Archive for the ‘Crabgrass’ Category

Crabgrass and your lawn in NH

Published by mrgrass2 on March 15th, 2011 - in Crabgrass, Fertilizer, Lawn Care Companies, Lime

 

When variety and price work against you

There is excitement in the air as day time temperatures rise past the 40’s and into the 50’s with the promise of spring.  Crusty old snow banks shrink each day, exposing the edge of sidewalks, roads, mulch beds, and yes lawns!  The first glimpse of once proud green grass can choke up even the hardiest of New Englanders.  Let’s face it, winter takes a toll on our mental state and even a few hours of sun and green can turn the worst mood around fast.

Spring can be confusing though, especially with all of the advertisements from the big chain stores like Home Depot or Lowes.  These big boys double or triple there employment and bring in all kinds of supplies to fill up the garden department.  Pallets arrive by the truck load and are stacked up in tidy rows yielding multiple selections of colored mulch, fertilizers, decorative stone, lime, topsoil and much more.  Did someone mention new tools?  Who doesn’t love a new shovel or rake?  I mean come on!  Then there are the accessories like bird feeders, edging, lamps, tiki torches, and fencing.  The flowers in baskets and pots draw in even the most hardened shopper like a moth to an outdoor light at night.

While the selection is delightful at these kinds of stores, what commonly is absent is turf knowledge, practical knowledge which applies to your piece of American pie.  Picture yourself standing in front of 6 pallets containing different fertilizers, never mind lime or other materials.  Most of these bags will contain fertilizer mixed with a variety of herbicides or insecticides, some not appropriate for the time of year or the needs of your lawn.  These lawn products generally specify how much they treat in square footage, which can be handy.  However, most materials have a range from “low to heavy” depending upon the rate required.  A lot of the square footage can be based on the low range, which may or may not be what is required at your home.  In other words, you may put down too much or too little for the job which can lead to damaging your existing lawn, turf thinning, poor weed control or a host of other issues.

Surrounding water such as lakes, ponds, and rivers are sensitive areas which must be taken into consideration when applying lawn care materials.  While the laws in NH allow a home owner to apply a variety of products in a turf setting, the same rules apply.  Be sure not to apply ANY fertilizer within 25ft of a pond or lake.  Sea Kelp and lime may be applied within the 25ft range.  From 25ft to 50ft you must use a low phosphate, slow release fertilizer containing NO WEED or INSECT control.  This is very important in order to preserve the quality of the surrounding water and wildlife.  While turf is important and does act as a filter, circumventing or not obeying the law will only cause issues down the road.  Remember, more homeowners treat their own lawn then professionals such as our company.  The impact and risk to a body of water is much higher with homeowners considering the hundreds of houses along lakes and rivers within NH, never mind VT.

Before you buy 200lbs of something and apply it some weekend morning; be sure you are comfortable with the prospect of decent results, the cost of the material, your time, and the potential outcome of wasting all of the above.

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Prepare your lawn for spring in NH & VT

Published by mrgrass2 on February 21st, 2011 - in Aeration or Core Aeration, Compost Tea, Crabgrass, Cultural Practices, Fertilizer, Lawn Care Companies, Turf Disease

Soon my friend, soon you will cut again!

Spring is technically only a mere 4 weeks away on the calendar!  Although you are not likely to be planting any vegetables or flowers outdoors close to March 20th, the countdown to spring is on.  In the world of grass, those pesky snow banks are likely to linger well into April in our geographic region.  One can almost taste that first day when the air temperature reaches the mid or upper 50’s only to be surrounded by dark, crusty black snow banks.  Your first instinct may be to grab a rake and cleanup some of the debris left by winter wind and snow plows.  Raking even a small portion of your lawn can be therapeutic, signaling the end of white and the beginning of green.

Further raking will assist in air circulation and a drying of the lawn surface where snow mold, ice, and mice may have caused damage.  Removal of surface debris such as gravel, leaves, and branches will allow sunlight to warm the soil which will in turn stimulate green leaf blades in your lawn.  You may find mole hills as they search for insects and their favorite meal worms- in the top 6 inches of the soil.

