LAWN CARE SIMPLIFIED - A Safe and Natural Approach

A Holistic Approach to Lawn Care

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When you purchase a home in North America, there is a good chance that you are  also purchasing the pleasure, or the burden, of maintaining a lawn.  It is remarkable fact that despite having very little actual knowledge about how lawns grow, on any given week during the growing season, literally millions of homeowners are going to be caring for their lawns in some way. They'll be mowing or fertilizing or watering or otherwise trying to maintain or improve the lawn that came with the house. If you think about it, when comes to maintaining your home there is probably nothing as demanding and time consuming as lawn care.  So if you have to do it anyway, why not do it right and get the pleasure of having a really beautiful lawn?

To do things right, you need enough basic lawn care information to allow you to think for yourself on the subject.  Once you know a little bit about how grass actually grows and what makes a good or bad soil, you'll be able to  make the right decisions. You'll know when and how high to cut, and why. You'll know how to water too.  There is no magic formula that gives everyone, everywhere a great lawn.  Lawns are an assemblage of millions of individual plants that really are trying to survive, under diverse conditions and, perhaps, despite poor care. Once you know your basics, you'll know what to do to help your grass thrive. You'll be surprised at how clear the subject becomes.

It is a cause and effect world and this applies to lawns too.  We are not going to focus on lawn problems (effect), but we will look at what may be causing them and how to safely handle them when possible. Many lawn problems are simply symptoms of poor soil or growing conditions, or just poor lawn care practices over the years. But, if things have progressed too far and the only possible thing you can do to save your lawn is apply a chemical pesticide,  we certainly aren't going chastise you for that or even for spot-treating things chemically. What we do ask is that you change your lawn practices so you can try to prevent future need for those pesticides.

The emphasis is on learning what a healthy lawn is, and what you can do to make or keep your lawn healthy.   For the most part, we will use a “natural” approach and will take a look at the many facets that go into creating a healthy lawn, including the soil it grows in.   Let's call this “Holistic Lawn Care”.

My philosophy of lawn care revolves around this statement:

" A healthy lawn growing in a good soil will have good color, will crowd out many weeds and will be highly resistant to disease and insects."

Note, I did not say it will crowd out all weeds and it will never have insects and disease. But, with the right grass type(s), the right care and in good growing conditions you can probably keep out most weeds and other problems. That's my observation, and the observation of many lawn pros who have done natural/organic lawn care extensively.

In the posts to follow, you are going to learn how grass grows, the importance of good soil and what you can easily do to get and keep your lawn and soil healthy.  And you'll find out that everything you probably  already do -mow, water, fertilize- can have a positive or negative effect on your lawn's health depending on whether it is done the right way, or the wrong way.

So, lets learn about lawns.

 

Stuart Franklin is President of Nature’s Lawn & Garden, Inc. (http://www.natureslawn.com) a lawn fertilizing company and on line Web Store , located in the Buffalo, NY area.  He is also the author of Building A Healthy Lawn:  A Safe and Natural Approach (Storey Publications 1988), available through Amazon.com

Copyrighted Materials. No part of this website, its design or any of the content may be used without the expressed permission of the author.

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MID SPRING LAWN TIPS

In the Spring, especially in the North, it seems like all the lawns in the neighborhood look great for a while in terms of color, even if they have weren't fertilized in the fall or this spring. This happens because even the weakest grass stores enough food in the fall to give it a burst of growth in the spring. But in a few weeks, the lawns that have poor soil or insufficient fertilizer will start to fade in color and revert back to their normal weaker and less colorful state.

We know from experience that lawns grown in rich, bio-active soils need less fertilizer to look good. And the opposite is true as well - lawns grown in poor clays or sandy soils need a lot more fertilizer to look good. So the lesson here is that you need to improve your soil, and you need more fertilizer until the soil is improved.

Our best recommendations for soil improvement are:

1. Aerify PLUS applications for compacted or clay soils.

2. Increasing Organic Matter for all soil types.

You Ineed organic matter because that is what gets turned into valuable humus in the soil. Without humus you have sandy or clay “dirt” - not real soil.   Clippings, deep and full roots (that die back seasonally), organic fertilizers, compost and other natural soil amendments are all good ways to increase organic matter. Our Nature's Magic applied heavily will also increase organic matter and is instantly available.

PREMATURE CULTIVATION

At this time of the year we always caution gardeners to be very careful before they dig into a wet clay soil. If done too soon, before the soil is dry enough, the clay turns rock hard and crusty on top. You can read about "premature cultivation" in an article called “ Working With Wet Clay Soils in the Garden” our Special Lawn and Garden Topics section on this site.

Mid Spring Tips

The majority of root growth occurs in the mid spring. This is important because deep and full roots mean a healthier lawn, one that can seek out nutrients and moisture far into the soil even in the summer months. The way you care for your lawn now can either help the lawn get deep-rooted or it can prevent the lawn from getting deep-rooted.

1. MOW HIGH if your grass type can handle it. Some types are low growing and mowing high will cause them to mat up. For most grasses, higher mowing promotes deeper rooting . Get it high, before summer begins, not after it is already hot and dry. A higher mowed lawn shades itself and the soil below it. Aside from needing less water, it will also have a cooling affect on your yard.

