Orchard, Fruit Tree and Grape Calendar for Las Vegas

My recommendations for a 12-month calendar of operations for a mixture of different fruits in the Las Vegas area. Harvest starts about mid to late May with early peaches like 'Earlitreat'. Harvesting ends in December with apple varieties like 'Sundowner'. There is a range because weather conditions vary from year to year; one year might be warmer earlier or later than another. That can affect the dates.

Important operations include pruning, fertilizer/iron applications, thinning, summer pruning, pest control, harvesting, dormant oil applications.

January 1-31. Second application of dormant oil on warm, windless day.

January 15-31. Weed control before new growth starts. Weekly weed control begins.

February 1. Fertilizer application to fruit trees plus iron EDDHA added through EZ flow. One application of fertilizer each year.

February 15. Watch for aphids on new growth.

February 15-28. Start soil applications of iron EDDHA on trees yellowing.

February 15-28. Thin apricots, early plums, peaches and nectarines.

February 15-28. Start thinning. 

February 15-28. Fertilizer applications for grapes.

March 1. Treat for borers on fruit trees that finished flowering.

March 1-15. Treat ant nests with bait.

April 1-15. All thinning of peaches, nectarines, plums and apricots should be finished.

April 1-15. Start thinning pears.

April 1-15. Start summer pruning.

April 1-15. Start thinning apples.

April 1-15. Pinch and remove excess/remaining grape bunches.

May 1. Watch for leaf footed plant bug, peach twig borer, codling moth, grape leaf skeletonizer.

May 1-15. Watch for Fireblight disease as it appears in Asian pear, European pear, apple and quince.

May 1-15. End soil iron applications.

May 10-20. Harvesting begins.

May 15-31. Begin foliar sprays of individual trees with iron for yellowing.

June 1. Watch for whiteflies.

June 1-15. Summer pruning ends.

September 15-30. Start harvesting early pomegranates and pears.

October 1-15. Turn off water to trees for early pruning to reduce height of trees. (Optional)

November 15-30. Start pruning. Pruning can be done anytime all winter.

December 1. Order bareroot fruit trees.

December 15-31. First application of dormant oil on warm, windless day.

December 15. Harvesting ends.

Harvesting Fruit Too Early Can Affect Flavor

Remember, stored fruit are ALIVE. They are still breathing (respiration) harvesting is done on climacteric fruit (peaches, nectarines, plums, apricots) when the fruit has changed color and lost most of its green color but still firm.

Climacteric fruit like these peaches are harvested when they have changed color but still firm. Harvesting climacteric fruit too early can result in poor flavor.

Harvesters are told not to wear jewelry, wear gloves, and have short fingernails when harvesting. These can also cause damage to fruit. After harvesting, fruit is sorted by maturity and fruit skin abrasions, bruising and punctures. Damaged fruit is NEVER stored with non damaged fruit due to the release of ethylene gas and speed of ripening through damage.

Damaged fruit like this sun damaged apple is never stored with undamaged fruit.

Nectarine damaged by thrips in the foreground. Damage is visual but too severe for the consumer. It is safe for storage but not suitable for sale.

 

Harvest Time in Las Vegas

Peaches and nectarines- variable but there is a loss of dark green and change to either light green, yellow or red but fruit is still firm (solid to the feel). Oftentimes a penetrometer is used to gauge this for establishing values by fruit buyers and wholesalers. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y1VyPTA7vU4 In the field it is done by feel.

Peach fruit ready for harvest. Firm enough for harvest and mature enough for harvest.

Plums – green plums when color change is from dark green to light green but fruit is still hard

Red plums when color change is from dark green to yellow or red and fruit is still hard.

Burbank plum firm, tree ripe and ready for harvest.

Pears – some are green and some are red. Harvest pears AS SOON AS COLOR CHANGES TO GET A “BUTTERY” TEXTURE OTHERWISE TEXTURE IS GRITTY. Same as plums.

Correct color change for harvesting European pear.

Asian pears - when fruit separates from the tree when lifted.

Asian pear, 'Shinko' ready for harvest. The fruit separates from the tree when lifted.

Apricots – change in color from dark to light green but still firm.

Apricots ready to pick. Fruit shows little difference in quality when harvested a little bit early. Apriums are treated the same as apricots.

Apples- near fully mature but still hard; this means color changes are important because what you harvest is what you get.

