Best Management Practices:
Spreading Dayflower
Spreading dayflower is a rather unique plant that grows in moist areas in Texas. It is a warm season, annual lily-like herb that has parallel-veined, alternate, lance-shaped leaves. The flowers of dayflower are blue in color with three petals and normally only last one day—hence the name. Being a warm season, annual plant means that it comes back from seed each year, usually germinating in the spring season and possibly into the summer. Dayflower can also propagate from stem fragments as well.
The best defense against weeds like dayflower is a healthy, dense turf---and it takes all of these components to create this beautiful, weed-free lawn that you desire.
Dayflower begins its life by germinating in the spring from seed. Pre-emergent herbicides work by killing germinating seeds. Unfortunately, this particular weed is relatively tolerant to most pre-emergent herbicides. So, trying to control dayflower this way may be frustrating. An application of a pre-emergent in late February and May can help, but ultimately you will need to control dayflower with post-emergent herbicides.
The most effective way to control spreading dayflower is with post-emergent herbicides. These herbicides can be effective if used when the dayflower is very young/immature and actively growing. Trimec Southern and Speedzone are excellent choices to control dayflower. Each of these works very well if used in the correct manner. Make sure you READ THE LABEL very carefully prior to application. It may require multiple applications to obtain excellent control with these post-emergent products. CAUTION: Make sure you read the labels carefully for the tolerance level of your specific turfgrass for all herbicides.
Best Management Practices courtesy of:
Bes-Tex Supply, LLC P.O. Box 664 San Angelo, Texas 76902 Ph. 325-653-1300