2. DON'T MOW TOO MUCH OFF AT ONCE. Instead of mowing the lawn, get the idea that you should be trimming the lawn. Never cut more than 1/3 of the leaf blade at once or you will shock the grass. This usually occurs when you wait too long before mowing. If you mow high and often, the clippings should be short and you can (and should) leave them on the lawn. A mulching blade would be best.

3. WHEN THE LAWN BEGINS TO DRY OUT, water deeply or don't water and let the grass go dormant. It is your choice. Most grass types will recover fine from dormancy when the rains come again, if the grass is healthy and deep rooted. But if the grass needs help or you want the grass to stay green longer into the summer, be prepared to water Light watering doesn't penetrate deeply into the root zone, especially when you have clay soil or thatch. You should water for 2-3 hours at a time, giving the grass an inch of water once a week. When the grass senses lack of water in the soil, it will shut down the top growth in order to conserve moisture. Visible signs of your grass being too dry are a bluish tint to the grass and thinner looking leaf blades. Also, when you walk across a dry lawn you will see footprints.

4. TREAT THATCH. A thick layer of thatch will prevent water and root penetration into the soil. Lawns with thatch dry out quickly and need more watering. Thatch will provide a home fore fungus and insects and from our experience, it is simply a disaster waiting to happen. A real Thatch layer can't be removed by hand or machine without ripping out the lawn. Our Biological Dethatcher applications will supply thatch-eating microbes to your soil, and these will decompose the Thatch and turn it into valuable humus. Good soil aeration is vital if you want thatch to decompose.  If you want to know more about Thatch, you can read about it in our Special Lawn and Garden Topics section on this site.

Written by Stuart Franklin, president of Nature's Lawn and Garden, Inc.  www.natureslawn.com
All rights reserved

WEED CONTROL RECIPES

This section is for people who are looking for non-pesticide ways to get rid of existing weeds. This will be an open forum, meaning we'd like to hear from you if you have found something that works and are willing to share it with the gardening world.  In other posts we will talk about building up and balancing the soil and improving overall grass health as deterrents to weeds.  We want to limit this section to home remedies or natural products that have shown good results.

Here are a couple of recipes that have worked for us:

GROUND IVY RECIPE

Borax laundry powder contains the element boron, one of the minor plant nutrients.  Excessive boron is toxic to plants.  However, University of Iowa research found that Ground Ivy ( creeping charlie) is more sensitive to boron than northern turfgrasses.

By applying Borax at a rate that is toxic to Ground Ivy, but not strong enough to kill turfgrass, you can safely eliminate some of this invasive weed. You may also get some dieback on clover and a few other weeds.

Precautionary note.  Do not use a watering can to apply. Use a pump or hand sprayer only.    If your lawn turns yellow from the borax, water thoroughly to move the boron through the soil.  Do not treat again if the lawn is sensitive to the borax.

Recipe:

Mix 10 oz. (1 1/4^th cup) of Borax in 1 gallon of hot water in a hand pump sprayer. Shake or stir really well until completely dissolved.  Then mix in a tablespoon of dish soap.

Apply in the morning  before the ground ivy is baked from the heat. Or apply in the evening after sunset. Set your sprayer to a fine spray pattern.  Simply coat all visible Ground Ivy with your spray solution.  One gallon should cover up to 1000 sf.     Repeat the application in two weeks if the grass shows no sign of boron sensitivity (yellowing).

For small areas using a hand spray bottle, dissolve 5 teaspoons of Borax in a quart of water.  This will cover 25 square feet.

ALL-PURPOSE VEGETATION KILLER.   Caution – this will kill grass too!

Recipe:

Bring one gallon of white vinegar to a boil, add one cup of regular table salt and simmer until the salt dissolves. Cool the mixture. When cool, add 8 drops of liquid dish soap and mix or stir it in.

The easiest way to apply is to pour into a hand sprayer or pump sprayer and spray the leaves of undesirable plants.  You may have to repeat these applications once or twice a few days apart. Apply early in the day before the heat closes the pores of the plants. 

DO NOT use a sprayer if you are trying to kill weeds in a lawn or weeds that are nestled in between desirable plants. You'll kill the grass or plants too.  Instead, get a small paintbrush and paint the leaves of the unwanted plant with your solution. (This paintbrush idea will also work for those of you who want to use Round-up on weeds or undesirable grass types in the lawn).

Never pour this solution on garden or lawn areas.  The excessive salt could ruin the soil and prevent anything at all from growing.

Written by Stuart Franklin, President of Nature's Lawn & Garden, Inc.   All rights reserved.

Water Wisdom Part 1

Water becomes more precious with each passing year.  As a gardener or homeowner, it is imperative to know as much as possible about using water wisely and doing what you can to improve your lawns, plants and soils so as to obtain the best possible water management. The holistic approach  asks that you see how all things interact. Choosing the best grass for your climate, giving it the best care to promote health and deep rooting, and improving the soil so it holds water better are all going to influence your water needs.

According to an article in last years' USA Today, entitled A Drought For the Ages, one third of the country is experiencing drought, and in some areas this has been going on for nearly a decade!  For those living where water is in short supply, the use of it for lawn care is controversial. Many communities have a ban on lawn watering in one form or another. When there is a lack of water - whether short term or long, it is going to affect your soil and everything that grows in it.

