Organic Lawn Care Schedule
In March or as soon as the ground thaws enough for you to dig 4-6 inches deep, get your soil tested. A good lawn has at least 6 inches of soil.
While you can pick up your own soil test kit in the store, its much more accurate if you get it done by your local extension office. If you find your soils pH is below 6.0 add garden lime but if its above 7.0 add garden sulfur. The experts at your local extension office will also be able to guide you in amending your soil and which grass or plants to grow. So dont be afraid to ask!
March or early spring is also a great time to clean up from winter by raking away dead leaves and branches. Learn how to use these in your compost pile here! Lastly, aerate your lawn. This allows water, nutrients and air to get to the grass roots after the snow has compacted your lawn tightly down over the winter.
Its a common myth that you should mow your grass very short so that it will take longer to grow back. But this actually isnt true and will only weaken your lawn and invite weeds to grow. When you cut your lawn short, the grass blades just grow back faster in order to do photosynthesis for the roots. Ideally, for cool-season grasses set your mower blades 3.5-4 inches high and for warm-season grass set your mower lower to 2.5-3 inches.
Where Do You Start With Getting Your Lawn In Shape
Every solid project requires a good foundation. The foundation for a good lawn is the soil in which it grows. If you have soil issues, you will have lawn issues. Perform a soil test for your lawn soil. This will give you valuable information on what your soil has and what you need to add to it.
There are do-it-yourself kits available from some lawn care services or lawn and garden shops. The cooperative extension offices in many states will also test soil for free or for a low fee. Private companies also provide kits and testing for a fee. Once you get the results returned, you will see what you may need to add to the soil in order to get the lawn of your dreams.
Video: Mowing The Lawn To The Right Height
There is more to a healthy lawn than watering and fertilizing. Mowing the lawn to the right height is important for healthy grass. Travis Larson, senior editor at The Family Handyman, will show you how to determine what height is optimal for cutting your grass. Each type of grass has a recommended cutting height.
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What Type Of Grass Seed Should You Use
The type of grass you have in your yard depends on your location. For people living in the hot areas of Florida and other subtropical zones, St. Augustine is likely the local neighborhood favorite. In other areas of the country, there are additional options. Tall fescue or Bermuda are both popular choices in many areas of the country.
Fall & Winter Fertilizing
Labor Day until late October is the time to apply step four in our lawn care program. IFA Step 4 Fall & Winter Lawn Food is the final step of the growing season. This is the most important lawn feeding of the year. Fertilizing in the fall produces extra greening and little top growth. Most of the lawns energy, supplied by the fertilizer, is stored in the roots to be utilized over the winter and provide next years early spring green-up power. Your lawns root system will remain active until the ground freezes, giving it time to recover from the summer heat in the now cooler soil.
IFA Step 4 Fall & Winter Fertilizer also contains Omnicote iron that will give you a deep green lawn up to Halloween and beyond. This is also a good time to apply a second application of IFA Bountiful Earth Humate. Humate will help fortify the lawn for the winter months and aid in vigorous growth next spring.
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How Often To Maintain Your Irrigation System
Speaking of watering, you rely on your sprinkler system year-round in Texas, and ideally you should get a quarterly irrigation system checkup. At the very least , get an irrigation maintenance check annually in the early spring.
During an irrigation check, a certified irrigation technician will review all components of your system. Most homeowners are not qualified to audit and test sprinkler systems for efficiency and performance, so its best to rely on a pro.
Start Overseeding Your Lawn
If you have any bare patches on your grass, you may need to start overseeding your lawn as part of your spring lawn care. Apply grass seed to help grow new patches where the lawn died during the winter. Working with grass seeds completely on your own can be difficult. Check with your local Lawn Doctor professional to determine how much seed your lawn may need, how to water and care for the seed, and when during the season you should plant the seed in your lawn. We can help guide you on the best ways to overseed your lawn and help get your grass growing strong and healthy.
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How Do You Plant New Grass
Planting new grass is actually a simple procedure for most homeowners.
