Tackling Your Turf
By Mark J. Lucas |
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You see it all the time. The bastard next door, for some reason, seems to have the perfect lawn. It's a vibrant shade of green, thick, free of weeds. Not a dandelion or patch of crab grass in sight. Then your eyes drift back to the shoddy, patchy, brown mess that's in front of your house. If you didn't know better, you'd say that it was just an entire yard of crab grass, masquerading as a lawn. So what the hell is he doing that's so special? Is he just lucky or is there a technique involved you just haven't heard of? We at 614 Magazine sought the advice of an expert, to better equip you for your summertime turf wars.
"The biggest mistake most home owners make is thinking that, if they use twice as much of something, the result will be twice as good," says Bob Becker, Turf Manager for Scioto Country Club, which has some of the finest grass in the city. "Just follow the label. Right now, you don't need a lot of phosphorus [in your fertilizer]. Nitrogen and potassium will do just fine."
At times, maintaining a lawn can be more art than science. One of the key points to maintaining a healthy lawn is balance. Dumping a boatload of fertilizer on your lawn isn't going to do the trick. In fact, it can work against you.
Though there are a few areas of town that have good topsoil from the get, most of the dirt in the average Columbus yard is thick clay from when the basement was being dug out. Aerating the soil can help to break up that clay and promote better seed-soil contact during an infusion of fresh grass. Most professional lawn-care companies will aerate your lawn, or you can rent the machine, available at both Lowe's and Home Depot for around $60 for four hours - which is plenty of time for most lawns. The aerator pulls tiny plugs of soil out of your lawn, allowing air, water, and various nutrients to enter your lawn, as well as promoting root-growth and decreasing run-off and soil erosion.
As for watering, your time could be better spent elsewhere.
"In my opinion, unless you have an irrigation system, I wouldn't waste the resources watering," says Becker. "I would just use a superior grass, like a turf-type tall fescue, or Kentucky Bluegrass. Those are both great grasses."
Then there are the weeds: essentially any plant you don't want there. In addition to being an unattractive component of the yard, they tend to choke out good grass, but you don't have to douse the entire lawn in chemicals to take care of these eyesores. A more conservative approach is preferable.
"My philosophy is to just spray the weeds," says Becker. "There's no sense in using a shotgun when all you need is a flyswatter, and it will save money in the long-run. Handpicking isn't usually successful, because there's always a little leftover."
As for crabgrass, the best defense is a good offense. Take care of patches before they get out of hand. Crab grass remover is a good method, but if you plan to seed bare spots, make sure you do so before hand, so the seedlings have time to toughen up.
Grubs can be a problem for lawn health as well, but they too can be dealt with.
"Use grub control in late May or early June," says Becker. "Scotts makes a summer guard to take care of grubs. There's another product, named Merit, that works well, too."
But what if you're just starting out and you don't have a lawn yet? Well, if you put down seed in April, chances are you are already seeing some tiny sprouts. Avoid using straw to hold down the seed, as it tends to contain weed seed. Alternatives, such as peat moss, are available at any lawn and garden center.
If you haven't planted by now, sod is going to be your only recourse. Grass seed needs time to settle in and get comfortable.
"If you try to seed too late, those seedlings aren't going to take," says Becker. "They'll also have increased competition from weeds. Late April is the best time to seed. You can also seed in the fall, around Labor Day, for the following year."
See, that wasn't so hard. By this time next year, your neighbor will be the one twisted with envy, because your fresh, green lawn will make his look like a weed-ridden hayfield. All you need is a little TLC - and the self-restraint not to go hog-wild with the chemicals.
Originally Published: June 1, 2009
