Prevent – Kill Bermuda Grass – Carpet Grass – Crab Grass

How to Prevent – Kill Bermuda Grass – Carpet Grass – Crab Grass in Tampa Lawns

I have 20 years experience in killing crabgrass and Bermuda grass in ST AUGUSTINE LAWNS throughout the entire Tampa Bay.  Read articles 1 and 2 to better understand what’s right for your situation! After doing my own research on the Internet (and although everyone’s writings seemed sound, I find that the information available is generalized and lacking sound experience…not necessarily delivering results). I then chose to write and post these articles in an attempt to offer others a satisfactory and long-term realistic solution.

The BEST PREVENTATIVE CONTROL FOR CRAB GRASS / CARPET GRASS IS A THICK AND REGULARLY WATERED LAWN that is also maintained insect free.  Once you sign up for one of our pest preventive programs, you cannot allow your grass to experience prolonged and excessive heat stress. (This is a difficult thing to accomplish today with the severe watering restrictions in place that typically only allows for only one watering day per week.)

Reasons that will Cause Carpet Grass & Bermuda Grass to aggressively grow in your lawn:

Neglected heat stress sections ignored in your lawn will encourage the germination of Carpet Grass/Crab Grass, wild Bermuda Grass and a vast variety of other weeds to germinate in the stressed sections. An additional concern worth noting is these weekend heat stress areas in your lawn will now be more susceptible to insect damage ie; Chinch bugs, Grubs, Mole crickets. *Severely heat stressed sections that are revived as the ones below, are more prone to insect damage in the following months unless your company is applying Arena insecticide.

1.  A noticeable symptom of excessive heat stress is spotting an area that just stops growing, unlike other areas of your lawn during hot dry periods as noted below in my field pictures.

2.  When heat stressed, or damaged areas, do develop in your once thick lush lawn, new weeds will compete for space and almost immediately begin growing in the newly thinned out areas. Once the turf thins out from heat stress and potentially exposes thousands of weed seeds that were once hidden from the suns rays but now are ready to germinate…your problem just went from bad to worse.

3.  Many weed problems can be avoided in your lawn providing you avoid your lawn from experiencing severe heat stress.  Read on in Part 2 to learn how to further prevent carpet grass.

*HEAT STRESS AND LACK OF WATER ARE THE SAME THING

It’s quite a common problem as in the two pictures above to have sprinklers right next to severely scorched sections of your lawn.

Some factors that can cause heat stress in your lawn as shown in above pictures: Wind blowing during your watering cycle, water pressure changing during even one of your watering cycles, a sprinkler head either clogged or grass has grown and is obstructing the sprinkler  heads performance, or the most classic is plants have grown and are now blocking flow of water to lawn sections.

Written by David Nelson

About David Nelson

David Nelson has wrote 41 articles on this blog.

You’re family when you’re one of our customers!!!! Having been self employed since the 7 th grade and grown up through my early teen age years in a wonderful family has instilled the importance of core family principles in me. Since as long as I can remember I have always had a passion to work outside in the lawn, whether it was raking leaves when living up North, planting flowers with my mother, or just capturing those big black & yellow bumble bees in a glass jar. Looking back, its not surprising to me now some 30 years later that I have passionately and thoroughly enjoyed growing and operating Nelsons Pest Control, Inc. In 1995 I delivered and began raising the first of my 3 girls, who are each are so amazingly unique, what a joy it has been being their Dad!!! Having been remarried now since 2007, my day to day home life has become an indescribable time filled with joy, full of peace and contentment. Thank you Barb for being the most amazing and caring woman to me!!! Words cant even describe the depths of love you have for me and my 3 girls!!! Oh, how could I not mention my step son Jostin who was adopted from Guatemala at 6 months old. Walking in the door after a long hard day at the office after dealing with volumes of sales/service calls……. yet to be greeted with so much excitement at the door to be told of his day’s accomplishments as he looks up at me……Each and every one of those memories are truly PRICELESS!!! After all is said and done, if you want to experience the quality and results of a GREAT family run, yet customer driven and expert pest control company what are you waiting for?

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