Printer-friendly version

The no-care lawn has yet to be invented. But turf experts utilize these 10 secrets to both trim labor to the minimum; and get great results:

Here are their 10 secrets to beautiful grass

1. Mow frequently with sharp blades. If your hopes include a lush green lawn, the most basic key is frequent cutting, which forces it to grow thick and keep out weeds. Keep your mower blades sharp so the grass isn't beat up and made vulnerable to turf disease.



2. Do not mow too short. Golf courses will mow low for a tight look, but grass that is cut too short responds by growing faster. The lower you mow, the more herbicides and water you will need.
   
   How low to cut your lawn? That depends on your type of grass you have, consider the "one-third rule": Never cut more than a third of the grass height at a time. If your grass is three inches tall, cut only an inch or less. If you cut deeper then you are "scalping" the lawn, which can take two to three mowing cycles to improve.


Mowing high forces the grass roots to grow deep, the deeper the roots, the stronger it becomes and it will resist disease and require less water. Your lawnmower's owner's manual will explain how to change the cutting height.


3. Never, ever mow a wet lawn. Mowing a saturated lawn will compact the soil so the roots cannot breathe. When that happens, the grass may die and you'll get bald spots in your lawn.



4. Mulch the cut clippings into the lawn. Leave all the lawn clippings where they fall. The clippings do a super job of fertilizing the soil. If you cut often, the lawn clippings are short and will work their way back into the soil without becoming brown.



Irrigation


5. Water your lawn deeply and infrequently. The #1 thing homeowners do is overwater, which will build up excess thatch - an unsightly thick mat of tangled roots between the grass blades and soil. Daily watering encourages shallow root growth and wastes water. Instead, water deeply, watching closely to see when more is needed.

Here are the signs it is time to water:



• The soil resists when you push a screwdriver into the ground
• Your grass gets a slightly blue tinge; and
• Footprints across the lawn remain compressed

If you don't have an in-ground irrigation system, a hose sprinkler will work fine. We suggest giving the lawn an inch of water each time you irrigate. Measure by putting an empty tuna can on the grass. When it fills up, move the sprinkler to another spot and start measuring again. Once you know your lawn's needs, you can put the sprinkler on a timer which you can get from any home supply store.

Poor soil composed of too much clay or compacted from heavy traffic won't absorb moisture easily. If water pools up and runs onto the street or sidewalk before your tuna can's full, try this: Water just one third of an inch each night for three nights running, then hold off until it needs it again.

6. Avoid night-time watering. Do not put your lawn to sleep with wet feet. That means to let the grass dry out before the dew falls, because prolonged moisture invites turf disease. The best time to water is before dawn or early morning. You will lose water to evaporation by sprinkling in midday.
Fertilizing your lawn


7. Do not exceed the amount listed on the bag. Over-fertilizing your lawn stimulates extremely fast growth, thatching and also the need for more frequent mowing. Homeowners use far more fertilizer and pesticides than golf courses. Excess fertilizer also is bad for the environment. It washes into streams and lakes, clogging them with algae. Sweep or blow any type of spilled fertilizer into the grass.

   Test your soil every three or four years by sending a sample to a local lab. A test costs around $20 and reveals the contents, including salts, organic matter, phosphorus, nitrates and nitrogen, lime and texture. Then take the results to your local home center garden shop for assistance with determining the right fertilizer and amount to apply.

   Organic fertilizer works slower because they need heat and water to break down so your lawn can absorb them. The USDA does not regulate the term "organic" as it does with food, so ignore the label claims so identify products by reading the key ingredients.

   Ingredient names like ammonium nitrate are a clue the product is probably a synthetic. Organics use stuff in the forms found in nature; dried manure, kelp, blood and bone meal, feather meal or poultry waste. Both types are applied in spring and again in fall. Synthetics do cost less.

8. Never mix your fertilizers types. No matter which type of fertilizer you use, continue with only one. Mixing natural and synthetic will turn out pathetic results.



Pest control Info


9. To grow thick healthy grass - keep out the weeds. The best defense against lawn pests both weeds and disease is to grow a thick, hearty turf. If there only got a few weeds in your lawn, pull them by hand or use a dandelion weeder, a tool with a forked metal end which is available at most home centers. By watching your lawn closely, a small problem will not have the chance to get out of hand.



10. Choosing the right herbicide. If you decide you need real help with a weed problem, there are two types of herbicides you want to choose from:
    
    
    • "Pre-emergents" - prevent weed seeds from germinating and are often applied on an annual basis.
    
    
    
    • "Post-emergents" - are used after the weed is grown to control broadleaf weeds, like dandelions and chickweed. Crab grass, quack grass or even wild varieties of rye or bluegrass are handled by Post-emergents that get by mowing or removal by hand.

    Most all herbicides are synthetic. Natural approaches will involve beefing up the soil to prevent infestation, although corn gluten does both fertilize and stop seed germination and is used as a natural pre-emergent.

    "Weed-and-feed" mixes both fertilizer and synthetic herbicides are popular post-emergents because they are an efficient way to get two jobs done at once. If you've decided on using a synthetic herbicide, try the least-toxic product recommended for the problem you have to deal with.

    Use a small tank sprayer, mix up a minimum amount and spot spray the trouble areas. If after all of this and your yard is dying, brown, or simply not thriving, you could have a disease or insect infestation. Treating diseases and insects is a complex task requiring accurate identification before taking action. Cut a sample of the affected grass, including plenty of roots and some healthy plant tissue, too. Put it in a sandwich bag and take the evidence to a local Co-op Extension service or garden center for help in identifying the problem and the proper approach to fixing it.

Return to top of page

© 2005-2007
LazrWeb