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Project Difficulty:
Moderate
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Most people love lawns but find lawn care hard to fit into their busy lifestyles. While it isn't something you can ignore, a good-looking lawn needn't take all of your time or money as long as you keep it healthy. Initially you may need to spend more time encouraging a vigorous turf, but once established, routine maintenance and staying on top of pests and diseases will allow you more time to sit back and enjoy its beauty.
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1.
Choosing the Right Grass
Choosing the right grass for your yard can make the difference between a low-maintenance lawn and a high-maintenance lawn that is susceptible to diseases, pests, and weeds. The type of seed you choose for either a new or restored lawn should depend on several factors:
* What do you want your lawn to look like? Grasses vary in color, leaf width, habit, and density of growth. (Figs. 1 to 3)
* How much time and money are you willing to spend tending your lawn? High-maintenance grasses mean greater costs and time commitments.
* What are your site's growing conditions? The amount of sun and shade your site gets, the soil type and its level of fertility and moisture, and your climate, will affect your choice in seed.
* How will your lawn be used? For decorative landscaping, for erosion control, or as a play area?
After considering these questions, and determining the types of grasses best suited to your needs, you are ready to purchase seed. To do this, you can visit the garden section of a retail store and pick out a package labeled with intended use, such as "Shade Mix." Or, you can buy the latest cultivars and make your own mix. (You may want to ask a nursery for suggestions on which cultivars and what percentages to use in your mix.)
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2.
Improving Growing Conditions
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Whether you're starting from scratch or restoring an existing lawn, your first step is to improve growing conditions.
Start by assessing your soil. Horticulturists agree that time spent improving what's happening below the surface of a lawn greatly reduces the time needed to maintain what's on top of it. The ideal soil for grass meets five requirements: It (1) is slightly acidic, (2) contains an adequate supply of nutrients, (3) allows deep root growth, (4) supports a thriving population of beneficial microbes, and (5) retains moisture. You can achieve these conditions by adding various amendments to your soil. To learn which amendments and how much of them to add to your lawn, have your soil tested. Check the Yellow Pages under "Laboratories-Testing" for commercial soil-testing labs, or check with your local Cooperative Extension Service. Do-it-yourself soil-testing kits are also available at most garden-supply stores, but they are not as thorough as a professional soil test.
Next, determine the amount of sunlight your lawn receives. If the lawn receives less than four or five hours of sun a day, your grass is likely to be sparse and may have patches of moss. Prune and thin trees and shrubs that affect the amount of sun your lawn gets, and convert heavily shaded areas to planting beds. Conversely, lawns that receive too much sun need to be watered diligently to keep them from burning. Consider planting low-growing deciduous trees or tall deciduous shrubs to provide some cooling shade in these areas.
Finally, solve any drainage problems. Water that runs across the surface of your lawn can erode soil and wash away any grass that's trying to establish itself. Most minor drainage problems are easy enough for the average homeowner to fix (Fig. 4). Consult a landscape architect or designer for more major problems.
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3.
Mowing
Most cool-season grasses should be cut when they reach heights of 3 to 3-1/2 inches. Cut warm-season grasses when they reach 2 to 2-1/2 inches. Cut no more than one-third of the grass height at each mowing to avoid damaging the plants, and mow only when the grass is dry. Leaving grass a little on the longer side keeps it healthier and better able to resist disease. In addition, taller grass grows slower, which can eliminate up to 20 percent of the mowing you do annually.
Contrary to past recommendations, leave clippings on the lawn unless there is an excessive amount. Leaving them not only saves time, but the clippings act as a fertilizer and light mulch.
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4.
Watering
How much water your lawn needs depends on the health of your lawn and soil, the amount of rainfall your lawn gets, and the climate. The best approach to watering grass is to follow nature's pattern of rainy periods followed by brief dry spells. Apply enough water all at once to penetrate to the roots, let the soil almost dry out, and apply water again. As your grass develops deeper roots, adjust your watering-depth target so that you continue to encourage roots to go deeper.
