30 Days to a Better Lawn in 2014

Step outside and take a good look at your lawn. Do you see bare spots or patches of undesirable looking grasses and weeds? Maybe your kids’ activities, your dog’s constant pacing in the same path day after day, or your parking the car on the front lawn has caused the lawn to thin out due to wear and compaction. It’s true that the 19 straight days of temperatures exceeding 100 degrees certainly did not help our cool-season lawns either. The lawns are beat and just looking for some tender care.

Cooler temperatures are just around the corner. What is left of the lawn will perk up and appreciate the cool nights and shorter, milder days. Crabgrass will stop germinating by mid to late September. Thirty days from now life will be great!

What needs to be done in the next 30 days to have a better lawn for next year? Get ready because this is where you come into the mix. Check for unwanted grasses. Patches of Bermuda or dallisgrass are hard to kill and should be sprayed 2-3 times in the starting early September. Dense sections of crabgrass or bentgrass are fairly easy to kill and could wait until the middle of September to spray. If you think the lawn looks bad now just wait to see what it looks like in a few weeks!

Here’s the good news. Oct 1-10 is a great time to reseed all those problem areas. I would strongly recommend scalping down the areas to be reseeded prior to seeding followed by a fall lawn aeration to loosen the soil and encourage better root development. Areas could then be raked or dethatched mechanically to make a proper seed bed. Select a quality grass to match your existing lawn and follow suggested seeding directions. Generally tall fescue and ryegrass go down around 7-10 lbs/1000 sq ft. Next apply a ¼ inch of clean humus or compost to cover the seed to keep in the warmth and moisture to insure good germination. Apply a starter fertilizer like 10-20-10 at 10 lbs/1000. Water 2-3 times a day lightly to keep the mulch and seed moist for the first 7-14 days.

Here is what you don’t want to do. 1). Nothing. Your lawn will be no better next year and likely worse. 2). Sprinkle some seed over the bare spots and hope for the best. This is not much better than option 1. 3). Buy the cheapest seed you can find like annual ryegrass. This will result in the ugliest lawn on your block. Annual rye never really greens up, it grows very fast and often clumpy, and it does not match any grasses in your lawn. and it often gets riddled with disease in the winter months.

The window of opportunity is here. Now get outside and take the actions needed for a better lawn in 2014!

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Three Steps to a Better Fescue Lawn

You have had a chance to watch your lawn evolve over the years to where it is today. It may have bare spots or unwanted grassy or broadleaf weeds that detract from its appearance. Unless you take some action I can pretty well guarantee that the lawn will not evolve back to the lush green uniform lawn that you once had at the start (assuming it was nice at one time).

First you want to identify the short comings and the causal agents. Bare spots could be the result of pets, poor sprinkler coverage, fertilizer burn, excessive shade, annual weed pressure, poor soils, etc.  As the landscape matures and trees cast a more shade the lawn may thin or nearly disappear. Weeds are easier to control when you have properly identified them and know their life cycle. Crabgrass and bermuda grass are not the same by any stretch.

Secondly, you will want to correct the things that you are able to.  I would definitely address the sprinklers as they are a key element in having a thick, healthy lawn. Sprinklers should be checked regularly throughout the season and adjusted as needed for time and coverage. Poor soils could be amended or replaced. Tough perennial weeds like dallisgrass and bermuda should be sprayed out a few times in August and September to help eliminate them. There are no guarantees on totally killing bermuda, but one can definitely hurt it badly.

The third step is to get the lawn thickened up with the desirable grasses, but only after one has worked on the sprinklers and perennial weeds. Preparation of the site is very important. Aeration and dethatching assure that the seed will make good soil contact and increase your chances of good germination. The area should be smooth and open up enough to allow the seed to drop down to the soil below. In thin spots or areas where one is essentially reestablishing a lawn, the use of a ¼ inch of humus to cover the seed will help hold onto moisture and heat to establish the new seedlings. Finally, the addition of a starter fertilizer high in phosphorus (the middle number on the bag) will assist the seedlings to grow faster and with a healthier root system going into the winter months.

That’s basically it. It is not rocket science, but it is important not to cut corners. If you would like a free evaluation of your lawn and some free advice you can call Weed Man at 559-266-1624 or check out our website at Fresno.WeedManUSA.com.

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Effective Crabgrass Tools Absent From Store Shelves...A Follow Up

You may be looking for an effective way to get rid of crabgrass from your lawn.  Many products prior to 2012 contain MSMA in products like Weed Hoe, or Trimec Plus.  Well you won’t find it on the nursery or garden center shelves now and probably never again.  As a professional lawn care operator, we have until the end of 2013 to use MSMA and then we must find some alternatives.  There are several products now on the market for homeowners for post-control of crabgrass and they all contain quinclorac.  I have not had good success at all in the Central Valley of California getting any significant control using this or Drive as the trade name.  Maybe you will be lucky and make it work, but my guess is that it won’t and you will be out the time and expense you have invested. 