'Pink Lady' apples, like all apples, are harvested when the seed is brown or by calendar. They ripen in November in Las Vegas.

Quince – mildly climacteric with some improvement in maturity after picking. Pick when color changes and aroma begins.

Quince is harvested when the aroma from them is "floral" and, like apples, when the seeds are brown. I  put my nose directly in the bottom (calyx end) and take a deep smell. When they start to give off an aroma, they are ripe.

Pomegranate- by date or fully mature. Will store near freezing (colder than apples) for a long time.

Mature pomegranates will keep on the bush or tree for a month when they are ready. Harvest when fully ripe. Use a date for harvesting and know which variety you have.

Persimmon- some persimmon are astringent and others are not. Nonastringent persimmon can be harvested anytime after color change. Astringent persimmon MUST only be harvested when firm but near harvest but eaten when soft.

Harvest nonastringent persimmon like 'Fuyu' when there is a color change. Harvest astringent types like 'Hachiya' when it is firm but fully red. Astringent types must be soft to be eaten when they are sweet.

Grapes – nonclimacteric so harvested only when fully ripe; use refractometer. They will appear like they are ripe but they will still increase in sugar content. The clusters of wine grapes will have some "raisins" when ripe.

'Fantasy' dessert grape ready to harvest. Check sugar content with refractometer or taste.

'Zinfandel' wine grape harvest by refractometer or taste.

Figs - nonclimacteric harvested only when fully ripe, like berries. Look for the "neck" to bend.

All figs are nonclimacteric so harvest when ready to eat. Figs are ripe when the stalk attaching the fruit to the tree is bent.

Soft vs. Hard Fruit

Soft fruit is fruit that is soft when mature. These include peach, nectarine, plum, apricot, Soft fruit are harvested with smaller boxes, bags or containers that are not deep. Hard fruit like apples, pear, pomegranate, and quince are harder when mature. They are harvested in deeper bags, boxes and containers. 

Storage

Fruit that is fully mature when harvested will not store well and should be consumed ASAP and never stored. Harvesting of nonclimacteric fruit (grapes, figs, pomegranates, jujube) is done when the fruit is fully mature since it stops maturing as soon as it is picked.

 

Once fruit is harvested all fruit is sorted immediately (maturity and damage) and commercial fruit is graded and prepared for sale and storage. Maturity is less important for commercial sale.

 

Storage is a combination of temperature and humidity. CA storage (controlled atmosphere storage) is used to prolong storage life of some fruit and vegetables (along with correct temperature and humidity and sanitation). Nitrogen is substituted for oxygen.

 

The term climacteric is not an "on and off" switch and there are some fruit that are more climacteric than others (compare apples and pomegranates with peach, plum and apricot). Some fruit are “in between” and show signs to be both climacteric and nonclimacteric (apples, pomegranates which are still considered climacteric but not strongly climacteric but still releases ethylene gas).

 

Release of ethylene gas is why some fruit are stored separately. Build up of ethylene causes them to get an off taste and mature faster so apples, melons, apricots, bananas, tomatoes, avocados, peaches, pears, nectarines, plums, figs and other fruit and vegetables should be kept in separate cold storage rooms. These fruit are never stored with most flowers or the flowers die sooner. Some fruit can be stored with nitrogen gas (CA storage) to reduce respiration losses and longer storage life.  Some require much warmer storage temps (compare banana with pomegranate) for storage. Chlorine gas is used to “degreen” tomatoes and oranges in a “degreening room” because of the consumer and sales.

 

Physiological maturity is different for different fruits. But in most there is a change in color (loss of dark green to light green in green or yellow fruit and a gain of some color like red, brown.

 

From http://www.fao.org/3/ae075e/ae075e21.htm

Ripening

Ripening is the process by which fruits attain their desirable flavor, color and textural properties. Climacteric fruits can ripen off the plant once they have reached physiological maturity.

Climacteric fruits include apples, avocado, banana, blueberries, breadfruit, cherimoya, durian, feijoa, fig, guava, kiwifruit, mango, muskmelon, papaya, passion fruit, pears, persimmon, plantain, quince, sapodilla, sapote, soursop, stone fruits (apricots, nectarines, peaches, plums) and tomato. Some of these fruits if harvested "mature-green", can be ripened after harvest and short term storage. Pears and bananas are unusual in that they develop the best flavor and texture characteristics when harvested mature-green and ripened off the tree. Avocadoes do not ripen on the tree.

