It’s aggravating to look at your lawn to see a species of grass you didn’t put there. Wild grass seeds are abundant in Florida soils. Often brought in during construction when the soil is bare, the seeds eventually emerge when conditions are right for germination. The two most common wild grasses in Florida are crabgrass and a variety of Bermuda grass that homeowners usually don’t want.
So how did they get there? Seeds transfer via wind, water and people. They may travel in garden soil or new sod. The tiny seeds can blow or wash onto your lawn during a windy day or a storm. Also, commercial landscapers unintentionally transfer them by mowing a lawn that contains these grasses – a kind of cross-contamination.
So, what can you do? Watering and mowing correctly can help. Improper mowing (scalping, repeatedly mowing in the same direction, e.g.) all contribute to undue stress and wear. When this happens, the desirable grass declines and the undesirable starts taking over.
Proper watering is another important factor in discouraging weed seeds from establishing themselves in your lawn. Too much water leads to various types of crabgrass or torpedo grass, as well as moisture-loving weeds. Conversely, lawns that have suffered even a few days of drought can rapidly decline and thin out, leaving an open area for other seeds to germinate and grow.
If you already have invasive grasses established in your lawn, contact the lawn experts at Slug-A-Bug for a free evaluation. Just call (321) 259-7844.