Lawn Care Tips for Beginners

The formula for a good lawn seems like it should be fairly straightforward:

sunlight + water + plant/grass = green lawn

 The truth is a little more complicated. Especially due to the changes in environment, the molecular nutritional needs of plants and the adaptations horticulture as a whole has made to counteract naturally occurring short comings, there are so many more components to encouraging lush lawn growth than one thinks.

To start with...

The first step to consider when initiating a plan to improve your lawn is: what are my goals? Again, the simple answer is “a greener lawn” but is that it, or do you want a fuller lawn, a weed-free lawn, one specific type of grass… the list can go on and on, and although these seem arbitrary details, they are important for prioritizing your steps. The first rule out is whether you need to clear all the existing growth (is it more than 50% weeds) and then re-seed or lay sod, or can you work with what is already there? A consultation with a specialist, such as our estimator here at Jody’s Lawn Care, can help you to make these determinations if you do not feel you are confident in your assessment.

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The Plan

The next step is to build on these decisions. If you feel that there is too large of a weed burden, a non-selective spray should be applied by a registered pesticide user. Jody’s Lawn Care has several team members who are certified to use pesticides, and (although we are limited with what products we can use due to regulations in Ontario) we have a product called Finalsan that we know will reliably kill off the existing vegetation. Once this is completed and at least five days has passed to allow the product to run its course, we can then begin prepping for the new growth. It is strongly recommended that the area is top dressed in clean soil and existing soil is churned up at least 5 inches down. This will ease the ability of seed or sod to become established and push new root growth into the ground. Regardless of whether you decide to lay sod or seed, you want to put down some 6-24-24 fertilizer to aid in the growing process.

There are so many varieties of fertilizer - be sure to select one that suits your lawn's needs.
Image courtesy of www.magnific.com

Crab grass can be a thorn in the side of any great gardener. Since this invasive species is still of the grasses family, since in Ontario we do not have access to any products that will target the crab grass only, we have non-selective sprays that do kill it, but they would also take out your regular grass as well. The best offense is a good defense. The best way to treat crab grass is to manually remove existing growth and then seed, seed, SEED! If we take away the available real estate for the crab grass, it cannot get settled. An additional defense is to apply a pre-emergent product derived from corn gluten. This mechanism does not specifically apply to crab grass seeds only, but it helps to reduce the germination of all seeds on areas where it is applied. Jody’s Lawn Care offers crab grass prevention packages to help manage this menace. It is important to note that timing of applications of corn gluten must be at least two weeks either side of putting down grass seed; we can help you make sure your timing is right!

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Making Decisions and Laying Down Roots

If you decide you want to seed, it is important to ensure that the seed has good surface contact to the soil to aid in germination. When using a spreader to apply seed, ensure the soil has been turned recently so there is a lot of absorbability and air flow; rake the soil prior to ensure it is level and loose. Jody’s Lawn Care utilizes a slitseeding technique that not only enhances the soil to seed contact but also protects seed from being eaten by birds or wildlife. All seeds have an ideal temperature and moisture content to initiate germination and thereby growth; warm days with lots of water in the early morning or evening create a great combination. Seeds still need air flow due to Oxygen intake and CO2 output. Most seeds also germinate better in dark conditions, so inserting the seed below ground level with a slitseeder is doubly beneficial; but, the sunlight needs of seedlings is great, so do not discount light availability!

Sod should be laid in staggered sections, similar to brick work. Both sod and seed need to be watered consistently, with sod needing watering for at least three weeks and seed a minimum of ten days. Both methods do best when each area covered is wetted for at least an hour. This investment, although tedious and sometimes expensive, is worth its weight in gold when it comes to success rates; sometimes we are lucky and Mother Nature helps with rainfall.

Consideration of seed variety is another component that is often forgotten. Although the blends in the store are convenient, cost wise going direct to the supplier and getting a pure variety or custom blend can be beneficial. A campground blend is great for a busy area that does not have great soil quality, or sports complex blend is good for a high traffic/activity area such as backyards. Your average Kentucky bluegrass, fescue and ryegrass blends work well, but the ratios can be altered depending on your goals. Our specialist will be happy to come out and to help you choose what blend is best for you and your property.

