Posts Tagged ‘winter kill’

A brief commentary on spring lawn seeding

Published by mrgrass on May 16th, 2013 - in Lawn Care Companies, Seeding & Overseeding

 

Spring lawn seeding can be done in a single spot or an area providing a quick way to repair plow damage and dead spots from the winter, or damage incurred in the drought of 2012.  If done correctly, spring seeding can help restore otherwise lost grass area adding to summer enjoyment.

Spring lawn seeding can help repair plow damage

Spring seeding can normally be done once the ground warms until early-to-mid June if properly done and with appropriate weed suppression.  Spring seeding takes a second seat to fall seeding due to reduced crabgrass and weed pressure in the fall.  Fall seeding affords warm soils and fast germination without crabgrass or annual weed choking out new growth.  However, with special treatments, spring seeding can be successful if done carefully and with the proper grass blends.

Regardless of how you fix your lawn, the grass types installed are critical toward long term success.  All grass blends are not created equal and you get what you pay for in terms of age, weed content, and site specific blends, be it drought-shade, sun, play or other locations.  Cheap grass seed and a lack of foresight is a common error in repairing or installing a lawn.  What appeared to be success can quickly turns to brown grass and defeat.

Full lawn installations are best saved for early spring or late summer into fall due to generally favorable weather.  Small repairs can be done anytime during the year but keep in mind, you will have weeds and crabgrass of varying population levels.  These weeds can be treated with a variety of specialty sprays but these are not inexpensive and must be done properly with qualified, licensed turf companies like Chippers.

Watering is the second most important factor in achieving good germination and helping establish a new lawn.  Without water, your seed will stay dormant and cannot germinate.  If you water in the beginning and then stop, the shallow rooted seedlings may perish within days without an adequate supply from rain or irrigation.  Try and water in the morning and late afternoon in the absence of rainfall to keep the seed alive and improve both germination and growth performance.

The overall success of your seeding can be summed up by two main factors; watering and seed type/quality.         

 

 

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Is your lawn covered with snow?

Published by mrgrass on February 19th, 2013 - in Lawn Care Companies

While your lawn is covered with snow this winter, it may not seem to be a big deal when it comes to thinking about your lawn outside, but inside lots of planning is going on.  I spend most of the winter preparing for spring so that when it arrives, like a fine arts musical performance, the program begins and runs smoothly like a first violin playing in an orchestra.  Reviewing each account is a time consuming but necessary process in order to make personalized program modifications according to past results, weather, and notes added throughout the previous year.  This kind of attention allows me to provide a unique benefit to each client not readily found in the lawn care industry.  After making any necessary turf program adjustments, we mail out contracts in NH and VT in order to allow for either an early bird signup or a prepayment discount.  Since spring is often very hectic and busy, this preparation allows each client to review and select services ahead of time to insure they each get the results and fair pricing deserved.

A cold lawn waits for spring

Winter is also a great time for me to research new and better products and add them into the Essential Turf Care (ETC) program I launched back in 2008.  This kind of research is lots of fun because I can pick and choose not only more environmentally friendly materials, but utilize less known, but high performing materials that you simply will not find with larger lawn care corporations.  This is mainly because their programs are standardized across large regions and bulk purchasing means a more limited selection.  I love adding new and better products for the upcoming year!

If you are interested in a complimentary turf bid this upcoming season, realize that I will personally visit your home or business.  I can hardly wait for spring because then the real excitement begins…watching brown landscapes turn green.  If you have never considered a professional turf care program in the past for your own home or business, this might be the year to explore how I can save you time and money.  My service area ranges from eastern Vermont down to Concord NH and up to Lake Winnipesaukee.  Curbside appeal is a vital part of business these days by capturing those shoppers who still enjoy the brick and mortar stores. Restaurants and other high volume businesses need to attract customers by maintaining healthy but sustainable landscapes, which usually includes turf grass.  The same can be said for selling your home and attracting potential buyers.  Not too many potential buyers will be impressed nor interested in a house with a brown lawn or dead patches with a for sale sign. Even more home owners could enjoy other outdoor activities with family and friends while still reaping the benefits of a professional lawn care service.  This might just be the year.  See you outside!

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Spring lawn checklist for 2013

Published by mrgrass on November 5th, 2012 - in Aeration or Core Aeration, Cultural Practices, Lawn Care Companies, Lawn Pests, Bugs & Insects, Seeding & Overseeding
  • Your spring lawn checklist should include a review of your 2013 turf contract this winter or spring to take advantage of any preseason savings and to insure the work will be scheduled on a timely basis.  Lawn care companies are expecting an unprecedented high volume of work due to the heat, drought, and insect damage of 2012.