Include A Mix Of Plants
Be sure to include a mix of many different plants and grasses in your lawn. A diverse landscape is better for the environment and can be easier to maintain, because it prevents pest problems from spreading to the whole lawn.
For places where it is hard to grow a lawn, try plants more adapted to the area. See Plant diversity for more information.
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Diy 5 Step Lawn Care Program
Posted by kirby.martin at 2:02 AM on Feb 15, 2017
Step 1 All Seasons Crabgrass Preventer – The longest lasting, most recommended crabgrass preventer used by professional applicators to protect lawns from crabgrass and other annual weeds all season long. This product needs to be watered in and can be applied now.
Step 2 Weed out Plus Lawn Fertilizer-This product controls all broad-leaf weeds including henbit, chickweed and dandelion. Apply in April or May to a damp yard.
Step 3 Grub Free Zone II – One of the best products on the market for controlling grubs. This insecticide will last all season, protecting your lawn from grub damage. Apply in late May to Early June.
Step 4 Winterizer – Water in this applicaiton in early fall to help your yard recover from the stress of summer.
Step 5 Winterizer– Water in a second late fall application to make your yard more cold hardy and greener all Winter long.
We have several purchase options, you can purchase the entire set take it home or we can hold it for you in store and you can take it as you need it.
Know The Best Grasses For Your Region
Grasses suited to their growing region create exceptional lawns. Just like garden flowers or shrubs, turfgrasses vary in their climate preferences and tolerances for drought, shade and other conditions. One benefit of seed over sod is your expanded choice of grass varieties with specific qualities, from durability to texture beneath bare feet.
Cool-season grasses, such as Kentucky bluegrass, peak in growth during cool temperatures in fall and spring. They flourish in northern zones. Warm-season grasses, such as Bermudagrass, excel in summer heat and warmer climates. Region-appropriate lawn grasses require less water and other resources, including maintenance time.
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Have A Lush Green Lawn
Its the perfect time to begin planning for the perfect lawn. Our easy four-step program has proven successful for customers that have signed up in January and received a discount on lawn care products throughout the year. No matter whether your grass is Centipede, St. Augustine, Bermuda, or Zoysia our program can help you be the envy of your neighborhood.
How to get started.
Easy Four-Step Lawn Care Program
Step 1 is applied between February 15 and March 15,
FOR ALL GRASSES APPLY:
FOR ST. AUGUSTINE APPLY:
FOR BERMUDA APPLY:
Perfect Lawn Maintenance Timing: When To Fertilize Water Spray Weeds And More In Texas
Theres a lot involved in Texas lawn maintenance, and timing is everything. When is the best time to apply fertilizerand what time of day should you water your lawn to get the best results? From controlling weeds to seeding a lawn, when you perform these essential lawn care and landscape tasks is the difference between success, and possibly hurting your lawn.
We know many folks who decide to care for their own lawns, and theres nothing wrong with thatexcept when they overlook timing and end up not getting the results they expect. Basically, you can do all the right things for your lawn at the wrong time and end up wasting your weekend and your money.
So, lets dig into this timing issue.
Here, well give you insight on the best time in North Texas to fertilize, water, spray weeds, prevent insects, service your irrigation system, seed a lawn and more. Youll see, theres a reason for this North Texas lawn care scheduleand with this knowledge, you can do all the landscape maintenance yourself, or hire a pro to handle the landscape maintenance needs youre not comfortable handling on your own.
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How To Have A Healthy Lawn
Like many Canadians, you probably take pride in having an attractive lawn. Find out how to care for your lawn as easily as possible, while reducing the need for pesticides!
Many people use lawn care products like herbicides and insecticides to maintain their lawns. But “cosmetic” pesticide use is now restricted and even banned in many communities across Canada.
There are ways to have a healthy lawn without using pesticides. And when you do have to use pesticides, there are ways to use them safely.
The Best Time To Apply Weed Control
Weed control is usually applied up to 7 times throughout the year to control weeds. Specific pre-emergent applications in fall, early winter and early spring address weeds before they mature, while post-emergent applications as needed treat the weeds you can see.
