When I think of lawns, I think of bare feet, slip-n-slides and four leaf clovers. I think of lawn chairs, cold lemonade, small children and puppies. I think about hammocks gently rocking in the wind and the click-click of a sprinkler. The scent of freshly cut grass is intoxicating and is the essence of summer.
This year’s erratic weather combining the rainstorms and heat waves with tropical-like humidity, has been brutal on lawns [as well as shrubs and trees]. The weather this season is causing many lawns to look like a teenager with acne–breaking out with random brown patches [which are actually a fungal growth]. Some lawns appear zombie-like, suffering from slime mold. Slime mold can also be found in landscape beds [where it looks like a yellow blob of dog vomit]. Dollar spot sounds like a good deal until you realize it is actually a fungal disease that makes your lawn look like a green shirt covered in bleach stains. Red thread sounds pretty until your lawn looks like a Christmas ornament.
However, all is not lost. There is time to repair the damage – and still enjoy your lawn. In fact, August is a great time to address the problems that are now evident in lawns, trees and shrubs.
Many times, lawn repair is all that is necessary to remedy any of the lawn issues. When disease has run rampant, however, re-seeding a lawn is likely the best remedy. The best time for re-seeding is generally August through October.
Another secret weapon to achieving a healthy lawn is aerification. Aeration is a method of loosening up compacted soil by removing plugs of soil, allowing water penetration and the exchange of air in the soil with fresh air and water. It also helps break up thatch and improves the uptake and utilization of fertilizer applications.
Keep your lawn happy and enjoy the memories you make this summer. If you need lawn care help, call us at 214-701-7622.
The most common lawn watering mistake that most homeowners make is they over water the lawn. It is much more damaging to over water a lawn versus under water a lawn. Over watering a lawn causes the soil to become anaerobic or absent of oxygen. Water replaces air in the soil and anaerobic soils become compacted, prevent deep digging grass roots, and will kill beneficial microbial activity.
Daily lawn watering is extremely damaging for a lawn. Daily lawn watering prevents the roots of the grass from growing deep into the soil. These shallow grass roots will make the lawn unable to stay green during the heat of the summer.
The best way to promote the grass’ roots to start digging deep into the soil is to water deeply and infrequently. After changing the lawn watering to the recommendations below, your lawn might look worse before it starts to look better. The lawn will start to look healthier as soon as the grass’ roots start digging deep into the soil.
The ideal time to water a lawn is early in the morning before sunrise. Our recommendation is to finish watering no later than 6:00 AM. If this is not possible then the next best time to water is late evening.When daytime high temperatures are hot and average above 85°F: Water no more than 3 days per week. This is typically between mid or late June through mid or late August. (e.g. Water every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday).
This lawn watering technique is a very deep watering, but it also allows the soil to completely dry out before the sprinkler system waters again. Organo-Lawn invented this lawn watering technique and it is universal worldwide.
Symptoms of an Over Watered Lawn
Some clear signs of over watering a lawn include: severely compacted soils, the presence of Necrotic Ring Spot lawn fungus, the abundance of insect pressure, mold, root rot, and a shallow root system. Over watering a lawn is much worse for the grass and trees than under watering a lawn because a lawn that is watered too much will starve the soil of oxygen. Air is extremely important to the health of the soil and to promote deep digging grass roots. Most of the time when we see a lawn watering problem in a Boulder or Fort Collins area lawn, we advise the customer that we need to adjust the lawn watering schedule in their lawn, they often assume we want to increase the amount of water. This might be true some of the time, but the majority of the time we end up reducing the frequency of days the lawn is being watered and increase the duration.
First Response Lawn Care can perform a sprinkler auditand set up the system to water according to our suggestions. The lawn is usually being watered deeper and less frequent. Most of the time, after we make our adjustments, the total water use is reduced which goes a long way towards water conservation. It’s a good thing for your lawn, for resources and for your pocketbook.
Call First Response Lawn Care (214) 701-7622 if you would like a sprinkler audit, sprinkler repair or need a new irrigation system in Rockwall, Fate, Royse City and surrounding areas!
Now is the time to start paying attention to the summer guide
to North Texas lawn care to ensure that the Texas heat doesn’t inflict its
damage on your yard. With the heat rising and the outdoor season starting in
earnest, the summer guide to North Texas lawn care will let you start off the
season right!
