Lawn Care Tips

LAWN TIPS HOMEOWNERS MUST UTILIZE

FOR

PROPER PLANT PERFORMANCE

Homeowners have some responsibility in the outcome of their lawn’s health and aesthetics each season. A revolutionary nutrition program can only go so far if the grass is being damaged through improper mowing and watering.

MOWING

Our local grass species and cultivars ultimately perform their best when cut high during the summer months. We recommend at least 3.5 inches to 4.25 inches starting in May and running through October. During the hottest periods, the lawn should be cut at 4 inches, if possible, to help the lawn withstand more extreme temperatures. This helps protect the crown of the grass plant which is right in the soil surface. It also provides more leaf surface area to help the plant maintain photosynthesis and stay green. This helps maintain the normal production of sugars for the grass plants metabolic processes. CUT HIGH TO MAXIMIZE!

Another critical mowing tip is to always recycle your clippings back into the lawn through mulching. Bagging your clippings is equivalent to, “’strip mining” your soils. The grass roots work very hard to uptake nutrients from the soil. The natural process of nutrient uptake allows the plant to take in a huge amount of complex minerals and transport them to the leaf. The leaf is full of minerals, sugars and complex organic molecules that should always be recycled back into the lawn when cutting the grass. When the minerals are returned, the roots will take them up again in the future. The organic compounds and sugars in the leaf will go to feed the biological communities in the soil that we are trying to build and diversify. RETURN TO THE LAWN WHAT BELONGS TO THE LAWN!

WATERING YOUR LAWN

Watering your lawn during hot and dry weather helps keep the lawn green and stay productive for photosynthisis. While some may find that an impossibility, others may have irrigation systems or will drag a hose and sprinkler to water the lawn. A few key considerations for watering your lawn will help maintain plant productivity in drier conditions.

1. Always water deeply and as infrequently as soil moisture will allow. In the early summer your grass roots are still fairly deep in the ground. You always want to water so soils have good moisture just below the depth of your root system. This keeps the roots active deeper in the soil. This also creates a larger reservoir of soil moisture for the grass roots and should be done as infrequently as possible. In the earlier part of the season, cool, overnight temperatures and a deep root system may only require a weekly watering as long as it is done so the soil is wet down to 4 inches or so. Later in the summer, the grass roots naturally shrink and you may have to water more frequently but only watering to a couple of inches in depth. ALWAYS OBSERVE YOUR LAWN AND WEATHER FORCAST TO DICTATE YOUR WATERING NEEDS!

2. Never water your lawn at night or late afternoon/early evening during periods of high heat combined with high humidity. During peak summer months when overnight temperatures and humidity are excessive, any leaf wetness can bloom turf diseases. This can be a disaster! Always water in the early morning so that the leaf surface is dry going into the evening hours. During periods of cooler weather and low humidity, especially combined with breezy conditions, you can water safely throughout the day to keep the lawn growing well. Low humidity and wind will dry the soil and grass very quickly even when it’s cool.