Liming turfgrass or residential lawns is very important in order to adjust the soil pH for improved turfgrass development. Soil pH describes the "hydrogen ion concentration" in the soil medium, and is a borrowed term from chemistry. It refers the acidity or alkalinity of the soil solution that can range from 0 (extremely acid) to 14 (extremely alklaine), and a pH reading of 7.0 being neutral. Most soils in the southeast United States generally range from 5.0 to 7.2., though there are exceptions depending on the soil type. High concentrations of organic matter, such as decaying tree leaves, also help to acidity the soil.
Gardeners must be concern with the acidity or alkalinity of their soil because pH affects the way plants grow, and the amounts of commerical fertilizers that a plant can utilize in the soil. Liming turfgrass lawns & gardens help to raise the soil pH level in the soil profile, and allows the plant root's system to take up more of the soil nutrients that are available in the root zone. In general, a pH of 6.0-6.5 is considered most desireable for overall nutrient availability. When pH goes above 7.0 certain critical minor elements may become deficient.
Liming is normally recommended every year with an application of 15-45 lbs per 1000 square feet depending on the soil pH levels. (Taking a soil sample is the best method to determine actual pH reading). Lime will normally require a period ot 3-6 months to breakdown in the soil, and to begin to raise the soil pH level of your soil. TurfPride recommends to apply Lime in the fall for warm-season turf, and apply in the summer on cool season turf.
For more information, please e-mail us.
Mowing height should be increased during the hot, dry summer. In most areas the grass will grow more quickly in the spring and fall and require more frequent mowing. Calculate mower blade heights by measuring the distance between the ground and the base of your lawn mower.
The lawn should be mowed frequently so that only a small clipping is taken from the grass plant. Never remove more than 1/3 of the total grass blade. Removing too much of the blade length at one time stresses the grass and weakens your lawn. Because the system of a grass plant grows proportionately to the above ground parts of the plant, a longer cutting height results in a stronger, deeper root system.
Below are the optimum height per lawn type:
- Fescue: 3 ~ 3.5 inches tall
- Bermuda: 1.0 ~ 1.5 inches tall
- Zoysia: 1.5 ~ 2.0 inches tall
Lawn mower blades should be kept razor sharp. A sharp blade makes a clean precise cut of each grass blade. A sharp clean cut will seal quickly and resist disease attack. A dull blade chews and frays grass blades resulting in a gray appearance and greater vulnerability of turf to diseases. A crisp cut is also easier to achieve on a dry lawn than a wet one.
To maintain a razor sharp blade, it maybe necessary to have the blade sharpened 3 times each year. Remember to sharpen the blade of even a new lawn mower, as few new lawn mowers are sold with pre-sharpened blades. A sharp blade also reduces wear and tear on your lawn mower engine.
The mowing direction should be altered for each mowing. This procedure will keep the grass growing strong and straight while reducing weed grass infestation.
Grass clippings should be left on the lawn when mowing. "Grass-cycling" is natural and an environmentally beneficial practice. Grass clippings are about 90 percent water by weight. Because they are high in protein they should be left on the lawn to decompose and add nutrients to the soil. The average lawn produces clippings at a rate of about 200 pounds per square foot each year. This equals one ton annually of nutritious clippings from a 1,000 square foot lawn. The use of a mulching type mower is ideal for grass-cycling as it results in a more uniform distribution of grass clippings, and allows for quicker decomposition.
Grass-cycling also reduces waste and conserves landfill space. It is only necessary to remove lawn clippings if they are long and will smother the lawn.
For more information, please e-mail us or call 770-590-7200.
Your lawn needs 1 to 1-1/2" of water weekly. Spring and summer rains sometimes come like flash floods with gusts and thunderstorms. Lawns can be bone dry one minute and struggling to keep leaves above the water the next. Sometimes these rainfalls fail to penetrate into the root zone and the lawn may need additional watering.
To determine the need for supplemental water, look for these telltale signs of oncoming drought stress:
- Areas of the lawn especially near concrete or asphalt (sidewalks and driveways), under large trees and on slopes, take on a dark, silvery or smoky blue-green haze. In extreme cases the lawn appears yellowish.
- Footprints or lawnmower wheel marks don't spring back shortly after they are made.
If your lawn shows symptoms of drought, water it immediately regardless of the time of day. If action is not taken to correct the problem, the grass plants may die and become straw colored.
Under normal circumstances, early morning is the best time to water your lawn so that the leaves can dry slowly and naturally without too much evaporation, and instead with most of the water penetrating the soil. If you water at mid-day in hot weather, much of the water evaporates quickly. Evening watering can promote the spread of lawn grass diseases.