2013 spring lawn checklist, review it closely.

 

  • Check for grubs or other past insect damage (treat accordingly).
  • Schedule any renovation work early, as the demand will quickly find quality companies becoming booked with spring work, leaving you with limited choices or having to wait until fall.
  • Schedule your spring core aeration if you skipped it in 2012.
  • Schedule your spring lime and crabgrass inhibitor to get your lawn off to a good start.
  • Watch for ticks in April and May as the adults emerge looking for a meal!
  • Wait until the ground warms sufficiently before attempting any seeding.  April seeding generally does not perform well due to cold soil temperatures, even in southern NH.
  • Remove any debris which may have covered your lawn and cause harm such as branches, piles of leaves, plowed up sod, or gravel along the driveway.
  • Mow your lawn to 1.5 to 2” to help speed up soil warming in the spring. .  If the cut is good, just give your lawn a good raking an early spring weekend.
  • Do not dethatch or “power rake” your lawn unless it has a severe thatch issue.  This process causes more issues than it solves by tearing up healthy plants, dormant leaves and discourages a healthy recovery after winter.  Snow mold or winter damage will be magnified with power dethatching.  Save this process for the fall if you really need to see that huge pile of dethatched grass.
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A dry spring hinders lawn greening in NH & VT

Published by mrgrass2 on April 17th, 2012 - in Cultural Practices, Lawn Care Companies, Misc.

Dry weather in April hinders green grass

Despite the early spring and absence of snow, current weather in April is so dry lawns are under drought stress just as they attempt to put up new leaves.  I have been on countless lawns and have discovered conditions more typical of late June or early July than mid April.  While the warmer temperatures have induced some greening of grass, those lawn areas susceptible to drought stress are staying brown and are unable to capture enough moisture to push out new blades.  I am seeing areas of lush green grass in typically moist or shaded areas while grass in the open sun with sand below is all but stalling, remaining brown.

The result of a dry, cool spring is crystal clear; lawns simply are not greening up as fast as they could or normally would with a massive lack of natural rainfall.  A spring drought will not help any lawn or ornamental landscape plant since the winter was mild and dry.  Turf grass exposed to drying winds and no rain means slow to minimal recovery from a snowless winter.  The real proof of this phenomenon will show as winter kill during the upcoming weeks.  As a result, lawns will have a hard time pulling out of winter stress or at least may not recover as quickly or completely.  For those fortunate enough to have an irrigation system, fire those babies up and get that carpet of brown green!  Our weather is more akin to those living in the dry Midwest like Arizona than NH or VT.  With some rain in sight, perhaps this dry trend will end and the hum of weekend lawn mowers will appear as quickly as the migration of robins returning from Florida.

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Field Mouse or Vole damage visible on lawns in spring

Published by mrgrass2 on April 1st, 2011 - in Lawn Care Companies, Misc.

Mouse damage on lawns common in spring

As the snow melts (eventually), you may find surface tunnels on your lawn.  This can be a disturbing image and is most unpleasant.  Voles, also known as field mice will tunnel under the snow, eating the grass and shallow roots of your lawn.  The result of this frozen dinner feast is a maze of tunnels created where the mice traveled.  The extent of the damage can be minor such as leaves and thatch being eaten all the way to roots and shoots a more severe result of mouse lawn damage.

Your best bet is to let the area recover in April and do some seeding in May once the soil warms up enough.  Depending upon the extent and depth of the damage, you may not have to do anything, or as in this picture above, the soil is exposed likely requiring some modest efforts to restore the grass to “factory condition”.

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Spring Lawn Checklist 2011

Published by mrgrass2 on March 22nd, 2011 - in Aeration or Core Aeration, Crabgrass, Cultural Practices, Fertilizer, Lawn Care Companies, Misc.

Goodbye winter, hello green!

The snow is mostly gone, you may even have a few lingering snow banks that refuse to leave, but for the most part, your lawn is begging for some attention.  Here is a handy spring checklist for your home lawn as you prepare for spring.

1. Plow damage.  It’s been a snowy, rough winter and if you had your driveway plowed, you are likely going to have plow damage.  Chunks of sod and lawn likely got plowed up along the edges and pushed further back onto your lawn.  These pieces of turf chunks may be close to their original location which is now just a scar in the dirt.  If possible, try to put the lawn puzzle back together and place the grass pieces back onto bare soil.  It may well be weeks before anything else can be done and during that time frame, those pieces of grass will start to break dormancy and grow.  Having them at least touching soil is better than mulching your unharmed lawn where they currently reside.  You can always move these grassy sections later and seed as needed into surrounding bare areas.

