Lawn & Turf Tips:  Lawn Care

Lawns Take All-Season Care

Consistent Care Is The Key

Many golf courses maintain huge staffs to tend to their turf every single day — 7 days a week! Superintendents know from years of experience that if they begin to let things "slip" a little, the quality of the turf changes fast. That's why they have careful timetables for everything-from fertilization to weed control to aeration and mowing. By following a good plan, they're able to provide golfers with dependably high quality turf to use and enjoy.The same is true for your home lawn. Our job at Lawnmaster, Inc. is to provide you with a high quality turf all season long. And we can do just that (with your help of course). Our programs are carefully laid out to give your lawn just the right materials at just the right times. Our fertilizers and pest controls are changed and adjusted to the season we're in, from early spring through late fall. And when any part of this program begins to "slip" or is missed, there's almost always a change (for the worse) in lawn quality.

So work with your Lawnmaster, Inc. professionals. By using our all-season program of care and following our suggestions, you'll have an all-season lawn you'll be proud to enjoy.

Watering

Proper watering procedures help maintain lawn color, resilience, and proper root development. A lawn should be watered regularly, before it has a chance to wilt and turn brown. To ensure proper watering procedures, follow these simple instructions: Be aware of early signs of wilt. Two common signs of wilt are grass leaves that have a bluish green cast caused by folded grass leaves or footprints that stay in the lawn instead of bouncing back up. Apply enough water to wet the soil to a depth of approximately 6-8 inches. A soil probe may be used to check moisture depth in soil. To maintain a soil moisture depth of 6-8'' usually requires a rate of 1'' to 2'' of water per week. You can place open cans in the sprinkler pattern to determine the amount of water being applied. Water may be applied any time of day, but morning watering is usually most efficient. This is due to the higher humidity, negligible wind and wetness caused by dew which usually accompanies this time of day. Night watering is not recommended as it encourages disease and insect development.

Thatch

Thatch is a layer of partially decomposed stems, roots and other plant parts that build up between the grass blades and the soil in your lawn. It acts like mulch to insulate and protect the grass plants. However, if there is too much thatch, 1/2'' or more, it can cause problems for your lawn. Thick thatch can act as a barrier to air, water and fertilizer. It also harbors disease and insects. The following things are important to control thatch in your lawn: Core Aeration: Core aerating is the process of removing small plugs from your lawn. This process allows more air, moisture and fertilizer. To learn more about Core aeration  contact  your Lawnmaster, Inc. technician for additional information on this topic. Proper soil pH: Proper soil pH encourages the microbes that break down thatch. Contact your Lawnmaster, Inc. technician for more information about pH balancing.

Drought

Before beginning corrective steps following a drought, a professional diagnosis of the type and extent of damage should be made. Drought conditions weaken the root system which results in the grass turning brown. Insect damage and lawn diseases which attack the surviving roots, often compounding the problem. After a Summer drought, it is essential that you provide a proper combination of nitrogen, phosphorous, potash, iron, and micronutrients to help develop a strong root system over the Winter. This will help your lawn get off to a good start next Spring with less threat of weeds, insects or diseases. If the entire lawn has been seriously thinned, reseeding may be necessary to restore your lawn to optimum condition. Contact your Lawnmaster, Inc. technician for more information or an assessment of your lawn's needs.

Mowing

Good mowing practices are critical to the appearance of your lawn. If you follow these general guidelines you can increase the health and appearance of your lawn. Make sure your blade is sharp. A lawn mowed with a dull blade appears gray shortly after mowing and the tips turn brown within 48 hours. In addition, when the grass blade is torn (as with a dull blade) it will have a jagged edge which  will be an entry point for invasion of disease and insects . Cut often enough to remove no more than 1/3 of the grass blade. This will help avoid scalping, which puts the grass under stress and reduces its vigor. Mowing at the correct height (2 1/2" - 3 1/2" for Bluegrass varieties) also shades the soil keeping temperatures lower for optimum growth, as well as, discouraging germination of weed seeds. You may leave clippings if you mow often enough. The grass clippings will recycle nutrients back into the soil and do not contribute to thatch build up.