Your grass is looking anemic? You think you can green it up with fertilizer? Be very careful. Fertilizer at the wrong time will do more harm than good. Grass that wants to go dormant in the summer heat does not want a stimulus.

- Fertilize in spring (late April, earlier or later by a week or so if it’s a warm or cold spring). Fertilize again in fall (early October, or a little later if the weather’s warm). The important thing with fall fertilization is timing. Fertilize when it’s too warm and you get lush top growth on your grass. That may sound good but it’s better to fertilize when daytime temperatures are hitting 10 degrees C and night temps. are down to around 2 degrees C. When scientists discovered that fall fertilization, done properly, went directly to the roots, it revolutionized the lawn care industry. However, many people are still doing it incorrectly.

Avoid high nitrogen fertilizer, especially in the fall, unless you are using sulphur-coated fertilizer. You may want to consider switching to the healthier, more natural fertilizers that are available. In standard chemical fertilizers, the nitrogen usually comes from Urea Formaldehyde. It artificially boosts grass growth and does nothing for the soil.

There are fertilizers which use animal by-products such as bone meal, blood meal, poultry meal and fish meal. These fertilizers increase your soil’s natural microbial activity. Your grass won’t come shooting out of the ground as fast, but it shouldn’t be doing that anyway. Build up your soil’s health the only way it can be done, naturally. Within a year you will see less mold and fungal damage to your grass. The healthier grass will be better able to withstand grub attacks.

1. AERATION- Loosening the soil so that water, air and nutrients reach the root zone quicker. Aeration enhances the effectiveness of the products applied to your lawn. By loosening the soil, items needed by the roots (air, water & nutrients), are more available. Therefore, when fertilizer is applied, it is used more effectively by the grass plants.

Core aeration is accomplished by running a machine over the lawn. The machine pulls up plugs of soil, about the size of your finger, and leaves them on the ground. It takes a couple of weeks for the plugs to break up and blend back into the lawn. Liquid aeration provides the same great results as core aeration but is much easier to do. It also is cheaper, and cleaner.

2. MOWING - In general, keep fescue, rye and bluegrass mowed at a minimum of three inches. Zoysia and bermuda grasses can be mowed shorter. Mowing at the proper height will strengthen the grass plant and inhibit the growth of unwanted weeds. As a matter fact, studies have shown that simply mowing at the correct height will eliminate crabgrass over time. The shorter the grass is cut, the shorter the roots will be. Mowing high causes the grass to shade the weeds, so they cannot grow. Mowing high also makes the grass stronger, as more grass is using the sun to make it grow. Always keep your mower blade SHARP! Sharpen the blade after 8-10 hours of use. Grass clippings are a good source of nitrogen for your lawn. It is recommended that you not bag your grass clippings. Let those clipping fall to the ground and breakdown, thus returning nutrients to the soil.

The frequency of mowing should be such that you cut 1/3 of the grass stem off each time. Removing more than 1/3 of the grass stem at a time will damage the plant. This means that you should mow your grass at or before it reaches 4-1/2 inches. During periods of drought it is advised that you mow even higher, at 4” or more. It also advised that you mow higher in areas that are heavily shaded.

3. PROPER WATERING - Proper watering encourages grass growth and deters weed growth. Watering too frequently will actually discourage grass growth, as the roots are not required to go deep to find their water source. Weed roots are much shorter than grass roots, so watering less frequently will cause the weed roots to die, while the longer grass roots will be seeking deeper water. The grass will tell you when to water, usually once a week. The grass blades will begin to curl when they need water. They will curl before they turn brown. Another way to tell is to walk across your grass and take a look where you walked.

If your footprints remain, the grass needs some water. If your footprints disappear, the grass is fine.
You should water all areas of your lawn with an inch of water. Simply set a cup in the watered area and keep an eye on the water level in the cup. When it reaches an inch, stop. To conserve water, water right after it rains. You will need to know how much rain fell, then “top it off” until you have an inch.

4. WEEDS & TRIMMING -Have you ever given any thought as to why weeds tend to grow next to the fence, or the driveway, or around the planted areas? The answer is probably that these are the areas you are using the trimmer in. If you are mowing your lawn at the proper height, usually 3 inches, chances are the middle of your lawn looks nice. The problem areas tend to be the edges of the lawn, where the trimmer is used.

