The lawn around your house has a place of pride in the entire household, and a well-kept lawn is a talking point at many parties. If you really want your lawn to be recognized in your neighborhood, please read on.
The poor quality of lawns results from bad maintenance rather than a disease of the lawn. Over-fertilization, overwatering, mowing too short, and poor watering techniques are the major reasons for the poor condition of the lawns rather than a pest attack.
As everywhere else, prevention is the best form of cure, and this goes for lawns too. Before going for the problems of lawns, let us look at the correct techniques of lawn maintenance.
Over Fertilization
Correct application of fertilizer and avoiding over-fertilization is one of the first things to understand regarding lawn care. The correct figure for applying a nicely growing lawn is about 3 pounds of nitrogen per 1000 square feet of lawn. You can test the soil, and you can determine the need for the correct amount of fertilizer.
This usually consists of taking the soil sample to an agricultural laboratory and finding out the amount of nitrogen required for the soil and other nutrients. You can also determine other requirements of soil like potassium and phosphates in the same step of testing.
On that basis, you can determine the type of fertilizer to be used. The same laboratory where you had the soil tested can also recommend the correct dose of fertilizer.
The timing of fertilizer application also affects grass growth. The fertilizer application is made in 3 steps, and usually, 1 pound of nitrogen per 1000 square feet is applied in each stage. This way, the calculation becomes easy.
You have the percentage of Nitrogen written on the fertilizer bag. (It is the first digit in percentage for nitrogen, second and third digit for other ingredients). Any additional fertilization is a wastage of money and bad for the grass. Therefore, do not waste your money.
Over Pruning Of Grass
Often, the grass is overcut with the belief that the grass will grow at an increased rate after cutting. Nothing can be farther from the truth. Overcutting reduces food production for the grass and thus reduces the potential growth of grass. The golden rule is to cut only the third of the blade length and allow the remaining portion to make food for its growth.
Over Watering
Overwatering and using incorrect timing for watering will have the effect of reducing the lawn growth. You can determine the correct water quantity from a simple test.
Take an open-mouthed dish and catch the water from the sprinkler in this dish. Leave the dish in the open for the water to evaporate. The reduction in levels of water due to evaporation is thus found out. You can apply about 25 to 30% more water to the grass to cater to use by the grass. Anything more than 30% is overwatering.
Another way to find out the exact time of watering is footprinting. When your footprints show on the grass as you walk on it, it is time to water the grass.
For watering your lawn, you can have your own graph for the watering of lawns over the entire year. Once you make your chart for one year, your overwatering problem will be a thing of the past. Associated problems will also vanish.
This takes care of the prevention part of lawn care. This will solve a large part of your lawn problems.
Read also: How To Keep Your Lawn Healthy With Thatching and Dethatching
Problems Of Kentucky Blue Grass
The most widely used grass in Northern and Southern America is the Kentucky Bluegrass. The grass growth is good, and the feel of the grass is under feet is springy. The major problems with Kentucky Bluegrass are snow mold, powdery mildew, slime mold, and brown patch.
Snow Mold
Snow mold is a type of disease that affects the grass in a cold climate. The best way to reduce the snow mold is to drain the soil properly and ensure that the lawn is aerated properly.
Powdery Mildew
When powdery mildew attacks the Kentucky grass, it looks as though someone has sprinkled wheat flour on the grass. You might find more flour-like substance in the shade than in the sunlight. The care consists of making arrangements for draining the soil and using fungicide where the attack occurs.
Slimy Mold
Slime mold is an indication of organic activity on the grass. The molds feed on the organic matter in the soil. The usual care consists of removing the molds with a forceful spray of water and allowing them to go to the drain.
Bermuda Grass Lawn Care
Bermuda is typically a summer grass and is best cared for when you do not fertilize it during summer, but added during fall will help keep it. Bermuda grass is a true survivor, and it springs back during the spring season. The best practice is to replant Bermuda grass every season. This way, the grass will keep looking new every year.
Pesticide Use As Lawn Care
Pesticides and fungicides are to be used as a minimum and are to be used with care. Pesticides can kill good as well as bad pests. Good pests are necessary to make sure that the lawn grows nicely and keep the grass healthy. The earthworms and other creatures that thrive on the pests are killed when you use pesticides indiscriminately. Therefore, care and minimal use of pesticides are recommended.
Ultimate Lawn Care Solutions
Please remember that prevention is better than cure was never truer than in the case of lawns. The common mistakes during lawn maintenance are given above and should be avoided at all costs. This alone will go a long way in the elimination of problems of lawns.
The way you treat your lawns and the love and care you give to your lawn will be reciprocated by the lawns. The lawns will respond by growing the way you like them to grow, and then you will be proud that your lawn has developed the way you want it to grow.
