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LAWN MAINTENANCE

More than anything else, creating an environment that is unfavorable for weeds, insects, and diseases will help you have a beautiful lawn.

Mowing

Mowing is one of the most common tasks done in a lawn and landscape. It is extremely important to make sure that proper procedures are taken so that your lawn benefits from the mowing. Anytime the grass blade is cut you are creating added stress to the grass plant. With proper mowing practices you will dramatically decrease the stress to your plant. Added stress can increase noticeable damage from disease and insects in the lawn. Added stress will make it more difficult for the grass plant to compete with weeds in the turf areas. Listed below are a few simple steps to help guide you through a successful mowing plan.

1. Always operate a mower that has sharp blades and is properly maintenanced. Dull blades and/or an engine that is running slow will tear the leaf blade instead of cutting it cleanly. Tearing the leaf blade creates extra water loss through the leaf tips and creates an excellent entry point for disease.

2. Try not to remove more than 1/3 of the leaf tissue with each mowing. Removing more may shock the plant. When you remove more than 1/3 of the leaf tissue the plant stops or slows root production and diverts the energy to replacing the cut leaf tissue.

3. Leave the grass clippings when the lawn is mowed. Grass clippings are primarily water and nutrients. As clippings break down over a year they will add 1-1.5 pounds of Nitrogen for every 1000 square feet of lawn. During the spring and other rainy periods the clippings may clump in the lawn. Blow the clippings around or go over the area a second time with the mower. This will allow the clippings to fall into the canopy instead of matting or smothering the grass plant.

4. Most lawns in Central Iowa should be cut at 3”-3.25” in height. This will limit the stress from a low cutting. The higher height allows the blades to shade the soil. This helps to hold moisture during dry periods. This will help your lawn to stay greener longer during dry periods. This height also helps to crowd out weeds in the lawn.

Core Aeration

Core aeration is often one of the most overlooked services when it comes to a healthy lawn. It is also one of the most important things you can do to keep your lawn healthy. In Central Iowa the soils contain clay. Clay compacts more than soils that contain sand. Grasses growing in compacted soil have difficulty establishing a good root system. The grass is slower growing and under stress. Compacted soil can increase the amount of weeds established in the lawn. Some weeds thrive in compacted areas where the grass plant struggles. These extreme areas are generally along driveways, sidewalks, parking lots, and paths created by repeated use. Soil is always settling and the environmental conditions such as snow pack and rain also help to compact the soil. Anytime the grass plant is under stress, you increase the chances of noticeable insect and disease damage. These are all reasons that lawns should be aerated at least once a year in the fall. Listed below are some of the benefits to core aeration.

Improves air, water, and nutrient uptake by the grass plant.
Reduces compaction, which helps grass compete with weeds.
Helps new sod become better established. (sod should be installed for a year before first core aeration)
Helps to break down the thatch layer.

Core aeration can be done in the spring and fall. We recommend aeration once a year in the fall. When the lawn is aerated in the fall it allows the plugs to break down over the winter. Lawns that that have a thatch layer greater than ½ inch or a lawn that is extremely compacted would benefit from spring and fall core aeration.

Dethatching

There are instances where a thatch layer thicker than ½ inch will restrict the water, air, and nutrients that are getting to the roots of the plant. This creates a great deal of stress to the plant. This added stress allows noticeable damage from insects, disease, and dry conditions. It is important that water, air, and nutrients can successfully make it to the root system of the plant. Thatch is a mat of stems, runners, rhizomes, and stolons. Thatch is NOT grass clipping. Excess grass clipping can cause problems but can be solved by simply raking the lawn. Thatch generally needs to be cut with a vertical cutting blade. These machines are known as dethatchers or power rakes. Once the thatch layer is cut the machine will bring some of the excess material to the surface. It is important that this material be raked or vacuumed off of the lawn.

Overseeding

The turfgrass industry is always working to create varieties of grass that have a better color, texture, density, and overall quality. Some of these varieties have been bred to have better heat and drought tolerance. Some are also bred to be more disease and/or insect resistant. It is an excellent idea to work at integrating these newer varieties into the older grass that is already established in your lawn. Lawns should be overseeded once a year or at least every third year. This will help to establish the newer grasses. Overseeding can be done several ways. First, a slit seeder can slice the seed into the ground within the existing turfgrass. With this method it is recommended that you seed at two different directions. Slit seed going one direction across the lawn and then go over the lawn at a 45 degree angle from the first seeding direction. The second way to overseed is our preferred method. This way involves core aerating the lawn and then running a broadcast fertilizer spreader over the lawn to spread the seed The seed falls into the holes and is protected from the elements. We prefer this method because the lawn is core aerated along with new seed being installed. You receive the benefits of the aeration and the seeding. Finally, you can hand rake in seed into the bare spots in the yard. At the very least, it is important to fill in bare and thin stands of grass. These are ideal areas for weeds to take a foothold in your lawn. By seeding these areas you add more grass to help crowd the weeds out of this area. Below is a list of critical things to do when you overseed a lawn.

