How to Take Care of Your Lawn Year Round

Lawn Care Routine: Beyond Four Steps

We all like to have options in our lives: where we live, how we dress, what we eat and most of all, the opportunity to think for ourselves. Let’s go through a Lawn Care year considering all the options that are available using Jonathan Green lawn products. 

In the early spring, March and April, we should not be applying crabgrass control in most areas of the temperate regions. Crabgrass controls last about 3 months after application. That would mean that crabgrass controls applied in early March would be ineffective about the early part of June. So, in effect, all that you have accomplished is to get your annual crabgrass invasion in June, July and August when the really hot and humid time of the year sets in. 

Let’s back up for a moment. If right out of the gate, in early spring, you applied Jonathan Green Veri-Green Lawn Food which is a quick-greening formula that also contains iron for maximum greening, you now have the option of seeding the areas of the lawn that may require attention. Jonathan Green Veri-Green Lawn Food will also thicken your lawn fast, crowding out many weed problems. Another option in early spring, if you plan to apply grass seed to the lawn, is to use Jonathan Green Veri-Green Lawn Food for Seeding and Sodding. This product is rich in phosphorus and potash which are important nutrients for young growing grass plants. 

Whichever way you decide to go, check the soils pH reading. It should be between 6.2 and 6.9, a reading of 7 being neutral. If your pH reading is 6.5 or below, apply Jonathan Green Mag-I-Cal Plus for Lawns in Acidic Soil. This product will raise the soil’s pH reading while loosening compacted soil. This product also stimulates microbial activity making the lawn soil more alive and porous. In addition, it aids in the recycling of organic matter in the soil, returning nutrients to the soil water solution for use by lawn grass plants. 

Another option is Mag-I-Cal for Lawns in Acidic Soil. This product contains completely soluble calcium and has as much pH adjusting power as 10 bags of regular lime.  

An additional organic option: 

If your plan is to control turf weeds in your lawn organically, Jonathan Green has the product for you. Our Jonathan Green Corn Gluten Weed Preventer plus Lawn Food prevents crabgrass, dandelions and over 25 other weeds. It also feeds the lawn organically with a 10-0-2 formulation. It is safe where kids and pets play. This product should be applied to the lawn in the early spring. This product does not control existing weeds, however, in time you will gain control over new germinating weed seeds.

If your lawns pH reading is above 7, then apply Mag-I-Cal Plus for Lawns in Alkaline Soil. This product contains sulfur which will loosen compacted soil and lower soil pH. It also contains calcium carbonate and humates. Calcium is an essential nutrient for grass while humates stimulate the microbial life in the soil. 

Early May is a beautiful time of the year. The hardwood trees are flowering, the air is temperate and all the new leaves are creating a delightful, green environment once again. 

This is also the best time to apply a crabgrass control to your lawn, ideally sometime before the 10^th of May. As stated earlier, crabgrass control applied at this time will give you three months of protection against a crabgrass invasion of your lawn. Crabgrass stops germinating about the middle of August each year. With Jonathan Green products, you have two options to accomplish this:

A. Apply Veri-Green with Crabgrass Preventer at this time. Timing is not as critical because the active ingredient in our product will control the germinating crabgrass and certain other weeds, however, it will also give control of crabgrass that has already germinated up to the three leaf stage. This product will feed your lawn slowly, no flush growth, for up to three months. 

B. Jonathan Green Season Long Weed Preventer. This product contains the same active ingredient as our Veri-Green with Crabgrass Preventer. It will give you three months of control and again, timing is not as critical because it will control crabgrass after it has germinated up to the three leaf stage. Here is the big difference however, this product does not contain lawn fertilizer. So now you have the option of applying Jonathan Green Organic Lawn Food to the Lawn. This can be done on the same day as you apply Season Long Weed Preventer or shortly thereafter. This product will continue the process of building up the humic reserve in the soil. Soil organic matter plays a very important role in the health of your lawn. Among these benefits are: soil organic matter increases the water holding capacity of the soil enormously. Soil organic matter, as it decomposes in the soil, feeds the microbes, which play a vital role in the health of the grass. In addition to this, in May the soil has warmed-up so the microbes are much more active in doing their work of decomposition, returning nutrients to the soil water solution to be used again. Another advantage with Jonathan Green Organic Lawn Food is that it will not burn the lawn. The product is a complex mixture of organic ingredients and contains no manure or bio-solids. There are residues contained in bio-solids called PFA’s which are “forever chemicals” because they do not break down over time in the lawn soil. There is evidence that these chemicals can be injurious for your health. 

May is also the time of the year when dandelions with their yellow flower and many other broadleaf weeds make their appearance in the lawn. Of course, the best defense against broadleaf weed invasion is a dense, healthy lawn turf that doesn’t offer much opportunity for broadleaf weeds. If you have not achieved this goal as yet Jonathan Green offers two options for accomplishing broadleaf weed control. 

1. If you have fertilized the lawn within the last sixty days, use Jonathan Green Lawn Weed Control. This improved formula with Trimec technology provides control of 200+ broadleaf weeds. This product contains no lawn fertilizer. It should be applied to damp grass leaves for maximum effectiveness. Read the product label for complete directions. 
2. If you wish to control broadleaf weeds and feed the lawn, use Jonathan Green Weed & Feed. This product kills over 250 broadleaf weeds, including dandelions, clover, chickweed, oxalis and purslane. This product contains Dissolve herbicide along with fertilizer derived from polymer coated urea and sulfate of potash. The nitrogen contained in this product is 20% slow release. 