If you are living in an area where lawns can not grow without daily watering , we suggest finding an alternative to grass for your ground cover.  In most areas of the country there are grass types that are suited for your climate and will actually survive without watering at all, or  with just a bit of water to help it through weather extremes.  They may go dormant for part of the year, but they'll survive. We will cover the subject of  “choosing your grass type” in a later section.

 

The Need For Water

Grass plants have to take in most of their basic nutrients dissolved in water and through their roots.  Without enough water in the soil, a lawn can't get to the nutrients it needs for food production, growth, defense and reproduction. In this situation, the grass  normally shuts down, dries out on top and goes dormant.  When dormant, it is not very attractive to most insect and disease organisms.   The grass will come back to life when there is sufficient soil moisture. It is actually better for grass health to let it go completely dormant than to keep it just barely green and growing with light watering.

Keep in mind that water is not just to keep your lawn green - water is also needed when you want to keep the soil improvement processes going.  If you are working on improving your soil with organics, compost or any of the soil improvement products on our site at natureslawn.com, you want to keep the soil somewhat moist.  When soils dry out, earthworms disappear and microbial  activity and thatch decomposition ceases. It doesn't begin again until there is sufficient moisture in the ground.

Hold Off Watering Too Early In the Spring

This applies more to northern lawns.  There is no point in watering the lawn before the grass actually needs it, and there is some benefit to delaying watering. You want to get the roots of the grass to dig deeper for water as the soil dries out. If the soil is constantly saturated with water, the roots won't have the incentive to go deep. If you want to know how dry the soil is, dig into it with a spade to see for yourself.

Begin watering your lawn when soil has dried out well into the root zone. This will usually mean 3-4 inches deep on a healthy lawn. (Higher mowed grasses should have deeper roots.)  When the grass needs water it will take on a bluish or darker tint from wilting. It will also start to show footprints after you've walked over it.

 

The Best Time to Water

Watering in the morning, before the heat sets in is considered the best possible time to irrigate a lawn. The next best time is late afternoon/early evening when the sun's rays are less intense. Night time watering is generally frowned upon due to higher disease potential. However, if you are in a heat wave and night time temps are staying above 70, there should be not problem.

Mid day watering is also fine if the sun is not out.  And even if the sun is out and baking the grass, watering at that time won't hurt the lawn. Contrary to what you may have heard, there is no magnifying glass effect of water that is going to burn a grass by concentrating the sunlight. The reason for not watering in the heat of mid day is simply that you are going to waste some water due to evaporation.   

 

Water Wisdom Part 2

How Much Water?

Homeowners are always asking questions like   “How long should I water?” or “How many inches should I water?”. There is no pat answer for this question, of course, due to all the variables that can affect your water needs throughout the season(s). However, if you want a ball park figure for watering, turf pros generally agree that the amount of water a lawn requires (whether through rain or through your sprinkler)  is ¾ - 1 inch per week. This amount is for lawns that are actively growing and not dormant or in a slow growth stage.

Determining your rate of Water Flow

All homeowners should have an idea of how much water is coming out when they turn their sprinkler on. Here is how to figure it out:

Set out a four or more wide mouth containers (such as pots or tuna cans) on the grass, spaced evenly within the spray pattern of your sprinkler.  Then turn your sprinklers on and run for twenty minutes (or 1/3 of an hour).  Then measure the amount of water in each can with a ruler.  Figure out the average amount of water per can after taking all the measurements.  Then multiply by 3. This will tell you, once and for all, how many inches of water you get per hour of sprinkling -assuming your water pressure doesn't change.  If you are having trouble with this, go to  http://www.ipm.ucdavis.edu/TOOLS/TURF/MAINTAIN/output.html

 

By placing the containers in various spots, you'll also be able to note whether the spray pattern of the sprinkler is distributing the water evenly and whether you may need to make some adjustments or do some overlapping when you move the sprinklers around.

IF you want to water like a pro, you need to actually take a look at the soil in the root zone (3-5 inches deep for most home lawns) of the grass occasionally to see if it is moist, dry or over-saturated. Step on a spade and push it back and you can see where the dry soil begins and ends.  Get to know your yard, your soil type and where the dry and wet areas are. You  need to be aware of conditions that will affect the moisture content and make adjustments as needed.

 

Here are some factors that will influence your water needs:

Amount of actual rainfall. Most people are fooled by rains and think they are getting more water than they really do get. A rain gage is a good, cheap tool to have.

Temperatures. This is obvious. Higher temperatures mean faster drying conditions. It may also speed up grass growth for a while, and that will also increase water absorption by the grass.

Wind. If you are in a windy location there is going to be a lot of water loss due to evaporation.

Tree root competition. Trees can take an enormous quantity of water out of the ground and their roots will go right into the lawn area if that is the only place where it can find water easily. Lawns on the south side of trees dry out extremely fast. You need to compensate for the tree's water needs when you water your lawn.

Soil Compaction.  All soils, whether sandy, clay-like or beautiful loams, will absorb water less deeply when they are compacted.

Water sits on top of a compacted Clay soil.

Soil Quality – Clay versus Sandy Soils.  There is a huge difference between the way sandy soils handle water and the way clays handle water. Here is what you need to know:

Clay soils are made up of microscopic size rock particles that bond together somewhat magnetically. There is little to no airspace between these particles, and water penetrates through very slowly, completely saturating the soil with very little “free water” left for plants. They tend to swell up when wet and shrink back when dry, often forming cracks in the soil and squeezing or tearing roots.