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It's All In the Details

Now, if you felt that your lawn could be saved and that you would prefer to manage what you have, rather than starting from scratch, assessment of the weeds is still important. Determining what type of weeds you have (whether crab grass, dandelions, plantain or Creeping Charlie for example) leads to different treatments. Ontario requires that residential properties use only natural products (no chemicals) so there are limitations to the available options. Broadleaf weeds can be addressed with either a vinegar-based solution (a mixture of white vinegar, salt and dish soap works well) or a product like Fiesta (which is the product we highly recommend and utilize in all our weed control packages). Weeds with more root spread, such as Creeping Charlie or Wood Sorrel, can be attacked with a spray but a recommendation of a custom fertilizer application directly after spraying leads to a bolster of growth in the desired turf species. We use a blend formulated specifically for us, but in general a high phosphorus (P), low nitrogen (N) and potassium (K) blend should give good results. Commonly these blends are sold as bloom boosters 15-30-15 or perhaps a transplanter 10-52-10.

After you have addressed the weed situation, you should start feeding your lawn properly. We recommend a minimum of three fertilizations per year, with four being ideal. You want at least three weeks between fertilizer applications to ensure that you do not accidentally burn your lawn. It is also important to not fertilize when the lawn is wet, as this too may lead to a chemical reaction and damage to the turf. Spring, late Spring, and Early Fall are the most important times to fertilize; this is when the lawn is getting established for the year and then preparing for the Winter, respectively. Soil testing to check your soil’s natural nutrient value is beneficial and can help guide you into what supplements or ratios of P, N, K would be best for your lawn; we can take a sample for you and send it to the lab and help you interpret your results.

We apply the first round of fertilizer in the Spring. It is a blend we call “Get Up And Grow” which is higher in P, low in N and moderate in K. This combination aids in bolstering the vegetation and encouraging it to utilize stored nutrients and create new growth. Then in the late Spring we apply a slow-release neutral blend that is equal in all elemental components; this sustains the growth and ensures the grasses are not stressed by nutrient deficiencies and maintains their health, even during heat or drought conditions. In the Summer we apply a liquid fertilizer derived from Kelp. This seaweed fertilizer is full of cytokines to encourage plant growth and maturation, and encourages resistance to disease, improved root mass and growth. Once again, due to Ontario regulations we can only use natural products, and this liquid Kelp has been a great discovery! Finally, we apply a fertilizer in early to mid-Fall. We consider this feeding the lawn before it is put to bed for the Winter. This blend is very low in P with equal amounts of higher N and K. This formula supports root structure and development and provides resistance to Winter temperatures through increasing cold hardiness and disease resistance. Since P generally encourages leafy growth, with Winter coming we do not want to ask a plant to create leaves to be frost bitten! It is a slow-release fertilizer so the grasses can feed on it over the long Winter months and be ready to bounce back in the Spring. If all this sounds like a lot of fertilizer – it is! But your lawn will thank you for it! With our JLC fertilizer and fertilizer/weed spray packages, we can make this schedule easy for you to manage; just let us look after it for you.

Close up image of dandelion leaves

from www.magnific.com

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When It All Comes Together
 

Finally, the cherry on top for a great lawn is to let it grow. Keeping your lawn a little longer (3”-4” in height) reduces the ability of weeds to not only become established, but have their seeds reach the ground when they blow in. Longer grass also maintains better moisture content and heat resistance. When a lawn is kept short it is more open to frictional and solar damage, as well as an easier target for weeds. Be careful how much you water your lawn too. Overwatering can cause just as much damage as a drought! Water no more than once weekly for an established lawn, and as to the amount, well, a visual shared with us was “enough water to fill a tuna can”; this is a system that can be tested by setting an empty tuna can into the path of your sprinkler, then time how long it takes to fill the can.

We hope that our guide has given you an idea of what you need to consider when looking at your lawn with critical eyes. In order to improve your lawn, it is important to understand your goals and how you plan to accomplish them. A green lawn, unfortunately, does not just appear and maintain itself. Through evaluation of weed burden, soil needs, and property uses you can identify what substances or products you need to acquire to help you and figure out the timeline you will need to follow.

If all of this seems to put you out of your depth, but you still want to do better for your lawn, just call us! Jody’s Lawn Care will be mor than happy to help you evaluate your property, make a plan, and do the work for you to improve your lawn’s health.