Early Summer Lawn Care Tips
Lawn Care Tips: Water conservation is especially important in drought. Targeted watering of any drought-stressed areas in the lawn using a hose sprinkler will provide sufficient moisture and help save money without over-watering other areas. This should be done until modifications can be made to the sprinkler system to provide more even water coverage. It is essential to deeply water the entire lawn on a consistent basis (8-10 inches of moist soil), allowing the soil to dry slightly between watering cycles.
Be on the lookout for the early signs of drought. Watch for a wilted appearance and footprints that do not disappear within an hour following traffic. A drought-stressed lawn will take on a grayish cast, when surveyed from a distance, especially when facing the sun. Such symptoms indicate water must be applied immediately to avoid further drought damage. Repeated drought stress conditions make the lawn more susceptible to weed and orchard grass invasion.
How do I know if my soil is dry?
Here are 2 ways to see if your soil is dry. First, lingering footprints or grayish hue in the lawn indicate soil is dry. Second, you can probe the soil with a screwdriver. If it is relatively hard to push in and moist soil doesn't stick to the screwdriver, it's too dry. If soil is dry please water deeply.
Mowing: For the best green and weed control maintain turf height of at least 3 inches.
Weeds:
Crabgrass can often be mistaken for Orchard grass, however, crabgrass starts growing Mid-late May. It is a summer annual weed most commonly seen during July and August and begins to die as the temperatures fall below freezing. A pre-emergent herbicide in June will help prevent most of last year's seeds from germinating again.
Insects: Insect larvae feed on turf grass crowns and roots and can damage your lawn. A well maintained lawn, appropriately fertilized and adequately watered, is the best defense against these insects.
How do I know if I have an insect problem?
As your lawn greens up you may notice some areas remaining brown. Pull on these areas with your whole hand. If insects are at fault, it will pull up like a rug and you will see little white bugs on the soil.
How do I solve my insect problem?
To control the problem, apply insecticide directly to the affected areas and check back weekly for improvement. Repeat this until all signs of insect activity are gone.