   Denser clay soils can be very hygroscopic -  meaning water binds to it so tightly that roots cannot absorb it. This is why clay soils usually need more water than you would imagine to keep plants from wilting.  If your clay soil feels wet, but your grass or garden plants are wilting, you probably have a hygroscopic clay soil that is going to need more water until the soil is improved.

Sandy soils, on the other hand, have larger, visible rock particles in them – perhaps 1000 to 2000 times larger than clay particles. Unless extremely compacted, there is a lot of airspace between sand particles. Water infiltrates sand quickly and deeply and there is more “free water” available for grass and plant roots to grab. If you want an analogy in terms of size and free airspace, think of sandy soil as a barrel of basketballs and clay soil as a barrel of marbles.

On a medium textured sandy soil, an inch of water can penetrate down to 12 inches, in just 2-3 hours. On a medium-clay soil, an inch of water may only penetrate about 4 inches deep, and it would take 6 hours or longer to get that deep.  Puddling or runoff is a real problem on clay soils.  In terms of drying out, as you may suspect, sandy soils dry out  much faster than clay soils.

Silt is a very small soil particle between sand and clay size. It has more of a sand physical appearance, but tends to compact and tighten up more like clays when it makes up most of a soil.

Loam soils are a nice mix of sand, clay, silt and organic matter.  If not badly compacted they will absorb, hold onto and release water in a more ideal fashion. Depending on amounts of each particle, you can have clay loams, sandy loams or silt loams.   Soil types will be discussed more thoroughly in a later section.

 

What does this all mean to you?

We said earlier, the suggested amount of weekly water for lawns is about ¾ - 1 inch of water.  Since an inch of water on a sandy soil goes perhaps 12 inches deep (and your grass roots are only perhaps 3-6 inches deep), it would be better to water a sandy soil lawn 2  to 3 times a week, putting down ½ -1/3 of an inch respectively.

If you have a nice loamy soil, or clay loam soil, you can put down an inch at a time, once a week.  But, if you have a more hygroscopic and water-absorbing clay,  you may need more water than what we suggest. And it might be better to break it up into 2-3 waterings a week, just like with a sandy soil. If you find that the water is puddling or running off at all, you should break up your watering into a few stages on the same day. giving it some time to penetrate deeper between each watering. You can also use our Aerify liquid soil conditioner or our  Aerify PLUS products to improve water penetration.  Spraying the lawn with dish soap before watering can also help.  Increasing soil organic matter, so more humus is formed, will also result in better soil water management.

Improving soil quality is vital when you have a clay or sandy soil. Finding better soil improvement methods and products has been part of our company's mission for over 30 years. You can read more about our soil improvement products at www.natureslawn.com

As we have said many times before this, you need to look at the lawn and soil in front of you. See things for yourself and don't just follow the “rules”.  If you have determined your rate of water flow (above), you know how many inches of water your lawn gets per hour. You should then test your water penetration by letting the soil dry out and then seeing how far water penetrates with ½ to 1 hour of sprinkling.  Then you'll have a clearer picture of your soil density and drainage, and will know how long you actually need to water to saturate the root zone. Finally, watch for wilting so you'll know when to water for sure.

To read an interesting article by David M. Kopec, on how the physical properties of your soil affect your water needs, go to:          http://turf.arizona.edu/tips1095.html

Stuart Franklin is President of Nature’s Lawn & Garden, Inc. (http://www.natureslawn.com) a lawn fertilizing company and on line Web Store , located in the Buffalo, NY area.  He is also the author of Building A Healthy Lawn:  A Safe and Natural Approach (Storey Publications 1988), available through Amazon.com

Copyrighted Materials. No part of this website, its design or any of the content may be used without the expressed permission of the author.

 

 

Organic Agriculture Can Feed The World

If you are interested in safe and natural lawn care, chances are that you are also interested in Organic foods and how they are grown.  I've been growing vegetables organically since 1971 and it was that experience that led me to believe that lawns could be cared for organically too.

This link will take you to a great article I read in Acres USA ( North America's "Voice For Eco-Agricuture" ) a number of years ago.  With the costs of synthetic chemical fertilizers going through the roof, this article makes an even stronger case for Organic Agriculture today than it did in 2004.

http://www.acresusa.com/toolbox/reprints/OrganicAgSaveWorld_Jan04.pdf

Support this blog by visiting our site at www.natureslawn.com

Stuart Franklin is president of Nature's Lawn & Garden, Inc. and author of the book Building A Healthy Lawn: A Safe and Natural Approach (Storey Publishing 1988) , available at amazon.com

Lawn Season Begins in the Fall

While many homeowners think of fall as the end of the gardening year and begin to neglect their yards, lawn pros see the fall as the beginning of lawn season, and do what they can to improve the lawn and soil quality at this time.

In the fall, especially in the North, lawns have the opportunity to re-build, repair and thicken up after going through the stresses of summer. The lawn attempts to expand its root system at this time, digging in and getting to more of the soil nutrients. It also increases blade growth, making more carbohydrates ( food) and some of this food is stored for spring and summer use. In our lawn service business we save our heaviest fertilizing of the year for the early to mid fall.

Fall conditions are usually more favorable for seeding too. The weather should be cooler and moister, and there will be less weed and disease pressure to contend with.