Weeds can be tricky to tame, which is why youve got to stay on it if you want to maintain a healthy lawn. After applying weed control, you should water in the product and avoid mowing for at least 24 hours. The same rules apply to insect control.
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A Simple Lawn Maintenance Schedule 10 Steps A Lush Lawn
Some articles will lead you to believe that you need to spend lots of money and follow a super complicated plan to achieve a great-looking lawn. While those plans undoubtedly work, most people dont need something so in depth.
With a little planning, and some local knowledge you can have a great looking lawn with a minimal amount of planning and effort.
In this guide, we will give you a lawn maintenance schedule with only 10 simple steps.
Disclosure:It is important you understand that we may receive commissions when you click our links and make purchases. However, this does not impact our reviews and comparisons. All opinions are our own we pride ourselves on keeping our articles fair and balanced. For more info see our disclosure statement.
In This Article:
Seasonal Plant Growth Cycle
In early spring, roots are long and full of nutrients stored from the fall. Shoots, the part of grass visible above ground, use this stored energy for growth.
In warm summer temperatures, leaf and root growth slow down. Plants rest during times of heat and drought. Roots can be damaged when soil temperatures are above 85°F.
In the fall months shoots start to grow again and nutrients are stored in the long roots for the winter. Optimal shoot growth occurs with air temperatures of 55 to 75°F.
Cool-season root growth is stimulated by soil temperatures above 32°F, and is optimal with soil temperatures between 50 and 65°F.
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How Should You Fertilize The Lawn
Fertilizing provides your lawn with the nutrients it needs to grow thick and green. In order to fertilize a sizable lawn you will need a spreader. Spreaders come in two varieties: drop and broadcast.
Drop spreaders drop the fertilizer directly below the spreader, while broadcast spreaders drop fertilizer in a pattern out and away from the spreader. Drop spreaders are more accurate while broadcast spreaders cover larger areas in a shorter amount of time.
Choosing A Lawn Care Company
If you don’t want to do it yourself, there are many companies that maintain lawns and control pests. Some may include services marketed as organic or pesticide-free.
To choose the option best for you:
- Find out what programs and prices companies in your area offer, and what results you can expect.
- Avoid lawn care programs that apply pesticides even when pests are not present.
- If pesticides are used, make sure that they are used as part of an Integrated Pest Management program.
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Now Is The Time To Start
In most areas of Utah and throughout the Intermountain West, March to mid-April is the ideal time to begin the steps to a beautiful lawn .
An application of our early spring fertilizer, IFA Step 1 Crabgrass Preventer + Lawn Food, is step one to obtaining a beautiful weed-free lawn. The pre-emergent fertilizer provides a weed barrier, killing weeds as they germinate from the seeds that have lain dormant in your lawn all winter. If they are eliminated now, they wont become a problem later this spring and summer.
As an added bonus, apply IFA Bountiful Earth Humate, which is an organic product mined in the mountains of Utah. It helps contribute to a darker green lawn since it has an increase of iron and other trace minerals. An application of Humate aides in holding nitrogen in the root zone longer. It also allows you to use less water by increasing the lawns water holding capacity something everyone in Utah can all benefit from.
Get To Know Your Soil
When it comes to turf, what happens above ground reflects what’s going on underneath. Take advice from lawn pros and test your soil, so you know your starting point for essentials such as soil pH. Your local county extension office or agricultural agent will have information on test kits and reputable soil laboratories.
You can take accurate soil samples yourself. Include separate samples for problem spots, such as bare areas or sections with unwanted lawn moss. Let the lab know you’re testing lawn areas they can tailor recommendations to get your lawn on track for your plans.
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Fall Lawn Care Schedule Overview
| Timing |
| 2. Thin patches of grass3. Dead areas in your lawn |
| Mid-Fall |
Early fall lawn care should include tackling:
- Bare spots
- Thin patches of grass
- Dead areas in your lawn
If you have warm-season grass, youll want to do this while temperatures are high. For those with cool-season grass, its best to hold off until when the weather begins cooling.
