Happy late Thanksgiving and early Merry Christmas!

What a challenging and rewarding year 2013 has been. I will hope and pray that your year was one to remember as opposed to one that is that can’t be over soon enough. I like to focus on the positives so here are a few of my 2013 best thoughts:

*My son Ben graduated from Mizzou and was awarded a scholarship to attend Virginia Techs Graduate program in Turfgrass Science. (Thank God he got his mothers brains)

*My daughter continues to excel in Nursing at Rockhurst University. (Mother’s brains and looks…sorry Ben!)

*My wife Liz and I celebrated our 25^th wedding anniversary with a trip to New Orleans. (4 days is enough for me in that town)

*We were able to move our business into a larger location. (Page and Warson area. About 3 miles west of our old location)

*2 nieces and 1 nephews’ family are having babies in 2014.

One sad note was the passing of my Mother-in-law. I was there when she left. It was sad and a beautiful thing knowing she wasn’t in pain anymore. She will be missed, but never forgotten. She literally helped change my life.

2014 can be what you make of it. I’m going to try to get a little healthier physically and spiritually. I’m going to attend my first White House Retreat and will give the 20 Minutes to Fitness workout a try. (Thank you Kim and Alan for the push!).

Look for my once a year mailing in late February for suggestions on what to do with your lawn applications on 2014. Please send me questions or come on by and visit the new building. (we have bird seed this year to offer!) It probably won’t be very exciting, but I will make an effort to make it so!

Be safe this Holiday Season and I hope to see you all soon,

Glenn Kraemer

GR Robinson Seed & Service Co

November is Fertilizer Time!

To truly make your cool season lawn as healthy as possible for next summer, fall fertilization is very important. Next to keeping the leaves of all fall, fertilization with 100% (or as much as you can find) slow release nitrogen (U-flexx, U-Maxx, Nutralene, MESA or any organic source) is by far what I consider to be the best. At 1-2 pounds of nitrogen per 1000 ft. sq.

Try to either mow up the leaves or blow them off the grass before applying. It’s not the end of the world if you apply fertilizer over the leaves, but if you can the do the right thing and remove the leaves first, you should have better results. This application guarantees a nice fall green color and spring green up that won’t “blast” out of the soil. The nitrogen source is stored in the roots and eases out the ground. It also allows you to use little to no nitrogen in the spring. We’ll suggest using a 7-0-22 or even a 0-0-7 with dimension (crab grass preventer) next spring (March –April). Not a lot of nitrogen in either of those, but you won’t need it if you use the 100% slow release product the previous fall. It’s a “Program” not a one shot cures all approach.

Other things you can be doing this month:

*Keep mowing at 2 1/2 to 2 ¾ inches all fall

*Spot spray weeds if needed with “Ester” formula herbicides (they work very well in cool weather…read your labels for more information)

*Trap or poison moles if needed. They are really moving a lot right now and are easy to control. (Notice I didn’t say “get rid” of. All we can do is control what is there now, because more are coming not matter what we do. Kind of like “voles” as well. No such thing as total eradication, just temporary control)

*I’ll remind you to remove leaves every 2-4 days, one more time. It’s that important!

*Winterize your irrigation system.

*Plan on winterizing your lawn mower. I have a Honda which allows me to add fuel stabilizer, run it for a minute and then “shut off” the gas flow to the engine. Read your manual!

November is great month to plan your Holiday gift giving to those less fortunate. It only takes about 15 seconds to read the paper or go on line and see someone in need. I prefer to support local chapters of charities. My father-in-law always supported “Our Ladies Inn”. My wife volunteers there and has brought home some interesting stories. Between the USO and Our Ladies Inn, we have both found something that appreciates our time. I hope you can find that someday too.

Remember folks, it’s just grass!

Glenn

OCTOBER DO’S AND DON’TS FOR YOUR TURF and THE CARDINALS!