FALL LAWN CARE TIPS

SOIL IMPROVEMENT.  Fall is a great time to add the necessary nutrients your soil test recommends. Liming is a good idea but only if your soil is actually acidic.  Unfortunately, many people lime soils religiously without testing their pH, and too much lime can be detrimental. Do a pH test before liming please.

Topdressing with compost is a great way to improve organic matter, humus and soil bio-life. However, if you have a very compacted or clay-like soil, one with poor drainage,  the response to compost will be a lot slower than you'd think.  Lack of air in the soil (anaerobic conditions) means that most of the beneficial soil microbes will have a hard time surviving. So,  perhaps the best thing you can do for your soil if it is compacted or clay-like, would be to improve the soil aeration in the root zone and below. Typical core aeration machines will not do much to change a clay soil, unless you topdress heavily with compost afterwards.

In our opinion, the best and fastest way to improve soil structure and drainage (aside from tilling in compost) is with our Aerify PLUS liquid aerator and soil bioactivator. By improving soil aeration and drainage, it will be easier for roots of established grass and new seed to penetrate into the subsoil.  Additionally, an aerated and bioactive soil will makes more of the locked up soil nutrients available to the grass.

A Thatch problem (read All About Thatch), is an indication of a soil that is not biologically active and probably lacking in earthworms too.  Real thatch, unlike heavy clippings, can't be just raked out of the lawn, but it will decompose if your soil is improved. You can use our Biological Dethatcher  in conjunction with Aerify PLUS applications to add specific thatch degrading microbes and enzymes to the soil.  Use the Dethatcher up until the temperatures are consistently in the 40s. At that point microbial activity and thatch decomposition (other than by earthworms) slows way down.

SEEDING / RENOVATION.  There are many reasons to over-seed your lawn. Aside from thickening it up, you can introduce newer, more heat, insect and disease tolerant grass types.  If your lawn is thin or has a poor color grasses, you could use some renovation.  The fall is the absolute best possible time to seed your lawn in the North.  Get new grass seed established in the fall and it will thicken further in the spring. Seed any bare or thin areas now and up till early October. A simple overseed, if your lawn does not have a thatch barrier, can be done this way:  Spread seed over the existing grass, water heavily to work the seed down to the soil.  Then keep the soil damp for a few weeks. A lot of this seed will take hold especially if you spray Aerify PLUS right after seeding.

If you want to do a professional quality over-seed, try to find a place that rents Slit-Seeding Machines (sometimes called lawn renovators) or have a landscaper use one on your lawn.  This machine cuts grooves into the soil about 1 ½ inches apart, and drops the seed into them.  You get better soil/seed contact and a higher germination rate. Apply a Starter Fertilizer when seeding, or use our 10-8-8 or 6-14-6.

MOWING.

First of all, check to see that your blades are sharp after a season of cutting.  The grass is often wetter in the fall due to weather changes and you need a sharp blade to cut wet grass and leaves cleanly.  Also, check under the mower regularly to see if the grass has clumped up under the mower deck.  This clumping will prevent proper suction and will cause poor cutting.  Remove the clumps with a stick or putty knife or whatever will work for you. Be careful not to cut yourself and tilt the mower so the gas doesn't pour out when you do this.  Remove the spark plug cable if you can or unplug your mower if it is an electric type.

Keep the grass fairly high into the early fall (unless your lawn is mostly bentgrass or a grass type that normally gets cut shorter). This will help the grass root deeper, thicken up and build up food reserves. If you don't have a mulching mower, try to double cut any clippings that are matting on top of the grass, or bag them.

Don't start mowing short just because the weather turns cooler. Lawn season is not over yet!

    When the lawn's growth begins to slow down, that is your signal to begin mowing shorter.  Gradually lower the mowing height so it is 1 ½  high or less before winter.  Bentgrass lawns can be cut even shorter. 

Keep leaves from matting on the grass and avoid unnecessary foot traffic or heavy machines when the soil is soft and wet. This compacts the ground, makes ruts and causes future weeds. And, stay off the grass when a light frost covers the lawn. The grass is very susceptible to injury at this time.

WINTERIZER   In the North, a late fall nitrogen fertilizing, after lawn growth comes to a halt, can benefit the lawn's health and improve rooting. This is what is known as a winterizer, and according to Cornell's turf advisories this as one of the three best fertilizings of the year. You want to use a quick acting fertilizer for this so the grass can absorb the nutrients fast. Latest research indicates that Nitrogen is the key nutrient to use, and not Potassium as previously thought. Again, wait until the grass stops growing before doing a winterizer.

SHRUB & TREE CARE

Shrubs and trees will also benefit from some good fall care. The first thing to do is make sure they are not stressed by lack of water. Lack of water will cause roots to wither and die off. Leaves won't be able to produce food through photosynthesis without water, and they will wilt and drop way too early.  The soil needs to be saturated at least a foot deep to get to most of the "feeder" roots of a tree.

If you live in the South, you can fertilize trees and shrubs throughout the year with granular or liquid fertilizers. Many liquid fertilizers, like our Bio-Enhanced Liquid Fertilizers and Fish Emulsion can be applied both foliarly,  or as a soil drench around the root area of your plants or trees. Add in some Aerify if you are doing a soil drench to help it penetrate faster and to help condition the soil around the root zone of your trees and shrubs.

