How to maintain a healthy lawn

Tuesday, April 5, 2011

Welcome to the dog days of summer when we anticipate higher temperatures and humidity. I know your lawn is the last thing on your mind right now, but I figured some tips would help to maintain your turf and help with its recovery.

Brown spots or areas on your lawn can be from many things, such as disease, insects, pets, heat stress or large items, such as inflatable pools, left on the lawn. If they are from insects, I would recommend Jonathan Green Pest Kill Grub and Insect Control which would do a good job on your surface insects like chinch bugs or sod webworms. I would also check for grubs and use Jonathan Green Grub Control if needed. Grubs cause widespread damage to lawns by feeding on grass roots, causing it to discolor and then die. By chance, if you have seen a lot of Japanese beetles in your shrubs, flying around your lights at night, or going for a swim in your pool, I recommend applying a Jonathan Green Grub Control right now, which will control the grubs the entire season.

Fungus can be a real problem with the humidity, and warrants proper care. Jonathan Green Lawn Fungus Control can be applied to help control it, but correct watering and fertilization also play big roles in deterring the spread of fungus. I would recommend watering only in early morning and refraining from fertilizing until September.

Mowing during the summer should be done when it is cool and only if the lawn needs it. A mowing height of three inches for most turf will help to reduce weeds and crabgrass, because the soil stays cool, reducing weed seed germination. I would also recommend that you change the direction of your cutting, since mowing in the same direction all the time will cause the lawn to have a memory. When grass blades are bent and then grow in the same direction the mower blade skips across the grass blade and abraids it, but doesn’t cut through it.  Disease and insects attack the turfgrass blade in these damaged areas first.  Always keep your mower blades sharp. It is most beneficial to water your turf in the early morning hours. Timing can vary, but I recommend every other day for forty minutes per zone/area or until puddles appear. By watering this way, you let the grass dry out in between waterings and reduce the chance of developing a spreading lawn fungus. Watering deeply helps promote deep root growth and reduces drought and heat stress.

As I mentioned earlier, to prevent the start and spread of fungus, hold off on fertilizing until September and then again in November. By using Jonathan Green Winter Survival Fall Fertilizer in the fall the feedings will assist the plants recovery from summer turf damage and promote better plant food storage for the winter.  When you follow these easy steps your lawn will come through the winter stronger and green-up earlier next spring. 

As for your pets, I know you love them dearly, but they can damage your turf throughout the entire year. The summer months are the worst for pet damage; when your dog does his or her thing, you will see yellow spots where they go. This is caused by your pet over-fertilizing the lawn; they are putting down a concentrated fertilizer. If your pet goes in one area, you can hose it down to dilute the urine. I would also apply Mag-I-Cal the area to help neutralize the effects over a period of time. Mag-I-Cal adjusts the soil pH level, which improves the soil structure. Also, I advise you to follow your loveable dog with the scooper. This will help eliminate the smell and also the fly population that will follow. Take my advice, it will help to solve your lawn problems today, and minimize lawn renovations in the future.

Before the summer is over, why not plan a sleep out, a game of badminton or a picnic on your lawn with the entire family?  After all, this is one of the biggest reasons for growing and maintaining a fine lawn; your family’s restful enjoyment!   

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