When we come to July and August, this can be a difficult time for lawns for several reasons which are:

A. Long periods of sunshine and drought may cause the lawn to turn brown in some areas. Lawns normally need about one inch of water per week. However, during periods where long days of sunshine occur with no natural rainfall, problems can develop. During these periods, the lawn needs about two inches of water per week, either from rainfall or irrigation. The temptation is to over-water at this time in an attempt to save the lawn. However, a wet lawn and wet grass leaves is an invitation for fungal attack, especially if the grass leaves are wet going into the night time. 

Jonathan Green Lawn Fungus Control will control 20 fungal diseases including summer patch, dollar spot, red thread, brown patch and pink snow mold. Be sure to read the instructions on the package before applying this product.  The waxy cuticle coating on Jonathan Green Black Beauty lawn grass offers some protection against fungal attack. 

In the summer time, July is a time when grubs and insects can attack the lawn grass. The tiny grubs hatch sometime before the end of June each year, unfortunately the grass roots, rhizomes and stems are their dinner. Jonathan Green’s Natural Grub and Insect Control will control grubs and surface-feeding insects organically. The active ingredient is plant oils. Insects controlled include: grubs, chinch bugs, fleas and ants. Read the instructions on the bag for application advice. 

If you feel that your lawn would benefit from a feeding during the summer, use Jonathan Green Organic Lawn Food. This fertilizer contains 100% homogenous granules that will provide a slow, steady feeding to the lawn grass. It will not burn the lawn. Again, this product will continue the process of building a humus reserve in the soil. The more organic matter in the soil, the more water will be held in the soil. This product also feeds the microbes which are responsible for recycling organic matter in the soil and imparting certain resistances to the lawn grass plant. 

This beautiful time of year is also the best time of year to seed an existing lawn or start a new lawn. The reasons for this are many. Among them are:

1. The soil is warm unlike the cold soil of spring so germination is much quicker. 
2. The air temperature drops, particularly in the evening and night time hours. This temperature change from warm air to cold air at night causes heavy dews. Of course, moisture is necessary for the germination of grass seed. 
3. In addition, the evaporation of water from the lawn soil is much reduced. In other words, the soil and the seed in the soil stays wet longer. 
4. Weed competition is greatly reduced. The crabgrass stops germinating around the middle of August each year. The broadleaf weeds have mostly germinated and made their seed for the year. So the new grass plants have the time to establish themselves with much less weed competition. 
5. Fall rains tend to set in for periods of time, which are mostly gentle. The combination of warm soil and moisture is excellent for grass seed germination. 

Black Beauty Grass Seed

We have developed a line of superior grass seed under the Black Beauty name. Black Beauty has several
attributes which make it a wonderful choice for your lawn.

1. It possesses a waxy, cuticle coating on its leaves that keeps moisture in the grass plant.
2. Black Beauty grass seed has the ability to root four feet into the lawn soil, thus gaining water and
   nutrients at a deeper level.
3. You will love the look of your lawn because Black Beauty grass is dark-green in color and uniform in
   texture.

The best procedure for establishing grass seed is as follows:

1. As in the springtime, good seed to soil contact is very important in achieving germination. The lawn soil should be loosened and the seed raked into the soil being sure that it is not buried more than ¼ of an inch. 
2. A new seeding fertilizer should be applied to the lawn at this time. Jonathan Green Veri-Green for Seeding and Sodding is an ideal choice. It consists of a 12-18-8 formulation that helps newly planted grass seed or sod develop deep and dense roots. The numbers on the package indicates the quantities of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium. Phosphorus and potassium are important nutrients for young, growing grass plants. 
3. This is a very good time to check the pH reading of your soil. Ideally, it should be 6.2 – 6.9 while 7 is neutral. If the reading is 6.2 or lower, Jonathan Green’s Mag-I-Cal for Lawns in Acidic Soil should be applied to the lawn. As stated earlier, this product will raise the soils’ pH reading while at the same time loosening the lawn soil. It will also play a role in building up the humic reserve in the soil (humus). This process is essential for the water holding capacity of the soil and microbial activity. Option: In order to raise the soils’ pH reading, Mag-I-Cal for Lawns in Acidic Soil is a very good option. A 5,000 sq. ft. bag equals up to 10 bags of lime. This product contains 35% calcium, 2% humic acid and 2% polyhydroxycarboxylic acids. It is a natural product and is safe for use around children and pets. 
4. If your pH reading is 7 or higher, apply my Mag-I-Cal Plus for Lawns in Alkaline Soil. This product contains sulfur which will lower the pH reading and loosen compacted soil. It also contains calcium carbonate and humates. Calcium is an essential nutrient for grass while humates stimulate the microbial life in the soil. 

Some final thoughts:

A lawn is a very wonderful thing to grow. If you look at it correctly, there is no reason why you cannot create a green, inviting and peaceful environment around your own home. Lawn care doesn’t have to be a continuous round of killing weeds, insects and disease. If you follow the advice that I have outlined, you can achieve success with your lawn that will be lasting because you will be dealing with fundamentals, not symptoms, much as you do with your own health.