In the North, hold off on any more tree fertilizing as soon you notice that the leaves are starting to change color. Instead, wait until the trees are dropping leaves or have already dropped their leaves, and fertilize before the snow comes. We call this Dormant Feeding, and it is one of the best possible times to fertilize trees and shrubs. You can fertilize quite heavily and it should last through most of next year.

Stuart Franklin is president of Nature's Lawn & Garden, Inc and author of the book Building A Healthy Lawn- A Safe and Natural Approach (Storey Publishing 1988)

Improving Clay Soil Under A Lawn

Clay soils create problems in both gardens and lawns. By definition, clay soils are compacted.  They stay soggy when wet, and turn rock hard when they dry out in the summer. When soils are "tight", necessary air, water and nutrients can not move through the soil. Disease occurs. Roots are stunted. Beneficial micro-organisms can't survive. Plants are stressed and weakened, while specific weeds are actually encouraged.

Improving clay in garden beds is normally accomplished by tilling or mixing organic matter –such as compost, peat moss, cocoa shells etc...into the clay 4-12 inches deep or more. This process, if done right, can immediately improve soil aeration and drainage, and can help create humus over time as beneficial soil microbes break down the organic matter. *

But, if you have a lawn clay situation, there is no way to till in organic matter down deep without tilling up the lawn. The standard advice is to top dress the lawn with compost, leave the clippings, fertilize organically and wait... and wait... for all of that organic matter to eventually break down, convert to humus and help restructure the soil. The denser the clay, the longer it will take – often years.

The problem with dense clays, unlike sandy or loamy soils, is that they mostly consist of microscopic mineral particles that are very tightly bonded, with little to no air space between them. The microbes that break down organic matter need air to survive. The only air you'll have when working with lawn clay is going to be at the surface. So, the surface soil will improve first, and little by little the clay will change deeper - but only if the soil is bioactive.

A Thatch situation is a sure sign that your soil is not aerated and bio-active enough to break down organic matter.

A Faster Solution

Lawns growing in dense clays are often poor color, thin and weedy. Adding organic matter or compost to the top of such a lawn may eventually improve the lawn clay, but it takes a lot of patience. The whole process can be speeded up by creating temporary pores and channels in the clay with Aerify PLUS –Liquid Soil Aerator and Bioactivator. (Yes, we are promoting our product, but frankly, it is a real difference maker)

Aerify PLUS breaks apart clay bonds to create microscopic airspace deep into the clay. Each application can work deeper. It also helps generate and feed beneficial soil microbes of all types (including mycorrhizae) at the same time. It helps improve drainage in your lawn clay, encourages deeper rooting, frees up nutrients and water in the root zone and helps move organic matter deeper into the soil.

Once your lawn clay begins to open up, the soil becomes healthier and earthworms will start to appear in your soil in greater numbers. Earthworms will enhance and speed up the soil improvement process because they aerate the soil as the tunnel up and down. They also digest thatch and other organic matter in the soil and convert it into humus and rich, fertile castings.

If your lawn is growing in a poor clay soil, it will always be prone to the problems that come with clay -  compaction, poor drainage, fungus, moss, weeds, poor nutrient availability and color, root-stress and a host of other undesirable conditions.  Improve the clay and you will improve the lawn. It is as simple as that.

FYI, I treated my own lawn organically for many years and top dressed with compost as well. Though the top 4-5 inches eventually got pretty good, the clay underneath remained gray and sticky. After a few seasons of treating with Aerify PLUS, it was as if all the organics that I had put in the soil finally became were able to be utilized down deep where I wanted it to go.  My lawn clay soil became dark and crumbly more than 1½ feet deep- and earthworms abound. 

*See Working With Wet Clay Soils in the Garden

Stuart Franklin is President of Nature’s Lawn & Garden, Inc. (http://www.natureslawn.com) a lawn fertilizing company and on line Web Store , located in the Buffalo, NY area.  He is also the author of Building A Healthy Lawn:  A Safe and Natural Approach (Storey Publications 1988), available through Amazon.com

Copyrighted Materials. No part of this website, its design or any of the content may be used without the expressed permission of the author.

 

All About Crabgrass

Crabgrass is one of the most commonly mis-identified lawn weeds. Lawn novices tend to call any thick-bladed grass, that is standing out in their otherwise fine bladed lawn, crabgrass. But sometimes the thicker bladed grass is just another lawn grass variety that was planted on a neighbor’s lawn or in the park around the corner.  In the photo below we have a clump of tall fescue – not crabgrass. 

 

 

Because it is thick bladed and much more heat and drought tolerant, it sticks out like a sore thumb in midsummer.

 

 

 

 

 

Here is what true crabgrass actually looks like. (You can also google "crabgrass" while in google images to see what it looks like in various stages.)

 

 

 

 

As you can see, it is not growing upright like most lawn grasses. It grows in a more prostrate fashion, close to the ground. The stems extend out like legs of a crab. It a lighter color (typically blue-green or yellow-green) than the desirable lawn grasses.

 

Crabgrass sprouts annually from seeds dropped the previous summer/fall. The seeds germinate when the soil has warmed up well – typically mid to late spring through early summer. The soil temperature needs to get to 55-60 degrees and stay there for about a week before crabgrass will sprout.  In warmer climates it can sprout as early as February. 

