A lush, well-maintained lawn enhances a landscape and provides a foraging ground for wildlife. It requires mowing, aerating, and overseeding to repair bare areas or introduce new grass varieties with improved disease resistance.
Test your soil to learn its starting point, such as the pH level that helps grasses draw on available nutrients. Follow lab recommendations, and amend your soil as needed to ensure a healthy lawn for years to come. Visit Website to learn more.
A lush, thriving lawn requires ongoing attention that’s customized to your landscape and climate. The right lawn care schedule takes into account seasonal shifts in grass growth and development, weed control needs, pest activity and soil conditions.
Spring starts with a yard cleanup to remove debris that could block sunlight and smother new grass growth. It’s also the best time to do a soil test. Once the ground has thawed, a more detailed analysis can reveal the pH balance of your grass’s growing medium.
Lawn mowing increases in frequency and height as the lawn wakes up from winter dormancy, while weed controls and pest control remain important throughout the season. In warm regions, a pre-emergent herbicide is often necessary to prevent common weeds from sprouting. A lawn with compacted soil should be aerated to help it retain water, oxygen and nutrients.
Summer is a busy season for most lawns, with the need to treat weeds with post-emergent herbicide, insects with insecticide and fungus with fungicide. It’s important to water regularly but not too frequently, as this can cause drought stress and fungal problems. If your lawn experiences a lot of traffic, consider using a soil-wetting agent to prevent puddling and runoff. Aeration and overseeding are good practices for all types of grass, though warm-season grasses need them more as the weather heats up.
Fall brings the best chance for a beautiful, healthy lawn with a good foundation for winter. It’s a great time to dethatch, aerate and overseed (though this will depend on your climate). Applying a fall fertilizer is key; choose one with high phosphorus for quick green-up in the spring and added potassium to promote root strength and cold tolerance.
Winter is the slowest season for most lawns, but proper maintenance can help them withstand the elements. Rake leaves and debris regularly to keep your lawn clear of fungus-promoting materials. Aerate your lawn a final time before the snowy months, and consider applying a winterizer to strengthen cell walls and increase cold resistance. Talk to your landscape or lawn care professional for more information about creating an effective seasonal yard plan.
Soil Tests
Getting to know your soil is a critical part of maintaining a healthy lawn. A soil test provides valuable information on your soil’s current nutrient levels, pH (acidity), percent organic matter and other factors that influence how plants grow.
Soil testing is done by a professional who can help you interpret the results and determine what needs to be done to improve your soil. This may include fertilizer application, aeration, mulching, adding compost, planting in different locations, removing weeds, and other adjustments.
There are many different types of soil tests. The most common are tests that measure nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P) and potassium (K), commonly known as NPK tests. These are a quick and easy way to determine if your soil is lacking any nutrients. Other tests can measure the amount of calcium, sulphur, magnesium and other important micronutrients that are crucial to plant growth.
Other tests measure the physical characteristics of your soil, including its clay content and sand to silt ratio. This information can tell you if your soil has good drainage and aeration or is compacted, which restricts root growth and reduces nutrient uptake. Other important information includes the microbial activity and diversity in your soil, which can detect disease risks, blocked nutrient cycling pathways, hormone production and stress adaptation.
Obtaining the correct sample size is another vital part of the process. A small sample is best, and the soil should be moist but not muddy. A soil sample can be rolled into a thread that’s one-eighth inch thick and two inches long, resembling a slim pencil. If it will hold its shape and not break, the soil is cohesive.
Most soil-testing labs will provide you with a set of instructions with your soil sample kit or upon request. Be sure to follow the instructions carefully to ensure you get a representative sample. Once you have your results, make any necessary adjustments to the soil as soon as possible. For example, the proper time of year to apply a lime or sulfur amendment depends on the result of your soil test.
Weed Control
Weeds are opportunistic plants that can quickly overtake a garden, field or lawn. They compete with desirable crops for essential resources like water, sunlight and nutrients. Effective weed control is one of the most important aspects of maintaining a healthy and productive garden.
A single weed can grow fast enough to choke out grass and other desired plants in a yard, and may eventually cause them to die. Moreover, weeds often alter the nutrient balance of soil, taking up more than their fair share of minerals and leaving other plants with less. Effective weed control helps maintain a balanced soil nutrient profile so that desired plants can thrive.
Many weeds also act as hosts for pests and diseases. Ineffective weed management can lead to these unwanted invaders spreading throughout a garden or field, causing crop loss and creating other problems for the farmer. Weeds can also block the flow of rainwater and obstruct farm machinery needed for cultivation. In addition, they can provide hiding places for fleas, ticks and other insects.
There are a number of chemical and non-chemical weed control methods available. A good start is a pre-emergent spray that prevents weeds from sprouting. These types of treatments usually take several days to work, since the chemicals must be absorbed through the weeds’ leaves and into their roots before they can have any effect.
Mulching is another weed control method, and can be used in conjunction with herbicides or alone. A layer of mulching material such as wood chips, compost or gravel prevents weed seeds from sprouting. Other weed controls include covering an area with a material that blocks light (such as a mat of wet newspapers) or using an organic mulch such as comfrey to inhibit growth of weeds.
When you’re struggling with an out-of-control weed problem, it’s a good idea to get professional help. An experienced lawn care professional will know what type of weed treatment your yard needs and when it should be applied. They’ll also be able to determine the root cause of the problem so that you can make the necessary adjustments to promote plant health and avoid future weed invasions.
Pest Control
A lush, beautiful lawn enhances your property and boosts your home’s value. It also helps ward off pests like ticks and mosquitoes, which can cause diseases that affect humans and pets. Pest control services eliminate these insects, making the yard safe for your family and pets.
Regular pest control services prevent lawn damage and help grass recover faster from stressors. A healthy lawn is better able to withstand disease, drought, foot traffic, and other challenges. Pests weaken grass by feeding on the roots, blades, and crowns, leaving it prone to damage. Regular lawn care, including aeration, overseeding, and dethatching, improves the health of your turf so it can be resilient to pests.
A professional lawn treatment service understands how pests attack each type of turf, and they use a holistic approach to reduce their populations. They can combine cultural, mechanical solutions, biological control methods, and targeted chemical treatments. This integrated pest management (IPM) approach is less harmful to the environment than blanket herbicide applications that affect the whole landscape.
Grass insects such as grubs, chinch bugs, and armyworms can wreak havoc on lawns by eating grass roots and creating patchy, brown areas. These pests are most active during the summer when temperatures are warmest, and regular pest control services can minimize their damage.
Weeds and lawn diseases are another concern for lawns. Identifying weeds and diseases early through regular scouting can help avoid their spread. Regular lawn care, including aeration, overseeding, and dethatching, as well as regular watering, can help with weed prevention. Fungicides can be used to treat existing fungus infections.
Regular lawn care, including aeration, mowing, and dethatching, can make your yard less attractive to pests by eliminating hiding spots. Adding flowering plants that produce pollen or nectar and installing bird feeders can attract natural enemies of common lawn pests, such as lady beetles and green lacewings. Adding nematodes and parasitic wasps can also be effective in controlling pests by attacking their eggs or larvae.
