Originally Posted by
sleddy2008
Caring for your lawn:
It is never too late to start caring for your lawn, but special attention must be given if you want to be successful.
Lawn care is not just about feeding nutrients, watering and mowing on a regular basis. Without any control on these aspects, you may begin to see negative effects.
The following are general tips you should consider when maintaining your lawn:
Summer Lawn Care Tips:
Mowing
To manage your mowing habits, you must consider the behavior of your lawn. This will differ according to the temperature, season and location. But points to consider are frequency of mowing, length of grass and the lawn mower itself.
Grass will grow quicker or slower at different seasons of the year, so therefore frequency of mowing is affected, which in turn affects the length of grass. Most lawns are often mowed too short or not enough. Mowing with a blunt blade is also very bad for the lawn. Mow your grass high. A 2 ˝ to 3-inch high cut makes your lawn look fuller, feel softer, and helps keep it healthy. Taller grass shades pesky weed seeds and keeps them from getting established. In addition, a taller lawn is better able to absorb sunshine and better able to retain moisture, the two main contributors to a healthy lawn.
Aeration
Like us humans and most other living species, grass needs air to breathe and water to absorb. Grass roots need air as well as water and fertilizer. The grass can actually poison itself as a result of the various chemical processes that occur in the individual grass plants if the grass roots do not have enough air. Soil that lacks sufficient air can result in; slow growth in the affected grass, excess irrigation runoff due to poor permeability, shallow root systems, and a lawn that's highly susceptible to insects, disease, and heat damage.Soil compaction is the most common example of soil deficient in air. The growth habits of grass in compacted soil are shallow root development, a substantial decrease in the number of grass plants per square foot, and an inability to properly use applied fertilizers.
Soil compaction in lawns is caused primarily by pedestrian traffic, whether it is children playing in a playground or people taking shortcuts across a lawn. Stopping the use of the affected lawns is generally impractical. A better solution would be frequent aeration and, depending upon the composition of the soil, the application of lawn and garden amendments such as peat, sand, or gypsum.
The benefits of aeration are an increase in the:
* growth rate of the grass thus an improvement in its ability to withstand and recover from pedestrian use
* ability of water and fertilizer to penetrate to the grass roots soil's absorption rate from irrigation
* root growth activity contributing to the strength and health of the grass
* ability of bacteria present in the soil to break down and decompose the thatch layer thus increasing the soils ability to hold sufficient amounts of moisture between watering
* grass's ability to withstand low water situations and heat stress
Aerate it in the spring while it's still moist and before the spring rains are done.
Aerating your lawn in the springtime gives microbes and other small life forms a breath of fresh air after winter. Aeration also makes new paths for drainage and keeps your lawn from becoming saturated.
Fertilizing
A lot is written about lawn fertilizer and the big question is why? Grass is the most efficient user of nitrogen on earth!
Feed your soil with nutrient rich compost and let your lawn get its nutrients the natural way. The more chemicals you use, the more you disturb the natural biological processes that convert organic matter into nutrients and the microbes and other small organisms that take natural care of your lawn. We use organic fertilizer on our lawns. No need to keep your pets, children or family off the lawn after we’ve treated it! It's completely safe for everyone.
Thatch Control
Thatch is the layer of dead and decaying matter at the base of living roots. This problem can be alleviated by scarifying or raking the lawn.
Watering
The most obvious is sufficient watering. Watch out especially in the summer period for prolonged dry spells where growth can be affected. Lawns need about ˝ inch to 1 inch of moisture per week. Never water your lawn at the peak of a hot day. It is best to do it early morning or just after supper when it starts to cool down for the night.