Care Tips
"Use this area to get some great tips for your lawn and learn about weeds, insects, and diseases that affect your lawn"
Watering
There has long been the misconception that lawns, mainly Kentucky bluegrass, require large amounts of water. This causes lawns to be over watered. This is completely wrong; in fact, most turfgrasses will survive on less water if managed properly.
For an established lawn you should use infrequent and deep watering to promote the roots to develop deeper into the soil. Watering too frequently results in shallow roots, increased susceptibility to drought, and disease.
Underground sprinklers are one of the best ways to conserve water, but they can also cause us to water too frequently and shallow than when we had to drag hose. One way to monitor the soil moisture is a soil probe or when you walk across the grass and the blades don’t spring back up, leaving footprints, it’s time for a deep irrigation.
Make sure that when you are deep watering, not to cause runoff, as this is wasteful and costly as well. When Mother Nature provides water, you can stop watering for a period of time depending on the amount of rain as well.
Another way that water is lost is evapotranspiration (ET). This is the combined water lost due to evaporation and transpiration of the grass. Transpiration is a natural part of like in plants. They must release water to survive and hot and windy weather can speed this up considerably.
To reduce losses to ET, don’t water between 10 AM and 6 PM. Many cities carry water restrictions during this period anyway, and for good reason. This ET is highest during this period of the day. Watering during windy periods is also very wasteful.
The best time to water is from about 5 AM to 9 AM. ET is lowest at this time and watering in the late evening is not preferred because it can promote disease.
You may hear that the evening is a good time to water, but it’s a misconception. When you water in the evening it is cool, and the moisture sits in the grass all night long, creating the perfect environment for diseases to grow.
By watering early in the morning, you are getting the benefit of watering during a low ET period which saves water. It also does not promote a favorable environment for diseases, because soon after you are done watering, the sun comes out and the grass dries out much quicker.
Aeration
One thing the we should all do at least once a year is aerate our lawns. Most people do it every coupe years, but this is not good enough. Aerating should be done at least once a year on any soil type, but especially on clays and on side hills or slopes. It's best to do it twice a year, spring and fall.
Aerating does a wonderful thing to yards, it reduces compaction. Compaction is probably the biggest problem in most lawns. Lawns can easily become compacted, especially with any traffic. Compaction can cause several problems.
The biggest problem that stems from compaction is poor root development. If you haven’t guessed it by now, a good root system is the key to having a drought tolerant turfgrass. Most bluegrass roots are only about 2-4 inches deep in moderately compacted soils. You can get your roots down to 8-9 inches with the proper soil management.
Compaction can also lead to thatch build up. Thatch IS NOT CAUSED BY MULCHING LAWNMOWERS. Grass clipping decompose very rapidly because they are 90% water. Thatch is caused by a combination of factors that ultimately leads to grass rhizomes and compressed roots growing above the soil surface. This can impede water and fertilizer getting to the root zone.
Aerating is very important and should be done in the spring and fall if you have any traffic on the lawn. This should also be more important on slopes because it will improve the water infiltration. That will enable you to water longer and deeper.
Mowing
Mowing is very important; it can be beneficial and harmful to your turf depending on how you do it. Never mow you grass shorter than it is suited for. Not all grasses are the same. Not even within the same species, there are hundreds of varieties of Kentucky bluegrass. Some are good if you mow short, some aren't. There are many other ways that varieties can differ.
Mowing higher is another way to help your lawn become more drought tolerant, so raise the deck height a little, especially in the summer months when its hot, then you can drop it down in the fall and spring. This will allow roots to grow much deeper. Don’t remove more than 1/3 of the total length of the grass at one time.
Try to use a recycling mower that will return small clipping to the lawn. These will add more nutrients back and create a healthier lawn. Use a sharp blade and try not to mow when it really hot, this can cause undesirable stress to lawns. If your blade is dull it will leave the tips of the grass blades more ripped than cut. This will create a whitish color as you look out across the lawn.
A dull blade also damages turf's health and will lead to more stress and more overall management to get it back on track. It's just easier to sharpen your blade often. We sharpen all of our blades every week so that our customers get the best cut possible. We also know that this makes our lawns look better and perform better.
