Hey, Greg here. I’m a lawn
care technician at TeamTurf. I wanted to get out the word about the upcoming
season we have fast approaching and what it means for you and for us.
Springtime. Birds chirping, flowers blooming, a refreshing aroma
on the breeze. After the cold and snow (and rain and 60 degree days) we’re all
about ready to be done with the winter weather and move into the new beginning
that is Spring. Along with the warmer temperatures and the changing of the
floral and faunal guard, there’s a rebirthing of life throughout the realm of
nature. And there’s an impending need to take care of some
less-than-satisfactory (but very necessary) tasks. But we’ll get to that later.
For now let’s remember how glad we are to be rid of the frigid winter and how
happy we are to see the warming of the sun and the lengthening of daylight
hours along with weather that demands we partake in outdoor life.
The
changing of the season often causes us to think about the fun things to do now
that we aren’t barricaded into our houses, wrapped in blankets beside
fireplaces or curled up on couches, binge-watching that show you’re half a
season or more behind on. I’ll be the first to admit that my favorite thing
after a long winter is to throw open all the windows in the house and let that
fresh breeze flush out the stale air trapped inside, but there’s more than
letting mother nature do her thing that needs done. So pack away the ice melt,
hide the snow shovel into the back of the garage, and put those winter clothes
in a box and tuck it away in the darkest corner in your closet where you can
forget the need for its existence, for a while anyway. It’s time to get
outside!
Oh,
and by the way, don’t forget about your lawn. You remember, that unsightly carpet
of shortly (hopefully) shorn leaf blades that’s covering your yard. I know it
was hiding away under the snow for some of the winter, but it is still there,
and it needs your attention. It’s easy to overlook the grass when the weather
turns favorable. It isn’t growing yet, the green color is dull and forgetful.
But like that summer ride you haven’t touched in four months there are some
things that need tended to before you take it out for a spin. You have to give
it a once over, maybe a wash, make sure it’s ready so it can look and perform
its best, right? Same goes for the lawn. Remember how you were sipping cocoa
and watching wistfully out the window as the flurries of snow fell? Your lawn
remembers being left out in that snow to fend for itself and now it could use a
nice spa day or five to get back into pre-winter shape. And a little bit of
care can go a long way. Patches of leaves that are now packed down into hard
mats on the grass should be cleaned up quickly to avoid further damage and to
allow new growth to take off as soon as possible. The same goes for that pet
waste that has been building up over the too-cold-to-go-out-there-and-clean-it-up
months. The sooner you can get your lawn clean and clear of debris the
better off it will be and the quicker it can return to solid form. And don’t
forget to get those mower blades sharpened before it’s time to start cutting
the grass. Dull blades can cause more damage to the plant than you might think.
Without a proper cutting edge, the leaves could be shredded rather than neatly
trimmed resulting in poor color, susceptibility to diseases, and even death.
How would you like it if your barber or stylist didn’t keep their equipment in
proper order before going at it? That’s what I thought. And one more thing, the
mornings can still be nippy and a frosted lawn is a NO FLY ZONE. Walking
on frozen leaf blades will cause them to break, at best leaving yellow
footprints behind, at worst killing it to the point of needing major repair.
“Every lawn is different and should
be evaluated to see what it needs the most. For example, a healthy, thick lawn
may just require fertilizer right now, but a lawn full of weeds may need to be
sprayed as soon as possible; or for a lawn with a lot of damaged areas, seeding
might be the number one priority.”
