Lawn Care Tips Topics       Mowing - Watering - Fertilizing - Light management - Aeration - Thatch - Pest Control (Insects - Weeds - Mold and Disease)

 
Mowing
   Proper mowing is important to both lawn appearance and lawn health. Here are a few simple tips:
1. Mow regularly. By mowing infrequently, you allow your grass to grow long. As a result, too much leaf is removed on the next mowing, injuring your lawn. As a rule, no more than 1/3 of the grass blade should be removed in one mowing. Infrequent mowing can also be a factor in incidents of lawn rust and other lawn molds.
2. Keep blades sharp. Dull mower blades tear grass leaves instead of providing a clean cut. Not only does thing decrease the beauty of your lawn as leaf tips begin to turn brown, it also makes your lawn more susceptible to disease. Mower blades should be sharpened at least once or twice per growing season, depending on the size of your lawn.
3. Set your cutting height properly. Cutting a lawn too short is a common mistake, and it can damage the vitality of your lawn. A cutting height of 2in. -2 1/2 in. is recommended for periods of heavier growth, such as in the spring or fall. A mowing height of 2 1/2in.-3in. is better for summer, when temperatures are higher and water is not as available.
4. Alternate mowing directions. Constantly mowing in the same direction can "train" your grass to grow in that direction. Try rotating different mowing patterns to break up the cycle and give you a more natural-looking lawn.
5. Leave grass clippings on the lawn. As the blades of grass decay, they will act as a fertilizer for your lawn. Contrary to rumors you might have heard, grass clippings do not contribute to thatch build-up. Of course, if the clippings are so thick as to block sunlight from parts of your lawn, it is better to spread the clippings around or remove them from the lawn altogether. This situation probably indicates that mowings have been too infrequent. 

Watering
   In order to achieve that lush, green lawn, the most important lawn chemical is H2O; that's right--water. Here are a few tips for good watering practices:
   1. Water deeply. Frequent, shallow waterings lead to shallow turf root systems. Your lawn will be better able to deal with water shortages if you practice deep, less frequent waterings. It is best to water your lawn only once in the week down to a soil depth of about 4 inches or so. This means several hours of watering at a time. You can check water depth by prying some soil apart with a spade to see how deeply moisture has penetrated. Alternatively, you can set an empty container within your lawn sprinkler's pattern area. The soil should be properly watered when the container is filled to about 2 in. deep. Of course, you need to take rainfall into account. If you had a lot of rainfall in a given week, watering your lawn is not necessary.
   2. Water early. What is the best time of day to water? The early morning is usually the best time. Watering later on in the day when it is warmer means that much of the water will evaporate before being properly absorbed in the soil. If you water in the evening, moisture will be sitting on your lawn all night--a condition that encourages mold and disease.
   3. Water regularly. If you decide to keep your lawn green over the summer by watering, be sure to be regular about it. Choose a week day and be sure to water your lawn every week on that day. If you miss a week, its probably better to let your lawn go dormant and resume growth naturally when the temperature cools down some. Repeatedly going dormant and coming back causes unnecessary stress on your lawn.

Light management
   The amount of light your turf recieves can make the difference between a lush, green lawn and a thin, weak lawn. Here are some tips for coping with inadequate lighting:
1. Prune your trees properly. Large trees can cast shade on the lawn below, making it difficult for grass to thrive. You can alleviate this problem by having trees pruned yearly.
2. Plant shade-tolerant grasses. A number of shade-tolerant grasses are available. Look for a "shade mix" grass seed to plant under trees or in a heavily shaded back yard. Red fescue is an example of a shade-tolerant grass.
3. Take it easy on your lawn. Areas that are struggling with insufficient lighting should be handled with care. Try to reduce stress on grass by reducing traffic on that part of the lawn.
4. How about some landscaping? Mulch or other landscape material may be your best option for dealing with a heavily shaded area, especially around the base of a tree.

Aeration
How often should you aerate your lawn? Its a good idea to aerate once a year, either in the spring or fall. These times are best, because aeration does cause temporary turf damage and the turf is ably to recover most quickly during periods of peak growth. Core aeration offers serveral advantages:
   1. It breaks up thatch, allowing water and nutrients to get down into the soil.
   2. It also encourages decomposition of thatch and other organic material.
   3. Aeration helps reduce soil compaction.
   4. Aeration aids in the healthy exchange of gases between soil and air.
Whether you aerate your own lawn or call a professional, be sure to mark underground features which might be damaged, such as invisible fences, before the aeration.

Thatch
   What is thatch? Thatch is a matted layer of undecayed roots and rhizomes. A lush, growing, robust lawn will naturally build up thatch more quickly than will a weak lawn. Contrary to popular report, grass clippings do not contribute to thatch build-up.
   What's wrong with thatch? Thatch creates a number of problems: 1) It prevents water and nutrients from penetrating into the soil. 2) It can "suffocate" your lawn by reducing gas exchange between soil and air. 3) It encourages shallow rooting in existing grass. 4) It can crowd out some of the existing growth. 5) It harbors damaging lawn pests such as sod webworms and chinch bugs.
   How do I reduce thatch in my lawn? Many lawn companies offer dethatching and core aeration services, which you can make use of. Alternatively, you can rent or buy the equipment and do it yourself. Core aeration is recommended over dethatching because it causes less damage to existing turf.

Pest Control
   The best defense against lawn pests is thick, healthy turf. Cultural practices are therefore important when it comes to pest control. Chemical pesticides are usually the quickest, easiest way to deal with lawn pests, whether they be insects, weeds, mold, or varmints. On the other hand, lawns tend to become dependent on chemical applications. There are a couple of reasons for this. First, chemical applications often kill non-target beneficial species, leaving lawns more susceptible. Here is an example: Insecticides are regularly put on the lawn to control sod webworms and chinch bugs. Unfortunately, these insecticides may also kill beneficial insect predators of these lawn pests. The result? Your lawn will be protected only as long as you continue to use insecticide. Secondly, extensive herbicide use may lead to herbicide-resisant weed strains populating your yard. This can happen over time, presumably because non-resistant plants are killed off, making more room for resistant plants, which, though they may be few at first, can eventually take over the lawn.
    -This topic is still under construction. We expect to be adding more information to it in the near future.-