Recently, Jonathan Green met with the Healthy Lawns & Clean Water group in Trenton, New Jersey.  We have been working with this group for the last few years helping to shape the new fertilizer laws for lawns that will go into effect in January 2012.  This group includes members from New Jersey, the Department of Environmental Protection, Rutgers University, NJ Golf Course Association, NJ Green Industry Council, Save Barnegat Bay and many other “Green Industry” suppliers, associates and environmental groups.   The NJ Fertilizer Law, A2290, was created to protect New Jersey’s surface and ground waters from impairment by minimizing nitrogen and phosphorous content in lawn fertilizers.  

As I drive around my neighborhood and the country, I see that many people really like their lawn.  They are proud of it; compare it to their neighbors to see whose lawn is greener, thicker and weed free.  Some complain that the neighbors send their dandelion seeds over to their lawns.  When you re-seed your whole lawn it’s like a fresh coat of paint in a room, beautiful, but with a pleasant smell.   Some say that lawns take up too much time, water, mowing and fertilizer.  However, the quality of lawns is getting better.  Both private research companies and leading universities continue to produce new, improved varieties of grass that perform better than even 10 years ago.   Jonathan Green has an extensive research and development department that constantly works to discover new and better breeds of grass seed for your lawn.  New lawn grasses are being bred to require less fertilizer, mowing and water and still look great.

Are there dandelions all over your lawn right now?  Remember when dandelions were everywhere last year and you wished your neighbor had done something to get rid of them because they all blew into your lawn?  So, this year once it gets warm, they will grow nicely in your lawn with that obvious yellow flower.

Summertime droughts kill many lawns but the crabgrass survives!  Crabgrass is a very resilient plant that even thrives through heat and drought.  Why do we have such a difficult time controlling crabgrass?  Will you have crabgrass this year? Do you feel lucky?

In most areas, a pre-emergent should be applied on lawns between March 15th and May 15th, depending on where you live. Crabgrass starts to germinate when the soil temperature reaches about 55 degrees. An indicator of when to apply your crabgrass preventer is when the forsythia blooms. For controlling crabgrass, you have three choices:

1. Jonathan Green Crabgrass Preventer plus Green-Up Lawn Fertilizer - Controls crabgrass and other grassy weeds before AND after they germinate, while feeding your lawn gently for up to 8 weeks. This product also prevents certain broadleaf weeds if applied before they germinate. Apply as the first step in my Annual Lawn Care Program with 4 Easy Steps. DO NOT SEED with this product.

2. Jonathan Green Crabgrass Preventer plus New Seeding Lawn Fertilizer - Use if seeding this Spring. Controls crabgrass and provides New Seeding Lawn Fertilizer. You can apply this product on the same day that you sow grass seed.

3. Jonathan Green Organic Weed Control plus Fertilizer - Safe to use around children and pets! Controls crabgrass and over 20 other grassy and broadleaf weeds organically while feeding your lawn, using the patented technology of Corn Gluten - contains no manures! Apply in spring BEFORE these target weeds germinate. DO NOT SEED with this product.

TIP: Proper mowing of your lawn is an important part of controlling crabgrass. Mowing heights of 2-1/2" to 3-1/2" will keep the desirable lawn grasses strong. If you cut your lawn below these heights, it tends to stress the good turf grass and allows crabgrass to take over, since there is less competition.

If you seeded this Fall, you're not done with lawn care yet! Thanks to tropical storms, we experienced heavy rainfall at the end of September. You should check on your germinating seedlings to see if there are bare spots from rain washing away the seed, and re-seed any of these bare spots you find.

Wet leaves can smother a new lawn or seed, and the blocking of sunlight can slow, stop or kill the new seed from maturing. Therefore, it is very important to rake your lawn.

Mowing is extremely important  to manage the vigor of your grass and its ability to compete against weeds. In the fall, the best results are obtained by mowing at the highest setting on your mower, the grass height should not be less than 1.5 inches tall. This will help insulate the grass during the winter. When grass is cut too short, the growth of the roots and the plant comes almost to a complete stop until the leaves can recover. This places a huge amount of stress on the plant. When the grass is mown at its correct height however, the roots can keep growing and the grass thrives. A sharp mower blade is also an important aspect of getting the new lawn off to a good start. If the blade isn't sharp, it won't make a clean cut and will rip and tear the grass. This injures the grass plants, making them an easy target for diseases and pests to attack.

Weeds are getting ready for next year, winter weeds are germinating now. After about the third mowing or approximately one month after your grass seed germinates, you need to address crabgrass and broadleaf weeds. Cooler fall temperatures make it great time to handle the weed populations. Apply a pre-emergent weed killer, like my Jonathan Green Crabgrass Preventer plus Green-Up. If you are following an organic lawn care program, apply my Jonathan Green Organic Weed Control. Combating the weeds now will greatly reduce your weed problems next Spring and Summer.