Fertilizing and Mowing Your Lawn

WHY IS FERTILIZING REALLY NECESSARY?

Grass has been around a long time, and it’s done pretty well on its own.  In meadows, for example, grass looks great,and has never fertilized.  So why must we fertilize the lawn that surrounds our home?

Here are a few reasons:

1 We expect much more from our lawn.  The meadow, which looks so nice from afar, loses its luster when viewed up close.  Its bare patches, weeds and scars fall short of the lawn we want for our home.

2 Lawns are subjected to great stress from mowing.  We must mow at least once a week to provide the manicured look we expect from a lawn.  And each mowing removes some of the blades that turn sunlight, water and carbon dioxide into carbohydrates needed to sustain vigorous plant life.

3 Today’s grasses are hybrids.  They have been developed to provide better performance than the old grass varieties found in meadows...however, they require fertilization to provide superior performance.

For these three reasons, lawns need access to a generous supply of nutrients through their roots...more nutrients than are found in even the richest of top soils.  And for the grass to thrive from spring through fall, the nutrients must be available continuously, throughout the season.

What does N P K mean to your fertilizer?

N-P-K refers to the percentage of nitrogen, phosphorous, and potassium present in the fertilizer.  The higher these numbers, which are actually percentages of each nutrient in the fertilizer, the higher the level of nutrients available to the plant.

What does N P K do for the plant?

              N-P-K are the most important elements required by the plant.  These are referred to as macro elements because plants need large amounts of these nutrients.

N  Nitrogen – Promotes plant and leaf growth,  also accelerates  the plant’s metabolic processes.

P  Phosphorus – Promotes strong, healthy root growth and fruit development.

K  Potassium – Also referred to as potash.  Regulates the plant’s water retention and provides  protection against frost and drought.

How to figure amount of nutrient in each bag:

%N x bag lbs.  =  lbs. Of Nitrogen
%P x bag lbs.  =  lbs. Of Phosphorus
%K x bag lbs.  =  lbs. Of Potassium

Ex.  30N – 3P – 4K   50lb. Bag

.30 x 50  =  15lbs. Of Nitrogen
.03 x 50  =  1.5lbs. Of Phosphorus
.04 x 50  =  2lbs. Of Potassium

Other Necessary Lawn Treatments...

 

AERATION

           Involves a machine that pulls plugs or cores of soil from your lawn and places them on top of your lawn. Doing this, you are

loosens the ground for improved root growth and also allows fertilizer, lime, etc. and water to seep down in to the ground. This will increase the strength and health of your lawn.

DETHATCHING

Involves a machine that has a series of knives that slice the turf and loosen the thatch. When this process is complete your lawn will look torn up. This would be a good time to over seed, fertilize and lime. A warning, if your lawn is marginal, you could be getting yourself into a bigger mess than you counted on

Which Soil Amendments Does the Lawn Need?

 

LIME

Helps establish a neutral pH.  Once a neutral pH is established then your fertilizer is more readily available.

Application Rate: 10-l5lbs per 1,000 sq.ft. Spring & Fall

GYPSUM

Helps neutralize dog spots and salt damage along the road, driveway and sidewalk areas.

Application Rate: 30-4Olbs per 1,000 sq.ft. before or after damage

Mowing Tips

  • Never cut off more than 1/3 of the blade length at any one time
  • Never mow grass when it is damp
  • Cutting heights 1 1/4” to 1 1/2” first and last mowing of the season
  • Move to 2” to 2 1/2” for May through August, then to 1 3/4” by September – prior to late summer feeding
  • Don’t forget, last cutting before snow is 1 1/4” to 1 1/2”
  • Remove all leaves from lawn before winter.
  • Vary mowing patterns – diagonal, back and forth, etc.
  • Mow slight slopes at a diagonal
  • If ground is uneven, be careful not to scalp high points

 

Turf Diseases

Brown Patch
What to look for: Grass dies within a circular area.  Common on bentgrass  and warm season grasses, but may affect others as well.  Will often appear in mid-May through mid-September. 

Control:  Apply Fortify Disease Buster fungicide when first noticed.  Repeat at least 3 more times at 7-10 day intervals.  Repeat if warm humid weather conditions persist.  Water lawn only in morning.  Water in well

Dollar Spot
What to look for:  Kills grass in small, tan circles on cool weather grasses and in larger circles on warm season grasses.  Will appear in May through mid-October.

Control:   Apply 2 applications of Fortify  Disease Buster  fungicide 7-10 days apart. Water in well.

Leaf Spot
What to look for:  Leaf blades with streaks or discolored markings are probably under attack by various fungi.  Appears in March through mid-June. 

Control:  Apply Fortify Disease Buster  fungicide and repeat 3 times, 7-10 days apart. Remove thatch layer, clippings, and then fertilize.  Water in well.

Pythium Blight
What to look for:  Most common in warm, wet conditions. This blight causes the turf to look wilted and greasy, possibly with a cottony appearance. 

Control:  Apply  Fortify Disease Buster fungicide and repeat every 7-10 days.  Keep traffic off to avoid spreading spores.  Water in well.

Rusts
What to look for:  This fungus causes orange and brown leaf discolorations and thinning of the turf.  Apply high-nitrogen fertilizer, mow frequently and remove clippings. 

Control:  Apply  Fortify Disease Buster  fungicide every 7-10 days until it improves.  Water in well.

Snow Mold
What to look for:  This fungal disease will first appear as a light yellow to grayish white circular area during spring thaw.  Affected patches are a few inches to a few feet indiameter.  

Control:  Remove all fallen leaves.  Mow prior to snow fall and apply  Fortify Disease Buster fungicide.  Do not apply nitrogen-rich fertilizer in fall and reduce the thatch.  Water in well.