Spring talk

Hopefully spring is here to stay. Now is the time to turn your attention to your lawn. As your free time & weather permits, give your lawn a first mowing to remove the dead top growth from the winter and bag the clippings if possible. To do this, drop your mower down one notch from where you left it last fall and make sure your mower blade is sharp! Read the mowing section below for more information on this. You may also notice brown tracks shooting out into your lawn from your shrub beds, from under your deck or patio, or in drainage and ditch areas. This is the sign of mouse or vole activity. The snow insulates their nests as they move out into your lawn from under the snow causing those tracks in your grass. Both matted down turf and mouse/vole damage will need your immediate attention as you begin spring cleanup to your lawn. Rake out these areas to allow better air movement for turf recovery. When raking these areas, you may notice holes in the soil. These are their entrance and exit holes to their nests. Spring loaded traps with peanut butter for bait work well. If the damage is severe, you may want to contact a pest control company. If by late April or early May you do not see satisfactory recovery, over seeding will be needed to speed the process along.

The Spring Lawn Application applied today contains slow-timed released nitrogen and crabgrass control. We have a large window period to get this application down because crabgrass will not germinate until sometime in June. You may notice wide bladed grasses in your lawn right now. This is either tall fescue or quack grass. These two are often mistaken for crabgrass. They are part of the perennial grass family (like bluegrass), and cannot be controlled like crabgrass, which is a summer annual. If broadleaf weeds, such as dandelions become a problem before our next visit, do not hesitate to call. We will respond to all service calls.

Mowing:

In early spring, the sooner the lawn is cut, the faster it will respond to sunlight and warm soil temperatures. Try to get out in late March or early April to lightly rake out any matted down areas or debris left over from the winter. If possible, give the lawn a cutting to remove brown winter top growth. Removal of this top growth will aid your lawn to green-up faster. This will not start the lawn growing, so do not worry about having to cut it every week at this point. Your lawn will not start growing until soil and air temperatures reach a consistent fifty degrees. After your first cutting, raise the mower height to 3" and leave it there for the remainder of the season. On most mowers this means setting the wheels down as far as they can go. You can check your cutting height by measuring from the ground to the bottom of the mower deck. When we say 3" cutting height, we are saying that is how tall your grass should be standing after it is cut. Remember that you want to have this high mowing height set prior to hot summer temperatures. High cutting heights are needed for the grass plants to store water and nutrients which turn into carbohydrates. During warm-dry periods, the more carbohydrates reserved the better. Don’t wait for the hot weather and then raise your mower, by then it is too late. One last note - make sure that your mower blade is sharp.

Watering:

During the spring there should be sufficient rainfall to aid the grass to its full potential. However, there have been times when we do not receive enough rainfall, and watering will be needed. It is important that your lawn does not dry out too badly during the spring because this is the time for new grass plants to fill in those thin areas, as well as extending their root system. Approximately 1” of water per week is sufficient if there is no rainfall.

Core Aeration:

Several universities have done studies that show core aeration, done on an annual basis, will greatly improve air movement in the soil, water uptake, and will stimulate deeper root development in compacted clay soils. Core aeration can be done during the spring or fall as long as there is adequate soil moisture.

Seeding in spring:

For best results, loosen the soil to a depth of 2”, and then incorporate the seed into the soil. If necessary, add some topsoil to level it out. Use a bluegrass blend of seed for the sunny areas of your lawn. Fine fescue and red fescue seed work best in the shady areas. It is very important to keep the upper layer of soil moist for best results. Remember, with newly seeded areas, you have to water lightly and often. The best time to seed is usually mid-late April. This is when the chances of frost are minimal. Germination takes approximately 14 to 21 days, so be patient.