Morning is the best time to water. Watering in the evening creates the damp conditions that give disease a foothold.
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5.
Fertilizing
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Like people, grasses require many essential elements in their diets. Most are available from the plant's surrounding environment, but often we must help Mother Nature by adding fertilizer. To determine the natural fertility of the growing site and develop a fertility program, do a basic soil test, if you haven't had one done recently. The test will include analysis of soil pH, phosphorus, and potassium levels. With this knowledge, you can make informed decisions about how to amend your soil to sustain a healthy turf.
A "complete" fertilizer contains the three most important elements of turfgrass culture--nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K). In addition to bringing on a deep green color, nitrogen is responsible for the sturdy growth and shoot density needed to fight off weeds and to stand up to disease, bugs, and traffic. Aiding in root growth and improving establishment rates, phosphorus is needed in small amounts and tends to remain in the soil. Potassium plays an important role in enhancing your grass's resistance to cold, disease, drought, and wear, and is more prone to leaching from the soil.
The ratio of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium is listed on a bag of fertilizer in that order (N-P-K). When considering which fertilizer is most appropriate for your yard, be sure to read the label for the content analysis. If your soil test indicates that you don't need to add phosphorus or potassium, choose a bag with a low numeral or zero for that element. For example, a bag of 20-0-5 would have no phosphorus.
The best time to apply fertilizers is when the grass roots and blades are actively growing. In the North, you should divide the annual amount of fertilizer; apply two-thirds in early fall and the remainder in mid to late spring, after the lawn's initial green-up. Southern lawns will need at least two applications each year. Do the first three weeks after the initial spring green-up, and then fertilize again in late summer.
The soil test will also indicate the pH level of the soil (Fig. 5). If the test indicated the soil is alkaline (a pH level above 7.0), apply elemental sulfur in the spring or fall. Excessively acidic soil (a pH level below 6.0) can be amended by adding agricultural limestone. For each of these amendments the amount to add depends on the soil type and the desired change.
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6.
Controlling Weeds
Weeds have difficulty becoming established in healthy turf, so the first line of defense against a weed invasion is prevention through proper turfgrass management. Select an appropriate turfgrass for your site and conditions, and then follow the appropriate mowing, watering, fertilizing, and cultivating practices to maintain a dense, vigorous turf.
For the weeds that do pop up, you have two ways to remove them: by hand (mechanical) or with a chemical treatment. Hand weeding may take longer, but it is the best approach for small areas and weeds that are easily pulled. Herbicides are certainly less time consuming to use than mechanical methods. Unfortunately, herbicides toxic to weeds are often hazardous to your health. Look for the least toxic products and spot-treat whenever possible.
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7.
Managing Lawn Pests
As with weeds, your first and best line of defense against pests is to provide optimal growing conditions for your lawn. The objective is to cultivate a thick, healthy turf that isn't overly attractive to pests as either habitat or food. There are several ways to detract pests from becoming interested in your lawn.
The first thing you can do is incorporate one of the new grass cultivars containing endophytic fungi into an existing or new lawn. The fungi repel or kill insects attempting to eat them.
Insects are also fond of lush new growth typically found on highly fertilized lawns. Avoiding overfertilization and applying fertilizers at the right time will supply the necessary nutrients to your grass without attracting pests.
Some bugs are actually helpful in ridding your lawn of unwanted pests. Before reaching for the insecticide, wait a while and give these natural enemies a chance to bring your problem under control.
Make a regular habit of observing your turf. A few bugs are nothing to worry about. You only need to take action when the population approaches damaging levels. When that happens, be sure to correctly identify the menace and look for nontoxic ways to manage it first. Your local Cooperative Extension Service can help identify pests common to your area, and suggest maintenance methods. Reach for the insecticide as a last resort.
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