JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO-RANDOLPH, Texas –
South Texas is not the easiest region for homeowners to maintain a lush green lawn throughout the year, but a program offered this month at Joint Base San Antonio-Randolph will help attendees achieve greater success with the care and feeding of their turf.
Kenneth Boyce, Randolph Oaks Golf Course manager and superintendent, will share his years of experience tending the greens and fairways of JBSA-Randolph’s golf course during a presentation called “Get Greener Grass! – Preparing for Winter” from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. Aug. 22 on the facility’s back patio.
During the program, which will adhere to social distancing guidelines, Boyce will discuss how property owners can choose the right grass for their situation, what fertilizers they should choose, how to prevent the proliferation of weeds, proper mowing techniques, top dressing and other topics.
Bermuda, Zoysia, St. Augustine and buffalo are the four types of turf that work best in South Texas, Boyce said, but people often choose the wrong kind of grass for their yards.
“I would say the biggest mistake people make is trying to grow the wrong grass type for their particular environment, like trying to grow a sun-loving Bermuda grass in a shaded environment,” he said.
Attendees will learn how often they should fertilize their lawns and what fertilizers they should use.
Boyce usually recommends two to four feedings per year – the first three through spring and early summer and the final one in autumn, before the first frost. He will discuss synthetic and organic fertilizers and the benefits of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium in stimulating turf health.
Boyce said nitrogen aids with greening and growth, phosphorus encourages root growth, and potassium helps with resilience to stress such as drought, disease and cold weather.
“The best thing you can do to prepare for winter is to give your grass a high-potassium feeding prior to dormancy, coupled with a pre-emergent herbicide that will kill winter weeds before they surface,” he said.
Boyce will address weed control, talk about the common warm and cool season weeds in South Texas, and will discuss pre-emergent, grassy weed, broadleaf and nutsedge herbicides.
Weed control involves prevention and elimination, and the best preventive measures are a healthy, thick turf and pre-emergent herbicides, he said.
Pest control is another topic that will be addressed during the presentation. It involves the use of insecticides and baits to eliminate insects such as grub worms and fire ants, and herbicides to address brown path and St. Augustine decline.
The cost of the program is $20 per person and $25 per couple. The registration deadline is Aug. 21. For more information, call 210-652-4653.