This archipelago of some 140 islands basks in the Gulf Stream of the Atlantic. The islands’ powdery, white, sandy beaches and warm microclimate, give them a sense of being much further from the rest of Great Britain than they really are.
24.07.2023 - 12:01 / hgic.clemson.edu
Dichondra (Dichondra repens) is a semi-evergreen, mat-forming perennial. It is a member of the morning glory family and is native to New Zealand. Dichondra grows well in moist soils, tolerates shade, and can be used as a lawn alternative.
However, dichondra can spread and become a problem in thin, weak turf. To prevent this, start by taking the necessary steps to ensure your lawn is well maintained. First, make sure that your lawn grass is appropriate for your site conditions. There are several cultivars that vary in their shade tolerance. Ensure that you have selected the proper grass and cultivar for your site conditions. Turf grown in the shade needs to be mowed at the upper limit of its recommended range. To determine the proper mowing height for your grass, see HGIC 1205, Mowing Lawns.
Excessive moisture will also encourage the spread of dichondra. Calibrate your sprinkler system to ensure that you deliver 1 inch of water a week and set the timer to water according to your soil type. For more information on calibrating sprinkler systems and the best irrigation management practices for your landscape, see How to Set and Calibrate Your Irrigation System and HGIC 1805, Landscape Irrigation Management Part 6: Soil Type and Irrigation Frequency.
Aeration can also improve the vigor of your grass. Two-to-three-inch cores are pulled out of the soil to allow more oxygen to get to the root system, and this helps to fuel growth and manage compaction. Compacted soils hold on to more moisture and can favor the growth of weeds like dichondra. Grass species vary in their tolerance to compacted soils, and compaction could be a factor if you have a thin, weak lawn. To learn more about aeration, see HGIC 1200, Aerating Lawns.
Dichondra
This archipelago of some 140 islands basks in the Gulf Stream of the Atlantic. The islands’ powdery, white, sandy beaches and warm microclimate, give them a sense of being much further from the rest of Great Britain than they really are.
In the cold wet winter it is a good time to plan where to visit as the year improves. The South West is the obvious place to start your visiting tour of gardens containing exotic plants.
Colorful ferns can be an excellent addition to any garden or indoor plant collection. These plants are characterized by their beautiful, vibrant fronds ranging from shades of pink, red, yellow, and even purple.
Red sorrel (Rumex acetosella) is a perennial weed that is easily identified by its red flowers and spade-shaped leaves. It is a member of the buckwheat family and native to Europe. The plant produces large quantities of pollen that can contribute to hay fever. The weed is edible, and some people grow it as a green or an herb. The tart flavor is often compared to lemons or sour apples. While the plant is safe for humans, it is toxic to livestock.
Henbit (Lamium amplexicaule) is a winter annual, broadleaf weed. It germinates in the fall and actively starts to grow in the cool spring weather when adequate soil moisture is present. Henbit is related to ornamental Lamium and is a member of the mint family. Its purple flowers serve as an early source of nectar and pollen for honeybees and bumblebees.
Florida pusley is a low-branching, annual summer weed. Its pretty, white, star-shaped flowers produce an abundance of seeds, and a single plant can quickly turn into an infestation. This weed is extremely drought tolerant and can easily out compete lawns that are not irrigated during extended dry weather conditions.
Virginia creeper is a native North American, deciduous vine, which can easily climb 30 feet or higher. Its tendrils end in oval shaped disks that adhere to surfaces and can damage stucco, the mortar between bricks, and painted surfaces. This highly adaptable plant grows in full sun to full shade. Grown as a groundcover, it can provide erosion control on slopes. Virginia creeper is very drought tolerant and a vigorous grower. To control the spread of this somewhat aggressive vine, prune, mow, or weed whack in the spring.
Virginia copperleaf is a tall, branched summer annual that can grow three feet tall. It takes its name from the copper colored leaves of its late summer color. This weed is a North American native that is found from Maine to Georgia and as far west as Texas and north to South Dakota. It is a member of the spurge family and is poisonous, but it does not have the milky sap that is typical of other family members. The simple leaves are oppositely arranged on the stems when the plant is a young seedling, but they change to an alternate arrangement as the weed matures.
Common cats-ear (Hypochaeris radicata) is a perennial weed. Its name comes from the dense hairs that cover the leaves. It looks very similar to dandelions, but its leaves are not as deeply notched. It also produces yellow flowers and puffball seed-heads very similar to dandelions. Common cats-ear flowers throughout the summer and most heavily in September. Common cats-ear is native to Europe and Northern Asia and can become quite a problem in thin, open areas. The first step in maintaining a thick, healthy lawn is ensuring that you have selected the best grass for your landscape. For more information on the characteristics of different turfgrasses, please see HGIC 1223, Turfgrasses for the Carolinas.
It’s late summer and crabgrass weeds have invaded some lawns. Unfortunately, crabgrass is very difficult to control with most herbicides once it develops a few tillers or branches. There are several species of crabgrass (Digitaria spp.): tropical crabgrass, smooth crabgrass, India crabgrass, large crabgrass, Southern crabgrass, and blanket crabgrass. All of them are summer annuals that germinate primarily in spring, grow during the summer, set seeds, and then die with the first frost.
Bahiagrass (Paspalum notatum) is commonly referred to as highway grass. It’s a tough, drought tolerant, perennial grass that survives in soils with low fertility. Due to its very coarse and open growth habit, bahiagrass is considered a low-quality lawn grass. It is best suited to use as a utility grass for roadsides and erosion control in marginal areas where visual quality is not a high priority.
That bright green, grassy weed in your lawn this month could be annual bluegrass. It is a cool-season, annual weed that grows in moist and compacted soils and even in shady locations. It is a prolific seed producer even when mowed at low heights, with each plant producing over 350 seeds. The first step to getting this weed under control in home lawns is to irrigate the lawn properly. Always apply deep but infrequent irrigation to lawns during periods of inadequate rainfall. This will encourage the turfgrass to have a deeper, more robust root system and help it compete with the annual bluegrass for moisture. Wait until the lawn begins to show symptoms of drought stress before irrigating, especially in the early fall. Annual bluegrass seeds germinate in autumn when soil temperatures drop below 70 °F. Limiting soil moisture near the soil surface reduces the germination rate of annual bluegrass seeds in the lawn.