I’m tired of complaining about the lack of rain fall so I’ll tell you all how happy I am for the baseball Cardinals. Post season play is good for the city and the exposure it brings. I’m sure the DeWitt family is regretting their decision to host those football games right before the last week of the season? I hope no one on the grounds crew lost their job over a decision they had nothing to do with? So much for a “baseball only” venue! I’m sure Billy and Chad are up to the challenge. The does and don’ts for the Cardinals are pretty easy…Don’t schedule anything on the field that may ruin the career of a player or employee and DO win a championship!

Now for some really good stuff…

Warm season/Zoysia Do’s & Don’ts:

*Do keep watering until we get some substantial rain

*Do let it get a little “leggy” into the fall (2 ½ inches or so)

*Do keep the leaves removed even when it’s dormant

*Do make preventative fungicide applications now and in 30days and again April 15-30th. Do them all or none of them!

**Don’t apply any late season high nitrogen fertilizer. High POTASH is OK, but not high nitrogen (see cool season suggestions)

**Don’t aerate or power rake any more…it’s too late to benefit from these. Wait until May to consider doing this again

**Don’t pass up the opportunity to do a soil test. Fall is the best time to correct problems in the soil!

Cool season Do’s & Don’ts

*Do keep watering…especially if you have seeded in the past 30 days. We are dry despite being “above’ for the yearly average

*Do go ahead and aerate and seed still. The soil temperature is way up past normal. You can still get seed to grow, but time is running out to expect great results!

*Do plan on fertilizing with 1 pound if nitrogen per application 2 more times this year yet. 100% slow release nitrogen around Thanksgiving is still the best and most important application you should do!

*Do keep mowing at 3 ½ inches until November and then lower to 2 ½ inches for the final 2-3 cuts. It will green up more quickly next spring…maybe.

**Don’t let leaves accumulate for more then 3 days. New seedlings will have a hard time recovering after more then 3-4 days without sunlight!

**Don’t use a rake to remove leaves (unless you are very gentle), Have then blown or bagged up while mowing. If mulched, don’t return more then the ground can handle!

**Don’t skip fall fertilizations! The lawn will look good and you might think it’s unnecessary, but it is. Just do it!

**Don’t apply herbicides without reading the label! You could do more harm then good!

At the end of the day, our lawn is like our lives…the more we put into it, the better it is. I got to play golf with dad yesterday, my son turns 23 on Sunday and I’m going to Kansas City to have lunch with my daughter…it doesn’t get any better then that. I hope October brings some much needed moisture and what ever else you need in your life. Remember folks…it’s just grass!

September Warm Season Turf Care

GOT ZOYSIA PROBLEMS? PROACTIVE APPLICATIONS ARE BEST!

Ever since “burning” zoysia thatch has been outlawed, there appears to be an increase in zoysia “decline”.  Too many problems are misdiagnosed.  My feeling is that if you want your zoysia you have to be proactive (address issues before they become issues) with disease and insect applications or you will be “fixing” your lawn year after year. You have to remember zoysia is a “warm” season grass, so fixing it is best between late April and mid September.

Here a few steps you should take if you are serious about making or keeping your zoysia healthy:

*Remove thatch by power raking in the spring (April 15-May 15) or by next week (because the ground is so warm). Don’t this too early in the year because you can cause more harm then good if we get a late frost!).

*Apply fungicide like “Headway” at 4#/1000 ft. sq September 15-30, October 15-30 AND again April 15-30. If you can’t do all three, don’t do ANY of them. They all work together and pretty much useless as an each. Like so many things in life, they work together for the common good. Pretty expensive (around $75-85 per 30# bag), but very effective if you truly have a fungus problem!

*Apply a systemic (long lasting) insecticide like “Merit (r)” in Mid April and again in Mid July. This will take care of all insects for the year. It’s the “Hunting Bill Bug” that causes the most damage to zoysia and these applications will control all insects for the year.

*Spot spray weeds as needed for the next couple of weeks. By October 1^st you probably won’t be able to spray herbicides on zoysia. (read the label)!

*Apply a high Potash (last number on the fertilizer bag) fertilizer any time this month. DO NOT apply high nitrogen “winterizer” from a big box store. All “winterizers” are not created equally. Warm season lawns need totally different fertilizers at totally different times then their cool season counterparts. Know your grass type and the right fertilizer for the right time of the year and you will have a successful lawn

Remember that all of these applications work together. Any one of them can help, but not like if you do all of them together at the right time and at the right rates. I preach about knowing your grass type and making a plan to do the right things at the right time because they work! Skipping or taking short cuts don’t work.