Some climacteric fruits give off large quantities of ethylene during ripening. These include apples, apricots, avocadoes, cantaloupe, kiwifruit, nectarines, peaches, pears, plums and passion fruit. A small dose of ethylene gas will stimulate other climacteric fruits to begin the ripening process. A few climacteric fruits, such as muskmelons, will not increase in sugar content during ripening, but will soften.

Non-climacteric fruits must ripen on the plant if you want a fully ripe fruit, since once they have been harvested, no further ripening will occur. Flavor and texture will be of low quality if fruits are picked before fully ripe.

Some non-climacteric fruits include berries, cherries, citrus fruits (lemons, limes, oranges, grapefruits, mandarins, tangerines), cucumber, dates, eggplant, grapes, lychee, okra, peas, peppers, pineapple, pomegranates, strawberry, summer squash, tamarillo and watermelon.

Non-climacteric fruits will not respond to attempts to ripen them with ethylene gas. A partially red strawberry, for example, will not develop any more color or sweetness after being picked, and will deteriorate faster if exposed to ethylene. Watermelons develop most of their sweetness during the week before they reach full maturity, making early harvest very undesirable.

Sometimes ripening commodities before sale at the wholesale or retail level will improve their value. Ripening rooms are often used for tomatoes, citrus fruits and bananas. The use of diluted ethylene gas mixtures is safer than using pure ethylene which is explosive and flammable at concentrations of 3% or higher.

 

Thinning Fruit to Make Remaining Fruit Larger

Thinning fruit must be done to get the remaining fruit larger. It's also done to prevent limb breakage from all the weight of mature fruit! Its best done as soon as possible, when fruit is still small. Usually when fruit is 1/2 inch or smaller. 

Peach fruit is thinned to allow the remaining fruit larger and prevent limb breakage. Usually only three or four fruit remain after thinning. How many fruit should be removed?

The same branch after thinning is done. Thinning can also be helped when pruning is done by making branches that are too long, shorter.

The fruit tree makes a set amount of “food” each year. It either goes into growth or fruit production. When thinning begins, the fruit should be small. If done when the fruit is larger then this “storage food” is removed from the tree and wasted. Thinning larger fruit and this green fruit is dropped to the ground takes the energy the tree invested into fruit production and puts it into the soil. Bugs are not a problem for the tree provided thinning is done early.

Apples and pears form fruit in clusters of typically five to six fruit. All but one is removed from each cluster. The remaining fruit was the largest in the cluster.

One fruit remains after thinning apples and pears. It is usually the largest in the cluster, the "king"

When thinning is done early the fruit can be dropped on the ground and left to rot. When thinning is done later and close to maturity, the fruit should be collected and not left to rot in the field or it will attract some damaging insects (eg stink bugs, fruit beetles, and fruit flies) and rodents.

 

Although it is thought that it is never too late to thin fruit, it is best done as early as possible. But if fruit is close to maturity, it is more attractive to pests that may go after ripe fruit in your orchard. Decomposers that focus on immature fruit is different from those that prefer mature fruit. Your trees also have mature fruit. So which mature fruit is okay for mature fruit decomposers to have?

Generally speaking, fruit thinning starts when the fruit is about ½ inch. For early producing varieties thinning is started early. For peaches growing in Las Vegas thinning can begin as early as the first week of March for the early flowering varieties and as late early May on later varieties.

• Look for thinning to begin about March 1 on peaches and some varieties of apricots; later varieties are thinned later
• Start to schedule thinning when fruit is about “thumbnail” size.
• The timing for later varieties weekly as the fruit reaches this size. So I would suggest weekly thinning of fruit once it begins. Young apples may produce fruit for thinning until June or later!

 

Chemical sprays to thin fruit are available for professionals for apples and pears but peaches, nectarines and plums are done by hand.

June Drop

There is a term floating around for fruit trees called "June drop". June drop refers to the dropping of fruit by the tree if it is not pollinated correctly or if the tree decides there is too much fruit and drops some. This never happens in June but earlier, about April in our climate. It is said to "Thin after June drop." I have not seen this to be the case. I would suggest in our hot and variable desert climate to thin early and thin according to the variety you have. Ignore June drop. If you have lots of flowers, lots of fruit, then thin!