Be careful not to apply a crabgrass barrier too soon or at a heavy rate in the spring to damaged or diseased turf.  Such an application can have an adverse affect on recovery and spring seeding/repair plans.  In addition, an early crabgrass barrier will run out of steam that much earlier in the summer, potentially giving rise to annual weeds and crabgrass in July.  One option is to lightly fertilize with a compost tea, sea kelp, or a pure blend of straight fertilizer to enhance recovery in April.  If “crabgrass control” is still a necessity, you still have plenty of time in May to apply such a product and maintain decent suppression.  As always, the best defense against crabgrass or even broadleaf weeds is a thick, healthy lawn resulting from proper cultural techniques in addition to turf health care treatments.

If you have not aerated your lawn in the past few years, or don’t even know what core aeration is, consider aerating this spring.  Core aeration is an effective way to help reduce compaction/thatch while increasing air, moisture, and nutrient availability to the lawn.  Heavy duty commercial grade aerators do a marvelous job at removing plugs and depositing them on the surface due to their heavy weight and large tines.  Overseeding after an aeration is a terrific time to thicken up those thin or weak areas in your lawn.

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What large piles of snow mean to your lawn this spring.

Published by mrgrass2 on February 2nd, 2011 - in Crabgrass, Cultural Practices, Fertilizer, Lawn Care Companies, Misc., Turf Disease

Snow banks promote turf damage

Many are wondering what sort of impact so much snow will have on the average lawn come spring.  Generally, a decent snow cover protects your lawn from the drying winds and low temperatures common to winter weather.  However, if that same snow becomes compacted by use such as walking or driving; the grass can be damaged while in a dormant state.  Winter-kill or winter damage can often be attributed to ice formation or compaction through use.  New grass planted the prior season is especially vulnerable since it has not had a chance to mature which may result in thinning or dead patches from a harsh winter.

Snow mold is a more widespread problem resulting in various degrees of turf damage and thinning.  As snow banks recede and the weather warms in March, snow mold can thrive on the surface where the moisture level is just right and the temperature remains cool.  Snow mold has a tendency to matt down grass which is why a gentle raking is so important to help dry out the lawn surface once the sun comes out.  Improving the air circulation at the ground level and helping warm the soil through raking is a basic, yet important spring time task.

Grass which is severely stressed, or perhaps growing in the shade may in fact be further damaged by a pre-emergent crabgrass barrier while in a weakened state.  Most manufacturers of crabgrass barriers recommend a reduced rate or waiting until recovery has begun in May versus a March or April application.  In some situations, providing a basic natural or slow release fertilizer can speed up the recovery time as the soil warms and the material gradually takes effect versus a quick flush of growth from conventional fertilizers.  Since there are many variations to winter kill, ice damage, and snow mold within the same lawn and surrounding neighbors- a single solution is often not practical.  Each lawn should be evaluated individually, not treated with a cookie cutter approach where one product fits all situations.

So, before you apply a hundred pounds of fertilizer mixed with a crabgrass preventer this spring- consider the additional stress you may add to an already weakened lawn.  If you have thin or bare sections created from snow mold or winter kill, once that crabgrass barrier is down, there is no turning back and no seeding until fall.  There is a saying that goes something like “think twice, then think again, then act once” . . .

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Why is a NH Better Business Bureau (BBB) rating important to your lawn?

Published by mrgrass2 on October 20th, 2010 - in Aeration or Core Aeration, Broadleaf Weeds, Crabgrass, Cultural Practices, Fertilizer, Ice Melt, Lawn Care Companies, Lawn Pests, Bugs & Insects, Lime, Misc., Seeding & Overseeding, Turf Disease

The NH office of the Better Business Bureau is located in Concord at the following website: http://concord.bbb.org/

The BBB allows consumers the opportunity to examine the track record of local businesses in a wide variety of industries, lawn care included.  Within the BBB, a business can apply for accreditation  http://concord.bbb.org/Business-Accreditation/, once approved a given business has agreed to live within the BBB code of Business Practices.  There are eight principles that summarize an accredited business http://concord.bbb.org/bbb-accreditation-standards/.  This type of pledge clearly illustrates the committment to the consumer.  Becoming accredited is a pledge from a given business to the consumer relating to how serious they take their particular line of work and how willing they are to be transparent and resolve issues or complaints if they arise.

There are many businesses who are accredited within the state of NH and many that are not.  In the case of Chippers, we are an accredited business with the BBB, meaning we have applied and been accepted under the guidelines listed on the BBB website.  The largest provider of lawn services is not an accredited company.  Lets move onto the BBB rating and determine what it means to the average consumer.