This can be confusing, so don’t hesitate to shot me an email or give me a call and I’ll be glad to clear up the mud.

Enjoy the cool weather and pray for some rain will ya!

Remember folks, it’s just grass!

Glenn Kraemer

SEPTEMBER:RENOVATE AND RESCUE YOUR COOL SEASON LAWN

A nice 7-8 hour rain fall that would drop 1” of water would be really nice about now…we have to have our dreams!

The renovation process should go forward as long as you have an irrigation system and you are willing to run it EVERY day for 2-3 weeks (and maybe even twice a day!?). We about 5” behind in rain fall in our area. If you don’t get this free newsletter from the University of Missouri (http://turfpath.missouri.edu/reports/update09_05_13.cfm) you should. It will single handedly provide you with enough information about grass growing and when and how to do things as you can get. Dr. Lee Miller produces this and I have relied on his information to explain a lot of weather related problems. Sign up for the newsletter and you will better educated turf grass decisions!

Below are step-by-step instructions on how to renovate your cool season lawns:

Step-By-Step Cool Season Renovation Practices

1. September is the ideal month to do this. Your next chance will be March or early April.
2. Decide if herbicides are needed. Read the label and apply 2 weeks prior to seeding.
3. Remove debris in the yard and use top soil to level rough areas.
4. Mow the grass at 2”, but reset the wheel immediately back to 3.5 inches. You want to mow it all into the winter until the last cut.
5. Flag the irrigation heads and utilities so they are not damaged by the machines.
6. Spread organic matter (compost, peat moss or top soil mix) if necessary.
7. “Core” aerate or power rake the lawn. You can’t aerate too much! If you power rake, you have rake up and remove the thatch.
8. Spread your seed and fertilizer.
9. Power rake or hand rake areas to increase seed to soil contact! This insures the seed won’t wash away and birds won’t eat it. Don’t apply straw!
10. Top dress areas that may need additional compost, peat moss or top soil. Bare areas should be covered with Penn Mulch ®.
11. Water EVERY day for 2-3 week. Keep the top ½” moist, but puddle free. You may have to water in the evening as well depending on the soil and the weather.
12. Mow (with a bag) after 2-3 weeks and then you can water 3-4 days a week after you have even germination.
13. After 3-4 mowings, go ahead spot spray weeds as needed. Fall is a great time to control certain weeds!
14. Keep leaves removed all fall! Smothering leaves will kill all your new grass plants if left on the ground. Chop them up or remove them every 3-5 days!

These steps have proven to be very effective, but if you have your own spin on how to get things, then by all means do it your way. Over seed rate for most lawn seeds is 35- pounds per 1000 ft sq or 8-10 pounds when starting over! Next month I’ll give you tips on “winterizing” the lawn and late fall weed control applications!

September 11 is coming up. I always have a little trouble staying focused on that day. Immaculate Conception in Maplewood is having a blood drive from 3-7 (I believe) and I’ve made a note to donate blood on that day. I will make me feel good to visit the church and donate some A+ blood (with CMV Neg in it) to someone who needs it. I hope all who read this will reflect on that day how fortunate we are. Maybe for a day, our problems won’t be as bad?

Remember folks, it’s just grass!

Truth N’ Turf August 2013 Q & A

A question about Starting Fall renovation now for Cool Season Turf- answered by Steve, Glenn’s right hand:

Is it too soon for me to get going on a problem spot in my lawn?  We had some new concrete installed at our street corner and it is just a patch of weedy grass and bare spots.  The rest of my grass has some weeds but it’s not too bad.  When should I hire someone to aerate?

Take advantage of the cool weather and spray any existing weeds you may have., You must wait a least two weeks before making arrangements with your lawn care professional to have the yard aerated and over-seeded starting in last week of August or September. Most yards should be in above average shaped based on the summer we have had so take advantage of the great conditions to make your yard even better.

Steve

  

July 2013

Now this is the July weather I’m use to!