Lawn ABC's
A
esthetic values of turf areas have been recognized since emperors in China (157-87 BC) maintained extensive mowed grass for beauty and enjoyment. Today most segments of the population of the United States enjoy lawns around their homes and in parks open to the public.B
usiness and manufacturing complexes that have well maintained grass areas extend a favor- able impression to the general public, as well as to employees and customers and the lawn increases the value of the property by up to 6%.C
limate is controlled at ground level by turf grasses as they COOL temperatures appreciably, thus working as exterior "air conditioners".D
ust and smoke particles from the atmosphere are trapped by turf which helps keep the air cleaner.E
rosion of soil by water is highly controlled by grasses as they intercept raindrops before they disturb the soil and slow flowing water so that it drops larger soil particles collected.F
ire retardation by buffer areas of well-maintained lawn grasses around buildings is good insurance.G
roundwater is enhanced in two ways by a dense turf. Turf grasses increase infiltration of water and also clean the water as it passes so that underground water supplies are recharged for use by us all.H
ealth of humans is enhanced by turf grasses as they function in cushioning, cleaning air, generating oxygen and creating a serene landscape.I
njuries in sports and games can be buffered by a soft, resilient Turfgrass surface.J
unk is less likely to be thrown on an area where there is a well-maintained lawn.K
nowledge of the care of turf grasses and other plants is therapeutic to humans and is used in rehabilitation programs for the ill, the elderly, the handicapped and the incarcerated.L
awns are estimated to occupy an area of between 25,000,000 to 30,000,000 acres in the United States (the size of the 5 New England states) and as the population increases so too will the amount of Turfgrass acreage.M
onetary value is associated with a well-MANICURED lawn and this may amount to a 15% increase in the home selling price.N
oise is absorbed by grass areas, which cut down on the excessive sound, a growing problem in urban areas. Grassed slopes beside lowered expressways reduce noise 8-10 decibels.O
xygen generation by turf grasses has a major impact in making our environment habitable. A 50'x 50'lawn produces enough oxygen for a family of four.P
ollutants, such as carbon dioxide and sulfur dioxide, are absorbed by turf grasses thereby rendering the air fit to breathe. Turfgrass thatch acts as a barrier deterring chemicals from entering the soil profile.Q
uiet grassed areas affect people's moods, thus creating feelings of serenity, privacy, thoughtful- ness, happiness or sadness depending on our association with their use –home lawn, roadside rest area, city park, golf course or memorial park.R
unoff of water and pollutants is greatly reduced by a highly maintained lawn. Dense Turfgrass cleans the water helping to maintain a high quality environment.S
ports playing surfaces are made safer when grassed with sure footing and cushioning sod that adds to the quality of play.T
raffic, both vehicular and pedestrian, is directed by lawn barriers in areas of heavy movement of people and on roadsides and medians.U
rban area lawns contribute a measure of the countryside and its heritage, providing a much needed linkage with nature. This benefits us by lessening stress.V
olleyball, badminton, croquet, bocce and other games are enjoyed by young and old on grassed areas. No other surface material feels as good on bare feet or is as good for playing games and even turning somersaults.W
orldwide golf is a popular game played by millions of people as a means of exercise, relaxation and as an avenue for business transactions. In the United States there are more than 14 million golfers that enjoy highly groomed grass on golf courses.X
eriscape, a very dry environment where water is conserved by creative landscaping, provides a place for some ornamental grasses.Y
early cycles of nature produce changes in the color of lawns, which are among the first areas to green up in the spring, bringing a lift to human spirits and linking urban inhabitants with a symbol of the countryside and its heritage.Z
ones that are stabilized by turf grasses enhance safety on roads and airfields by reducing runoff, which can cause flooding, diminishing soil erosion, which muddies the surfaces, and absorbing dust, which cuts back visibility.
Lawn Diseases
Lawn Weeds
Lawn Insects
These are by far, the most important turf insects we face around here. Our 5-Step program also controls every single one of them!
Environmental Issues
As I mentioned before, some of the areas of interest are in the Northeast parts of the U.S. and in Canada, mainly around the Great Lakes regions. Some communities have either banned fertilizer use for home lawns, pesticide use for lawns, or both. This is usually driven by a few people or small groups like special interest groups. The data they use to further their agenda is flaky at best. They get people to believe that pesticides are causing cancer and killing animals all over.
While it's true that some pesticides are harmful. 2-4,D is a great example. This weed killer is widely used in the lawn care industry and agriculture today. Unfortunately it is a carcinogen. That means that 2,4-D can cause cancer after years of repeated exposure. We use 2,4-D in our program too. We also know that not only is it a concern to our customers, but it's also a big concern to me and especially my wife. That's why we we don't use it anymore than we have to. I know that the best weed control money can buy is thick turf grass. That's why we put so much stock in our fertility program, so we can lay off the 2,4-D.
Unfortunately it only take a few bad apples to spoil the whole bunch. There's always some reckless lawn care guy who uses it all the time and kills flowers, trees, sprays the dog, or runs his tank mix down the gutter of the street and that gives us all a bad name. We have to be certified to apply any pesticide no matter how safe it is. That means we know what these pesticides are and what they do. When pesticides are used in the correct manner, the homeowner is notified when a pesticide has been sprayed, and they are given the appropriate information about returning to the lawn the results are great. No one has been harmed, exposed, and nothing has been damaged. When used by a good commercial applicator they are safe for the environment and pose no threat to other organisms.
The other topic is fertilizer use. Some areas are starting to ban fertilizer because it's showing up in surface water. This is a combined effect of agricultural fertilizer that's running off into streams, and lawn fertilizer that runs off into the storm sewer. This is a real problem in some areas. The usual and biggest culprit by far is the nutrient phosphorous. When this nutrient gets into a surface water supply it begins to cause eutrophication. This leads to a breakdown of the natural ecosystem by enhancing the growth of choking vegetation, like phytoplankton (algae bloom). The resource value of rivers, lakes, and estuaries that are used for recreation, aesthetics, and even drinking water are hindered.
This is a problem across the country. While maybe not a problem here in southwest Nebraska, we still feel the need to address it. This problem is mostly caused by agricultural fertilizers and not lawn fertilizer so much. The reason lawn care fertilizer is being banned in some areas is because you can't farmers from farming, nor would you want to. Do you like bread and steak? So do I. Most of this damage snowballed in the 1950's-1970's when fertilizer was cheap. Now things have changed and soil conservation has changed everything. The effects are still lingering, and may for a long time. But the knee-jerk reaction in some communities is to ban lawn fertilizer because it's an easy target.
Just like we try to reduce pesticide dependence, we also try to use smarter fertilizers so that we are not responsible for contributing to any of these problems. We use slow release nutrients because of the enormous agronomic benefits to the turf, but also because they are not water soluble and won't leach. We also are not heavy users of phosphorous. Phosphorous is an immobile nutrient in that is doesn't dissolve in water. It tends to build up in the soil profile after time and usually if you apply it in a blend more than once or twice a year, you're applying too much.
While we are not "environmentalists," we do care for the environment and more importantly we care about the public perception of the lawn care industry. That's why we'll keep doing what we're doing and hope that more will follow and use pesticides and fertilizer in a safe and responsible manner and we won't worry about extremists accusing us of destroying the environment.