Lawn Maintenance Articles

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Common Lawn Care Mistakes
Core Aeration
Proper Mowing
Seeding
Thatch Problems
Watering Guidelines
Winterizer Fertilizer

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Planting & Pruning
Lawn Diseases
Lawn Pests
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Common Lawn Care Mistakes

Over Fertilizing
Fertilizer application errors may injure the grass. This could potentially contribute to disease and other lawn problems.

Over Watering
Applying too much water contributes to poor rooting and thatch accumulation. This could lead to other lawn problems.

Under Watering
Under watering is a common problem that will dehydrate your lawn from moisture and starve it of growth. This problem could be fatal to your lawns overall well-being.

Wrong Grass for the Site
The wrong type of grass can lead to problems, since some grasses prefer different resources than others. Some prefer shade, others prefer lots of sun. Some grasses have more tolerance than others for wear and tear as well.

Poorly Prepared Soils
It is very important to prepare the site prior to seeding or sodding. If the proper preparations are not taken, the grass will not root thoroughly.

Mowing Too Short
Raising the mowing height can improve the quality of your lawn and reduce problems such as crabgrass. A good mow length is between 2-1/2 and 3 inches.

Not Enough Sun
Lawns in shade are not going to work as well as lawns with a lot of sun. If a site has too much shade, then the grass will not grow properly.

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Core Aeration

In most lawns, the natural soil has been seriously disturbed during construction, leaving the subsoil more compact and undesirable for healthy lawn growth. Walking, mowing, playing and irrigation compact soil particles and reduce the air space necessary for rootgrowth. Compaction is greatest in the upper 1 to 1-1/2 inches of soil and needs to be relieved by mechanical aeration. This mechanical process plugs 2 to 3 inch deep, finger size holes into the soil to improve the air, water and nutrient exchange with your roots.

The holes immediately fill with oxygen which encourages the roots to rapidly expand and fill the oxygen rich holes. The second benefit is to increase the level of oxygen in the soil. The increased oxygen improves the mobility of nutrients, water and air both within the plant and between the soil and roots.

Soils compact very readily from rainfall, watering, mowing, normal foot traffic, etc. Compacted soils do not contain sufficient amounts of oxygen to allow for healthy turf plant growth. Another common soil problem is called "soil layering". Soil layering develops when 1 inch or so of topsoil has been spread over the top of an existing subsoil. Most often the roots never penetrate the subsoil resulting in a very shallow root system. Core aeration will help develop these roots to grow into the subsoil.

Core aeration helps control thatch build up. It accomplishes this by adding oxygen to the soil which increases the decomposition rate. Core aeration will also reduce an existing thatch layer by aerating the lawn twice at right angles every spring and fall. Over seeding right after an aeration is an excellent idea. The aeration pulls soil up to the surface which increases seed-soil contact which increases germination rates.

A healthy lawn should be aerated once or twice per year. Avoid aerating during the heat of the summer.

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Proper Mowing

The most important element to a healthy lawn.

Although often overlooked, mowing has a major impact on lawn appearance and health. Follow a few simple guidelines to assure lawns are mowed properly. Don't make the common mistake of mowing too short. For most lawns, a mowing height between two and three inches is suggested; with the upper range best for summer. Mowing too close invites problems such as weed invasions. Simply raising the mowing height can have a major impact on the quality of many home lawns. A mowing height of two inches would be fine when grasses are rapidly growing, but the height should be raised as growth slows, stress increases, or when the lawn is in the shade. Base mowing frequency on the rate your lawn is growing. Do not remove more than one-third of the grass leaf in any one cutting. Mowing on a regular basis as the lawn needs it is essential. Don't mow when the grass is wet. As long as the lawn is mowed on a regular basis and the clippings readily filter back down into the lawn, clippings do not need to be collected. Returned in this manner, clippings readily decompose (contain 75 - 80 percent water) and do not cause thatch (decomposed leaf stems and lawn clippings) Clippings also recycle nutrients, in particular nitrogen, so less fertilizer is needed. Selecting a mower can involve a number of factors, many being personal preference. Regardless of the type of mower, blades need to be kept sharp. Mow in the direction that is safest. Periodically change directions if desired, although mowing the same direction each time should not be a problem on taller grass of home lawns.

