Lawn Care Basics
Get to know your lawn.
Does
your lawn have problem areas? While most lawns don't have serious problems,
many can be improved by using smart horticultural cultural practices.
Many common lawn problems such as weeds, thin grass, and bare spots occur
because of poor soil structure, lack of nutrients or compacted soil. Lifting
a patch of turf and examining the soil will often provide clues about
soil condition. Other turf problems are the result of planting grass in
the wrong location. Grass rarely thrives in shady areas and high traffic
locations. Consider shade-loving ground covers and paths instead.
Build healthy soil for healthy grass.
- Leave grass clippings on to supply nitrogen.
- Use natural fertilizers such as compost, corn gluten meal (a natural “weed and feed”) and meal from fish, kelp, or legumes to supply nitrogen. See Seasonal Lawn Care for application rates.
- Avoid chemical fertilizers – they harm beneficial organisms and earthworms.
- Consider planting clover in your lawn to supply nitrogen.
- Aerate established lawns if your soil is compacted. Core aeration makes holes and drops soil plugs back onto lawn.
- Mow high (3 to 3½”) to shade out weeds. Lawns with taller grass have fewer weeds. Never cut more than 1/3 of the grass blade at a time.
- If you water your lawn, water deeply (to 6” down) and infrequently to encourage deep grass roots. It is not necessary to water in hot, dry weather when grass goes dormant; dormant grass will recover in the fall.
- Remove weeds in the spring when plant root reserves are low. Use a dandelion digger or pronged grabber tool to pull tap-rooted weeds such as dandelions, thistles, and burdock. Rake or pull creeping charlie.
- Apply corn gluten meal in the early spring to prevent weed seeds from taking root on established lawns. This product is most effective on crabgrass seedlings, but has also shown promise with other seedlings, such as dandelion. If crabgrass persists on your lawn and sets seed, apply corn gluten meal again in the fall. Use corn gluten meal annually to diminish the number of weeds in your lawn over time. This product is also an organic source of nitrogen. See Seasonal Lawn Care for application rates.
- Select the grass seed mix that is appropriate for the amount of light your lawn receives.
- Over seed your lawn in the fall. Grass is a cool weather crop; starting more grass plants in the fall will give weed seeds more competition next summer.
- Sprinkle grass seed on bare spots after weeding.
Lawns will always have some weeds and some insects. Even heavily treated lawns have weeds. Weed seeds blow in from other yards and are carried by feet and dropped by birds. Avoid pesticides and tolerate a few weeds for the greater good of the environment and your health.