Weeds love to be cut short, and it is difficult to maintain a consistently high cut when using a trimmer. Besides the fact that weeds thrive when cut short, they also thrive in these closely cut areas because the grass is cut too short to shade the growth of the weeds. So, take a little extra time when trimming to keep the trimmer up in the air, instead of letting it touch the ground.

5. SHADED AREAS -Shaded areas of your lawn are probably the most difficult area to have a healthy lawn in.

Below are suggestions for dealing with the shade.

- The amount of sunlight can be increased by trimming the lower branches, and thinning higher branches of trees.
- You can trim shrubs to allow more air movement. To further reduce stress on grass in shaded areas, you may choose to mow this area 1/2 to 1 inch higher.
- Increased fertilizer will also help.
- If you plan to seed a shady area, be sure to use seed which is shade tolerant.

6. SEED & SEEDING -Unless you have a specific preference for a particular variety of grass, I suggest you use a mix of grass seed. Using a mix will help you obtain a uniformly green lawn, as different varieties of grass green up at different times, and some do better in different areas of your lawn than others. So, using a mix, will keep the entire lawn looking nice. Using a mixture of fescue, bluegrass, and perennial ryegrass. The key to choosing seed is to make sure the seed is high quality and contains very few weed seeds. All seed bags have a label which will list the content varieties of the seed, and the percentage of weed seed included. To determine if you need to seed and how extensive the seeding needs to be, you will need to take a close look at your lawn. Basically, if you do not have much grass, you need to do extensive seeding and work the seed into the soil. If you have a pretty good stand of grass, you can simply sow the seed and leave it alone. If you are pleased with the thickness of your lawn, you can probably skip seeding, and only do it every other year.

“Weed control is more than making a pretty yard. Weeds compete with grasses for water and nutrients,” says Walheim. “A well-cared-for, vigorous lawn will resist weed invasions.”

Below are the five steps to keep your yard in top shape for weed resistance:

1. Mow high – Mow the upper end portion of the required height for the type of your grass encourages deeper roots and better heat as well as drought tolerance because the grass helps shade the soil to reduce evaporation and it maximize the soil moisture content. With this, the need for frequent water could be minimize. Mower should be set at 11/2 inches high for common Bermuda; 1 inch high for hybrid Bermuda; 3 inches high for tall fescue; 21/2 inches for Kentucky bluegrass; and 21/2 to 3 inches for St. Augustine.

2. Water properly – Water the soil thoroughly down to its depth of 6 – 8 inches to prevent shallow root system, It is important to wet the soil properly so they could absorb the water very well. To check for its thorough absorption of water, insert a rod or screwdriver into the soil; it will stop when it reaches dry dirt.

3. Fertilize at the right time of year - This is one of the most important step. This depends on the type of grass. Fall or spring for cool-season lawns and late spring and early summer for warm-season lawns. But be aware of the insects that might ruin your grass like grubs that eat grass roots.

4. Aerate and dethatch - Remove small cores of soil as it is necessary for better water and penetration of nutrients.

5. Kill weeds – Buy such product that would be best for your lawn and try to know what kind of weeds you have in your lawn so you could have the right protection for your lawn against weeds. And learn to follow instructions properly.

Source: Lawn Care

Spring, Summer

- Only apply not more than 1 pound nitrogen that is fast release per 1,000 ft. only in single application.

- Conduct soil test inorder for you to determine grade and amount of fertilizer you will be using.

- For healthy growth of your lawn, a 1 inch of water weekly would be best.

- Warm season lawns should be fertilized from early spring until late summer.

Fall

- Use only slow release nitrogen whenever possible especially on sandy soils.

- To establish deep roots and help crowd out weeds in the spring, a cool season lawns should receive most of their yearly fertilizer in the early fall.

Winter

- Before you fertilize the areas overseeded for winter color, wait until warm season grass becomes dormant.

In General, Use only the exact amount required for your lawn’s square footage. To avoid striped fertilizer pattern ia grass, try using a rotary spreader that helps apply fertilizers evenly. Then try to spread the fertilizer in two directions for each application, and apply fertilizer to dry grass and water very well after applying. Sweep up any fertilizers that is spilled on paved areas and save for later use But do not use the leftovers fertilizer on trees, shrubs, annuals or perennials. A lot of nitrogen on these plants stimulates stem and leaf growth and decreases flower and production of fruits.

Source: Fertilizing Lawn