The BBB rating is like a credit rating, it is a score determined by the BBB resulting from not only volume of complaints, but tracks if they are resolved and how quickly they are resolved.  Every business makes mistakes, what sets a great business apart from a poor or deficient one would be billing practices, customer service response, and the ability to resolve the mistake.  Lets look closer at this BBB rating.  Like a credit score, it sums up the likelihood or predicts how you, as a consumer are likely to be treated as a client.  The BBB score is also an indicator of general business practices that would be of interest to you such as customer service and billing.  In other words, a BBB rating can be summarized as how likely- statistically- you are likely to encounter a problem within a given business.

For example, Chippers has an (A+) rating, the highest rating possible.  On the other hand, a large firm doing business out of Londonderry NH has an (F) rating from the Concord BBB- the lowest possible.  The following report has been taken directly from the NH BBB and outlines the deficiencies within the nations largest lawn care company operating in NH:

“This company has received a pattern of complaints. Complaints allege that after the company does work for the consumer they automatically return the next year to care for the consumer’s lawn even after the consumer has canceled the service. Consumers state that they cancel the company’s return visit, but they company still comes out and then bills the consumer for the work done. The company has responded to most complaints by issuing refunds, but they have failed to remove the cause of the complaints.

Before you renew or accept your 2011 lawn services with the nation’s largest provider of lawn care, consider this information and perhaps there are alternative lawn companies that could provide better billing, customer service, and results.

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Review your lawn contract before renewing

Published by mrgrass2 on October 19th, 2010 - in Aeration or Core Aeration, Broadleaf Weeds, Crabgrass, Cultural Practices, Fertilizer, Ice Melt, Lawn Care Companies, Lawn Pests, Bugs & Insects, Lime, Misc., Seeding & Overseeding, Turf Disease

If it seems to good to be true- you may be right

Did your doctor ever tell you to get a second opinion?  Hundreds of commercial lawn care contracts will be mailed out shortly to residential homes in remote parts of NH and VT.  Even more lawn contracts will be mailed out to commercial customers in the hopes that those in the appropriate position will sign, mail, or simply fax it back with no questions asked.  I propose that each contract deserves not only a second opinion, but a thorough examination line by line item.  The national and larger regional lawn care companies typically roll your program over from year to year.

Most lawns are not being examined to determine true needs but rather recycled in archives from prior years like a CD player on repeat.  While this automated process may approach adequate at best, I sincerely doubt you are receiving a turf care program worthy of your hard-earned dollars.  Furthermore, I doubt most existing clients even understand what they are receiving and why versus what is available in their market area.  Let me expand on this theme.

Many remote lawn accounts are labeled and classified as ”commercial”, with most customers unaware of this practice.  These kinds of accounts are processed at a high volume utilizing heavy machines called Turf-Trackers or even tractors.  These machines do a decent job on large properties or fields but are anything but light and are not ideally suited to home lawns or smaller settings.  An inexperienced operator can easily cause damage while running the machine over frost covered lawns, shaded locations, and especially slopes.  Turf can be easily torn, compacted, and ripped up without careful attention from the driver.  These machines make it easy to operate at an aggressive speed as they work to achieve the goals set for them by the larger corporate office.  If these facts don’t cause you to raise an eyebrow, please read on.

Unfortunately, many of these “commercial” contracts are recycled revenue without any fresh investigation data to support the renewal.  In fact, I would wager that most if not the majority of these accounts are seldom looked at beyond the production dollars they represent each year.  Simply put, the large national chains are usually too far away and their attempts to service remote regions often severely stress their limited staff and outsourced customer service centers.  Most national lawn care companies utilize lawn programs like McDonald’s “Happy meals” except without the toy because you get a few fertilizer visits, grub control, and a lime treatment.  Who would question that?

Does your phone call get forwarded to a call center or does a real person answer your call?  Are you able to reach your lawn care office or do you even know where it is?  Are you supporting your local economy or something much larger?

How can these large lawn care services claim and advertise to be local when they drive nearly 2 hrs to service lawns in remote areas of NH beyond their primary service market?  Is that local service?  Again, any company that pre-mixes fertilizer in a liquid medium and then applies it to every lawn in a single day is doing their clients a basic injustice as outlined in my blog post (http://mrgrassblog.net/2010/04/22/price-and-the-…awn-treatments/ ‎).  Mixing concentrated fertilizer into a liquid is an easy and inexpensive way to administer a lawn program.  As I said before, yes it works well for some lawns but not all lawns.  You get exactly what you pay for with this type of treatment, a quick buzz of green.  There are lots of natural and organic alternatives to this kind of turf care.

