Horticulture Hotline 03/12/24
Bill Lamson-Scribner
Do you want to control dollarweed and other weeds this winter? Dollarweed seems to be a hot topic recently.
If you have the capability to spray, a product called Weed Free Zone really does a number on Dollarweed. Read and follow product label (pay particular attention to the temperature restrictions on using this product). Weed Free Zone has revolutionized the control of many tough weeds including Dollarweed, Florida Betony and many other broadleaf weeds. One of the unique features of this product is that it kills the weed very quickly letting you know exactly where you sprayed and if you missed any weeds. This is a big advantage when going after Dollarweed because if you miss one lily pad it could recreate a whole network of other Dollarweed plants in a short period of time. In the past some of the products that controlled Dollarweed worked very slowly, so if you missed spraying a few lily pads, you could have a whole new crop by the time the old crop was dying.
Dollarweed has a very waxy cuticle that helped protect it from many of the older products on the market. The control product would bead up and roll off the leaf of the dollarweed (like water a freshly waxed car hood). Weed Free Zone has a spreader sticker (surfactant) included in the formulation of the product that helps it stick to the target weed’s foliage. Dollarweed is also an aquatic weed, so it is often found in wet areas; however, it has adapted to the driest of areas too.
Preemergent products, when to fertilize, fungus, moles, mole crickets, fire ants, rats, roaches, when to prune and what to prune, planting, and transplanting are other hot topics.
For all products that you use on your lawn or around your house, you should read, understand and follow product labels. I know reading labels is not as interesting as reading the police blotter; however, they are full of information that can help you safely apply the correct product to your yard. This applies to all control products whether it is for weeds, fleas, moles, mice or any other pests. Labels contain important information to help you apply the product correctly and safely for you, your plants, your pets, and the environment.
Bill Lamson-Scribner can be reached during the week at Possum’s Landscape and Pest Control Supply. Possum’s has three locations 481 Long Point Rd in Mt. Pleasant (971-9601), 3325 Business Circle in North Charleston (760-2600), or 606 Dupont Rd, in Charleston (766-1511). Bring your questions to a Possum’s location, or visit us at possumsupply.com. You can also call in your questions to “The Garden Clinic”, Saturdays from 10:00 AM to 11:00 AM, or listen to the replay of Saturday’s show, Sundays from 11:00 to noon on 1250 WTMA (The Big Talker). The Horticulture Hotline is available 24 / 7 at possumsupply.com.
