Proper Water and Mowing

Watering

Proper watering procedures help maintain lawn color, resilience, and proper root development. A lawn should be watered regularly, before it has a chance to wilt and turn brown. To ensure proper watering procedures, follow these simple instructions: Be aware of early signs of wilt. Two common signs of wilt are grass leaves that have a bluish green cast caused by folded grass leaves or footprints that stay in the lawn instead of bouncing back up. Apply enough water to wet the soil to a depth of approximately 6-8 inches. A soil probe may be used to check moisture depth in soil. To maintain a soil moisture depth of 6-8 inches usually requires a rate of 1-2 inches of water per week. You can place open cans in the sprinkler pattern to determine the amount of water being applied. Water may be applied any time of day, but morning watering is usually most efficient. This is due to the higher humidity, negligible wind and wetness caused by dew which usually accompanies the time of day. Night watering is not recommended as it encourages disease and insect development.

Thatch

Thatch is a layer of partially decomposed stems, roots and other plant parts that build up between the grass blades and the soil in your lawn. It acts like mulch to insulate and protect the grass plants. However, if there is too much thatch, 1/2"or more, it can cause problems for your lawn. Thick thatch can act as a barrier to air, water and fertilizer. It also harbors disease and insects. The following things are important to control thatch in your lawn. Core Aeration; Cor aerating is the process of removing small plugs from your lawn. This process allows more air, moisture and fertilizer. To learn more about Core aeration contact GreenTurf Lawn Care for additional information on this topic. Proper soil pH: Proper soil pH encourages the microbes that break down thatch. Contact GreenTurf Lawn Care for more information about pH balancing.

Drought

Before beginning corrective steps following a drought, a professional diagnosis of the type and extent of damage should be made. Drought conditions weaken the root system which results in the grass turning brown. Insect damage and lawn diseases which attack the surviving roots, often compounding the problem. After A summer drought, it is essential that you provide a proper combination of nitrogen, phosphorous, potash, iron, and micro-nutrients to help develop a strong root system over the winter. This will help your lawn get off to a good start next spring with less threat of weeds, insects or diseases. If the entire lawn has been seriously thinned, reseeding may be necessary to restore your lawn to optimum condition. Contact GreenTurf Lawn Care for more information or an assessment of your lawn's needs.

Mowing

Good mowing practices are critical to the appearance of your lawn. If you follow these general guidelines you can increase the health and appearance of your lawn. Make sure your blade is sharp. A lawn mowed with a dull blade appears way shorter after mowing and the tips turn brown within 48 hours. In addition, when the grass blade is torn (as with a dull blade) it will have a jagged edge which will be an entry point for invasion of disease and insects. Cut often enough to remove no more that 1/3 of the grass blade. This will help avoid scalping, which puts the grass under stress and reduces its vigor. Mowing at the correct height (2 1/2" - 3 1/2" for Bluegrass varieties) also shades the soil keeping temperatures lower for optimum growth, as well as, discouraging germination of weed seeds. You may leave clippings if you mow often enough. The grass clippings will recycle nutrients back into the soil and do not contribute to thatch build up.

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