Page 26 - Lawn & Landscape Guide AL

Fertilizer: Very little fertilizer if any should be applied this time of the year unless your plants are showing signs of malnutrition.
Insect and Disease Control: Control and prevent ornamental pest and diseases by applying a contact insecticide for a quick knock down and a fungicide to control and prevent turf diseases. Common pest this time of the year are scale, aphids, lace bugs, etc.
Post-emergent: Carefully apply a non-selective herbicide to control weed in your flower bed space. Spot spray only. Be careful not to get on plants, especially in wind conditions more than 10 mph.
November
Centipede, St. Augustine, & Zoysia
Mowing: Mowing should be slowing down in November. Keep mowing heights high to help protect the plant as cooler weather approaches. Recommended Mowing Heights-Centipede 3.5” St. Augustine 4”” Zoysia 3.5”, or higher if needed. Never mow more than 1/3 of the grass blade on each cutting.
Watering: Make sure your lawn is getting up to 1.5”-2” of precipitation per week. It is best to water in the mornings with less frequent, heavy soakings. This can come from rainfall or irrigation. Do not overwater. This can be more detrimental than lack of precipitation. Dry Fall weather makes the lawn more susceptible to winter kill.
Fertilizer: Very little if any fertilizer should be applied. No nitrogen needs to be applied due to cooler weather quickly approaching. If your lawn is recovering from summer stress, a potassium based fertilizer will help in recovery.
Pre-emergent: If a Fall pre-emergent hasn’t been applied yet, now is the time to get that down. This application will prevent a wide variety of weeds from germinating.
Post-emergent: If you have yet to get your pre-emergent down, it is more likely you will have more weeds and need to apply a cover spray if needed.
Fire Ants: Fire ant stings are very painful and are no joke! They thrive in warmer temperatures and but they are active 12 months a year. Fire ants search for areas of direct sunlight so your lawn is a perfect fit. Their mounds can develop very quickly especially after rainfall. Broadcasting baits are most effective.
Note: November is a month where we usually transition from warm/mild temperatures to cooler temperatures. This is an important time for lawns to recover from summer stress and weeds to germinate. Warm season turf will stop its growth after the first frost. Some lawns with light frost will appear to have a tiger-striped appearance.
Tree and Shrub Care
Inspection: Inspect your landscape for insect and disease activity.