Before you sign on the dotted line, before you pre-pay for your entire year upfront- get a second opinion from a local lawn care company.  I welcome the questions and the challenge to take your property to the next level.  If you are not in our service area, I have companies I can recommend to you- just leave a comment to this post.  Even if you decide not to make a change, doesn’t it just make sense to get another opinion like a car or house repair?  Don’t just sign without thinking about what things could be like in 2011.  I know it’s easy to just send the lawn contract back, but a free second opinion from any other turf health care company is time well spent.  Make this winter the time where you decide to explore what has been going down on your lawn in the past and why!  Support your local economy and research who services your town for lawn treatments.  Exploring new options can be educational, fun, and you might even receive better results!

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Lawn Pesticides and the rainbow of emotions

Published by mrgrass2 on October 18th, 2010 - in Aeration or Core Aeration, Broadleaf Weeds, Crabgrass, Cultural Practices, Fertilizer, Lawn Care Companies, Lawn Pests, Bugs & Insects, Lime, Misc., Seeding & Overseeding, Turf Disease

I normally don’t write on the topic of lawn pesticides because it is so vast, involves emotions, has supporting scientific data on both sides, and has so many people who claim to be ”experts”.  There are some who would request additional laws through legislation given their own unique perspective on an industry I have worked in for over 24 years.  Unfortunately, these very factors create confusion because most people are not aware of existing oversight from state agencies concerning laws already functioning within the scope of lawn treatments and specifically pesticides.  On a happier note, there are already stacks of laws restricting, monitoring, and enforcing the use of pesticides in a lawn setting within the state of New Hampshire and Vermont.  Both states have divisions within their respective departments of Agriculture.  In either state, you must pass a written exam which is very comprehensive in material and substance in respect to the license you desire to obtain.  For instance, if you want a turf license, you must take a turf category exam which tests life cycles and specific pests relative to turf or lawns.  In addition to this, you must also take what is commonly known as the “core” which consists of basic terms and laws relative to using pesticides in each respective state.  Items such as reading the label and rates are covered as well as important safety protocol among lots of other subject matter.  If you wish to get another license, say for treating ornamental shrubs, you must take another exam- but you do not have to repeat the “core”.

In both states, your license expires after 5 years so you must either keep up on annual certification credits or retake the entire set of exams.  Each license requires its own set of credits so this often involves a lot of training during the winter months to accrue enough points to renew every 5 years.  In either state, you must have a minimum grade in order successfully pass, become certified, and have a license issued in your particular category.  In New Hampshire, at least one person within a given company must also obtain a higher class license (Supervisory) like a manager who oversees his or her employees who have an operator class license.  The Supervisory level person must then take the exam again, receive a higher score, and pass an oral examination to receive this “Supervisory Level” class license.  As you might imagine, this is most delightful and lots of fun . . . NOT.  As you might have already surmised, all of this licensing and continuing education helps to keep the industry informed on the lates products or issues at hand, monitors product being applied per state and acre by filed reports, and provides a great deal of accountability.  

There are different classes of licenses ranging from commercial, to commercial not for hire, to private.  These classes cover home farms, to golf courses, to commercial lawn companies who treat businesses and residential home lawns.  Each has overlapping general rules in NH but each has specific regulations that must be adhered to as part of best practices when dealing with pesticides.  As you may have concluded by now, there is already a lot of regulation regarding pesticide use in NH and VT.  Bad decisions cannot be prevented by adding legislation already on the books designed to watch and monitor any business involved with pesticides.  However, nothing substitutes or compliments intelligence quite like common sense.  Making good daily decisions on what products to use, where to apply them, appropriate rates, and when not to treat for issues are all very important to a high quality, reputable business.  Simply put, it’s the right thing to do.

Real trouble arises with a lack of experience and businesses who do not become licensed yet illegally apply pesticides.  Real trouble continues when a home owner can purchase similar or the same products at a Home Depot/hardware store and then treats for the wrong problem, at the wrong rate, at the wrong time of year because they did not know the pest life cycle.  I can assure you, there are millions more “Do it yourself” folks out there treating their own lawns or pest problems than all of the commercial lawn companies combined in either state- or the USA for that matter!  The pure volume of these numbers speak for themselves.  Who do you think is more likely to inadvertently make a mistake, the employee equipped with a state license with training or ”Mike” on the weekend?