Up until now I haven’t been using my irrigation much at all. The timely rains have reminded of the summer of 2009. Cool and rainy almost all summer, the cool season lawns were barely stressed and a whole bunch of folks skipped seeding that year (much to my chagrin). As of July 18^th (99 degrees with a heat index of 105) and another week of the same on the way, is more like the last two summers. Here is the best advice I can give you on your lawn today:

Cool Season lawns:

*Water regularly and deeply if you can. I try to go 30-40 minutes a zone (on zones with heads that move side to side or 9-10 minutes on non-moving pop up heads), two days in row and then take two days off and repeat the cycle. If it rains a ½ inch or more, I’ll shut the system down for a day or two. I start watering so I’m finished by 9 am at the latest. I only worry about this with cool season lawns!

*Mow at 3 ½ inches MINIMUM and at 4 inches if possible. I’m mowing my church right now at 4 ½ inches and look s pretty good for an non-irrigated 4 acres! Sharp blades (replaced after every 8 hours of mowing) of course!

*Spot spraying Nutsedge (with Sedgehammer and surfactant), Spurge (with Trimec) and crabgrass (Drive) as needed. Reading the label is very important! Do not under estimate the heat or you can fry the good grass and create even more weeds. You can create the same weeds with string trimming too closely too!

*Apply fungicides (read the label to fully understand what you are buying and getting) and Merit insecticide now for grub control this summer and fall.

*Schedule an aeration and over seeding for September 1-15^th. Don’t wait till the last minute or you’ll get last minute results! If you are renting equipment, go book the rental right now if you can and you won’t be left out!*

*Be prepared to fertilize in September, October and November. Your fall applications of nitrogen are what set up an easy green up next spring, without mowing your tail off. Remember, cool season lawns like nitrogen in the fall…but not much in the spring! Totally opposite of warm season lawns…read below!

Warm Season Lawns (zoysia mostly!)

*The “Hunting Bill Bug” is decimating Zoysia lawns right now! Apply a quick kill granule insecticide (ie. Dylox) and water in, or spray the lawn with a Permithrin (lots of choices). Both of these options will kill what is there to day, but you need/should apply some “Merit” product to have some long lasting insect control present in the grass plant. Next year we are going recommend two applications of “Merit” (early April and June 15^th) to try and stop this insect in its tracks…early and often. Too many folks think they have a “disease”, when they really have an insect problem. Like so many things, one application or any one treatment this year won’t necessarily fix the problem. It’s process and steps need to be followed.

*Fungicide applications should NOT be made now. The “Headway” fungicide should be applied at 4 pounds per 1000 ft. sq on September 15^th  , October 15^th and again April 1-25^th (weather dependant of course). All these applications work together (again a process). One should not doany of them if you aren’t willing to make all three applications.

*It’s not too late to aerate and or power rake/dethatch zoysia lawns! You have at least 2-4 weeks to do this still. Even this late in the year you should apply a ½ rate of preemergent herbicide after doing one or both of these processes to the lawn.

*Please give your zoysia lawn a high does of nitrogen fertilizer (organic or synthetic, it doesn’t matter). All zoysia lawns should be given a full pound of nitrogen this month! Stop fertilizing zoysia after August 15-30^th. It wants to go to sleep and nitrogen is like caffeine to zoysia.

*Water at least 2 days a week (best between 8 am and 5 pm) and especially after applying any fertilizers. Remember, nothing we apply in granule form does anything for the lawn until we water it in!

*Spot spray the weeds as needed, but always first thing in the morning for best results. READ the label

*Mow with sharp blade 2 inches or so.

I would like to invite you to come and see my new location. We are now located at:10747 Trenton Ave, 63132. We are in the old Kribs Ford City Parts building at Warson and Page, behind the Wendys and Walgreens there. We are open Monday-Friday from 7:30-4:30. We start being open on Saturdays from 8-12 beginning August 31^st. My new office number is 314-427-0300.

Stay hydrated and remember folks, it’s just grass. Also remember to do something nice for someone. I will make both you and them better.

Thanks,

Glenn Kraemer

GR Robinson Seed & Service Co.