Fruit to Thin, Not to Thin, and Minor Fruit

Fruit and relatives of these fruit to thin include peach, nectarine, apricot, plum, pluots, apples, European pears, Asian pears. I have not seen any value to thinning pomegranate, fig, cherry, citrus, or jujube. But minor fruit you should consider thinning include persimmon and quince.

Grape Thinning

Grapes are thinned to make the remaining berries larger (desert grapes) or intensify the flavor (wine grapes). Thinning is done in three ways: spacing of bunches. reducing the size of bunches (pinching), and removing small bunches. Thinning is done when the berries are the size of baby peas.

Grapes are thinned when the berries are still small but after flowering.

 

http://www.omafra.gov.on.ca/english/crops/hort/thinning.htm

https://escholarship.org/content/qt2fg9r19k/qt2fg9r19k.pdf

 

Correcting Yellow Fruit Trees

Yellowing of the leaves of fruit trees (not citrus) can be caused by a lack of available iron, insects, diseases including viruses, and watering. We will focus on yellowing due to a lack of available iron. if you were looking for citrus, click below.

Yellowing Citrus 

 

Yellowing and Alkalinity

Soil pH is a fancy way to talk about soil alkalinity. pH is a logarithmic scale just like the earthquake scale. The earthquake scale is from 0 to 10. The pH scale is from 0 to 14. pH is how alkalinity is measured. This pH scale runs from 0 to 14 with 7 being neutral…a pH of 7 is where there is a balance, an equal amount, between too much and not enough alkalinity.

This pH scale is available from http://www.ns.ec.gc.ca/

Available vs Nonavailable Iron

 

Notice the correct term is AVAILABLE iron. This is because iron is sometimes NOT available in soils but it is there. It is because of soil pH or its level of alkalinity measured by soil pH. It is not in a form available to plants. The form of iron available to plants is when the pH is 7. When soil pH is above 7, iron is less available. Remember that pH is measured LOGARITHMICALLY, like an earthquake scale. So when iron is in the soil and the soil pH goes from 7 to 8, the amount of iron is LESS by ten fold! From 7 to 9 it is less available by 100 fold!

A pH chart showing availability of some plant nutrients as the pH changes from 4.0 to 10.0. How wide the bar is says how available that nutrient is. The pH of our soils are just below to slightly above 8.0. Notice that the minor elements of iron, zinc and manganese are limited at this pH. http://ipm.uconn.edu/documents/raw2/html/546.php?display=print

 

Iron is best available to plants when the soil pH is 7, called neutral. Our desert soils range from a pH of about 7.8 to 8.2 in most cases. So iron availability to plants is sometimes a problem. This problem many times happens in spots in soil. Iron availability is never consistent in soil. Iron is nearly always there but the pH is not consistent from place to place.

 

Two Methods of Making Iron Available

There are two ways of making iron available to plants; change the soil pH in these spots to closer to a pH of 7 and make the soil pH lower OR give the plant iron in a form that wont change its form with more alkalinity. There are many problems with using chemicals to lower the alkalinity of the soil (it doesn’t last long, the soil must be warm and wet and in a form that will work in the soil rapidly.) Chemicals that lower the alkalinity (soil pH) include different types of pure sulfur (but not sulfates), acids, and soil chemical amendments like aluminum. Some spots of soil are more difficult to lower the alkalinity than others.

Sulfur and Lowering Soil pH

Sulfur and Lowering Soil pH 2

Sulfur and Lowering Soil pH 3

EDDHA chelated iron makes iron available to plants regardless of the alkalinity (soil pH). But iron must be attached to this chelate or it will not work because there would be no iron, just EDDHA. So the chemical that works is correctly called “ iron EDDHA”. Usually manufacturers of EDDHA can get about 6% iron to attach to it.

I dont understand why only Viragrow carries this type of chelated iron. Maybe because it is more expensive than Kerex and other types of iron. It is the only form of iron that will work in soils of all pH ranges. Otherwise take your chances and hope your soil is below 7.6 in pH if you are using another type of iron.