-
Tom, service manager
Like any other living
organism, your lawn needs the proper care to grow strong and beautiful. And as
most people know, a healthy start to the day is a good breakfast. Plants aren’t
much different. They require a proper diet to help with their development. This
time of year we look to improve and strengthen the plant as a whole using a
balanced fertilizer, for example, something like an 18/24/12. Those numbers
represent the percentage of N/P/K in the fertilizer, so that’s 18% Nitrogen,
24% Phosphorus, 12% Potassium. If you’re anything like me you’ve
wondered a lot of things about a ton of stuff but you never remember to look up
half of it. Well, if one of the things you’ve ever wondered about but forgot to
research happens to be fertilizer, I’ll save you some time and effort right
now. Here is a quick breakdown of what each of those materials in the
fertilizer do for plant. (Oh, and remember this: Top, Down, All Around. N
being top, P being down, K being all around.) Nitrogen
helps with top growth, the blade of the grass plant, and the color; Phosphorus
helps grow a strong and healthy root system; Potassium is like a
vitamin, contributing to the overall vitality of the plant. That’s why you
can’t just throw any old fertilizer on and call it a day. We don’t. The proper
fertilizer with the correct ratio of N/P/K is important to the health
and appearance of your lawn. Lawns at different times of the year or different
stages of growth require a different composition of fertilizer. It is
important that as your grass returns from dormancy and begins to grow that it
has the right food to do the job.
Another thing to watch out
for this time of year is snow mold. Snow mold comes in two types gray or pink,
also and more scientifically called Typhula incarnata and Microdochium
nivale, respectively. Typhula incarnata and Microdochium
nivale typically occur in areas of high snow accumulation, particularly
under snow banks created from clearing driveways and sidewalks. If you’ve
noticed any patchy areas of crusted, bleached grass that appears to be matted
together and dead then you’ve identified Typhula incranata and
Microdo… Hold on a minute… Okay, I asked my boss, he said I don’t
have to use the scientific names anymore, and that’s all the better because I
was getting tired of typing it out, and you were probably getting tired of
reading it, right? From now on we’ll call it snow mold. Anyway, it should be
fairly obvious if you have a snow mold problem. Both types of snow mold
affect ryegrass and bentgrass, and to a lesser extent fescue and Kentucky
bluegrass (all of which are common grass types in this area).
The best thing you can do is fluff up those matted areas of snow mold with a
leaf rake, GENTLY, to allow room for the living part of the plant trapped
underneath to breathe and grow. While snow mold is usually not a severe risk to
the lawn, pink snow mold can be more damaging than the gray type, sometimes
killing crowns and roots. In extreme cases a fungicide might be necessary to
help fight snow mold. For now, I’d recommend gentle raking to get that grass
growing again.
Then there’s the DYNAMIC
DUO of lawn pests to look out for. Perhaps you’ve noticed the vein-like
lines snaking around your lawn now that it is clear of snow and easy to see.
Those are the feeding tunnels of moles. A lot of people think they have a
problem with the not-yet-mentioned second lawn pest because they have moles.
I’m not going to lie to you… It’s possible. But it’s not certain. Moles eat
worms and other insects too. The presence of moles does not imply impending
doom, but it is positively annoying. There are several ways of dealing with a
mole problem, from traps to liquid repellents to sonic equipment. The choice is
yours. The second of these pests are grubs. If you had a grub preventative
application done last summer (by us, anyway) then you shouldn’t have too much
to worry about right now. If you didn’t, you’ll want to keep an eye out for
areas where the grass seems to be dead, especially if that area continues to
expand. The easiest way to know if you have grubs is to look. Grubs eat the
roots of grass plants and if you have a problematic infestation of grubs it
will be easy to tell. The grass in these brown areas will have severely damage
or dead root systems. You will find that you can pull it up easily and roll it
right back. You should be able to see the little, gross white guys wiggling
around, their red heads rearing up in attack. I don’t think they’ll attack…
(They won’t, I promise.) If this is the case, you’ll need a grub curative put
down ASAP to prevent the damage from spreading further than it has already.
Spring is also a time to
think about your soil condition, after all, that’s what the grass is growing
in. There are two main factors that can be addressed, with Spring being a great
time to get to work on them. These factors are soil compaction and soil pH
levels. First, let’s go over pH. Grass plants prefer a neutral soil, one
that has a pH in the range of 6.2 to 7.0. On the other hand, moss and weeds
tend to prefer and flourish in more acidic soils. While the presence of moss
and weeds don’t guarantee a poor soil pH level, it is a telltale sign of that
possibility. The best way to correct this is to apply lime to the lawn.
