Why are lawns so difficult or frustrating here? The answer involves a combination of factors.
We are not far enough north to benefit from the better soils, even though the extreme northern portion of Northwest Florida, bordering Alabama, does have richer soils with better water and nutrient holding capacities. These better soils result in a more favorable root environment with roots being more competitive and resilient.
Something else happens in more northern areas. The heavier soils and colder temperatures (sometimes resulting in the soil freezing) are natural means of inhibiting and/or controlling certain soil dwelling pests.
For example, nematodes are not nearly the concern in northern lawns. Many people who move to our area have never heard of these microscopic roundworms that play havoc in our warm, sandy soils. After a lawn has been in place for a number of years, allowing the nematode population to reach a threshold, the lawn begins to decline.
Other soil dwelling pests that northerners don’t have to deal with include ground pearls, small scale-like insects. Mole crickets are not a pest much north of Central Alabama. Years ago, a representative with the company that manufactured the once popular mole cricket insecticide Oftanol told me that in the absence of the state of Florida, they would not sell enough Oftanol to keep it on the market.
We are not far enough north to use the more trouble free northern grasses to create a permanent lawn. These include bluegrasses, fescues and ryegrasses. At best, these grasses can be used to overseed our lawns during the cooler fall and winter months to create a temporary winter lawn. But they will not survive our hot, wet summers.
We are not far enough south to benefit from the lack of freezing temperatures during winter. Late freezes can injure our lawns. A late freeze that occurred on April 8 in Crestview a number of years ago resulted in lawns with seventy percent kill from that late freeze. This typically does not happen in Central and South Florida.
We deal with saltwater issues, high humidity, tropical storms, an array of lawn insects and diseases, extremes in rainfall and temperatures, etc.
It’s no wonder most people become frustrated with their lawns.
Larry Williams is an agent at the University of Florida's Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences Extension office in Crestview.
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LEARN MORE:
LAWN CARE IN NORTHWEST FLORIDA SEMINAR: 10:30 a.m. April 7, Crestview Public Library, 1445 Commerce Drive, Crestview. Coffee and cookies served starting at 10 a.m. 682-4432 or 689-5850.
This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Here's why Northwest Florida lawns are so frustrating