Posted by Allyn Paul Under Lawn Tips |

Hey guys, welcome to Spring 2010! It’s been a long winter and I have certainly missed being outside in my lawn and landscape. I am sure you have too. (you’ve no doubt missed my lawn tips too right? ) But enough of the virtual hugs, let’s get right down to some early spring lawn care tips.

We will keep it simple today by giving you just two “must-do’s” for your yard this weekend. That’s right ya’ll; get out this weekend and get that grass woken up from slumber. It’s calling you!

Spring Lawn Aeration

I have talked about lawn aeration before, but it is just that important for me to bring up again. You have to aerate your lawn this spring, period!

Aerating is the process whereby we take a large machine, a little bigger than a lawn mower, and punch holes and remove cores from the lawn. This removal of cores loosens soil that has been compacted from snow piles, foot traffic and other stresses. Core aerating in the spring is also gonna punch holes in the thatch layer and help our fertilizer get to the root system fast where it can wake up that turf!

You can rent an aerator at your local tool shop or lawn mower store, and I recommend you grab your two neighbors on either side and share the day, the expense and labor involved! Aerating the lawn is not an easy task guys, but it is very very important! Do not skip this step, ok?

Spring Lawn Fertilizer

Pretty much right after you finish aerating the lawn, you can and should throw down your first application of spring lawn fertilizer. The lawn will be nicely opened up and the roots exposed, so nutrients can get right in and be used quickly.

When you choose a spring fertilizer, look for one that is well balanced with nitrogen, potassium and phosphorus. Don’t grab one that is mostly nitrogen because this will push top growth too early and cause issues later in the summer.

Additionally, I’d recommend you chuck down a nice happy organic lawn fertilizer the weekend after. Organics won’t burn, so don’t worry about over-fertilizing. Natural nutrients that come from organic sources will break down slowly as temperatures warm up, increasing soil biotic activity and THAT is very healthy for the turf!

Bonus Spring Lawn Tip

In the midst of all this fun you are having with lawn aeration and spring lawn fertilizer, you can also spread in some fresh grass seed. Grass seed is always a welcome addition in the spring time and can help the thickening process that much more. Be sure to get a nice blended seed that is right for your area of the country. Never buy a single formulation of one type. Blends work better and perform in the long run.

So that’s it you guys. Get out there and aerate and apply a nice spring fertilizer, throw in some organics, a little grass seed, and you are good to go! Best of luck and I’ll see you in the next post!

Posted by Allyn Paul Under Lawn Tips |

Now that it is November, many of you are thinking that your lawn care for the season is over. Trust me, I understand you are looking forward to putting up Christmas lights and getting all snug by the fire, but don’t let that lawn go to bed just yet! Winterizing your lawn is pretty easy guys, and very very important! Here are some simple tasks that I do for my lawn every November.

1) Winter Fertilization: Fertilizing your lawn just before winter is the most important of all the tips I give you here. A good dose of nitrogen, potassium, and even a little phosphorus will help your lawn recover quickly next Spring, making you the first green lawn on the block. In addition, a good nutrient balance in the soil will help turf recover from winter stresses and snow mold. When looking for a winter fertilizer, don’t get one with “mostly” nitrogen. Instead, find one with a good balance of all three elements.

2) Core Aeration and Seeding: If you are a regular reader of this lawn blog, then you know that I am a big proponent of lawn aeration. Aerating the lawn opens up the soil and sends air, water and nutrients directly in the root zone. It also loosens compacted soil and helps the thatch layer remain in check. Just so you know, it is OK to aerate your lawn as long as the ground is not frozen. If you can’t aerate, hire a contractor to do it here.

Now the seeding part is a little different. You actually CAN seed your lawn now, but the results will be different. Seeding this late in the year (like November or even early December) is called “dormant seeding.” This basically means that you throw down the grass seed now, and it overwinters in the turf zone and germinates in the spring. I have had great results with dormant lawn seeding, but you do need to use twice as much to get good results. I recommend about 5lbs per 1,000 square feet of turf area when you dormant seed.

GOOD news?… well, many places put grass seed on clearance this time of year so they can get rid of it! Better for you, but just make sure you don’t get anything called “quick grow” or “quick lawn.” These are most normally annual grasses that sprout fast and die faster. If you are going to overseed your lawn now, use perennial rye and kentucky bluegrass mixes. Turf type tall fescue will also work well for dormant seeding.

3) Final Lawn Mowing: There is some misconception going around about cutting your lawn low in the later parts of the year, so let me clear that up for you. You do want to mow lower on your FINAL cut of the season, and I recommend you take it down one inch lower than the normal 3″ I recommend. (Final cut = 2″ tall). The trick is to make sure that it is indeed the final cut of the season. If you can’t guess right, then wait until the end of November and cut it low at that time. Your neighbors may stare at you, but you are doing the right thing for the grass. If you cut it low too soon, and warm temps push growth, things are going to get funky in a hurry, especially with that fertilizer in the lawn.

The reason we want to cut the lawn a little lower on the very last cut is to cut down on fungal formation and also to help reduce dead spots that appear in the early spring. If your grass is tall, it will lay over and pack down, smashing the grass crowns.

4) Lime Application: Fall is a great time to apply lime to your lawn. Not all lawns need lime, however.

5) Rake Those Leaves: I know you hate it, but you have to get those leaves up before the snow flies. If you allow piles of leaves to stay on your lawn, you will most certainly have dead or thin spots appear there in the winter. Imagine how you would look if I left a blanket of wet, soggy leaves on top of your face for 4 months.

6) Stop Walking On The Grass: Well, you gotta be wondering why I would tell you to do all of the above tasks, and now I am telling you not to walk on the grass; am I nuts? Well, maybe, but you still need to stay off the grass. What I mean is be sure you don’t step on it constantly getting in and out of the car, for example. Also, don’t play football on it either; you get the point. The reason is that when it is cold, the grass plants get brittle and can crack and die easily.

That’s it for the simple winterizing tips. Of course, if you want, you can still get my book on lawn care and start reading up for next year too!