As for pesticides, I have read that the sole intention of a pesticide is to kill- and by definition this would be correct.  However, vinegar used at a higher concentration is used as an organic herbicide and can burn your cornea or cause serious injury.  It’s still vinegar but it can be used as a herbicide too.  Very interesting.  I believe in using the right tool for the right job.  Should everyone be “saucing” up their lawns just for aesthetics?  Maybe not.  This question is all in the eye of the consumer.  We do live in the United States where choices can be made?  We all have the right to make choices, all within reason- within the laws established by our government.  Perhaps there are alternatives.  There are materials and pesticides that exist which are in fact more environmentally safe than just 5 years ago.  Like colors on the rainbow, the industry of lawn care continues to change in favor of less pesticide use and more education.  This statement means there may be a time and reason for using a particular product, but only after ruling out alternative measures.

For instance, does every lawn have to be weed free?  Most likely not.  You can reduce pesky weeds in your lawn by keeping it properly cut and healthy.  You can reduce nuisance weeds by aerating and overseeding, by doing many little things correctly.  Who is willing to step up to the plate?  What is wrong with treating for weeds maybe once or twice a year to knock back the population complimented by a turf health care program?  What is wrong with living with weeds?  To each his own may best sum this up, with a dash of compromise.

The issue of pesticide use will always be a hot topic, and it should be for many reasons.  However, additional government regulation and control may not be the best and first answer over education and common sense.  Information is power and those who rely on emotions and not real information are at a disadvantage.  This is my humble opinion for today’s post.  I hope you learned something new today, use it!

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Fall lawn treatments in NH & VT

Published by mrgrass2 on September 24th, 2010 - in Aeration or Core Aeration, Crabgrass, Cultural Practices, Fertilizer, Lawn Care Companies, Lawn Pests, Bugs & Insects, Lime, Misc., Seeding & Overseeding

Fall is an excellent time to repair the damage caused by the summer of 2010.  Now is the time to act.  Now is the time to prepare your lawn for next spring by adding new grass to brown or bare spots.  Even if your lawn seems ok, there is always work which can be done to improve it for next year.  If your lawn suffered from the hot, dry weather of 2010 don’t think you are alone.  Most grass suffered under minimal rainfall, above average temperatures, and brutal heat which in turn promoted insect and drought damage.  Don’t be fooled and think your lawn is brown simply from a lack of water or heat.  Any brown areas in your lawn in September or October can be prime indicators of chinch bugs, white grubs, sod webworms, or other noxious turf pests.  If you are in doubt, have an expert examine your lawn because many of these pests will not go away.  In fact, they will overwinter and return next spring only to continue the population explosion and expand their dominion conquering your lawn and raising the flag of victory.  The problem is, the flag is not your’s and will only mean expensive renovations and possibly drastic measures to eliminate the enemy.

What procedures should you consider?  Aeration is at the top of the list and can be done up until the ground freezes in November.  Seeding after aeration is called overseeding and is a great procedure.  For most of us in Upper Valley region, we can seed well into mid October and still expect decent results in most years.  Depending upon weather conditions, seeding later is a roll of the dice and results may be reduced by the onset of early snow or unusually cold weather.  Have sea kelp applied to your lawn to improve root density and promote organic matter.  Let us not forget lime, our old friend who will adjust soil pH so fertilizer works better.  Of course, applying a high potassium fertilizer in addition to a standard balanced fertilization is wonderful- especially in October.  Potassium thickens cell walls and makes the grass more resistant to drying out, ice and drought damage.  Many benefits are derived from a late season balanced fertilization which is not intended to push top growth, but become stored for use next spring in the root system and soil environment.  The tougher your grass, the better it can withstand ice, cold, and the drying winds of winter.

In summary, a lot of things can be done in a very short period of time to provide a whole lot of benefit to your home or commercial lawn area.  Don’t miss the window of opportunity to enhance your brown lawn this fall.

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Crabgrass is the enemy

Published by mrgrass2 on September 14th, 2010 - in Crabgrass, Cultural Practices, Lawn Care Companies, Misc.

The villain is clearly crabgrass.  This villain moves into your yard without any notice or invitation.  It germinates in cracks, near your mailbox, along the driveway, patio pavers, even the backyard barbecue!  Does crabgrass have no shame?  I think not!

If you want to beat crabgrass, you must know the weakness of your adversary.  Although there may be no silver bullet in our quick blog post, there are many effective countermeasures that can be employed to reduce, knock back, suppress the villain we know as crabgrass.  Where to begin?