                                                                       

JUNE LAWN CARE AND FIELD TRIP OPPORTUNITY

All of us here at GR Robinson (Steve Ladi, George Kippenberger and myself) would like to invite you to visit our new location (10747 Trenton Ave, 63132). We like to call our new location “The Institute for Higher Turf Grass Education” building. We are proud of the fact that you will leave with the right information about how to treat your lawn, not necessarily the products. Too many times, our customers want immediate solutions to their turf grass problems, when it’s better to wait or have someone else do it for them. Usually it take anywhere from 15-30 minutes of questions and answers to determine what is the best solution to your lawn problems, so come equipped ready to exchange some information.

If you want a quick fix…please go to a big box store and buy some junk. Or, just put your money in a wheel barrel and light it on fire…same result. Whether it’s an exercise program or a financial plan, there is now quick fix…that last. All things worth having are a process and we will go through a very good process for your lawn designed specifically for you. Afternoons are usually better, but just give us a call and we’ll set something up! We’ll look forward to seeing you…

JUNE COURSE OF ACTION

*Raise your mower to 3.5 inches or more if youa re mowing “cool season” lawns. Lower it to 2” for zoysia or warm season lawns

*Sharpen you blade after 8-10 hours of mowing

*Start applying fungicides to cool season lawns

*Apply grub/insect controls (Acelepryn or Merit) right now. Especially to zoysia lawns that show “decline” symptoms!

*Spot spray weeds as needed (NEVER apply a “Weed-N-Feed” product. They are pure junk and should be banned by the United Nations. Please call me if you don’t agree with this sentence!)

*Don’t over water the lawn. We are way above our rain fall for the spring. Hold off on regular watering until your air conditioner has been running for a week straight (62 degrees as 8 am today).

*Aerate or power rake your zoysia lawns this month. Remember to reapply your pre-emergent after doing this.

Lastly, tell your dad you love him for Fathers Day. Even if he is gone from this earth, he’ll hear you. I’m fortunate to have a father who is very active in my life. He is an excellent role model for me and my children and I welcome the opportunity to say…”Dad, I love you and thank you for your wisdom. I only wish I had listened earlier in my life”

Remember folks…It’s just grass!

Glennon Kraemer

314-427-0300

June 2013 “Rain, rain go away, come again another day! …By the way, this theme just can’t keep up all summer!

We are experiencing an extended wet spell that may end abruptly or hopefully not so fast that we flip into another extreme.  Either way cool season grass is growing fast for now!

The high humidity and relatively cool night time temperatures are major contributors to the lushness we are experiencing with the cool season lawns. When we hit around 80% humidity at night along with 80 degree temperatures, we could be seeing Brown Patch disease like crazy. We are likely to have some disease problems so call if you don’t know what you are dealing with so you can treat appropriately!

Follow these steps for the first few weeks of June:

Cool Season Lawns:

*Continue to mow at 3 ½ inches MINIMUM!  Sharpen the blade after 8-10 hours of mowing too!

*Fertilize with 100% organic fertilizers or don’t fertilize at all (10#/1000 ft. sq of Milorganite ® is what I suggest).

*Spot spray weeds very early in the morning to avoid burning the good grass. READ THE LABEL!

*Apply fungicides as the label recommends. Usually every 25-28 days. Remember, they are like antibiotics…they control from inside of the plant, not in the ground!

*Apply Merit for grubs right now. Be sure to water in any granule application

*Water has been plentiful recently but the turf is able to take up a lot of water as well when it is growing so fast. 

Warm Season Lawn:

*Totally different then our cool season lawns! TOTALLY!

*Mow at 2” MAXIMUM! For best results

*Fertilize with High Nitrogen fertilizers or Organics now and again in 30 days for best results

*Apply both quick killing and long last insecticides. Most zoysia problems are misdiagnosed as fungus, when they are actually insect problems. http://turfpath.missouri.edu/reports/update06_05_12.htm

Click on the above link for the best information possible related zoysia and the insect problems we are having here!

* As long as we are this wet just continue to monitor the ground moisture levels, eventually we will get to normal summer water routine!

