Weeds are the most obvious biological disfiguration of the urban landscape, costing its inhabitants in health, safety, and removal fees.  Seven billion dollars annually is spent on turf expenditures.  Mowing, irrigation, and fertilization are where most of that seven billion is spent.  Fertilization is used to suppress the weeds by favoring the turf grass.  Weeds are the most difficult cultural problem for homeowners lawns and the second most managrial problem reported on golf courses. The average annual cost spent on herbicide in the United States is $6,554 per course.  Left uncontrolled weeds cotribute to allergies, traffic accidents, loss of personal property, and the lowering of property values.

Herbicides

      There are four situations in turf grass where weeds become a problem requiring attention; 1) establishment of new turf grasses (ex. sod laying and sprigging of bermuda grass); 2) renovation of damaged turf (ex. thinning due to traffic or over-watering that has caused the growth of some weeds or algae); 3) transition or turfgrasses during the seasons; and 4) the prevention of weed growth during vulnerable times.

        In these situations herbicides have been developed to control the presence of weeds. Inorganic chemicals, such as ammonium sulfate and urea, were the first turfgrass chemicals. Auxin growth regulators were the first synthetic organin herbicides. Developed secretely in World War II they becam widely used as growth regulators by the 1959's.

       Preemergence chemicals show less specificity in turfgrass that does a postemergence chemical. The safest and most effective of the postemergence are oxadiazon, prodiamine, pendimethalin, and pronamide, which is used to prevent the annual growth of bluegrass in golf course greens.

       The use of turfgrass chemicals in a mixed landscape is a challenge because of the damage that it causes to broadleaf species such as oak trees.

      When applying a herbicide to an area where there will be traffic or when applying a chemical make sure to wear the proper clothing. Such as a chemical suit, breathing respirator, and rubber gloves and boots. Also if it is in an area where people will be present be sure to put a warning sign up or close the area to play until the chemical has had time to work into the ground.

      Bermudagrasses, often used in recreational turf have a very open habit of growth, thus making them easy for grassy weeds to invade. Because of the open growth habit, seeded cultivars of bermudagrasses are more susceptible to grassy weed invasion. Traffic by golf courts on golf course fairways and by ball players on athletic fields cause compaction. This in turn favors the adaptation of goosegrass, the number one ranked problem of bermudagrass.
 

For the sites used to put this page together go to one of the links below:

1) www.floridaturf.com/weeds

2)www.iaa.umd.edu/umturf/Weeds/Perennial%20Grass%20weed

3)www.Toro.com