need dethatching after the grass has gone through transition. Grasses prone to thatch include bermudagrass, zoysiagrass, and St. Augustinegrass.
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
- Continue regular mowing at the recommended height for your particular lawn grass. Proper mowing promotes a dense quality turf cover that competes aggressively with weeds.
- Continue a proper fertilization program to encourage a quality turf cover.
- Be prepared to water as needed in hot weather. Summer is the prime time for promoting active growth of your warm-season grass. Take advantage of the ideal temperatures and provide water, fertilizer, and proper mowing at this time.
- Continue a postemergence herbicide program as needed to clean up existing summer weeds.
- Decide on a late-summer application of a preemergence herbicide to control winter weeds. Contact your local nursery and have the herbicide material on hand by late summer. Remember, timely application of preemergence herbicide is necessary for proper control.
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
- Continue regular mowing at recommended heights for bermudagrass, zoysiagrass, and carpetgrass. Raise mowing height to 3 inches on St. Augustinegrass to promote winter-hardiness.
- Take a soil test to help you plan your fertilization program for next summer. Fall is the ideal time to apply lime if your soil test recommends it.