Regular, fairly deep watering is better than daily light sprinklings. Deep watering and allowing the lawn to dry out between watering will force the roots to penetrate deeper in search of moisture. On the other hand, excessively heavy watering is wasteful and can promote lawn diseases. Again, 1 to 1-1/2" of water weekly.
An easy way to water hills is to use a soaker hose with the water holes turned down toward the ground. Flood the hill until the puddles appear at the bottom. Ask your TurfPride professional for further watering recommendations.
For more information, please e-mail us or call 770-590-7200.
Fairy Ring
Fungi growing on dead organic matter releases compounds that create a thin, circular, or arc-shaped band of dead grass or of rapidly growing, dark green grass. The band's diameter increase each year. Mushrooms sometimes appear in the band. Limited practical control methods are available, but mowing, watering, and fertilizing the lawn can mask disease symptoms.
Pythium Blight
Small, round to irregularly shaped patches of blighted plants, up to 6 inches across, appear during hot, humid conditions. In early morning, fluffy white fungal threads may mat grass blades together. Affected grass leaves are dark and slimly, then fade to tan as they die. Tan leaf spots without dark borders may occur. Many patches may coalesce to affect large areas of turf. Fungicides are available for curative and preventative control. Avoid excesses of moisture, thatch and fertility.
Rhizoctonia "Brown Patch"
Large patches of thinned or killed light brown turf occur on lawns under hot, humid conditions. Patches may also consist of a dead ring around a tuft of healthy turf in the center. Irregularly shaped bleached leaf spots with brown borders may occur. Early in the morning, round patches may exhibit a narrow gray to black ring around patch of brown patch commonly called a smoke ring. The smoke ring occurs when the disease is actively infecting an entire ring of blade tissues, causing all affected grass blades to wilt in unison Fungicide are available for curative and preventative control.
Summer Patch/Necrotic Ring Spot
Both diseases cause patches of dead grass up to 2 feet across. Patch shapes vary from irregular streaks to round, and may contain central tufts of healthy turf or weeds. Bleached leaf spots of irregular shape or specklings or bands across the leaf may occur. Summer patch occurs during warm to hot weather when soil is wet or at onset of sudden droughts. Necrotic ring spot may appear in spring, summer, or autumn. Fungicides and resistant varieties are available. Irrigate if possible to avoid drought, and avoid low mowing heights.
Rust
Small oval, yellow, orange or red Rust pustules occur on leaves or stems in late spring or fall and turn dark brown with age. When rust is severe, the infected turf area may appear thin, weak and tinted red or brown. The disease normally occurs with periods of cool, wet growing conditions, and can be controlled with applications of fungicides.
Powdery Mildew/Red Thread
White fluffy powdery mildew occurs on leave in late summer to fall, especially in dense shade. When the disease is severe, small, yellow patches appear and turf dies. Red Thread cause small growths that emerge from tip ends of blighted leaves downward toward the stem and is especially prevalent during the spring and autumn on slow-growing, nitrogen-deficient turf. During moist periods, a pink slime may cover the leaves. The disease may occur during any season of growth, and application of excess nitrogen should be limited.
Leaf Spot
Dark-colored oblong spots with bleached centers characterize (Helminthosporium) leaf spot. Some plants may turn yellow and then die, causing a thinned turf. Avoid excessive nitrogen in the spring. Dollar Spot causes bleached leaf spots with brown borders that often extend across the leaf. During summer or fall, this disease causes small distinct patches on closely mowed grasses (Bermudagrass) and larger irregularly shaped, bleached patches of blighted grass on most lawn grasses. Leaf lesions often appear hourglass-shaped, with die back from leaf tips is also common. When dew is present on grass blades, and the disease is active, a white cottony or cobwebby growth of fungal active is seen on grass.
Gray Leaf Spot (Blast)
Tiny, brown leaf and stem lesions enlarge rapidly into round to oblong spots. The largest spots may extend nearly across the entire leaf, and heavily damaged leaves frequently die. Leaf spots are tan to gray with purple to brown borders, or spots may be covered with a gray mold during periods of warm, humid weather. When the disease is severe, the entire planting may appear scorched as if it were suffering from severe drought.
Bermuda/Spring Dead Spot
Spring dead spot is typically a disease on turf that is three or more years old. Circular patches of bleached, dead grass appear in the spring as the dormant grass resumes growth, with healthy green grass in the circle. Roots and grass stolons of plants in affected areas are severely rotted. Regrowth of grass into the patches is generally slow, and some areas the patches remain barren or fill with weeds. Fungi appear to grow most active during the autumn and spring when temperatures are cool and soil is moist.
Any unwanted plant or any plant in the wrong place is known as a weed. With as many as 150 seeds ready to germinate throughout the entire season for every square foot of soil, the potential for weeds is tremendous. In fact, in the top six inches of the topsoil, over 1,000 square feet, there may be as many as 3,000 viable weed seeds. These seeds remain viable for many years.