Primer on Chelated Iron Chemistry

When using chelated iron in the form of EDDHA (acronym for ethylenediamine-N,N′-bisdihydroxyphenylacetic acid and why we call it EDDHA). EDDHA iron is a chelated form of iron. When it holds iron in its claw-like grip the iron is in a stable form. This iron EDDHA is stable from a pH of 0 to 14. There are other iron chelates less expensive than iron EDDHA but will not hold the iron when the pH changes. This is not true when iron is gripped by other chelates like EDTA and DTPA. Both of these chelates will no longer hold iron when the soil pH is about 7.5 to 7.6. If the soil pH is more than this, they don’t work! Using these iron chelates can be a crap shoot. As soon as these chelates release their iron it changes to a form not available to plants but the iron is still there! EDDHA will not release the iron regardless of the pH or alkalinity. It holds iron tight all through a range of alkalinity from 0 to 14. But when iron EDDHA finds a plant, it releases the iron from its grip and the iron is released to the plant before most of it changes to another form!

This is called a "chelate stability diagram" regarding the pH. If you are comfortable reading this diagram it shows you how EDDHA chelate is stable in soils from a pH of 4 to 10 (bottom line). https://cropnuts.helpscoutdocs.com/article/826-iron-fertilisation

Timing of Application

Because iron, once inside plants, does not move, iron EDDHA must be applied to the soil when plants are growing and producing new leaves and stems. This means after the plant stops growing (mid to late summer) the soil application will not work. In fact, it stops working sometime around April or May. This means iron EDDHA must be applied to the soil between February 1 and about early April for best results. The more that the plants has grown and produced its leaves, the less iron EDDHA will work. 

So the ideal time for iron EDDHA to be applied to the soil is just before growth starts in the spring, around February 1. I would recommend putting iron EDDHA in the EZ flow fertilizer injectors along with the first application of fertilizer in the spring.

 

Fruit Trees Most and Least Susceptible to Yellowing from Iron

The fruit trees most susceptible to yellowing due to iron availability include peach, nectarine, plum, apple, pear and cherry. Mostly the stone fruit. Moderately susceptible include quince and persimmon. Less susceptible include pomegranate, jujube, and fig.

 

Yellowing Later in the Season

Sometimes yellowing of leaves and new growth occur later in the growing season when available iron is not moving inside the plant but new growth is slowing down. After sometime about April or May, soil applications of EDDHA iron no longer work. At this time foliar feeding of iron is recommended to try. Mix iron EDDHA in a spray tank along with a surfactant, keep it agitated, and spray the leaves with this iron solution until the leaves begin dripping from this application. The pH of the water is not a problem for EDDHA. But for other types of iron sprays it probably is. Adjust these spray solutions for iron to a pH of 6.0 to 7.0.

 

What if Nothing Works?

Sometimes yellowing is not because of a lack of available iron. Foliar sprays with test bottles of manganese may be the problem because shortages of manganese can look very similar to iron deficiency. Zinc deficiency has other visible signs that point in its direction.

Orchard Fruit Tree Pruning: When and How?

Pruning fruit trees properly is a necessary management tool for producing a regular amount of fruit each year, avoid alternate bearing, keep tree size in control for easier harvesting and pest control, and reduce problems of shading and loss of production.

 

In the Desert we want the trunk and limbs protected from damaging strong sunlight as early as possible. But we also want the light distributed throughout the entire canopy to reduce shading and decrease fruit production losses.

Xtremehort's Pruning Fruit Trees Method

There are three stages for pruning (my stages)…pruning to control size, pruning for structure of the tree and pruning for fruit production. Pruning for size control can be done early in the fall before leaf drop if you have lots of trees to do. 

Lowering the height of fruit trees can be done earlier than leaf drop in the fall. The pruning problems created by lowering fruit tree height before leaf drop are corrected during normal winter pruning.

Normally we would combine pruning for structure and fruit production into one step after pruners are experienced. I usually carry both my loppers and hand pruners with me. The first step is to use the loppers. When I finish with my loppers I finish the tree up with a hand shears. Pruning a full-sized fruit tree on close spacing takes me about 5 to 8 minutes per tree.

Why Prune for Size?

Pruning for size control is included because sometimes fruit trees are planted closer together than in old fashioned orchards that let fruit trees reach their full size, The old fashioned way of pruning must use ladders for harvesting and thinning fruit and even pruning! Closer spacing reduces falling from ladders and speeds up harvesting, thinning and spraying.

Keeping fruit trees smaller is meant to keep older people off ladders! Size control of fruit trees through pruning makes harvesting and thinning much easier and faster. But it does cause more pruning work!