Lawns mowed at higher heights tend to have deeper roots, less weed problems and look much better.

(The mowing heights in this text can be changed to reflect the grasses grown in your area.)

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Seeding

There are three rules for obtaining maximum results from seeding.

1.	Plant a variety of cultivars
2.	The better the seed soil contact, the higher the germination rate
3.	The less the soil drys out, the higher the germination rate. Mulching is important for maintaining moisture in the soil.

Over Seeding
Annual applications of grass seed are imperative to replace dying grass parts and to maintain density. Over seeding applies to a method of applying the seed over an established lawn and relying on irrigation to create seed-soil contact necessary for germination. Without seed soil contact the germination rates tend to be quite low.

Treating Bare Spots
Bare spots create an ideal breeding area for weeds. A new, thick turf needs to be established by loosening up the existing soil, or adding 1/4 to 1/2” of new topsoil. Cover with a straw or mulch layer to keep the soil moist. Keep the soil wet for 10-14 days.

Growing Grass In the Shade
It is unrealistic to expect to maintain quality turf density without adequate sunlight. Depending on the amount of shade, some of your options would be to:

Replace the grass with shade tolerant plants
Selectively trimming your tree canopies and pruning tree limbs below 10 feet will help more sunlight reach the turf.
Plant shade tolerant grass seeds. There are a variety of shade tolerant species and cultivars available.

Thatch Problems

Thatch is a layer of dead and living shoots, stems and roots that build up between the green vegetation and the soil surface. A thatch layer is created when dead grass parts accumulate faster than they decompose. A thin layer of thatch is beneficial. It helps to insulate the roots from heat and moisture evaporation. If thatch builds up to a thickness of more than 1/2 inch, it restricts water penetration and minimizes the movement of air and fertilizers into the soil. It weakens the turf, which makes it more susceptible to insect, disease and weed invasion. Older lawns that have been highly maintained with excessive nitrogen applications and over-watered may be unhealthy because of a thatch problem. You can easily check this by cutting a plug of grass and soil several inches deep and examining it. A dense layer of spongy vegetation and organic (peat-like) material between the crown of the grass plants and the soil of more than 1/2 inch will indicate that your lawn needs to be dethatched. The quickest way to relieve thatch problems is by aerating.

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Watering Guidelines

Proper watering is a very important part of keeping your lawn green and healthy.

Your grass plant is composed of 90% water, therefore any minor change in water availability places the plant under stress. Proper watering means applying enough water to soak the soil several inches in depth. This encourages deep rooting.

Determine how long it takes for your sprinkler system to deliver 1-1/2 inches. If the time, for examples, is 1-1/2 hours, then that is how long to water that area of the lawn before the system is shut off. The frequency of watering must be determined by the weather. Generally, 3-4 days of temperature over 60 degrees without a good rain will induce drought stress. The first sign of stress is a slight change in color of the plant from green to bluish-green. Both manual and automatic systems should be manually turned on at this time. Do not water again until these conditions become present as over watering is also detrimental.

Most people inappropriately stop watering when the weather gets cooler in the fall. Since September and October are the two most productive months for root development, continue with the proper watering procedures until the end of October.

This information may vary in each different growing zone throughout the United States.

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Winterizer Fertilizer

October is an ideal month to fertilize because there is very little shoot growth and the cooler temperatures stimulate root activity. The natural fall cycle of the grass plant is to send all of its nutrients down to the roots and store the balance for winter survival and spring shoot growth.

Our specially blended winterizer fertilizers will build a stronger; deeper root system this fall and a healthier lawn next spring.

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