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Newspaper Archive of
Shelton Mason County Journal
Shelton, Washington
June 30, 2011     Shelton Mason County Journal
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June 30, 2011
 
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GARDENER lin Iu Iu BylL JEANNE REHWALDT A recent question that came to the Master Gar- dener clinic was one about annual bluegrass in lawn. This grass is considered a weed, and is difficult to control. Donald D. Tapio, horticulture agent in Grays Harbor County, shares the following article concerning this weed. Annual bluegrass (Poa annua) is unique among weeds. Although it has no boundaries when it comes to invading home gardens, it's home lawns where it seems to cause the greatest frustration. With its highly visible and prolific seed heads, it can make even the best cared for lawn look like a disaster. Often called June grass because it seems to be most visible this time of year, this invasive weed's uniqueness stems from the standpoint that there is probably no other weed that is so widely adapted to variations in mowing height, site conditions and cultural practices. COME SEE THE OPPORTUNITIES FOR YOUR CHILD NOW ENROLLING FOR 2011-2012 Full Day Kindergarten & Grade 1 (combi~edd~s) (LIMIT 12) lilT. OLIVE LUTHERAN SCHOOL 206 E. WYANDOTTE *Washington State Approved School 427-3t85 schoolmolcOcomcast.net Annual bluegrass is one of the five most widely distributed plants in the world. It is a winter an- nual that germinates in late summer and early fall, once soil tempera- tures have dropped below 70° F. Seedlings mature in the fall, over winter in the vegetative state, and produce seed in late spring and early summer. Some germination of an- nual bluegrass seed also occurs in the spring. The seed may lie dormant in the soil for many years be- fore germinating, resulting in a significant build-up of indigenous seed over time. It tends to be more prolific during wet seasons• An- nual bluegrass often dies in the heat of the summer. Turf grass seed heads usually begin to form be- low the recommended mowing height of 2 ½-3 ~ for home lawns 'thus the seed heads still develop despite frequent mowing. Furthermore, seed head production is seldom con- sistent throughout a home lawn, with it most often occurring in patches. As a result, annual bluegrass is often made more obvious by patches of seed heads occurring in an otherwise smooth dark green lawn. Lowering the mowing height in an attempt to re- move all of the seed heads is not recommended as it may cause long-term inju- ry to desirable turf grasses. About the only redeem- ing feature of this weed is the fact that it has a very shallow root system and can be easily pulled from the soil. Its prolific nature however has many garden- ers asking if there is an herbicide option that can be used. There are no se- lective herbicides that can be used to control annual bluegrass in home lawns and not also kill desirable grass. One option is to use weed killers containing glyphosate (Roundup)* and then reseeding the sprayed area once the annual blue- grass is dead. Maintaining overall turf grass vigor will help to re- duce infestations of annual bluegrass. Years of re- search conducted at WSU's Puyalhp research sta- tion continue to validate that using fertilizer with at least 50 percent of it in slow release form gives the best return when it comes to turf grass vigor. Use a complete fertilizer with a 3-1-2 ratio (N-P-K) on es- tablished lawns to supple- ment any lacking phospho- rus and potassium. Often sold as 15-5-10 or 12-4-8, the fertilizer should be I . Plus installation labor (most mod~s) Advance Glass Shelton 2316 Olympic Hwy N "Next to Super Kleen Car Wash" July 9th, 2011 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. Christmas illage Chb flouse -fill ~amily ~f ~riends Welcome- :: ....... applied at a rate, which is equal to approximately one pound of nitrogen per 1000 square feet of turf. If you were using 15-5-10 for example, you would need to apply approximately 6.5 pounds of actual fertilizer product per 1000 square feet in order to get one pound of actual nitrogen. WSU recommends the sec- ond of four annual applica- tions of fertilizer be made near the time of the Memo- rial Day holiday. * Trade names are men- tioned for educational pur- poses only. No product en- dorsement is intended or implied. If you have gardening questions, please visit the WSU Extension office MG plant clinic on Mondays from noon - 3 p.m., or call 427-9670 Ext. 687 to talk with a Master Gardener volunteer. 2011 Ford F150 Super Cab 4x4 50 to', 6 spd Auto, 4WD, XLT Pad