Lawn and garden spring and summer to-do list

-- Jc Drobac

Are we there yet? Are we now? Are we now??

Was it the lack of snow that made this winter seem soooo unbelievably long? Or was it just standard winter boredom? Who knows, who cares! Spring’s here!! And I can’t believe how much I missed grass. Plain old grass. Dear, sweet, beloved, Where-ya-been-all-my-life? grass. Print out this calendar for easy lawn care all yearlong. And happy mowing!

Lawn Care Calendar
(for cool-season turf grasses)

Spring

• Examine lawn for signs of insects or disease
• Mow at your mower’s minimum height, which will increase turf density
• If thatch layer is deeper than one-half inch, dethatch
• Aerate if necessary
• Patch bare spots in lawn
• Fertilize using a slow-release formula
• Treat with pre-emergence herbicide in weedy spots

Summer

• Examine for signs of insects or disease
• Raise mower deck and cut at maximum height to enhance stress tolerance
• Water deeply, if necessary
• If weeds are a problem, apply post-emergence broadleaf herbicide

Early autumn

• Lower mower deck to cut at minimum height
• Fertilize
• Sow new cool-season lawn, or reseed bare patches

Late autumn

• Mow at mower deck’s maximum height, removing a third of blade at a time
• Fertilize high- or medium-traffic lawns

Break It Down:

Weeding: An hour a day after spotting the first few sprouts will go a long way toward keeping them under control. Pull them before they gain girth to prevent them from competing with grass for moisture.

Dethatching: Thatch is created when dead organic matter develops on the lawn faster than it decomposes. It can be caused by poorly aerated soil, excess nitrogen, too-infrequent mowings or if the mower’s deck is set too high. It can also result from using pesticides that kill earthworms and micro flora that would otherwise break down organic matter. A dethatching rake (under $20) dragged along against the lawn will quickly and easily pull thatch up. Don’t be concerned if some grass gets tugged out too; it’ll fill back in quickly.

Aeration: Many lawns, especially heavily used ones, have compacted soil. This restricts the movement of air and water to the root system. The soil under lawns tends to compact pretty easily because, unlike garden soil, it’s usually not “worked” or turned. Aerating is your lawn’s alternative to tilling. Well-maintained lawns should be aerated twice a year. Moderately maintained lawns can stand aerating once a year. Lawns with heavily compacted soil or heavy thatch problems may need biannual aeration. Make sure to aerate before dry weather to improve drainage and moisture-holding capacity, too.

Fertilizing: Use sparingly! Many gardeners eschew fertilizer on their lawns altogether because they know the price for the plushest lawn is paid by our waterways. Look for natural fertilizers, available at most chain and independent nurseries. But avoid over-fertilizing, as excessive nitrogen will cause a growth spurt, which will require more water.

Water: In lieu of fertilizing, keep your lawn and garden well watered to obtain a succulent and lush landscape. Lawns need up to one inch a week to thrive, but try to water only early in the morning; watering at midday wastes water through evaporation. Water slowly and deeply, moistening from six- to 12-inches of depth, but do it as infrequently as possible.

Light watering is the worst way to feed the lawn. Roots grow only where there’s water, so if you water only the top few inches, the roots won’t grow deeper than that, and this will ultimately force you into watering more frequently. This can create trouble since more frequent watering keeps the surface wet, which creates a fertile growth area for disease. Watering longer means roots can grow deeper and then draw on a larger underground water supply, allowing for longer spans between waterings.

Mowing: Why cut one-third? If you let the grass grow too high and then cut it back by half, you shock the plant down to the roots. This can then slow root growth, subject the lawn to stress and a host of other ailments. Grass does recover, but it can take many weeks, during which it’s especially vulnerable. Your lawn can tolerate the occasional “low-mow,” but consistently cutting off more than a third can thin out your lawn. Cool-season grasses need more mowing in spring and fall.

Mowing in different directions each time is key to avoid soil compaction as well as affect the growing direction of the grasses. When mowing, try to overlap each pass by at least three inches, and, of course, never cut the grass when it’s wet.

Sodding: It’s the fastest way to make a new lawn, and it can be done at nearly any time in the growing season. Sod can be a great choice where it might be otherwise hard to establish a new lawn, like in heavily trafficked areas and on slopes. Unlike seed lawns, sod lawns are usually ready to use in as little as three weeks. Keep the sod strips moist to establish the root system. One scorching day without water can be a very expensive lesson in sod compost.

Seeding: Most cool-season grasses are sold in a mixture that combines two or more types of seeds. In the Midwest, some of the usual suspects include Kentucky bluegrass, red, tall and fine fescues, perennial ryegrass and zoysiagrass. Know the amount of sun on the growing area before picking out the right grass seed mixture. Many mixtures contain a combination of perennial and annual grasses for both quick growth and longevity

The Metropolitan Home || Calendar || Masthead || Contact
Metropolitan State University Homepage

All material © Metropolitan 2005, except as noted. All rights reserved.