Posted using ShareThis

Posted using ShareThis

Posted using ShareThis

Posted using ShareThis

March through May

Mowing
Mow lawn to 3 inches in height. Mow at least once a week. Mow before grass gets above 5 inches tall. Then practice grasscycling. Grasscycling is simply leaving grass clippings on your lawn. Grass clippings decompose quickly and can provide up to 25 percent of the lawn’s fertilizer needs. If prolonged rain or other factors prevent frequent mowing and clippings are too plentiful to leave on the lawn, they can be collected and used as mulch. Whatever you do, don’t bag them! Grass clippings do not belong in landfills.

Irrigation
Tall fescue needs 1 to 1 1/4 inches of water every week, ideally all at once. A dark bluish-gray color, footprinting, and wilted, folded, or curled leaves indicate that it is time to water. Water until the soil is wet to a depth of 4 to 6 inches. Use a screwdriver or similar implement to check. Sandy soils require more frequent watering (about 1/2 inch of water every third day). Because clay soils accept water slowly, irrigate just until runoff occurs, wait until the water has been absorbed, and begin watering again. Continue until the desired depth or amount is applied. Proper irrigation may prevent or reduce problems later in the summer. Watering between 2 and 8 a.m. decreases the incidence of certain diseases.

June through August

Mowing
Raise mower height to 3 1/2 inches. Mow before the grass gets above 5 inches tall. Remember grasscycling and leave clippings on the lawn.

Irrigation
Either water as needed to prevent drought or allow the lawn to go dormant. About 1 inch of water per application each week is adequate for irrigated lawns. Sandy soils often require more frequent watering, or about 1/2 inch of water every third day. Do not discontinue irrigation in midsummer. Water dormant lawns every three weeks in the absence of rain.

September through November

Mowing
Mow to 2 1/2 to 3 inches in height. Remember grasscycling and leave clippings on the lawn.

Irrigation
Water following guidelines for March through May.

December through February

Mowing
Remove lawn debris (rocks, sticks, and leaves). Mow lawn at 3 inches and remove clipping debris at spring greenup. Mow before grass gets taller than 5 inches. Remember grasscycling and leave clippings on the lawn.

Irrigation
Water, if needed, to prevent excessive drying. About 1 inch of water per application each week is adequate.

Q: What is core aeration?

A: In simplest terms, it is the process of making finger sized holes in your lawn and depositing the removed material on the surface to break down. This allows fertilizer, water and oxygen to get to the roots where healthy grass originates.  Multiple passes across lawn is necessary to ensure adequate coverage.

Q: Is core aerating effective in improving all species of turf grass?

A: Yes, both cool season (i.e. Kentucky bluegrass) and warm season grasses (i.e. bermuda grass) can be greatly improved.

Q: How do I know if a yard needs aeration?

A: Known clay soils, heavy traffic, more than 1/2″ of thatch, standing water after irrigation or rain, or lawns that brown easily in heat are all excellent candidates. In reality, any yard, healthy or not, can benefit from annual aeration.

Q: When should aeration be scheduled?

A: For cool season grasses such as bluegrass, bentgrass, rye grass and tall fescue, spring (March-May) and fall (August-November) are best. For warm season grasses such as bermuda, buffalo, St. Augustine, late spring and summer after spring green up (May-July) is preferred.

Q: How often should a lawn be aerated?

A: In areas where the soil has a high clay content, compaction and thatch buildup is more prevalent and aeration should be done twice a year. In areas of more sandy or loamy soils, annual aeration will result in continued healthy lawns and improved irrigation and fertilizing efficiency.

Q: When will positive results be seen in the lawn?

A: Depending on the turf conditions, visual results may or may not be immediate from a single aeration. Subterranean root growth and overall health and stress tolerance will however begin to improve almost at once. Even in the toughest conditions aeration in combination with an appropriate fertilizing, irrigation and weed control program will show dramatic visual results in the second year after a second or third aeration.

Q: Will aeration make the grass grow faster?

A: Yes. Healthy grass will grow faster and thicker. If you are unwilling to mow lush green grass, aeration, fertilizing and watering are counterproductive.

Q: Is aeration a one-time fix that can be discontinued when the lawn has improved?

A: No. Aeration needs to be an ongoing part of a lawn care plan just like fertilizing, weed and pest control, irrigation and mowing. In some cases aeration can be reduced from twice a year to once a year after a couple of seasons.

