Herbarium

Suggestions for a healthier, easier to care for lawn

Mowing

• Mow when grass is dry.

• Mow after 6 p.m. – lawn will be cooler then.

• It is best to mow the evening before sprinklers are scheduled to come on.

• Remove no more than 1/3 of the grass blade.

• Alternate mowing direction. For example: one week mow North to South, the next week mow East to West.

• Grass should be allowed to grow 2 1/2 - 3” in summer but can be cut to 1 ½-2” in spring and fall (first and last mowings).This length helps the lawn to be healthier and can shade out many weeds.

• Be sure mower blades are sharp.

• Leave clippings on the lawn. If the lawn is healthy and is mowed properly clippings should break down quickly. Clippings provide nitrogen and organic matter for the lawn. Clippings do not contribute to thatch. Thatch is caused by improper lawn care and synthetic fertilizers.

Watering

• Water before 10 a.m. to avoid evaporation of water before it reaches the soil.

• Early morning watering is preferable to evening.

• Water 1-2” per week – measure sprinkler output by placing tuna cans in various places around the yard and measuring the amount of water during one cycle of Multiply amount in can by number of cycles per watering day.

• Water no more than three times per week. Two is preferable. If you have a sprinkler system you may need to let it cycle two or three times each watering day to prevent runoff and get good penetration. For sandy soils 3 times per week may be necessary.

• Avoid watering if there has been at least 1” of rain on or close to the normal watering day.

• If possible avoid watering on windy days.

• Decide when you want the sprinklers to shut off (by 9 a.m. is best) and count back to figure a start time for your sprinkler system.  For a flat yard with popup sprinklers about 15 minutes per zone cycling through 2 or 3 times. For impact sprinklers usually 30 - 45 minutes per zone is best.
  For a sloped yard a shorter time is usually required to prevent runoff.

Weed and pest control

• Proper watering, mowing, and fertilizing will take care of most insect, disease and weed problems.

• Do not mow blooming dandelions. The flowers will still go to seed.

• Pre-emergent (prevents germination of seeds): corn gluten meal sold under various brand names. From corn syrup processing, this product has been shown to prevent seed germination. It is safe and will also provide some nitrogen for your lawn.

• For best control use in Fall and in Spring. Avoid using on newly seeded lawns.

• The best way to remove most remaining weeds is by digging.

• Synthetic weed killers and fertilizers can damage soil structure and kill earthworms and soil organisms. This contributes to problems with lawn and soil health and can cause thatch problems.

• A new herbicide for lawns containing iron shows promise as a safer weedkiller. Sold by Garden's Alive as IronX and by Scotts under the EcoSense label.

Fertilizing

• Corn gluten meal if there are any weed problems.

• Use organic fertilizers to improve lawn and soil health without harming soil organisms.

• If clippings have been removed more nitrogen fertilizer will need to be applied.

• Kelp and fish emulsion sprayed on lawn every three to four weeks during the growing season provides macro and micro nutrients and helps the lawn to be drought and disease resistant.

• It is normal for Kentucky Blue Grass to look less green during hot weather.

Aerating

• It is best to aerate clay soils once per year.

• Aerating in fall allows water and melting snow to penetrate better.

• After aerating, peat moss, coir (coconut fiber), compost (ideally your homemade compost) or composted manure can be spread and allowed to fill the holes and improve clay or sandy soils. A drop spreader may not work for spreading these items. Compost is best because it will provide some nutrients but peat moss and coir will not.

Other

• Lawns on which chemicals fertilizers and pesticides have been used may require some recovery time before looking their best.

• Weeds in a lawn can provide clues to problems which when corrected reduce those specific weeds.

What you should know about pesticides and herbicides

Copyright 2008 BeunaTomalino – Herbarium

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