What are your alternatives?  1. Cutting it out. 2. Ignoring it and letting the frost take it out in November. 3. Hiring a lawn care company that still has some on hand to selectively remove the crabgrass out.

What is the future?  There are some products in development and a few that could be useful in certain cases.  There is a product called Tenacity that has some decent post emergent control on crabgrass, but it will only be recommended for cool season turf as Bermuda will turn temporarily white following application. 

My hope is that EPA will be open-minded and see that our industry has no great alternative to MSMA for crabgrass and even more so for dallisgrass control and that MSMA registration for use on turf grass would be reinstated.  I have heard it suggested that the data supporting a ban on MSMA was flawed, but I can’t say for certain. 

For a free consultation on your lawn call Weed Man at 266-1624 or visit our website at Fresno.WeedManUSA.com.  We would be happy to come out and show you the proper way to cut out crabgrass and not damage your lawn if you want to care for your lawn on your own!

What’s In YOUR Lawn?

My guess is that if you skipped putting down a pre emergent or put it down incorrectly then you may be seeing a new crop of crabgrass emerging from your lawn by now.  Crabgrass is an annual grassy weed that can germinate from early February through September.  It is aggressive enough to overtake any lawn type including bermudagrass.  Crabgrass has broad, translucent spring green colored leaves. 

Now that it is in your lawn you are left with only a handful of choices.  One is to ignore it and just appreciate the fact that it is green.  A second choice is to cut it out using a sharp knife and cutting off the roots at the soil line.  The growing points are all above ground and will not grow back.  This will avoid leaving craters throughout the lawn from pulling it out.  I like using the cheap steak knives you can find at the Dollar Stores.  This option is preferable when dealing with 100 or less plants unless you have more time and patience than I do.  The third choice involves a trip to the nursery or local garden center and finding a sprayable herbicide for killing the existing crabgrass.  This is not a viable option at all as the over the counter products are not effective in our area.  Please don’t waste your time and money.  The fourth and final choice is to hire a licensed professional that still has access to products containing MSMA.  This product will selectively remove crabgrass out of a lawn with 3-4 applications about a week apart.  Some yellowing can occur and other new seedlings can continue to sprout as we move through the summer months.  As a lawn geek, I see only options 2 and 4 making any sense.  If I could cut it out then I would elect that option.  If the task was too monumental for my available time or abilities then I would call someone like Weed Man that can guarantee the results.

Bottom line with crabgrass is prevention.  A pre emergent herbicide applied in the spring can prevent the summer problem of crabgrass along with proper cultural mowing and watering practices.  

If you would like a free opinion on what is the best option for your lawn and its weeds, insects, or diseases give us a call at 266-1624 or look at our website at Fresno.WeedManUSA.com.

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Is There a Fungus Among Us?

Brown Patch

Summer has arrived with its excessive heat, limitless sunny days, and absence of rain.  The struggle for the homeowner is deciding what is responsible for the brown sections of the lawn.  Is it the sprinklers that aren't covering well?  Is it the lawn guy’s fault because he just fertilized, broke a sprinkler, or repeatedly cuts the lawn too short?  Did someone in my family toss or leave something on the lawn causing it to turn brown?  Is the neighbor’s dog or cat squatting on the lawn?  Are there lawn bugs?  Is it bad soil?  Aliens landing?  Perhaps even a fungus?

An experienced and knowledgeable professional should be able to identify and eliminate most of the above causal agents by taking soil samples, looking at patterns, asking questions, and getting on their hands and knees to look at the soil, thatch, and leaves.  I maintain that lawn diseases are too often made the scapegoat when really something else is causing the problem.  I can’t tell you how many times we have been told that ”My gardener says that I have a fungus” when they just have dry spots in the lawn.

Make no mistake.  We do experience a good deal of disease activity on tall fescue, bluegrass, and ryegrass lawns in the summer months.  Many of these are soil borne or at least lay dormant in the soils or thatch until the proper conditions arrive.  Symptoms are usually spots or circular rings in the lawn unlike many sprinkler or insect patterns.

Brown Patch is probably the most common lawn disease in our market.  It likes hot sunny areas, ample irrigation, poor air circulation, warm nights, and late evening watering.  You can’t control the weather, but you can manage the amount, frequency, and timing of your irrigation.  Deep, less frequent watering that is done between 3-6 am is best.  The sun can then dry out the lawn and leaf blades by mid morning reducing the period of leaf wetness.  

Southern Blight is another fungus that infects the same cool season grasses during the summer.  It has sclerotia, seed like structures, that hibernate in the soils and thatch until the conditions are favorable for “germinating”.  Typically yellow to brown rings of 1-12 feet in diameter will form. We do not feel the watering schedule has a significant impact on its spread or damage.  A preventive fungicide is the key for this one.

Pythium is a water mold and it loves wet and saturated conditions for its spread and infection of the cool season grasses.  It will appear as spots of greasy matted leaves in lawns generally over watered.  This is the least common of the three and can mostly be managed with proper watering practices and use of a fungicide as needed.

