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Publication #ENH1131

Annual Bluegrass Biology and Management in Turf1

Darcy E. Partridge-Telenko, Barry J. Brecke, and J. Bryan Unruh2

Annual bluegrass (Poa annua) is a small, tufted to clumped winter annual grass. Leaf blades are smooth on both surfaces, with two distinct, clear lines, one on each side of the midrib. Leaf tips are keeled or boat-shaped. The ligule is membranous. Spiklets are light green to whitish without cottony hairs. They are arranged on branches, one to two per node. Flowers form in dense to open clusters. Reproduction of annual bluegrass occurs by seed.

Herbicide options for controlling annual bluegrass in Florida turfgrass

(Always refer to the label for specific uses, application rates and turfgrass tolerance)

Figure 1. 

Figure 2. 

Bermudagrass

  • Preemergence: benefin, benefin+oryzalin, benefin+trifluralin, bensulate+oxadiazon, DCPA, dithiopyr, ethofumesate (only dormant overseeded), fenarimol, metolachlor, napropamide, oryzalin, oxadiazon, pendimethalin, prodiamine, proamide, simazine

  • Postemergence: bispyribac-sodium (only dormant overseeded), formasulfuron, metribuzin, pronamide, rimsulfuron, simazine, sulfometuron, sulfosulfuron, trifloxysufluron

St. Augustinegrass

  • Preemergence: atrazine, benefin, benefin+oryzalin, benefin+trifluralin, DCPA, dithiopyr, ethofumesate, metolachlor, napropamide, oryzalin, oxadiazon, pendimethalin, prodiamine, simazine

  • Postemergence: atrazine, ethofumesate, simazine, sulfosulfuron

Centipedegrass

  • Preemergence: atrazine, benefin, benefin+oryzalin, benefin+trifluralin, DCPA, dithiopyr, metolachlor, napropamide, oryzalin, pendimethalin, prodiamine, simazine

  • Postemergence: atrazine, clethodim, simazine, sulfosulfuron

Bahiagrass

  • Preemergence: benefin, benefin+oryzalin, benefin+trifluralin, DCPA, dithiopyr, metolachlor, napropamide, oryzalin, pendimethalin, prodiamine

  • Postemergence: sulfometuron

Seashore paspalum

  • Preemergence: dithiopyr, oryzalin, oxadiazon, pendimethalin, prodiamine

  • Postemergence: none

Zoysiagrass

  • Preemergence: atrazine, benefin, benefin+oryzalin, benefin+trifluralin, bensulate+oxadiazon, DCPA, dithiopyr, metolachlor, oryzalin, oxadiazon, pendimethalin, prodiamine, simazine

  • Postemergence: atrazine, formasulfuron, simazine, sulfosulfuron, trifloxysulfuron

Perennial rye

  • Preemergence: dithiopyr, ethofumesate (dormant overseeded bermudagrass), fenarimol, oxadiazon, pendimethalin, prodiamine

  • Postemergence: bispyribac-sodium (dormant overseeded bermudagrass)

Footnotes

1.

This document is ENH1131, one of a series of the Environmental Horticulture Department, Florida Cooperative Extension Service, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida. Original publication date, June 2009. Adapted from: Tim R. Murphy, Daniel L. Colvin, Ray Dickens, John W. Everest, David Hall, and L.B. McCarty. Weeds of Southern Turfgrasses. University of Florida, 1992. Visit the EDIS Web site at http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu.

2.

Darcy E. Partridge-Telenko, postdoctoral research associate; Barry J. Brecke, professor, Agronomy Department; and J. Bryan Unruh, associate professor, Environmental Horticulture Department; West Florida Research and Education Center, Cooperative Extension Service, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville, 32611.

The Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (IFAS) is an Equal Opportunity Institution authorized to provide research, educational information and other services only to individuals and institutions that function with non-discrimination with respect to race, creed, color, religion, age, disability, sex, sexual orientation, marital status, national origin, political opinions or affiliations. For more information on obtaining other extension publications, contact your county Cooperative Extension service.

U.S. Department of Agriculture, Cooperative Extension Service, University of Florida, IFAS, Florida A. & M. University Cooperative Extension Program, and Boards of County Commissioners Cooperating. Millie Ferrer-Chancy, Interim Dean.