Last
year was last year. It was NOT normal! What we have this year is not normal
either, so welcome to St. Louis
DO
NOTHING to zoysia lawns for 2-3 more weeks. The soil temperature at 2 inches
deep last week was 38 degrees (in Shrewsbury
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
*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
