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. That’s why we offer a variety of products at Jonathan Green: so that you can create a beautiful, healthy lawn without following a rigid four-step program. We understand that every lawn has unique needs based on soil, grass type, and climate throughout the year. Let’s go through a lawn care year considering all of options that are available when you use our solutions.

Spring

Start Smart in March & April

• Avoid applying crabgrass preventers
• Green up existing grass with Veri-Green Lawn Food
• Check pH levels for optimal soil health
• Prepare for seeding with Veri-Green Lawn Food for Seeding & Sodding

In the early spring, avoid applying crabgrass control to most areas of temperate regions. Most treatments only last about 3 months after application, meaning anything done in early March would be ineffective by the early part of June. This would cause your annual crabgrass invasion would take place in June, July, and August when the really hot and humid time of the year sets in.

If you’re considering seeding areas of your lawn that require attention, apply Jonathan Green Veri-Green Lawn Food early. This quick-greening formula contains iron for maximum nutrition that will thicken your lawn fast, crowding out many weed problems. Another option to prepare for adding grass seed 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 your soil’s pH level. The ideal range is between 6.2 and 6.9, with a reading of 7 being neutral. No matter where your soil falls on this scale, Jonathan Green has the perfect product to maximize health for easier lawn maintenance as the season progresses.

If your pH reading is 6.5 or lower, you can 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. It 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.
• 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.
• Jonathan Green Corn Gluten Weed Preventer plus Lawn Food. This organic option prevents crabgrass, dandelions and over 25 other weeds. It offers nutrient-rich food with a 10-0-2 formulation and is safe where kids and pets play. 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, you can 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 soil microbes.

Defend & Feed in May

• Crabgrass control should take place before May 10th
• Feed soil microbes
• The best time for weed control is late spring

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. During this month, the soil has warmed up, causing microbes to increase their work on decomposing organic material. This is a critical part of lawn health, because nutrients are returned to the soil water solution to be used again. Organic matter increases water holding capacity enormously and feeds soil microbes for thriving grass.

This is also the best time to apply a crabgrass control to your lawn, ideally sometime before the 10th of May. As stated earlier, treatments 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. 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. The major difference between the two is that this product does not contain lawn fertilizer. This gives you the option of applying Jonathan Green Organic Lawn Food, which can be done on the same day as you apply Season Long Weed Preventer or shortly thereafter.

Jonathan Green Organic Lawn Food continues the process of building up the humic reserve in the soil and will not burn your lawn. It consists of a complex mixture of organic ingredients that are free from manure and bio-solids. We avoid bio-solids because they contain residues called PFAs. These “forever chemicals” do not break down over time in the lawn soil, and there is evidence that these chemicals can be injurious to 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 other species to grow. If you’re still struggling, Jonathan Green offers two options:

A. Jonathan Green Lawn Weed Control. If you have fertilized the lawn within the last sixty days, use this treatment. Its 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.

B. Jonathan Green Weed & Feed. If you wish to control broadleaf weeds and feed the lawn, use this product. It 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.

Summer

• Develop a summer lawn water schedule
• Provide fungal protection
• Apply pest controls by late June
• Sustain soil microbe health and moisture with feed

Summer can be a difficult time for lawns, especially during late July and August. Extended sunshine and drought can cause lawns to turn brown in some areas, while grubs and insects can attack grass. Many homeowners want start a new lawn during the warm weather or seed an existing one, but that comes with a whole new batch of questions. Let’s tackle these common issues and routines.

Summer Lawn Watering

The typical lawn needs about one inch of water per week. However, in the summer, many encounter long days of sunshine with no natural rainfall. 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 is an invitation for fungal attack, especially if the grass leaves are wet going into the nighttime.

If you accidentally add too much moisture, use Jonathan Green Lawn Fungus Control. The treatment 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. You can also help prevent fungal attacks by choosing a premium grass variety. Jonathan Green Black Beauty seed grows grass with a waxy cuticle coating that offers some protection.

Prevent Grubs & Insects

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

Sustaining Healthy Soil

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 feed to lawn grass. It will not burn the lawn and will continue the process of building a humus reserve 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.

Fall

• Fall is the best time for seeding
• Choose a grass variety that supports your annual lawn care routine

This beautiful time of year is also the best time 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.

Best procedure for establishing grass seed:

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.

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.

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.

Use a grass variety that looks good and works hard.

We have developed a line of superior grass seed under the Black Beauty name. Black Beauty has several attributes that 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. It has the ability to root four feet into the lawn soil, thus gaining water and nutrients at a deeper level.
3. It is dark green in color and uniform in texture. You’ll love the look of your lawn filled with this grass.

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. For an even more detailed breakdown, see our annual lawn care schedule.