We have found that prevention with fungicides is a terrific option. Some offer up to 30 days of protection in our area.  

For more information on lawns please check out our website at Fresno.WeedManUSA.com or call us at 266-1624.

Mowing 101

There are few things nicer than the smell and sight of a fresh cut, lush, beautiful lawn.  Although mowing is not complicated, there are some best mowing practices.  Proper mowing habits can extend the life and vigor of your lawn for years to come whereas poor mowing habits can take a good lawn and make it a poor lawn faster than you might think.

Mow regularly so that you are removing 1/3 or less of the leaf length in a single mowing.  Weekly mowing is advised and during a spring flush of growth a second could be needed.  If the grass has gotten ahead of you and it is twice or more the normal height it would be best to raise the mowing height and come back a day or two later and lower gradually until you reach the preferred height. Do not allow excess clippings to remain on the lawn. Mowing too much off at once will shock the grass and result in scalping.  Two weeks between mowing is too long for a healthy growing turf.

Mow at the proper height for the grass type.  I would recommend 3 inches for tall fescue, 1-2 inches for common bermuda, and 0.5 to 1.5 inches for hybrid bermuda lawns.  Taller cuts result in deeper roots, cooler soils, less stress, and fewer weeds in most cases.

Replace or sharpen dull mower blades regularly to maintain a clean cut. Dull mower blades result in a raggedy cut.  Aesthetically, the lawn will have a dull look and potentially more susceptible to disease.  
Edging should be vertical not beveled off.  A vertical cut along walks and driveways keeps the mowing height in the ideal range leaving a healthier stand, cooler soil, longer root system and a more competitive situation against invading weeds.  If you like the idea of your lawn slowing shrinking away and weeds coming in then scalping down the edges with a string trimmer may be just what you are looking for.

Mow patterns should be varied regularly.  This will help reduce the rutting and spread out the compaction of repeatedly rolling over the same lines time after time.  It also helps reduce the grain of the lawn as it gets mowed from various directions.

Recycle the clippings by using mulching mowers especially during non-flush periods of growth.  The clippings will add much needed organic matter and nutrients to enrich the soil and feed the beneficial microorganisms in the soil.
Mow at a slow enough speed as to allow a good clean cut.  Mow at full throttle.  Going too fast will result in an incomplete cut and possibly excessive piles of clippings.

Other things include removing obstacles and debris before mowing, ensuring that the wheels are evenly inflated or the wheel height settings are all the same, mowing dry grass is preferred over wet, and always being careful of toes when backing up the mower.

For more information on lawns and lawn problems check out our website at Fresn.WeedManUSA.com or call Weed Man at 266-1624.

It’s a Weed, It’s a Grass, No It’s a Sedge!

I know you have seen them. They hibernate in the winter, but by late April they have started to pop up in your lawn. You mow the lawn and for the most part they have disappeared, but by the next afternoon there they are again sticking up above your lawn. Many call these grass-like weeds nutgrass, but actually they are in the sedge family.

The sedge family will have thicker leaves that come in sets of three with triangular stems which is unlike the grass family that has flat or oval stems. In the Central Valley we are blessed with two main types; yellow and purple nutsedge. The color referenced in the name refers to the color of the flower head with yellow ranging from yellow to light brown and purple having a reddish tinge to it. Hopefully you are mowing weekly or as needed and never see the formation of a seed head.

Yellow Nutsedge

Really, I look at the leaves and the underground nutlets to help me determine which one I am dealing with along with my nose and taste buds. Yellow nutsedge has a more slender and lighter green leaf than purple. It tends to grow taller as well. Underground tubers or nutlets form on the terminal end of the rootlets and are round. They are tasty and edible, too and much better if the dirt is washed off first. Purple nutsedge on the other hand has a denser, shinier, thicker, and more blunt leaf. Its underground tubers are scaly and can form in chains like Christmas lights. The soil around them has a distinct smell and the nutlets are bitter tasting. The nutlets can get much larger than the yellow nutsedge at maturity. 

Purple Nutsedge

The key to control is by managing the development of further nutlets. A healthy nutsedge plant will be collecting the sunshine and nutrients to expand both above ground parts and storage of carbohydrates in the formation of tubers. The goal therefore is to disrupt the happy leaf factory. Years ago, Kern County Farm advisor Harold Kempen showed that regular hand pulling of the plants could reduce populations by 60% in the first year and close to 80% or so by year two. Obviously pulling helps, but that is not very practical. There are several selective herbicides that will “hide” the above ground parts for 4-6 weeks thus slowing down the tuber formation and further expansion. I have not seen any silver bullets that fully eliminate nutsedge populations in 1 or 2 sprays, unfortunately. Persistence is the key to reduction and eventual elimination.

Finally, I would advise not over watering the lawn or flowerbeds as this favors expansion as well. Once established, they will do just fine under normal watering practices. If you would like to know more about nutsedge and proper control measures call Weed Man at 266-1624 or visit us at Fresno.WeedManUSA.com.