Q: How deep and how many cores are required for effective aeration?

A: Generally, cores every 4″– 6″ and from 2″– 3″ deep will give best results. It is commonly accepted that the deeper and the closer together the better. The cores left in your yard will usually be about 5/8″ diameter.

Q: How long will it take for the cores left in the lawn to disappear?

A: Depending on weather, soil conditions, watering and mowing frequency, the cores will break down and disappear in about two weeks. This process will add nutrients to the lawn. Raking up the cores reduces aeration effectiveness.

Q: Should aeration be done during times of drought or high heat?

A: No. During this time, the grass growth is less active and aeration could increase the invasion of weeds and possibly increase the rate of water evaporation.

Q: Should newly seeded grass or sod be aerated?

A: No. Sod should not be aerated for at least 12 months. Newly seeded lawns usually can be aerated in the second full season of growth. Multiple pass aeration prior to seeding or sodding is a good way to prepare the soil.

Q: Can aerator tines damage sprinkler heads or other items in the lawn?

A: Yes. You must flag all items in the yard to avoid damage caused by the tines.

Q: When should the lawn be fertilized?

A: Fertilizing immediately after aeration will achieve the best return on your fertilizer investment, as it will more easily get to the root structure at this time.

Q: Will the lawn require more fertilization after aeration?

A: No. The same amount of fertilizer will give quicker and more long lasting results as it will get to the roots where real health occurs.

Q: When should pre-emergent for weeds be applied?

A: Pre-emergent is best applied after aeration to reduce the chance of weed invasion in the yard while grass is spreading to the cored holes. Do not apply pre-emergent if you intend to overseed.

Q: Is over seeding after aeration a good practice?

A: Yes. If the lawn has areas where the stand of grass is thin, broadcast seeding after aeration will improve germination, as the seeds will intermix with the deterioration of plugs and have direct access to non-compacted soil in the holes in the turf. In this area, multiple passes with the aeration equipment will dramatically improve soil conditions leading to better overseeding results.

Q: Is dethatching necessary in addition to aeration?

A: Only in a case of extreme thatch is this necessary. Power raking only removes thatch but does not improve compaction. Aeration does both in one operation.

Q: Should the lawn be watered after aeration?

A: Yes. Water helps breakdown the cores left in the yard and is particularly effective on the newly exposed root system.

Grubs

Identifying Grub Damage

Symptoms of white grub infestation include wilting of grass in patches, eventually turning brown or dying, sod that pulls up easily, in one piece, with the white grubs then visible underneath, feeding on the roots. Increased feeding activity of birds, moles, raccoons,etc. are another sign, you may notice holes in the sod where critters have been digging. The damage is most noticeable in Fall or in dry spells, though serious infestations may be visible in Spring.

Dead brown areas can have other causes, such as pet urine, improper use of fertilizer or insecticide, turf diseases or improper mowing, so be sure to identify the problem before trying to treat it! In the case of grubs, if the insects are not easily visible just under the turf, there is no point in treating for them.

The usual suspects….

The white grubs you will find feasting on grass roots are the larvae of several members of the beetle family, having an idea WHO you’re hosting helps in controlling them.

All are fat white C-shaped grubs, with brown heads and six legs, but the larvae of the May or June beetle can easily be 2″ in length. This species can remain underground up to four years before becoming a winged adult, so timing of chemical controls is not as crucial, though they must be applied when the ground is warm enough for the grubs to be actively feeding.

Japanese beetle larvae are smaller, about 1/2 inch, and have a noticeable V-shaped pattern on the ‘raster’, the dark bristly area at the end of the abdomen. Japanese beetles complete their life cycle in one year, laying eggs in mid-July which hatch in early August, chemical controls should be applied at that time while larvae are most susceptible.

Masked chafer grubs are similar to Japanese beetle larvae in size, but lack the V-pattern on the raster.Unlike Japanese beetles, the adults of this species are short-lived, and do not eat while in the winged state. Their life cycle is similar, with August being the time to apply chemical controls.

• Oxygen gets to the roots and the soil allowing it to “breathe”
• Organic fertilizers and nutrients get access to the root system
• Water is able to better soak the soil and reach the root system
• Helps to break up thatch
• Tight, compacted soil is loosened up allowing the root system to grow