Situational Turf Care

This page is a general control guide for turf problems and weed issues you would encounter in various situations. Here you can find detailed guides that are arranged alphabetically for a range of different scenarios where you might encounter unwanted weeds. This guide will go over general strategies and techniques that use a broad approach to address weeds in specific settings.

Weeds and turf disease are not just an issue on residential lawns but can rear their ugly head in a wide range of different settings. Some weeds and turf disease thrive in certain unique settings more than in others and factors such as the climate, region and the unique circumstances of an area play a role in what weed problem or disease may arise and thrive in a given space.

Whether it be unique issues like weeds or disease popping up on industrial sites, in cemeteries or in gardens, we have detailed guides on how to approach weed control and turf care so the area is weed-free and remains that way.

In these guides, you will learn how to identify common weeds and turf problems in those specific settings, how to inspect the areas properly to figure out what conditions are allowing the weed to thrive and establish itself, how to treat and control the problem weed using our professional-grade products that have been hand-picked by lawn care experts, and how to implement preventative measures so the problem doesn't return.

Identification

Plants and turf disease can creep up anywhere, and what makes them weeds and pests is when they pop up where they are not wanted. After all, the entire planet serves as fertile soil for plant life to grow and establish itself which is why even in industrialized areas and places where there is nothing but cement and concrete, a weed can appear out of a crack and grow.

Identifying the plant or disease is the first step in eliminating the plant because you need to know what you are dealing with to then take the necessary steps to treat and prevent the weed from returning. So when you see a turf disease pop up in a cemetery or a weed emerge in an industrial site or anywhere else it doesn't belong. You need to analyze the situation and ask yourself some questions to help with identification.

• What are the features of the plant/disease?
• Where is it growing?
• What are the conducive conditions of the area?
• What is the climate that this weed is growing in?
• What region of the country is this plant growing?

These are just a few important questions to aid you in identification. As soon as you have identified the weed or disease you can research our detailed library of weeds and fungal diseases to see just how to control that weed specifically and treat for it using our professional product recommendations.

Inspection

Any treatment or control plan requires a detailed inspection. Before you can stock up on herbicides or fungicides, you need to know how big of a weed infestation you have and where the weeds are concentrated. You also need to be wary of sensitive areas where the plant is growing so as not to cause unnecessary or avoidable damage when spraying your treatment products.

Once you have done a thorough inspection and done your homework on the weeds or lawn disease and what chemicals work best against them, you can then proceed to treatment.

Treatment

Before applying treatment products, make sure you first have on the necessary PPE which is a must when applying any herbicide chemical for your safety. Make sure to read the label as well for proper application directions. The usual PPE includes chemical gloves, face masks, and safety glasses.

Step 1 - Post-Emergent Treatment

Depending on the specific situation, the weed you are dealing with and the severity of the problem, you can either choose to spot treat the area or perform a broadcast treatment. For these unique situations that we have designed guides for, it is recommended to do careful spot treatments wherever the weeds are concentrated.

In those instances where you are not sure of the weed you are dealing with or just want to kill whatever weed you see, it may be best for you to use a broad spectrum herbicide to control the weeds. If you choose to go non-selective (meaning that the chemical will kill all plants indiscriminately) then one of the best products for that is Glyphosate 4 Weed Killer. For selective weed control, a good option to use is msm turf herbicide which has a long list of weeds it can treat on a label but it can spare certain plants and grasses where sprayed. These products can be applied using a backpack or handpump sprayer.

Step 2 - Pre-Emergent Treatment

While the above treatments are liquid herbicides, you could also go granular if you are conducting pre-emergent control of weeds in a given area, like using Barricade for example. This will keep weed seeds from growing so you don't have to deal with treating weeds after they've already sprung up out of the ground. However, this method of weed control depends heavily on treating at the right time. Pre-emergents can be applied with a granular spreader or a liquid sprayer if it is a liquid pre-emergent herbicide.

Step 3 - Fungicide Treatment

For lawn diseases like brown patch or anthracnose and the many other different diseases which can develop on these situational areas, a broad spectrum fungicide can be a great help. One such fungicide we carry is called Patch Pro. This is a powerful fungicide that works systemically to eliminate existing diseases and prevents plants from encountering a disease. You can easily apply Patch Pro using a diluted solution in a pump sprayer.

Prevention

Prevention is the final step for complete control. During the prevention phase of the treatment, you will need to do environmental modification and implement cultural practices that will lessen the chances of the problem weed re-emerging.

For instance, if a weed crept up due to soil compaction, you will need to limit foot traffic in an area. If a weed thrived because of malnourished soil, you may have to apply fertilizer. No matter the case, regular monitoring and maintenance of the area should help to significantly decrease the weed problem.

Whatever the case may be, an analysis of the area is vital to help you figure out what modifications and preventative measures need to take place to keep the area weed-free.

Key Takeaways

What is Situational Turf Care?

• Weeds can appear on turf or a landscape depending on a number of different circumstances (conducive conditions, climate, region etc.).
• This section covers various special cases with unique tips and application approaches to take to eliminate problem weeds.

How to Perform Situational Turf Care

• After doing a detailed inspection and survey of the area, determine what method would be best to treat the target weed (post-emergent or pre-emergent)
• Remember to read all product labels and follow the application instructions on these labels, and stay safe by wearing personal protective equipment.

Preventing Situational Turf Problems

• To prevent weeds in a situational turf, remember to make environmental modifications to the area and increase cultural practices that may have been neglected.