Start simple folks.  You don’t need a truck load of chemicals as your sole tactic for global crabgrass reduction.  First, you need to understand the enemy- so lets examine this wonderfully evil plant.  Crabgrass is an annual and as such, it dies every fall- yes, it dies.  As such, it must manufacture a lot of energy in a short period of time to make enough seeds so it can insure a fresh generation next spring.  Next spring, once the soil temperatures warm up to around 50-54 degrees, the seeds will germinate.  The first locations are along streets, bare soil exposed from plowing damage along the driveway.  Yes, crabgrass needs heat to start up.  Therein lies the first vulnerability heat!  You need sunlight for heat and you need lots of it.  What about shade?  Not an issue- crabgrass must have lots of sun- so we don’t have to worry about the shade.  Therefore- do we need to apply pre-emergent crabgrass controls to the shade?  I think not.

Heat is what crabgrass wants- mixed with lots of light.  How do we reduce light and or heat to maybe slow down germination?  MMMM.  Mow high!  Yes, mow at 3″ and mulch thy clippings to enhance your organic matter.  Mowing high keeps your soil cooler for a longer period of time.  Excellent!  If you cut your lawn short, or scalp it- what happens?  The soil heats up fast and you suddenly have crabgrass seeds germinating like radishes in the garden- pop, pop, pop!  Mowing high means you need grass to mow high.  Darn!  What about bare spots and patches?

Even if you do use a pre-emergent product- which by the way are usually just dyes . . . nothing fancy and chemically evil about that- bare areas are just that- bare!  The soil will not stay cool, there is not grass to keep it cool- that’s why it is bare!  Even the best pre-emergent will fail under ideal conditions within 90 days or so- the sun and heat break it down.  If there is a bare spot, the life span is even shorter, perhaps a month or so a best.  You must seed those area now- its fall!  To beat the enemy, you must know the enemy.  Seed those damaged, bare patches, insect devastated, drought ravaged brown patches this fall and you will have the upper hand on crabgrass next spring.

Corn Gluten?  Who said make corn muffins?  Unfortunately, there is no scientific proof that corn gluten really works at preventing crabgrass at this time.  What this product does do is provide a shot of Nitrogen to your lawn like taking a mountain dew and mixing in some steroids to you!  Oh yeah, you get growth, and perhaps in return less crabgrass as your normal lawn starts to smoke and shake.  Lets just say the jury is still out on this product when it comes to substantial crabgrass reduction and I have used it plenty.

To summarize, seed now, mow high, and consider moving your lawn in a more positive direction by making it healthier.  A thick, healthy lawn is always your best defense with our without weeds my friends.  If you wait until the last minute- and then scream fire- the fire will be the crabgrass the size of your car or SUV wheels- and not so friendly.  Take care of your lawn- through the basics, and you will have less crabgrass- period.

Take care and may you have lawn that you can enjoy each and every day!

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Fall Seeding replaces crabgrass

Published by mrgrass2 on September 14th, 2010 - in Aeration or Core Aeration, Crabgrass, Cultural Practices, Lawn Care Companies, Misc., Seeding & Overseeding

A very common question I hear is, “When is the best time to seed your lawn?”.  My answer is usually the same due to a few basic factors.  Fall wins over spring for a few key reasons.  The first being the soil is already nice and warm- ideal for faster seed germination with sufficient moisture.  Spring soil is usually cold and even after weeks of warm weather- soil temperatures do not reach into the low 50′s until mid to late May.  Any colder and the seed tends to stay dormant and dry out.  Therefore, fall is perfect for seeding since the soil temperature is already much higher than this- allowing for faster germination periods which means a better lawn for you.

The second reason is the competition- crabgrass and annual weeds like spurge and oxalis are just germinating in the spring- growing and fighting for space, light, water, and nutrients.  Spring seeding and especially summer seeding can often spell disaster because crabgrass will grow so much faster than the seed you planted.  This is an unfair competition because soil laden with crabgrass seed will win every time- even more so in hot, dry weather.  In the fall, these plants are all dying!  Hurray!  Yes, the bad guys are dying and cannot harass your new grass.  Therefore, you have two very big reasons to seed in the fall over the spring because its your time and money.  Why not take advantage of the next 6 to 8 weeks and do a little lawn fixing?  It will be an entire year before you see can seize this opportunity again.

