Posts Tagged ‘Lawn care’

Lawncare: Scalping or Aerating?

Tuesday, March 10th, 2015

“Should I scalp or aerate my lawn?”  And when should I do it?

Let’s start with scalping. You set the mower to the lowest setting and bag all the clipping.  You’ll need to invest in a good respirator or dust mask too because this can be a very messy process. On the positive side, it removes a lot of last year’s dead grass and also a lot of the weeds. It allows the soil to warm up fast which will make the lawn green up sooner which in turn allows you to start mowing sooner. Not only does lawn scalping promote growth, but it also thwarts diseases. Scalping your lawn eliminates a layer of thatch and thatch holds moisture.

aeratinglawns-300x240Aerating the lawn is another subject that gets brought up often. Aerating is the physical process of making small holes in the soil and grass. If any of the following conditions exist in your yard, you should probably aerate:

  • Soil compact from children or pets running in the yard
  • Dries out easily
  • Was established by sod, and soil has been layered over an existing coarser soil. This layering disrupts drainage, as water is held in the finer-textured soil. This can lead to compacted conditions and poor root development. Aerating breaks up the layers, allowing water to flow through the soil more easily and reach the roots.

When aerating,  it is better to remove a plug of soil than to just poke a hole in it. These holes allow a more efficient use of water and fertilizer by allowing them to get through layers of compacted soil and thatch. Aerating should be done during the early part of the growing season. In most case this is not a yearly task but one that should be done when needed.  Click here for how to steps for aerating your lawn.

The best time to scalp or aerate your lawn is in the early spring right before the growing season begins. Stop by for all your spring gardening tools and get a head start on a beautiful lawn!

7 Tips For Curing Crabgrass

Monday, June 2nd, 2014

CrabgrassCrabgrass can be the ruin of a beautiful lawn. When left untreated, this weed can quickly take over the lawn and remain throughout the growing season. The chore of curing crab grass outbreaks begins in the early spring, lasts throughout the growing season and into the winter months. Aerate and dethatch your lawn in the early spring to increase air circulation and light penetration below the lawn’s surface. Aerate your lawn every spring. Dethatch your lawn every 2 to 3 years. Avoid removing all of the lawn’s thatch, as a thin layer protects the grass’ roots from sunburn.

  1. Aerate and dethatch your lawn in the early spring to increase air circulation and light penetration below the lawn’s surface. Aerate your lawn every spring. Dethatch your lawn every 2 to 3 years. Avoid removing all of the lawn’s thatch, as a thin layer protects the grass’ roots from sunburn.
  2. Treat your lawn with a pre-emergent crabgrass treatment in the early spring, just as the grass begins growing. Treat the lawn as temperatures approach 50 degrees. Apply the chemical thoroughly so that it reaches all areas of the lawn.
  3. Irrigate your lawn deeply so that the water reaches the lawn’s deepest roots. Allowing the lawn to dry slightly between each irrigation promotes a strong, dense turf. Maintain deep, infrequent irrigation and always adjust the irrigation levels for periods of drought and rain.
  4. Feed your lawn four to five times throughout the growing season, or about every six weeks. Begin feeding the lawn when temperatures reach about 45 degrees, as this is when grass begins growing. Feed the lawn with a slow-release fertilizer with higher levels of nitrogen. Scatter the feed evenly across the lawn and irrigate it deeply.
  5. Maintaining a proper blade length promotes a vigorously growing lawn. Remove no more than a third of the grass blade during each mowing session. Keep the lawn at approximately 3-inches high during the summer months. Reduce the height by about an inch in the spring and fall months. Cleaning the mower’s blades regularly decreases the potential of spreading crabgrass seeds across the lawn.
  6. Inspect the lawn periodically for signs of crabgrass. Remove emerging crabgrass as it appears. Pouring water on the surface of the crabgrass loosens the soil around its roots. Pull the crabgrass gently from the ground. Pull the entire root to prevent the weed from re-emerging.
  7. Give the lawn a final fertilization in the late fall. Include a pre-emergent application to treat the crabgrass seeds preparing to germinate the following summer.

Read more: http://www.ehow.com/how_7762959_cure-crab-grass.html#ixzz32G1CIguo