 The crabgrass weakens the turf around it through root toxins and covers the grass in an unsightly circular patch (see below).

 

 

 

It produces numerous seeds and proceeds to drop them in the summer or early fall. 

 Crabgrass, which is an annual (grows for just one season) dies off soon after it has dropped its seeds, or as soon as it is hit by a frost. It shrivels up and pretty much disappears by the end of winter.  You will not see any crabgrass on the lawn in early spring if the lawn was hit by frost.  If you do see a clump of thick bladed grass in early spring, it is not crabgrass.

Preventing Crabgrass Naturally

Crabgrass can often be prevented by simply learning what it likes and dislikes, and then changing some things about your soil and how you take care of the lawn. I have seen numerous instances where crabgrass infestation stops at the property line of neighboring yards. I've also seen plenty of instances where lawns have been treated with chemical crabgrass preventer (pre-emergent) and crabgrass still sprouts, due to poor lawn or soil care. 

Below are some things you can do to prevent crabgrass naturally.

Mow high. Crabgrass likes warm soil and sunlight. It doesn't grow in shady areas. Thick, taller lawns keep the soil cooler and prevent sunlight from reaching the soil. When you mow too short you allow the sun to reach the soil and warm it up faster than it should. You also weaken the lawn with short mowing, making it easier for crabgrass to take over.

Avoid scalping the edges of the lawn along walks and driveways or beds. Check the All About Mowing part 4 on our site to see how to mow edges properly  Not only do people scalp lawns by incorrect mowing, but they also scalp the edges with weed wackers. Doing this is a sure way to promote Crabgrass. It shortens and weakens the grass and causes the soil to bake by the concrete.

Water ahead of Crabgrass season.  If your lawn has plenty of moisture and is actively growing, it will be difficult for crabgrass to establish.  Unfortunately, the typical homeowner won't water the lawn until it absolutely needs it - which is often late spring or early summer, about the same time crabgrass is ready to sprout. If the lawn is dried out, the blades are thinner and the grass may even be going into a dormant state or already. It is not going to compete or crowd out crabgrass very well in this state.

The typical homeowner eventually sees that the lawn is really dry and gives it a good soaking. But the grass will take a few days or more (some grasses will take weeks) to recuperate and begin growing again. In the meantime, the crabgrass seeds in the ground soak up the water and sprout before the grass has had time to thicken up.

Seed early and late. A thick lawn keeps out crabgrass.  Thin or bare areas invite crabgrass in.  Some grasses spread rapidly through either above or below-ground runners, and fill in bare spots. Other types won't spread much and simply need more plants to get the lawn thicker. In the spring you can get grass seed growing at least a few weeks before the soil is warm enough for Crabgrass to sprout. In the fall, after the crabgrass dies, there is usually plenty of time to seed all the thin areas of the lawn. 

 

Improve Your Soil

Crabgrass loves compacted soil and clay. It also tolerates salt and other toxins and thrives in very dry as well as over-wet soil. Organic fertilizers, compost and other amendments can help change your soil structure.  By treating the yard heavily with Aerify PLUS, you will help detoxify, aerate, relieve soil compaction and make crabgrass less likely to sprout. 

Lime if needed.  By improving your pH you will help get more nutrients to the grass, along with the Calcium that lime contains.  More nutrients equals a healthier, more aggressive lawn.  You can use a pelletized garden lime, or a Liquid Lime.

 

   Also, make sure you water areas that tend to bake, like the curb section or wherever the grass dries out fast. In dry areas the desirable grass will weaken and thin out, making it easier for crabgrass to fill in.  

Fertilize properly. As we said earlier, A thick lawn keeps out crabgrass.  Good fertilizing will thicken the grass, making it harder for crabgrass to sprout.  The key time to make sure fertilizer is available, when it comes to crabgrass, is after the initial spring flush of growth.   You want to keep the grass growing aggressively before and during the time that crabgrass is trying to sprout. If you are using fast acting fertilizer, make sure to apply at this time.

 

 

 

 

If you are using a slow release, organic or natural lawn fertilizer, you can fertilize heavily in the spring and it can have a profound affect on crabgrass prevention. It will keep the lawn thick and green and spreading for a few months.  For crabgrass prevention purposes we suggest applying whatever formulation you use in a way that ends up with up to 2 lbs of nitrogen per 1000 sf by mid-spring. This can be split into an early and mid-spring application, or just one very heavy early spring fertilizing.  If it is a slow-release organic fertilizer, it will not burn. 

 

 

 

Corn Gluten Meal is a popular natural fertilizer that also has substances in it that are purported to inhibit crabgrass and other weed seed germination.  We have had fair to decent results using it. I'm I not sure how much those results are due to the weed inhibitor and how much are due to the heavy fertilizing it gives in one shot. The product is only effective when you apply at least 20 lbs per 1000 sf, which equates to approximately the same 2 lbs. of nitrogen that we mentioned above. 

Summary

If you want to have a lawn that doesn't get crabgrass, you need to get aggressive. Ideally you would create a well-aerated soil and healthy soil that holds moisture due to good structure and humus. The roots of the grass would dig in deeply, and would be slow to dry out.

The lawn would be well-fertilized in the spring so it gets nice and thick. Any bare or thin spots would be seeded early.  It would also have plenty of soil moisture to keep it actively growing when crabgrass season has begun.  

