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!

July Heat or WHEN WILL IT END…

WHEN WILL IT END…

The simple answer is when God chooses it to end, but that can be said about everything we need to end in our lives. We just need it too rain and cool off and it will. I’m guessing by October 15th someone will be saying…”I wish it would stop raining already”! We all have short memories. It was hotter, drier and more humid this time last August, but few of us recall it.

Things we should continue to do to COOL SEASON lawns, as long as we have been doing so…

*Water the lawn every day as long you finish by 8-9 am. Everyday is extreme, but that is exactly what we are in…an extreme drought. If you haven’t been watering the lawn regularly, don’t start now. Let the lawn go dormant and start watering about August 25^th or so. That is in preparation for aerating and over seeding around September 5-10^th

*Mow your cool season at 3.5 to 4 inches. Mowing any shorter will guarantee a disaster. Even with watering regularly, you should only be mowing every 12-15 days at best. Non irrigated lawns have all but shut down and probably won’t need to be mowed but every 21-25 days.

*Do not apply any spray herbicides, fertilizers or fungicides unless it’s at 5-7 am. It’s too hot for them to do any good and you may burn up what’s left of the good grass! Granular applications are OK, but water them in to activate them. Keep your expectations low!

Cool Season grasses are not supposed to look good in the type of weather we are having, but keep the faith…good looking cool season grass is only about 8-10 weeks away!!!

Warm Season grasses…

*These should be looking very good right now. They need to be watered in the morning too, but maybe for only for 20-30 minutes and 4 days a week. You can water zoysia lawns in the afternoon, but make sure the drift isn’t hurting your ornamentals!

*Mow these at 2 inches and weekly.

*Apply high nitrogen fertilizers (totally opposite of cool season lawns) every 30 days, but not past August 1-5^th.

*Apply insecticides and herbicides as directed on the label or lawn care professional. I have seen a few zoysia lawns with insect (bill bugs to be exact) problems that have been misdiagnosed as “fungus” problems. Get professional advice if you are not sure what is going on!

*It’s not too late to aerate and or power rake zoysia. Just make sure you can water afterwards because both of these practices will cause rapid water sue in the plants.

Stay positive and think September…the fescue lawns will be green before you know it!