2. Debris. You may well find gravel, junks of asphalt, branches, leaves, and other debris that simply don’t belong on a grassy surface.  The sooner you can rake and remove this debris, the better.  If the debris is left in its current location, you may not see it during your first mow.  Nothing is more painful than hitting sticks, rocks, and gravel with your mower having been placed onto your lawn by a plow truck.  Leaves left in piles or allowed to matt, especially in shade, will simply mulch any existing grass depending upon its health and density.  The less debris the better.

3. Raking. There are two ways to rake a lawn, one is intentionally damaging- power raking/dethatching, the other is just plain hand raking or using a pull behind tractor implement.  I do not recommend power raking/dethatching unless the lawn has a severe, and by severe I mean a thatch problem- over 1” thick.  Most lawns do not have this kind of depth when it comes to thatch.  As a result, if the average lawn is power raked, it is actually damaged by the process of tearing and cutting.  Since the grass is dormant, and likely stressed by winter ice/snow/cold damage, power raking tears up roots and actually thins a lawn which in most cases is not a desired outcome.  If seeing piles of dead grass blades makes you feel warm inside, you might want to look at a coffee or hot cocoa instead, it certainly will do less damage to your lawn.  I have seen perfectly healthy lawns nearly destroyed by well intended landscapers, only to be called in to repair the damage by overseeding and other processes.  Stick with a hand rake and fluff the lawn up to help it warm and start to grow, or hire someone to do a spring cleanup which includes light raking.  If your lawn has a thatch issue, consider core aeration later in the spring or fall after it has recovered from winter damage.

4. Fertilizer/Crabgrass control. If you are going to use either fertilizer and crabgrass control blended together- don’t put it down too early.  A crabgrass barrier/inhibitor has a limited life span and can easily thin out turf already in a weakened state from winter.  Your best bet is to apply a plain balanced fertilizer to enhance recovery in April, than follow it up with a crabgrass inhibitor in May for maximum results.  This order will accomplish the best of both treatments while not subjecting your lawn to further stress, thinning, or damage.

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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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Use high calcium lime on your lawn to reduce rock salt damage!

Published by mrgrass2 on February 28th, 2011 - in Ice Melt, Lawn Care Companies, Lime, Misc.

Salt damage along a sidewalk

If you have been wondering what sort of impact so much snow will have on the average lawn come spring, switch gears and think of salt and plowing.  Unfortunately, where there is smoke there is often fire- where we have lots of snow- there has been plowing and salt use.  A winter like the one we are currently experiencing means rock salt is going down everywhere- especially on roads, parking lots, and sideways.  With so much rock salt use, the pure tonnage used during the winter means your soil will have problems this spring.  In large quantities, salt causes soil to harden and upsets the normal flow of liquid into surrounding plant roots like your lawn, tree, and shrubs.  Generally, a decent snow cover protects your lawn from the drying winds and low temperatures common to winter weather.  However, if large amounts of rock salt are used, foliage and plants are likely to suffer damage.  Visible damage will become apparent in April as the snow recedes to expose a seemingly lifeless landscape of brown.

The likelihood of a salt spray coming into contact with tree or shrub foliage increases dramatically with each passing snow or ice storm.  This fact is especially true if you live on a main road or one which has town services such as salting.   The resulting contact with a salt solution lifted up by passing cars can cause a reduction in cold hardiness of tree buds, especially evergreen needles like those on an Arborvitae.  In the world of grass, salt upsets the balance of water and the ability of it to pass into the root system.  The resulting affect of too much rock salt on a lawn is a drought like condition where ample water simply cannot be used- despite wet soil conditions or standing water.

The later in the season salt is used, the greater the damage.  Using ice melts low in chlorides, especially calcium or sodium chloride should be avoided due to their enhanced plant killing abilities.  CMA’s or blends of plant friendly ice melts are much less harmful and while they may not avoid all damage, greatly reduce the amount likely to occur.

To help offset sodium chloride (rock salt) in a lawn or soil area, use high calcium lime to displace the sodium by leaching with adequate amounts of spring rain/snow melt.  Although not a miracle cure, the chemistry works out pretty good versus using gypsum which only further acidifies the soil environment.  If you plan on liming this year or have used too much rock salt, have your lawn limed with a high calcium lime- not a standard pelletized lime.  Turf loves calcium, a slightly acidic pH, and a softer soil improved by using only calcium based lime.  I only offer a high calcium lime for not only the aforementioned reasons but for other benefits to a lawn system.

With March on our doorstep, spring is more than just a thought, its reality.  Prepare for the plow and salt damage now before the opportunity passes as early spring fades into Memorial Day weekend!

Plow damage can be most upsetting

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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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