Summer is the time to start thinking about your lawn

Tuesday, April 19, 2011

The hot, dry days of summer are upon us.  The pool is cool, kids are out of school and perhaps you are on vacation.  I know you are not thinking about your lawn, but it’s a good time to plan for fall.

Mother Nature always throws some curve balls at us during summer weather.  Heat, drought and fungus have been present in lawns this summer and certainly bug damage seems to be more prevalent than usual in many areas of the country.  It is important to know if you have brown spots on your lawn, that you properly identify what caused the brown spots before you just apply more fertilizer, water or use a control product. 

Fungus is sometimes difficult to identify and control since it can come and go in the lawn so quickly.  It can linger and cause damage overnight, and yet sometimes it seems to also go away on its own. Treat your lawn for fungus as needed with Jonathan Green Lawn Fungus Control.  Read the label on the product to insure the best control, follow timing instructions and re-apply if necessary.  Proper mowing, watering, and using Jonathan Green fertilizers can all be a factor in reducing fungus potential. 

Insects have been actively eating on your lawn shoots and roots and perhaps laying eggs throughout the summer months; due to the mild winter this past year, insect populations are much larger.  The usual winterkill did not take place.  The grub’s life cycle will most likely have eggs hatching new baby grubs in late summer to early fall.   

If treating for insects, be sure to use the right products for the correct insects.  Some insecticide products only control surface feeding insects and some only soil insects, while some treat both areas like Jonathan Green Pest Kill Grub and Insect Control.  Remember to water in insect controls based on the directions.  Surface insect controls tend to need a lighter watering to activate them.  For insects that live in the top one-inch of soil, such as grubs, water properly to get the control down into the soil profile.  One tip for better grub control; remove as much thatch as possible or dead grass where grubs are present. Water the soil lightly before application and then again after application for better soil penetration, and to avoid run-off.

Perhaps your lawn just needs some fertilizer.  Lawns like to be feed 3-4 times a year and if you forgot to feed since the spring, apply Jonathan Green Natural Beauty All Organic Lawn Fertilizer.  Be sure to water the lawn after any fertilizer applications at this time of year. 

During summer months there are a number of homeowners who ‘burn’ their lawn when applying Weed & Feed products.  This can happen in two different ways, either the fertilizer application burns the lawn or the chemical control does because the lawn is under great stress from heat and drought.  The lawn has to be actively growing for Jonathan Green weed controls to work and there are cautions listed on the bags to not apply under the wrong conditions.  If your lawn is burned from this situation, water the area heavily and hope it comes back in the next few weeks.  If not, reseed in the fall with Jonathan Green Fall Magic Mixture to repair these damaged areas.

The soils in the northeast tend to be on the lower end of the pH scale.  The scale is from 1-14 with lawns growing best in the 6.0 to 6.8 ranges. Get a Jonathan Green Soil pH Test Kit at your local independent retailer to determine if you need to balance your pH.  MAG-I-CAL, a pelletized calcium fertilizer, is available to raise the pH level and fall is a good time while the soil is very active to correct deficiencies.  If your soil pH happens to be on the high side, 7.0 or greater, you need to reduce the pH by applying sulfur or aluminum sulfate.  Follow directions for proper rates.  This does take time to work into the soil and correct the pH; sometimes two applications 30 days apart in the fall would be necessary.

Late summer to early fall is a great time to apply Jonathan Green Fall Magic Mixture if your whole lawn needs a sprucing up or just to touch-up summer bare spot damage. The soil is warm so the new planting will germinate quickly.  Cooler air temperatures arrive and normal rainfall patterns return after summer is over.  These factors all add up to successful seeding.  Planting Jonathan Green grass seed at this time gives the seed plenty of time to sink in deep roots and establish before the cold sets in.  Do not forget to include Jonathan Green Winter Survival Fall Fertilizer to get your lawn off to the best start.  Remember, be sure that you have the ability to water your lawn if you are seeding during hot, dry weather. 

Use Jonathan Green grass seed, the best quality grass seed mixtures for your lawn.  Your lawn is only as good as the grass seed you plant.  By choosing Jonathan Green quality grass seed, you assure yourself of a better-looking lawn, which will hold up better in the long run and require less maintenance. 

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