Did You Know?

  1. Well cared for lawns can significantly increase the property value of a home.
  2. A healthy lawn is very important to our environment. A 50-foot by 50-foot lawn produces enough oxygen for a family of four.
  3. Lawns cool the atmosphere. Four average lawns have the cooling effect of 70 tons of air conditioning, which is enough for 16 average homes.
  4. Grass converts carbon dioxide to oxygen, a process that helps clear the air and allows us to breathe.
  5. Dense, healthy grass slows water runoff, removing contaminants and trapping soil. Fresh, filtered water then returns to the underground water supply.
  6. Do not overwater. Watering your lawn should almost never be done daily. Overwatering causes shallow roots, nutrient loss, disease-susceptibility and severe problems with weeds. Ideally, a lawn should receive one to two inches of water per week with the soil saturated to a depth of four to six inches. How much water your lawn requires will vary with weekly rainfall amounts.
  7. The 1/3 Rule – Every time your lawn is mowed no more than 1/3 of the grass plant should be cut. If not mowed often enough the grass plant is stunned and the root system stops growing.
  8. 150 Rule – When temperature and the humidity added together are 150 or higher your lawn is at its weakest making it vulnerable to many different diseases. Good turfgrass management practices are especially important at this time. A sharp mower blade is a must! Dull mower blades injure the grass leaf and cause ragged, torn ends which allow moisture to escape and disease to enter. Sharp blades will not only prevent this but will also give a better overall appearance of your lawn.
  9. Dull Mower Blades – The visual quality of turf is greatly reduced with dull mower blades due to shredding of the grass tips, producing a discolored brown cast. Dull mower blades also increase disease susceptibility and the shredded tips of the grass offer more surface area from which water could evaporate. Mower blades should be sharpened every 8-10 hours of actual cutting time.

Eliminate the Conditions that Promote Weeds

Weeds can tell you a lot about the condition of your lawn and indicate what you need to do to grow healthy grass that is more resistant to weeds and pest problems. Understanding weeds for what they indicate about your lawn care practices and soil conditions is actually very simple. Weeds thrive in soil that is compacted, not pH balanced, and in lawns that are improperly mowed, watered, and have been poorly seeded. Below are the most common cultural practices, turf conditions, and soil attributes that can contribute to weed issues.

Cultural Practices:

  • Mowing Height – Bad mowing practices cause many lawn issues. Mowing lower than 1.75 inches can kill the root system by preventing photosynthesis, and mowing with a dull mower blade makes your lawn susceptible to disease. A low mowing height also allows sunlight in for weeds to germinate. Most lawns in our local area are a mix of Fescue and Kentucky Bluegrass. Generally, you should keep a lawn mowed at 3-3½ inches. Mowing high allows the grass to develop deeper, drought-resistant root systems. Do not mow more than 1/3 of the grass blade at a time. Keep your mower blades sharp, mower blades should be sharpened every 8-10 hours of actual cutting time. Grass clipping contain 58% of the nitrogen added from fertilizers, the clippings also improve soil conditions, suppress disease, and reduce thatch and crabgrass. So, do not collect clippings.
  • Watering – Drought conditions, excessive watering or poor drainage, are all invitations for weeds. Watering needs are very site specific, but generally a deep watering of 1 inch to 2 inches in the summer months once a week is the best. Also, watering in the morning is preferred to eliminate evaporation and prevent lawn diseases for establishing.

Turf Conditions:

  • Compaction – Compacted soil is an invitation for weeds. If your lawn is hard, compacted, and full of weeds an annual aeration will help air, water and fertilizer to enter, along with relieving compaction. If you can’t stick a screwdriver easily 6 to 8 inches into your soil, it’s too compacted.
  • Thatch – This is the dense layer of grass stems and roots on the surface of the soil. When thatch layers become ½ inch or more, the roots will grow up within the thatch instead of the soil, making grass susceptible to insects, disease, and weather stress. A thick layer of thatch will also prevent water from going down into the soil by creating a thick blanket where water will just run off and not penetrate down below. Thatch is reduced by aeration or dethatching using a power rake. Contrary to many beliefs, recent research has proven grass clippings do not contribute to thatch buildup.
  • Grass seed – Grass varieties differ enormously in their quality, appearance, resistance to pests, diseases and acceptance to weather conditions. As a lawn becomes dense, it can significantly choke out weeds. Weeds can easily become established in a lawn as a result of using poor quality grass seed blends.

Soil Attributes:

  • Soil testing will determine pH, available nutrients and organic matter percentage, all of which need to be properly balanced for optimum turf conditions and prevention of weeds. The pH scale is from 0 – 14 with 7.0 being neutral. Below 7.0 is considered acidic and above is considered alkaline conditions. Ideal pH should be slightly acidic between 6.5-6.8 for the most optimum lawn conditions. To raise or lower the pH level, a soil test is required to determine necessary amounts of additives such as limestone or sulfur. Adding compost will also change the pH level and is recommended for soil conditions when the pH level is highly buffered or if the organic matter % is below 4%. Turf grasses in our local area require a combination of 16 different nutrients for the optimal growth. Proper balances of these nutrients are required to combat weeds. Lawns with pH issues, excessive amounts or deficient amounts of nutrients and low organic matter % will always have weed issues.