The lawn would be tall, which helps shade the soil and also helps with deeper rooting. There would be no scalped edges inviting crabgrass to establish.   If the grass is a shorter mowed type, it would be so thick that it still would have a dense canopy to shade and keep out crabgrass.

And finally, in the fall, any areas of lawn that are thin or bare would be seeded.

 

Stuart Franklin is president of Nature's Lawn & Garden, Inc.   www.natureslawn.com 

All Rights Reserved

 

 

 

 

Early Fall Lawn Tips

LAWN SEASON BEGINS IN THE FALL

While many homeowners think of fall as the end of the gardening year and begin to neglect their yards, lawn pros and organic gardeners see the fall as the beginning of lawn season, and do what they can to improve the lawn and soil quality at this time.

In the fall, especially in the North, lawns have the opportunity to re-build, repair and thicken up after going through the stresses of summer. The lawn attempts to expand its root system at this time, digging in and getting to more of the soil nutrients. It also increases blade growth, making more carbohydrates (food) and some of this food is stored for spring and summer use.
 

In the Fall, conditions are usually more favorable for seeding too. The weather should be cooler and moister, and there will be less weed and disease pressure to contend with.

FALL LAWN CARE TIPS

EARLY FALL FERTILIZING.  In our lawn service business, we save our heaviest fertilizing of the year for the early fall. This stimulates growth and helps the grass send out tillers and runners to fill in thin spots. It also helps the grass produce the food that it stores to help it through the winter and which gets off to a good start in the spring.

SOIL IMPROVEMENT.  Clay and soil compaction can prevent your lawn from being healthy even when you are doing everything else right.  With a porous, bio-active soil, the grass roots can become fuller and can go deeper.  When the soil has better structure, the naturally occurring soil nutrients, as well as the nutrients from your fertilizers, become more easily available to the grass and other plants in your yard. 

    Our company uses a liquid soil conditioner called Aerify PLUS to help aerate and bio-activate soils, and to provide some readily available organic matter.  (As a matter of disclosure, we developed and sell this product on-line).  Other traditional methods of soil improvement we recommend are compost top-dressing, Lime (if soils test acidic) and granular organic fertilizers.

AERATION. Our company stopped doing Core Aerations about 10 years ago. We felt we could do a lot more for the soil and grass by doing "Liquid Aerations" instead.  We use the same Aerify PLUS for our Liquid Aerations.  If you would like to read more on this click on this link:  Notes on Core Aeration

THATCH.  Thatch is not just old grass clippings sitting on top of the lawn.  Real thatch is a tightly matted barrier that could not be raked off without tearing up the lawn. Here is a good picture of real thatch:

 

We believe the best way to get rid of thatch is to get it to decompose from the soil line upwards. The soil temperatures are warm enough through much of the fall for decomposition.  But decomposition doesn't happen unless you have an aerated and bioactive soil (see above).  Read more about this and Biological Dethatching on one of our Special Topics posts called   All About Thatch.

SEEDING / RENOVATION.  There are many reasons to over-seed your lawn. Aside from thickening it up, you can introduce newer, more heat, insect and disease tolerant grass types.  If your lawn is thin or has a poor color grasses, you could use some renovation.  The early fall is the absolute best possible time to seed your lawn if you live in the north.  Get new grass seed established in the early fall and it will thicken further in the spring. Seed any bare or thin areas now and up till early October.

 A simple overseed, if your lawn does not have a thatch barrier, can be done this way:  Spread seed over the existing grass, water heavily to work the seed down to the soil.  Then keep the soil damp for a few weeks. A lot of this seed will take hold especially if you spray Aerify PLUS right after seeding.

 If you want to do a professional quality over-seed, try to find a place that rents slit-seeding machines (sometimes called lawn renovators).  This machine cuts grooves into the soil about 1 ½ inches apart, and drops the seed into them.  You get better soil/seed contact and a higher germination rate. Apply a Starter Fertilizer when seeding, or use our 10-8-8.

MOWING.  Keep the grass fairly high into the early fall (unless your lawn is mostly bentgrass-which needs to be cut shorter). This will help the grass root deeper, thicken up and build up food reserves. Don’t start mowing short just because the weather turns cooler. Lawn season is not over yet!
    

    When the lawn’s growth begins to slow down, that is your signal to begin mowing shorter.  Gradually lower the mowing height so it is 1 ½ “ high or less before winter.  Bentgrass lawns can be cut even shorter.  Also, be sure to keep the leaves from matting up on the lawn.

SHRUB & TREE CARE

Shrubs and trees will also benefit from some good fall care. Make sure they are not stressed by lack of water. Lack of water will cause roots to wither and die off. Leaves won't be able to produce food through photosynthesis without water, and they will wilt and drop way too early.  The soil needs to be saturated at least a foot deep to get to most of the "feeder" roots of a tree. If your shrubs and trees are growing in clay you need to improve their soil (see above).

If you live in the North, hold off on any more shrub or tree fertilizing as soon you notice that the leaves are starting to change color. Instead, wait until the trees are dropping leaves or have already dropped their leaves, and fertilize before the snow comes. We call this dormant feeding, and it is one of the best possible times to fertilize trees and shrubs. We'll talk about this more when it gets closer to Dormant Feeding time.