I thought I was going to tell you all how wonderful my
vacation to
The Northeast. (Crater Lake
is something you should see given the chance). But, I have to tell you about
Earl. I meet Earl around 7:30 am at a McDonalds along highway 70 on a trip to Columbia , Mo.
minutes and walked away with a great feeling from him. His
business card says it all. I hope when I’m 90, I can drive
myself to
breakfast, eat biscuits and gravy, drink coffee and talk
about old times with pride. Earl has become a person I want to be
like.
Grass stuff...
We just finished out 5th coolest summer on record, which was
good for cool season grasses but not so good for Bermuda and Zoysia
lawns. Early August has been cool and finally wet as of
yesterday,
August 7th.
I need to encourage
you to start planning for fall aeration,
seeding and fertilizing of cool season lawns and to help you
with
plans to put your Zoysia to sleep this year.
WARM SEASON LAWNS:
*Apply your last fertilizer ASAP. Do not fertilize after the
15th!
*Keep applying insecticides and weed controls as needed.
*Keep the watered through August, but let it go dormant in
September.
*If fungicides are necessary, Apply September and October 15
with
the intention of apply again April 15th
Don’t skip any of the 3 applications! . They work together,
so don’t skip any of the 3 applications!
*Consider getting soil test done to be sure the pH is right!
COOL SEASON LAWNS:
*Schedule a contractor for aeration or put a deposit down
for
aeration rental. Good contractors get booked early and good
rental
equipment gets thin in 3 weeks!
*Know your square footage to be sure you are buying the
right
amount of product.
*Buy only what you need from a reputable nursery or garden
center store. Not a big box store...please!
*Spray weeds as needed this week and apply your last
fungicide
treatment if it is needed
Step-By-Step renovation instructions are as follows:
Step-By-Step Cool Season Renovation Practices
September is the ideal month to do this. Your next chance
will be March or early April.
Decide if herbicides are needed. Read the label and apply 2
weeks prior to seeding.
Remove debris in the yard and use top soil to level rough
areas.
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.
Flag the irrigation heads and utilities so they are not
damaged by the machines.
Spread organic matter (compost, peat moss or top soil mix)
if necessary.
“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.
Spread your seed and fertilizer.
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!
Top dress areas that may need additional compost, peat moss
or top soil. Bare areas should be covered with Penn Mulch ®.
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.
Mow (with a bag) after 2-3 weeks and then you can water 3-4
days a week after you have even germination.
After 3-4 mowings, go ahead spot spray weeds as needed. Fall
is a great time to control certain weeds!
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!
Remember folks, it's just grass
