Weed control for Central Florida lawns
Galapagos Lawncare & Services provides weed control in Celebration, Davenport, Four Corners, ChampionsGate and Clermont, Florida. Targeted weed control for lawns and beds, matched to your grass so the treatment doesn’t hurt the turf. Call (407) 577-6400 or request a free quote online; our crew serves you in English or Spanish.
Overview
The problem
Some weed products that work on one grass injure another. St. Augustine in particular is sensitive to several common herbicides.
What you get
Fewer weeds over time, with a thick lawn doing most of the work.
By the Galapagos Lawncare Team · Last updated
What you get
Everything in one visit
What’s included
- Identification of the weeds you have
- Products labeled for your grass type
- Hand pulling in beds where spraying isn’t appropriate
- Mowing and watering advice that keeps weeds out
How often
- Monthly
- Quarterly
We confirm the price after seeing the property, before any work starts.
What affects the price
- Lawn sizeMeasured in square feet of turf, not lot size.
- AccessGates, slopes, fenced pools and how far the equipment has to travel.
- FrequencyWeekly visits in the growing season cost less per visit than occasional cuts.
Why do weeds take over Florida lawns?
Weeds move into thin grass. A lawn cut too low, watered unevenly or starved of nutrients leaves bare soil, and in a Florida summer that soil fills in within weeks. Our weed control service treats the weeds you have now and fixes the conditions that let them in.
How does pre-emergent weed control work?
Pre-emergent herbicides stop weed seeds from sprouting. They don’t kill weeds that are already up, so timing is everything. UF/IFAS Extension in Osceola County puts the Central Florida date around February 15, before the area sees five straight days at 65–70 °F; applying later reduces how well it works. The UF/IFAS Central Florida calendar adds a fall application for winter weeds in October, once nights fall to 55–60 °F for several days.
What about the weeds that are already there?
Weeds that are already growing need a post-emergent product chosen for both the weed and your grass. St. Augustine, Bahia and Zoysia tolerate different products, and the label decides what can be used where. Two rules we follow:
- Heat. Many lawn herbicide labels say not to apply when temperatures are expected to reach 85 °F or higher, which rules out most summer afternoons. In the hottest months we spot-treat carefully or wait.
- Spot-treat first. UF/IFAS recommends finding the cause before treating, and treating only the affected area. Blanket spraying a lawn for a few weeds stresses the grass you are trying to keep.
Which weeds do we see most?
Common Florida lawn weeds include crabgrass, dollarweed (more where the lawn stays wet), sedges and broadleaf weeds that creep in along bed edges. We identify what you have before choosing a treatment, because the wrong product wastes a visit.
Weeds in beds
In planting beds we pull weeds by hand and use mulch to keep them down. UF/IFAS recommends keeping a 2–3 inch layer of mulch around established plants. A bed that is weeded and mulched once a season stays much cleaner than one sprayed over and over.
Long-term: a thick lawn is the best weed control
Mowing at the UF/IFAS height for your grass, watering deeply and less often, and feeding within the recommended range does more than any spray. That is why weed control works best alongside lawn maintenance and fertilization. For a badly thinned lawn, patching with new sod can be faster than fighting weeds for a year.
We treat lawns in Celebration, ChampionsGate and the rest of our service area.
Sources
Simple process
How it works
Identify the weeds
We look at what is growing and why: thin turf, wet spots, low mowing or bed edges.
Choose by label
Products are matched to the weed and to your grass type, and applied only when temperature and label allow.
Time the pre-emergent
Around mid-February for summer weeds, and in October for winter weeds where needed.
Fix the cause
Mowing height, watering and feeding adjusted so the grass fills back in.
Common questions
Questions about weed control
Can you fertilize in the summer?
In unincorporated Lake County, fertilizer with nitrogen or phosphorus isn’t allowed on lawns from June 1 to September 30. Osceola and Polk counties have no summer ban, but no fertilizer during tropical storm or hurricane watches, and Polk also bans it when more than 2 inches of rain is likely within 24 hours. We follow the rule for your address.
Why do I get round brown patches in the fall and winter?
It is often large patch, a fungus active in cooler weather (below about 80°F, November through May). Water only in the morning and only when the lawn needs it, and go easy on fast-release fertilizer. A photo helps us tell it from chinch bugs or drought.
When should I put down weed prevention?
In Central Florida, pre-emergent goes down around February 15, before five straight days at 65–70°F. Later is less effective. In hot weather many herbicide labels say not to spray at 85°F or higher, so we time sprays for cooler mornings.
When should pre-emergent go down in Central Florida?
Around February 15, before five days in a row at 65–70 °F, according to UF/IFAS Extension in Osceola County. Applied later, it controls less. A second application in October targets winter weeds.
Can you spray weeds in the summer?
Carefully. Many lawn herbicide labels prohibit use when temperatures are expected to be 85 °F or higher, because the grass can be damaged too. In summer we spot-treat in the cooler part of the day when the label allows, or wait for fall.
Why do I keep getting dollarweed?
Dollarweed thrives where the soil stays wet, so it often points to overwatering or a low spot that drains poorly. Treating it without fixing the water usually means it comes back.
How long until the weeds are gone?
Treated weeds usually die back over a couple of weeks, depending on the weed and the product. The bare spots they leave need time for the grass to fill in, which is faster in the growing season.
Is it better to resod than to treat weeds?
When weeds cover most of an area, replacing it with new sod can be faster. When the lawn is mostly healthy, treating and thickening the grass is cheaper. We’ll tell you which makes sense for your yard.
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