I feel like any day this advice might change as we dry down so keep checking back!

Happy Fathers Day to all Fathers out there.  Prayers to those  in Oklahoma and all those with storm damage and blessings

to those who are working hard on clean up…be careful!

Life is like the weather, it changes.

Life is unpredictable, just like the weather.

Extreme weather teaches us to appreciate the days of warm sunshine.

The weather also teaches us that we have no control over life!

Good luck to all those parents and budding lawn gurus out there! Stay Sharp!

At The Mercy of May 2013

Between the high and low temperatures

, the clouds and sunshine, we have somehow squandered Spring.  Now with threats of hitting a one day heat wave, I thought we best touch base and make sure everyone is on schedule.  Be sure to water lawns, gardens and containers today.  If anything is near dry, tomorrow's promised heat might be hardest on any plants, turf or otherwise with new soft growth. I thought I would be glad to see and feel Summer, when she  finally arrives, now, not so sure!

Cool season grass things to do in May:

*MOW HIGH! 3” minimum and 3.5 is better!

*Watch for moths flying out of the lawn when walking in or mowing. These are Sod Web Worms and can hurt the lawn. You should apply an insecticide in either spray form (hose ends for small yards) or in granules (large yards). You may have to do this twice about 3 weeks apart.

*Consider applying organic forms of fertilizer towards the end of the month. Milorganite® and other 100% organic fertilizers at 10#/1000 ft. sq is a good way to prepare the lawn for summer.

*Consider starting your preventative fungicide applications. These are expensive and HAVE to be repeated on 25 day cycles so be sure you are doing all of the other cultural practices (mowing, fertilizing and watering) correctly before starting this program. Fungicide products do nothing to kill the fungus in the soil.

*Start watering when we stop getting rain. Usually, one or two days a week in May is sufficient. June will be a whole other story, stay tuned.

* Preventative grub treatments with Acelepryn® can be applied any time this month. I really like this product because it’s the only insecticide that covers all grub species, but doesn’t have an “indicator” word (caution, warning or danger) on its label. It’s also very pet friendly. Read the label as with any pesticide application.

*Continue to spot spray the weeds as needed.

Warm season grass things to do in May:

*Go ahead and schedule a power raking and or aeration if needed. We should be out of the woods as far as anymore frost (I hope).

*Fertilize immediately after doing this or not. If you do some type of aerating or power raking, you will want to fertilize with some crabgrass preventer combination product. You will wake up crabgrass seeds this time of year. You should try to put out a pound of nitrogen per 1000 ft. sq.

*Apply insecticides if you have any dead spots in the lawn. We have seen a lot of damage from surface feeding insects in the last 30 days and expect bugs be very aggressive this year.

*Consider using “plugs” or sod to repair damage as needed in the next 3-4 weeks. I don’t like to have people buy zoysia sod until it’s good and hot. Wait a few weeks for the good zoysia weather to be here permanently.

*You may spot spray weeds as needed, but be sure the zoysia is 100% green before using any spray herbicides!

*Mow at 1-2” for best results

Let me know if you have any questions?

Glennon Kraemer/Owner

GR Robinson Seed & Service Co

314-432-0300

2013 Spring Lawn Care...When Mother Nature Allows!

Last year was last year. It was NOT normal! What we have this year is not normal either, so welcome to St. Louis in the spring time. By this time last year we had cranked up our air conditioners and set 2 or 3 records for high temperatures. This year, record snow falls for the month of March…go figure. Bottom line with lawn care is, it doesn’t matter.

DO NOTHING to zoysia lawns for 2-3 more weeks. The soil temperature at 2 inches deep last week was 38 degrees (in Shrewsbury anyway). I don’t want any aeration, power raking or fertilizing of “warm season” lawns until the soil temperatures reach 55 degrees (hence the name…warm season grass). My opinion is you are just wasting your time, money and effort unless you wait for optimum growing conditions. My guess is late April the way we are going.