Spraying fruit trees for pests can be more difficult as well when trees are taller. So these three steps are my invention to make it easier to understand and do. You wont find it discussed as three steps on YouTube (unless they learned it from me). Once fruit trees reach the size you want for production and harvesting then it is important to control their size for their life. This is done through winter pruning and summer pruning.

 Start Pruning Early in the Fall When Growth Stops

Pruning can start as soon as leaf drop starts in the Fall. Leaf drop allows the pruner to better see the tree size and shape. If pruning is skipped, after about two or three years fruit production will diminish at the lower heights and only occur at the tops of the trees.

 

The height of fruit trees is dictated by the spacing in the row. Trees should be pruned so they grow to no taller than their neighboring trees. If spacing is ten feet apart, then prune them no taller than 8 feet and let them grow to ten.

Encourage Early Leaf Drop

To encourage early leaf drop (November) stop watering trees in November. Once leaves begin yellowing from a lack of water, resume normal irrigations. Each year is different but begin turning off the water at the end of October or very yearly November during cool weather.

 

This nectarine tree started dropping its leaves when it was not getting water. Drought can be used for force early leaf drop in fruit trees. Drought can also cause the fruit to ripen all at the same time. Use drought in the fall to force trees to drop their leaves early. Once leaves begin to show signs of water stress, irrigations can begin again.

Summer Pruning

Summer pruning focuses on removing undesirable new growth in the spring. It is pulled off with your hands when done early enough. Otherwise it must be pruned with a hand shears.

Why is summer pruning done? Summer pruning helps reduce the amount of winter pruning needed, keeps trees smaller in size, redirects growth where it is needed more and improves production. But it does take time! I usually do it when I am hand thinning,

When is summer pruning done? Summer pruning is a misnomer. It is never done in the summer but I would say from mid spring to late spring depending on the type of tree. Peaches, cherries and apricots are done very early. Apples and late growers are later. If you pick the right time, it can be done with your hands and no pruning shears are needed. If done late, then you will need hand shears.

If summer pruning is done wrong in the desert, then intense sunlight can damage the tree because of a lack of shade on tender limbs and trunk.

How is summer pruning done? First of all, it only removes undesirable new growth when its young. This undesirable new growth is an energy investment by the tree in response to light and prior pruning cuts. I focus on pulling off growth going to the inside of the tree and growing straight up mostly. But I also am cognizant of leaving some tender new growth to shade limbs from summer intense sunlight. Summer pruning removes this new growth and it is dropped on the soil where it decomposes. This leaves new growth only where you want it. This remaining growth is pruned and shaped during winter pruning.

Killing Bermudagrass in a Fescue Lawn

Q. How can you kill Bermudagrass growing in an existing fescue lawn?

Bermudagrass invades southern fescue lawns where water is not applied enough or where fescue is mowed too short.

Best Timing for the Mojave Desert: Spring and Fall months (Fall is best when temps are cooler but before it turns brown)

A. It’s much easier to kill fescue growing in a Bermudagrass lawn than it is to kill Bermudagrass growing in a fescue lawn. Your problem is more difficult. You will have to use chemicals if you want to correct this problem. The two chemicals are either Roundup if the Bermudagrass is growing in a few areas or spraying Fusilade if Bermudagrass is growing throughout the fescue lawn. Roundup is “spot sprayed” where Bermudagrass is a problem which kills all the grass in those spots.

Roundup Herbicide on Do My Own Pest Control

Fusilade DX Herbicide on Do My Own 

Roundup will be sprayed in those spots now and through the summer when you see Bermudagrass trying to get established again. And it will try. The lawn is seeded with a good quality fescue seed in those dead spots as early as late September and though October. Until that time, the dead grass is left in place to help prevent the growing of other weeds in those spots.

Fusilade is a grass killer. It will kill all grasses at a high concentration. The concentration of Fusilade sprayed determines if it kills the Bermudagrass growing in a fescue lawn without damaging the fescue or not. So spraying Fusilade at exactly the correct concentration is very, very important. It is best sprayed in a fescue lawn in late September or October. As a warning, it is normal to see the fescue lawn becoming “yellowish” after it is sprayed with Fusilade. Be sure to follow the label directions exactly.

Prevention is the First Step

Preventing Bermudagrass from getting established in a lawn is the most effective way to control it in a fescue lawn. 