Watering Habits
When and how you water your lawn is the most important factor in the quality of your lawn and plant life. The industry standard for the amount of water your lawn needs is roughly an inch of water per week or 1/2 an inch twice per week, whether the yard gets water manually or from rainfall. The best time to water the yard is early in the morning before the sun starts beating down on it. This will allow the water to soak into the dirt and to the roots.
Watering restrictions in your community during periods of drought will affect when you can water your lawn. Try to stay diligent to the one inch per week of water guideline. Too much water can be wasteful and damage harmful to the life span of the grass. Having your irrigation system checked and maintained during this time will ensure that water usage is appropriate for the needs of your yard.
The grass should be taller during the summer months, which
will allow for deeper root growth and cover from the sun. The insulation also
allows for the soil to maintain its moisture better. The general rule of thumb
is to keep the grass roughly about 1 ¾ inches to 2 ½ inches for most turf
types.
It is also important not to let the grass get too long. and removing more than 1/3 or the leaf blade height at when mown can do damage to the grass. Different mowing and watering strategies are required depending on the type of grass. It is prudent to check the type of grass in your yard before taking any serious steps.
Preventative Care
The actions you take now will be seen a month from now. One key preventative measure is fertilization and aeration of the lawn. But not all fertilizers are created equal when it comes to summer lawn maintenance. Call us today at (214) 701-7622 to discuss your lawn care needs and we will be happy to help!
it’s critical to take care of weed problems during the summer before they’re able to germinate and seed in the fall. It is also recommended to apply weed treatment while the temperature is less than 85 degrees to prevent harming the grass. Aerating and loosening the soil is another pivotal step in the process. This act ensures that the dirt retains its moisture. Tight, compact soil typically leads to quicker evaporation. Keeping the soil less compact allows for greater water penetration down to the roots.
Pest and Insect Control
The summer months are also a time when you’re likely to see
more pests and insects in your lawn as tiny creatures search out for water.
Many beetles and other insects lay their eggs in the grass during the early
parts of the summer, which hatch into grubs during the middle of the season
that will eat at your grass.
A healthy lawn will help prevent insect infestations. Dry stressed, or dormant lawns are more likely to be home to insects. Aphids, Caterpillars, Fleas, Fire Ants, Chinch Bugs,Grubs, Mosquitoes, Spider Mites, Snails, Slugs and Beetles are just some of the pests can provide services for. Call First Response Lawn Care today at (214) 701-7622! For all your lawn care needs!
Winter lawn diseases and what you need to know about them.
Severe damage can occur in lawns during the winter months. Sometimes patches of lawn become brown or bare during the winter and don’t return to green when spring comes around. For the most part, turf grasses are resilient and strong, though damage to grasses for Various reasons.
Cold Desiccation
Grasses will survive just about any temperature if they are blanketed with snow, but uncovered grasses in very cold conditions will continue to lose moisture and oxygen after the ground is frozen solid.
If the damage is minor, individual grasses may recover, or surrounding grass plants may fill in. With widespread damage, you likely will need to reseed or re-sod dead areas.
Snow Mold
When heavy snow falls over ground that is not yet cold, the moist conditions may foster a variety of fungal diseases collectively known as snow mold. In the spring when the snow melts, you will notice fuzzy or crusty patches, pink or gray in color, blanketing portions of the lawn.
Snow mold usually dies as sun and breezes dry out the lawn, but if the turf has been infected for a long time, the grass may die. Usually, though, the grasses will gradually recover. If the lawn still has debris from the previous year, rake this up to improve air circulation to the grass.
To prevent snow mold, make sure to de-thatch or aerate your lawn regularly, which will increase air circulation and prevent snow mold.
Crown Freeze
The crowns of turf grass can be killed if warm, moist weather is followed by a sudden freeze. This is most common in late winter and early spring, when unexpected frost occurs in warm climates.
Widespread damage requires reseeding or re-sodding. There is not much you can do to prevent crown freeze.
Voles (Field Mice)
Sometimes winter damage is caused by voles. The mouse-like pests average around six inches long, and they spend their winters tunneling beneath the snow or lawn debris, eating plant roots and keeping warm.
Re-seeding is usually the best option if the damage is not too severe. Otherwise re-sodding the damaged areas may be required. To keep voles at bay, remove dead grass and fallen leaves in the fall. Our fall or spring cleanup services might be right for you!
Questions? Contact First Response Lawn Care by clicking the link below to ask about our expert services in all these areas!