Cool season grass applications/things to do:

*Rake up trash from the winter or blow first (loosening the matted materials) and the mow over the top. Either bagging or mulching as long as you remove the junk before making a fertilizer application

*Apply a low nitrogen (10 or less on the bags first number) high potash fertilizer with a season long crabgrass control. (I like 7-0-22 w/.15 dimension. Available at Kirkwood Material (314-822-9644). Only apply if you have mowed and or raked the yard at least once and better yet if you have done this twice!

*Spot spray chickweed and henbit with “Weed-B-Gone” (after reading the label of course!) as needed. Faithful readers will know to NEVER buy a bag of “Weed-N-Feed” EVER. It is an environmental massacre and about the biggest horticultural waste of money I know of. IPM (integrated pest management) is using only what you need, where you need and when you needed it type of application with herbicides. Yes it takes more time and like most things, you will never get everything with one application, so don’t expect to. You never kill all weeds, season long with anything, so take your time, read your label and ask an educated garden center (not box store) for some tips!

*After mowing you cool season (fescue, blue or rye) lawn at maybe two notches down from the highest setting, move your mower all the way up for the rest of the summer! You should be mowing every 4-5 days from Mid-April through Late-May, but only 1-2 twice a month in late-June trough late-August. It’s unrealistic to think weekly mowing is healthy for your cool season lawn. You have to match your mowing needs with it’s growth habit. It will grow way more in the spring then in the summer (remember, it’s a “cool season” plant and there has been nothing “cool” about our summers for the last two years). Now, irrigated yards will grow more regularly, so take what I’m telling you with a grain of salt. You yard may need less or more mowing depending on your maintenance schedule?

Some of you have already put down preemergent, have mowed and sprayed weeds…there is nothing wrong with that. If you have done nothing (including me), there is nothing wrong with that either. Once the ground dries and we can work the soil, we should seed those “shady” lawns that don’t require crabgrass control. Otherwise, look for my next posting in about 2-3 weeks to see what crazy weather we may be experiencing in late April.

Remember folks, it’s just grass. Send me your questions and I’ll be glad to offer my advice. I hope everyone has a great Easter and will always try to keep their glass half full! Life is short my friends, smile more and you will be happier.

Sincerely,

Glennon Kraemer

March Ends: Is it Spring Yet?

The saying goes something like "Spring blooms eternal…" but that must be somewhere else- for us anxious folk in the St.  Louis area, it is muddy, the snow is about gone and only a few spring blooming bulbs have responded to the occasional sunshine-thank goodness, at least it is something!

Along with the new season is my commitment to try and keep up Glennn's blog so while I am waiting for a more current article to post I browsed his back file and remembered our challenges last year with our early spring.  I feel safe picking a few reminders out while I wait for a current post! 

Glenn's advice is so good it is ----- perennial! 

 Happy Easter, Your Gardening Friend
                                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                     MaryAnn Fink (Re)

DO NOTHING to warm season or zoysia lawns until Glenn says!!!! Warm season (hence the name) lawns like EXTENDED periods of warm weather!  It’s too early to do anything to zoysia!  Read this blog in 3 weeks for an update on warm season lawns.

Pre-April Prep for Cool Season Grass

:

*Sharpen you lawn mower blade, tune it up, be sure it is ready for the season.

*Mow your cool season lawns at 2 ½ to 3”, but only AFTER blowing or raking the matted leaves. Matted leaves will prevent spring green up and spreading of the turf, but mainly they will make your crabgrass application not as effective!  

(*If mow after you loosen the leaves, your mower will vacuum or chop them up easier. You should mow at least TWICE before you apply your crabgrass preventer.)

*When you do apply crabgrass preventer, wait until Glenn says it is time  Last year he recommended: Barricade ®, Team®, Pedimethelin ® , Dimension ® .  Dimension Or Dthiopyr ® should be used from late March to Mid-May.   He may have a few new products this season so please for his advice before you purchase any product.

ALWAYS READ the label and be sure you understand the rate of application. Do not be fooled by advertisements that make coverage claims. If it sounds too good to be true, it usually is. Most claims are price point sales tools that usually only give you half of what you need.

*Check Now with Glenn about Spring seeding! 

Please email Glenn at gmmseed@sbcglobal.net if you have any questions and as Glenn

 says: remember folks…it’s just grass!