Weeds are opportunistic plants. They compete with preferred plants for space, water, nutrients and sunlight. Just a slight weakness in the turf can allow a weed seed to germinate and become established. Cultural practices that help maintain health and vigour of the grass should end concern for weeds.
Annual Bluegrass
Annual Bluegrass invasion of home lawns is a noticeable problem in early summer. You can identify Annual Bluegrass by the seed heads that it usually produces and the light green color of the Annual Bluegrass plant. Annual Bluegrass is shallow-rooted, tends to turn brown during any dry period and is very disease-susceptible.
The best way to deal with Annual Bluegrass is to follow practices that discourage its growth and encourage that of Kentucky Bluegrass. The mowing height should be kept at least 2 to 2-1/2". The lawn should be watered thoroughly to encourage the deep-rooted Kentucky Bluegrass. 1 to 1-1/2" of water should be applied once a week to the entire lawn.
Forcing-out Annual Bluegrass can take quite a while, but by following proper fertilizing, cutting and watering practices, you will have a more beautiful lawn.
Broadleaf Weeds
Promoting a healthy lawn is the best defense against severe weed problems. Proper mowing and watering, regular fertilization and core cultivation when necessary are the key ingredients in maintaining a healthy lawn.
Most broadleaf weeds that invade can be efficiently controlled with the use of approved selective weed control materials applied by licensed, trained personnel. These products are referred to as selective because they only affect target plants and do not harm the grass plants in the lawn.
Speedwells
Veronica
Several types of Speedwells invade home lawns. Some are annual plants that reproduce from seed and others are perennial plants that can reproduce by seed, rhizomes and creeping stems. All are low growing with small leaves. Perennial species are generally more difficult to control.
Violets
Viola
The two types of violets most commonly found on home lawns include field violet which is an annual weed and sweet violet which is a perennial weed. Their heart shaped leaves and their white, yellow or purple flowers distinguish violets. Both types of violets can be difficult to control.
Ground-Ivy or Creeping Charlie
Glechoma Hederacea
This perennial weed has a creeping growth habit. It lays prostrate along the ground with stems and roots at every node. A distinguishing feature of this weed is that its stem and leaves provide a mint-like odor when crushed. It has creeping square stems, and round leaves with scalloped edges that are sometimes purple. Often Creeping Charlie has flowers like tiny purple snapdragons. It reproduces by seed and has the ability to root at every break along the stem. This weed is more readily controlled than the previous two, However like most weeds, it can take an ongoing effort by a lawn care professional to control it.
Dandelions
This hardy plant has a strong tap root that can potentially penetrate the soil by 2 - 3 feet. The large yellow Dandelion blossoms flower twice each year and thrive right across Canada. The seeds from Dandelion flowers can be carried many miles by the wind.
Maintaining a healthy lawn is the best defense against Dandelions. A few Dandelions can be controlled by pulling them by hand (ensure complete removal of tap root). Some people feel that a few Dandelions do not detract from a beautiful lawn.
White Clover
Some people like to have Clover in their lawns, but many homeowners consider Clover to be a weed. Clover stains clothing, does not blend well with desira ble lawn grasses and attracts bees.
Most people recognize the pinkish or white flowers of a Clover plant plus its three leaflets with a white V printing in the centre of each leaflet. Clover is perennial, meaning that it can survive for many years. Clover is very aggressive and can take over your lawn.
Clover can be controlled by applying a selective weed control product in both spring and fall. Proper lawn maintenance practices should also be followed to help the lawn compete with the Clover.
Quackgrass
It is not uncommon for customers to call TurfPride in the early spring to help them get rid of crabgrass in their lawn. If the weed grass is present in early spring, the problem is probably a perennial weed grass such as Quackgrass. Quackgrass is extremely vigorous, taller, faster growing and lighter green than desirable lawn grasses. Quackgrass has a broad grass blade and a tough, wiry network of underground stems. Crabgrass control products will be ineffective against Quackgrass.
Quackgrass can only be "stunted out" or "crowded out". This is accomplished by supplying a good program of fertility to the turf, in order to thicken it up. In addition, the lawn should be mowed frequently (every 3 to 4 days) in the spring and fall at a slightly reduced height than normally recommended, This will help to stunt the growth of the Quackgrass and encourage desirable grasses to crowd out the Quackgrass.
Other Weeds
Other weeds found in home lawns that are considered difficult to control include field bindweed, wild strawberry, mossy stonecrop, yarrow and knotweed. A combination of proper cultural practices, adequate nutrition and a progressive weed control will help to control these weeds over time.
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