Always apply a starter fertilizer along with the seed. This will allow a more successful germination.
Water the seed. Seedings are only successful if they get the water they need.
DO NOT Settle for low quality seed. Choose a seed mix that has a high germination percentage, little or no weed seed, and other crop, and find a seed that is certified.
When buying a seed mix choose one with 3-5 different varies in the mix.
Choose a grass type that is appropriate for the site.
1. Kentucky Bluegrass is an excellent choice for sunny to light shade areas. This grass has underground runners which allows it to fill in and create a thick turf. Bluegrass will generally take 2-3 weeks to germinate.
2. Perennial Ryegrass is great for seed establishment as it generally germinates in 7-10 days. Ryegrass grows well in sunny and partially shaded areas. Ryegrass does not spread as it is a bunch type grass. We generally mix Ryegrass in with our Bluegrass to make a blend that is 40% Perennial Ryegrass and 60% Kentucky Bluegrass.
3. Fine Fescues (Hard, Red, or Chewing Fescues) are the best choice for deep shaded areas. They do not spread well as they are more prone to bunch type growth. The fine leaf blade is a little more difficult to mow and if you are cutting your lawn higher this type of grass may be prone to falling over and not cutting well. We will often mix this type of seed with our Ryegrass and Bluegrass mix.
4. Avoid Annual Ryegrass and Tall Fescue grasses. These grass types are weeds in a Kentucky Bluegrass lawn.

Fertility

A well-balanced nutrient plan will keep your grass healthy throughout the year. We could write hundreds of pages of information on the nutrients given to the lawn but we have chosen a few key ideas we feel are the most important. Listed below are some of the most important things to remember when applying nutrients to the lawn.

Use slow release products applied at consistent intervals. Slow release products will generally last at least six to eight weeks. When these products are applied at consistent intervals it provides a slow steady release over a long period of time. Avoid sporadic treatments with fast release fertilizers. You will have quick surges of growth and then rapid slow downs. Quick surges and rapid slow downs create added stress to the grass plant.
When selecting fertilizers, choose products that have an analysis with a ratio of 1:0:1 or 2:0:1. The first number is Nitrogen, which is the “energy” for the plant. It is the major nutrient for energy. The middle number is Phosphate, which helps promote seed germination. Phosphorus is vital when seeding to help with seed germination. This nutrient is not mobile in the soil, it stays in place and the grass is rarely deficient. The third number is Potash, which helps the grass with drought tolerance and heat stress. That is important for the summers in Iowa.
Apply fertilizers with Micronutrients. Micronutrients are not less important than the macronutrients (N, P, and K). They are just as important; they are just needed in smaller amounts.
During the entire season you should apply 3-5 pounds of Nitrogen for every 1000 square feet of grass. This will assure that the grass is not deficient but also that fertilizer in not wasted over feeding the lawn.

Weed Control

In most cases weeds are present in a lawn because something is wrong. Compaction, thin areas, wrong type of grass for the sight, and grass that is under stress creates a suitable environment to support weed growth. When a weed is sprayed with a herbicide you are only killing what is actively growing. You are not fixing the problem that caused the weed to be there. It is important to use weed control materials as a tool and not a fix all when maintaining your lawn. Follow the above steps to help reduce stress on the grass plant, thicken the grass, and to aid in choosing the suitable grass type for the job.

Preventive Grub Control

You will never know from year to year whether or not you will have a problem with grubs. Just because you have had problems in the past does not mean you will have problems in the future. Generally we will encourage a preventive grub treatment if a lawn is thick and lush and/or if it has an irrigation system. We tend to notice more problems with these types of lawns. Grubs feed on the roots, which causes the grass to dry out and turn brown during the hot periods of the summer. In some cases this will kill the grass plant. Animals that feed on grubs (raccoons, skunks, etc.) will tear up the lawn digging to find and eat the grubs. The ideal time to apply a preventive treatment is the last week in June through the Middle of July. Make sure the product gets watered in with at least one inch of water. This will allow the product to get down where the grubs feed.

Whether you do all, some, or none of your own lawn care we hope this information will help to steer you in the right direction for a lush healthy lawn. Remember, at Hawcott Lawn Service we are here to help you with answering your questions, providing you with materials, or completing any service you may need help with. We look forward to working with you in the future.