Improve Irrigation. Water must be applied evenly to lawns. Make sure the water is applied as evenly as possible to the lawn area. Water should be applied "head to head" when sprinklers are designed. Check the water pressure of your system and match it to the nozzles used and spacing.

Odd shaped areas of lawn should be removed. Water from neighboring sprinklers MUST overlap each other "head to head". The only way to do that is to match the water pressure with the nozzles used and the spacing of sprinkler heads.

Mowing Height. Keep the mowing height above 2 inches. Lawns that I have seen are mowed too short. Mowing short encourages Bermudagrass invasion.

Keep lawns dense and thick. Dense and thick lawns are encouraged by regularly fertilizing, mowing high, and using the right kind of fertilizer. Lawns in our climate should receive fertilizer applied at least four times each year; Labor Day, Memorial Day, Thanksgiving and Halloween.

            Clean mowers before they are used. A strong stream of water from a hose that cleans the blades and deck is necessary each time you mow. Avoid line trimmers to edge a lawn. If it must be used, never cut the edge of the grass at an angle or use line trimmers around trees or sprinklers.

Weeds Number One Pest Problem

Common bermudagrass is probably the number one weed to control in states below the Mason Dixon line. It creeps along underground on rhizomes and aboveground on stolons. It's perennial. Once it gets established it is difficult to control. Or is it?

Pests are not just insects. Pests include insects, diseases and weeds, not just insects. Weed control is the number one pest problem for farmers. Or for anyone with a landscape.  More money is spent on controlling weeds than controlling or preventing insects and diseases combined. Once weeds are entrenched, either annuals by seed or perennials by stolons/rhizomes, they are more difficult to control.

Roundup is the number one weed killer sold. It was made for controlling grasses but it will kill many different kinds of plants so is considered a post emergent, non selective systemic weed killer. But it moves systemically maybe about 12 inches from where it was applied to plants.

Farmers use mostly cultivation and weed control chemicals. Basically, weed control chemicals save farmers money they would otherwise spend on fuel and labor. Most of the time, homeowners are better off controlling weeds using cultivation. Oftentimes this is simply using a hoe. Make your landscape weed free without chemicals by hoeing for 20 minutes or less, consistently, once a week.

The Hula hoe or stirrup hoe is my favorite hoe for controlling weeds in many different spots. To be effective, it must be used weekly (like many organic pest control products) during the growing season or when the problem persists. 

To get good control, stay on top of weeds and control them as soon as they start growing. That means getting rid of weeds weekly, very soon after they are seen. Weeds are not like most insects or diseases; when the weather changes their populations increase or decrease. When temperatures get warmer, summer weeds grow faster and stronger.

To control weeds in bare soil, not covered by a surface mulch, either weed control chemicals or weeders like hoes or flame weeders are needed. Weeding of bare soil is weekly during the growing season and to keep weeds in check.

Weeds love to invade disturbed soils. That’s why during the first few months in new landscapes many weeds grow near plants getting water, weed barriers or not. That’s normal.

Its normal to see weeds after a landscape or lawn is first planted. 

Get out your hoe. The first weeds to grow are annual weeds. They grow quickly from seed and try to cover as much soil as possible. Once they are removed when young, there are gone forever. All annual weeds come from seed whether they appear in the spring (summer annual weeds) or fall (winter annual weeds).

Wild mustard is a winter annual weed; the seed germinates in the fall, the weed grows during the winter or early spring and then flowers and produces seed in the spring ready for next fall.

Crabgrass. Summer annual. Fast germination. Likes open areas. Doesn't like to compete. Similar to all annual weeds, doesn't like mulch. Seed germinates in the spring each year. Easy to hoe or burn. Easy to discourage with mulch.

When preparing the soil for a garden, the first plants seen are annual weeds, usually within one to three days after cultivating and planting just before vegetables emerge from seed. In the spring this is spurge (wet areas), crabgrass, goosegrass. Russian thistle. chickweed. Most of their energy forces new top growth of these weeds quickly. They want to grow quickly, become large and cover as much of the soil as possible and of course flower and seed. This is how they spread. These weeds are called “invaders”. You can use weed barriers, 3 to 4 inches of mulch on the soil surface, pre-emergent weed killers or you can use a hoe or fire weeder. Your choice. Hoes are fast and easy when you do it weekly.

Weed barriers are woven or spun textiles (fabrics) that allow air and water through but not most annual weeds.