If you seed now, you can apply a crabgrass barrier next spring and help suppress all the bad guys I mentioned above.  If you wait to seed until spring, you will have to forego crabgrass control- unless you pay for a unique product that is VERY expensive which allows seeding and a crabgrass barrier to be applied at the same time.  For most folks, seeding in the fall and applying a solid barrier in the spring makes the most sense- don’t make the fight uphill, go with the flow and take advantage of each season according to the life cycles and maximum benefit you can derive!  Get seeding today!

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Prepare for fall lawn projects

Published by mrgrass2 on August 23rd, 2010 - in Aeration or Core Aeration, Broadleaf Weeds, Crabgrass, Cultural Practices, Fertilizer, Lawn Care Companies, Lime, Misc., Seeding & Overseeding

September is almost here! What plans to you have for your grass this fall? If you are like most people, you know something should be done, but just don’t know what is important. Like most lawns, summer can be a tragic event with high heat, summer weeds, crabgrass, and browning- a distasteful combination for sure! Don’t lose hope, things can be done to turn your lawn around before winter. Fall is an ideal time to consider several applications that will give you the most for your green dollar.

Start simple. Don’t tackle a lawn project without starting out simple. An easy fall lawn treatment would be lime. Lime has a multitude of benefits and helps fertilizer function better. Like a great hair conditioner lime raises soil pH thereby making most fertilizer nutrients more available to the turf roots. Since it is difficult to apply too much lime, this is a simple, hard to mess up application for the most part. Try to use high calcium limes or at the very least, pelletized dolomitic limestone. Stay away from crushed limestone as it makes a mess and takes a very long time to actually work – months upon months vs weeks for the others I mentioned. So if you do anything this fall, put a good- heavy application of lime down to sweeten your soil.

As your brown lawn comes out of dormancy it will be looking for nutrients to begin the recovery process. Like a multivitamin in waiting, your lawn will benefit tremendously from a balanced- slow release fertilizer. Don’t worry so much about the analysis (the numbers like 10-5-19 etc), but try to select a nice balanced product. There are more fertilizer combinations than ice cream flavors so don’t be intimidated.

Aeration and overseeding are big fall treatments that can make substantial gains in a healthy lawn or one that has taken a hit due to drought and or thinning from disease or insect damage. Aeration will help with compaction, air, water, and nutrient availability plus it makes holes for overseeding.  Overseeding will not establish a lawn but it will add superior turf to an existing lawn or a thin one. Topdressing and seeding can be used at the same time for bare patches or if small sections of the lawn have perished. Don’t be too quick in pronouncing grass dead- just because things are brown does not indicate dead turf. Most turf will brown out as a normal protective measure due to heat and or lack of moisture. Lots of grass can break this dormant period after cooler weather and some significant rain- this process just takes time- patience is key.
On the other hand, extended drought- short mowing- and or insect damage may result in turf thinning to all out destruction in a variety of sizes. If you are in doubt- have a professional check and give you the diagnosis before starting over from scratch something that can be come very time-consuming and expensive.

Broadleaf weed control can be used once weeds begin to grow. Annual weeds like crabgrass and spurge will die out on its own. Remember, most broadleaf weed control products will stress out turf- so only use this material as needed and at the right time. In addition, if you use broadleaf weed control- seeding and or overseeding can be delayed or postponed many weeks due to incompatibility issues. As a home owner, you must decide whether to aerate and overseed first and wait on weed control, or do you go after the weeds first and then aerate and overseed later in the fall. This is a fine dance and timing is important due to the onset of cooler weather and approaching frost/snow in November. If in doubt, ask someone in this kind of business first for advice. Once the material is down, you cannot take it back up and the delay may very well mean a missed opportunity.

A winterizer or a late season fertilizer treatment is a great application to help your grass store up energy for next spring. A late season potassium treatment is different from a winterizer being a balanced product. Potassium normally comes in a 0-0-62 blend, not a balanced product as compared to a winterizer that would be a 25-8-15 for example. The key to a late season application is so you don’t push a lot of new growth this year, but allow the lawn to store up the energy for next spring as a reserve. Potassium helps thicken cell walls and makes your lawn more resistant to drought, disease, and winter damage. Both applications are most useful when applied properly.

I hope this small post has inspired you to plan your attack this fall, after all, it is still early and lots can be done! Don’t let the fall slip away into winter, do some research- ask some questions, and get that grass looking better for 2011!

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