Grass will be Greener in Spring If....
September 25, 2007
So your house didn't sell and you decided to wait until spring to put it back on the market. With the "drought" of the past year, lawns are often not as green as the local golf course and the curb appeal of a well manicured lawn is priceless.
The arrival of cooler nights and moderating daytime temperatures make autumn the best time of year to revitalize turf grasses. Now is the time to do reseeding, feeding and watering.
Reseeding of an entire lawn should be done one time, in the fall. Getting seed in the ground now allows the grass sufficient time to grow before the colder season arrives. Reseeding bare spots can also be done anytime, but like a full reseeding, fall is the optimum time for the best results.
You can reseed without feeding, but eventually you will need to add nutrients. Fertilizing for traditional grass growers (non-organic) should be done at least twice a year. When you purchase a good lawn fertilizer, the bag will be marked for the best way to apply the product - usually spread it and water it.
Before you reseed or fertilize, you should take the time to prepare the soil. Incorporate organic matter into the soil, especially our typical adobe or decomposed granite soils, is the best defense against drought. These supplements allow lawns to maximize watering efficiency and keep the lawns greener longer.
Watering a lawn properly is the key element to a healthy and green lawn. With the prospect of water rationing because of the drought conditions, keeping tabs on enough water, but not too much is critical. One expert suggest that a quarter-inch of water per week will keep the crown of the plant alive even if the stems are dormant (i.e. brown). It is o.k. to let the lawn remain dormant for awhile. If you must water during a drought to keep the lawn green, be consistent. Water deeply once or twice a week, not more. Mornings are the best time to water.
A word about mowing - if no rain is in the 10 day forecast, one expert says you should not mow at all as mowing stresses the lawn. In any event the mower should have the blade set as high as the machine allows.
When putting in a lawn or revitalizing an existing lawn, fescues have extremely high drought tolerance and if properly nurtured will provide the green lawn that makes for great curb appeal.
So your house didn't sell and you decided to wait until spring to put it back on the market. With the "drought" of the past year, lawns are often not as green as the local golf course and the curb appeal of a well manicured lawn is priceless.
The arrival of cooler nights and moderating daytime temperatures make autumn the best time of year to revitalize turf grasses. Now is the time to do reseeding, feeding and watering.
Reseeding of an entire lawn should be done one time, in the fall. Getting seed in the ground now allows the grass sufficient time to grow before the colder season arrives. Reseeding bare spots can also be done anytime, but like a full reseeding, fall is the optimum time for the best results.
You can reseed without feeding, but eventually you will need to add nutrients. Fertilizing for traditional grass growers (non-organic) should be done at least twice a year. When you purchase a good lawn fertilizer, the bag will be marked for the best way to apply the product - usually spread it and water it.
Before you reseed or fertilize, you should take the time to prepare the soil. Incorporate organic matter into the soil, especially our typical adobe or decomposed granite soils, is the best defense against drought. These supplements allow lawns to maximize watering efficiency and keep the lawns greener longer.
Watering a lawn properly is the key element to a healthy and green lawn. With the prospect of water rationing because of the drought conditions, keeping tabs on enough water, but not too much is critical. One expert suggest that a quarter-inch of water per week will keep the crown of the plant alive even if the stems are dormant (i.e. brown). It is o.k. to let the lawn remain dormant for awhile. If you must water during a drought to keep the lawn green, be consistent. Water deeply once or twice a week, not more. Mornings are the best time to water.
A word about mowing - if no rain is in the 10 day forecast, one expert says you should not mow at all as mowing stresses the lawn. In any event the mower should have the blade set as high as the machine allows.
When putting in a lawn or revitalizing an existing lawn, fescues have extremely high drought tolerance and if properly nurtured will provide the green lawn that makes for great curb appeal.
posted by shirley harry at 9:02 AM
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