Now, when I think of lime I think of citrus, and when I think of citrus I think
of acid. But that’s not what it is. The lime we use comes from limestone. It
contains a large amount of calcium (or calcium carbonate) which works on your
lawn similar to how an antacid works in your stomach, by neutralizing the
acidic environment. The best way to find out your soil’s pH level is to do a pH
test (We can do that, just ask!). A good liming will help raise the pH in acid
soil, improving the condition for grass plant growth while making a less
favorable environment for moss and weeds. Raising pH can be a long and slow
process, one that requires liming on a yearly basis, but it is one that is
worthwhile if you’re looking to improve your lawn for the long haul.
The second thing you can do
for your lawn, especially in the Spring when the soil is soft, is a core
aeration.
When we aerate a lawn we pull out plugs of soil. The purpose of this is to
allow better circulation of air to the roots of the plants. Aerating can
also help slow the build-up of thatch and break up compacted soil. Thatch
is a layer of organic matter (like grass clippings) that builds up between the
soil and the grass. If you notice that your lawn is soft and cushy while
walking across, you might think that it feels nice, but the spongier the feel,
the bigger the thatch problem likely is. The thicker the thatch, the harder
time your lawn will have growing and surviving, especially when the weather
finally turns hot. Thatch prevents water and fertilizer from reaching the roots
of the plants, leading to a weakened root system, as well as providing a home for
damaging insects. Combine those factors (minimal water, weak roots, insects)
and your lawn is in serious danger. The other common problem in lawns that
an aeration can help with is compaction. Compaction of the soil
is when soil particles are compressed together, closing large pores where water
and essential nutrients would normally make their way to the root system. This
also effectively puts the grass plants at further risk. While Spring and Fall
aerations are both common, you never can predict the weather throughout the
year. And though it’s almost always true that the soil is soft and receptive of
an aeration after the melt of Winter and during the rains of Spring, you can
never be sure by the time Fall comes around. Why risk it?
“Diseases on trees and shrubs are
sometimes impossible to cure once they’re present. Preventative measures early
in the season are key to a great looking landscape.”
-
Ryan, service manager, tree and shrub technician
And one last thing. Your
lawn isn’t the only plant life that suffered through the winter months. Don’t
forget that your trees and shrubs need love too. Protection from insects
and diseases is essential to healthy plants and now is the time for that. It is
far better to prevent diseases and insects than to cure them (and easier), so
even plants that seem healthy now can benefit from treatments to help prevent
problems down the road. And the window of opportunity is short. Most dormant
oils and fungicides need to be applied before your plants start to bud
(otherwise they could harm the new growth). Dormant oil kills the eggs
of scale that overwinter on the surface of trees and shrubs and also kills some
insects that may be present. Fungicides work in a similar fashion,
protecting plants from diseases. Your beds are also important for the growth
and health of your trees and shrubs. Proper mulching can make a huge
difference, not just in keeping up a sharp appearance, but in the plants
themselves as well. Mulch helps your beds to look neat and nice, but it does
more than that. It protects the plants from outside harm, nourishes the soil,
helps with water conservation, and suppresses weeds. And it makes everything
look pretty… but I think I said that already.
“Mulch is good for the plants and
bushes and helps keep weeds under control with a thick enough layer. Plus it
looks nicer.”
-
Jim, store manager, Team Turf Supply
So here is where we stand:
The starting line. It’s a race to Winter, but there isn’t one winner. It’s not
the first to arrive at the end, it’s about looking good while making your way
there and your lawn should be one of the lawns looking fantastic. What you need
to do now is clean up that debris and pet waste, repair your plow damage, get
those mower blades sharpened, rake up any snow mold, address any grub or mole
damage, and find out what your lawn needs to look it best. Whether you have a pH
problem or want to open up your soil with an aeration, or you have some trees
and shrubs that you want to look their best while being protected, now is the
time to get ahead of the game. If you have any questions don’t hesitate to
give us a call. Also, don’t forget to let us know if you plan on doing
any seeding as we often will use a pre-emergent weed control with our
fertilizer to help get an early start on fighting dandelions (pre-emergent will
prevent grass seed from growing and even kill young grass plants in their early
stages). Finally and lastly, unless I think of something else, we look
forward to serving you and your lawn this coming season, and for many to come. Thanks
for reading.
---The
Staff at TeamTurf
Written By: Greg Rosenthal
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