Turfgrass and Ornamental Horticulture Cultural Practices and Maintenance
Domain 8 tests cultural practices that prevent problems: mowing, irrigation, fertilization, thatch, aeration, planting, mulching, pruning, and palm care. These are the first line of IPM and often the difference between a resilient landscape and one that needs repeated pesticide applications.
Turf maintenance
Follow the one-third rule: never remove more than one-third of the blade at one mowing. Typical Florida heights are St. Augustine 3.5–4 inches, bermudagrass 1–1.5 inches, centipede 1.5–2 inches, zoysia 1–2 inches, and bahia 3–4 inches. Keep blades sharp; dull blades shred tips and invite disease. Irrigate 1/2–3/4 inch per application, one to two times weekly, early morning, and only when needed. Aerify and dethatch when thatch exceeds about 1/2 inch. Soil test before fertilizing; apply 0.5–1 lb nitrogen per 1,000 sq ft per application with slow-release sources, and respect local blackout periods.
Ornamental maintenance
Plant at the correct depth with the root flare at or slightly above grade; a buried flare invites decay. Mulch 2–3 inches deep, pulled back from the trunk. Water newly installed plants to establish roots, then reduce frequency. Prune correctly: remove dead, damaged, or crossing branches; do not top trees. For palms, remove only dead fronds, not green ones - hurricane cuts starve and weaken the palm. Use palm fertilizers with magnesium, potassium, and micronutrients rather than high-nitrogen turf fertilizer.
Worked example
St. Augustine is thinning under a dense oak canopy. The cause is shade, not chinch bug. Raising the mowing height slightly, reducing irrigation, and pruning the canopy may help; if light is still inadequate, replace the turf with a shade-tolerant groundcover. Adding pesticide would waste money and select for resistance.
Traps that cost marks
Do not scalp lawns, water daily, or fertilize to cure disease. Do not bury the root flare, pile mulch against trunks, or remove green palm fronds. Do not use high-nitrogen fertilizer on palms and expect good color.