CML’s Idiot’s Guide for Lawns; Chapter 4 – Summer lawn survival

Posted on June 3, 2011 by Mike Shortall

I have few prejudices in life; but the ones I have are deeply rooted and attended to as lavishly as my lawn care obsession! They are in rough order of magnitude:

crabgrass
large dogs with inconsiderate owners
all other weeds
lawn mowing contractors
small dogs with inconsiderate owners

As you can see, I consider lawn mowing contractors roughly equivalent to “medium-sized dogs with inconsiderate owners”. It’s not that I “hate” them per se; and I do not begrudge their need to earn a living or the demand for their services by home owners who simply don’t want to be bothered.

The truth is lawn mowing services rarely care about your lawn. They cut your grass way too short – no matter how hot it is – in order to make it easier on themselves should rainy weather prevent them from making a weekly cutting. And they tend to be sloppy and inconsiderate. Case-in-point was watching my neighbor’s contractor – on Memorial Day morning no less – doing a sloppy job of mowing their lawn. Had I known how sloppy the mess left on my side of the lawn was, I would have confronted them at the time. But if you like large clumps of long, dried out clippings all over your lawn, then you’re in good hands!

But I digress …

The point of this post is to provide some uneducated, experience-related tips on how to help your lawn survive the long, hot, dry summer and then thrive once cooler temps return.

My front lawn absolutely BAKES during the summer. An east-by-southeast exposure, and the absence of shade or an irrigation system, guarantees that by late August it looks more like a lawn in Afghanistan than it does one in southeast Pennsylvania. My back yard is exactly the opposite … plenty of shade provided by the house and large neighboring trees. It still gets dry; but it doesn’t sun-bake nearly as much as the front.

Differing conditions should influence how much time and care you dedicate to your lawn’s summer survival. I will water the front yard every other day during hot, dry weather; but NEVER bother watering the back yard.

Common sense is the recurring theme in my suggestions for helping your lawn beat the heat and survive the summer:

Make sure you fertilize regularly, especially in the spring and fall.
- Search the tag cloud on the menu bar for Lawn Care to read these posts
Don’t be afraid to let your lawn grow LONGERonce it starts getting HOT. (This is where the aforementioned lawn-mowing contractors are so often no friend to your lawn!)
- A well-maintained lawn will look fuller and more lush when allowed to grow longer.
- Longer grass will collect and retain more moisture, even just from morning dew.
- Longer grass also helps shade underlying soil, helps it retain moisture, and protects the plants’ roots
When it starts getting hot, water regularly those sections of your lawn that tend to dry out first and turn brown.
- It’s never to late to water; but do not wait until the lawn is already starting to brown to start watering.
- Pay attention to weather forecasts for anticipated rains and plan accordingly.
- Water in the evening when moisture has longer to soak the soil and reach plant roots.
Use common sense when it comes to fertilizing during heat waves and dry conditions. Don’t fertilize a severely dry or burnt lawn. You’re likely to do more harm than good.
- This is generally an issue only with anti-grub applications, normally applied around the 4th of July. In my opinion, you could do more harm than any lawn pest by applying a grub treatment when your lawn is water-starved.
When worse comes to worse and the lawn turns to straw, watering can still help to keep the roots from completely drying out.

None of these suggestions will guarantee your lawn won’t turn brown. If Mother Nature doesn’t cooperate with an occasional rain, only an irrigation system will keep your lawn green for any extended period of time during hot, dry weather.

My lawn does not have an irrigation system. So I TRY to water every other day (which is a practical compromise between wanting to water every day and the cost of doing so). But even when I am conscientious about watering, without help from Above, my front lawn will stay green only for so long. There is NEVER a summer where patches – usually the same spots each year – don’t thin out, turn brown, and resemble more closely straw than grass. These areas get early special attention in an attempt to mitigate the damage.

The MOST IMPORTANT result is that my lawn usually bounces back pretty quickly because – I like to think – I’m sensible about keeping it in as good a shape as I can BEFORE the long, hot, dry summer starts taking its toll! The secret is to pay attention to your lawn’s condition when Mother Nature turns on the oven, and to anticipate what needs to be done to protect it!

Good luck out there!

Operation Digitaria

Posted on May 12, 2011 by Mike Shortall

UPDATE/MISSION DEBRIEF: Friendly forces successfully applied anti-crabgrass treatment (preemergent) along the contested northern border and behind enemy lines to a distance of 3-4 feet.

Operation Digitaria commenced at 1745 EDT on May 10 with a diversionary mowing operation. Followed immediately by a lightening-fast (Well, for me anyway.), stealth application of said preemergent.

Mission success was threatened by temporary loss of rotary spreader capability caused by ingestion of foreign material related to spousal unit failure to properly clean hand trowel used for recent cemetary plantings. (SURPRISE! … I tend to store small garden tools in the spreader housing when not in use.) Corrective maintenance returned spreader to full mission capability. Operation completed without losses to personnel or equipment. Initial observations indicate bordering forces did not observe and remain unaware of interdiction operation.

END

Chapter 3 – Everyone’s lawn looks great in April

Posted on April 27, 2011 by Mike Shortall

One early Spring evening while attending a soiree at my friend Bob’s house, he took me on a tour of his spread and pronounced how great his lawn looked. I couldn’t help but level my candid Unofficial Lawn Guru assessment.

“Bob, everyone’s lawn looks great in April.”

He was not pleased. But the fact is, you could grow grass on your uncle’s bald head in April. Between the wealth of wet Spring weather and the normal spurt of growth all plants enjoy as Spring breaks upon the land, it ain’t hard to grow anything in April. The trick to developing and maintaining a full, healthy lawn is how it looks in July and August. And how it looks in July and August has a lot to do with what you do with your lawn in April and May. Admiring God’s Spring handiwork only gets you so far!

Of course the converse of my ULG assessment is also certainly true … that everyone’s lawn looks significantly worse in July and August (at least in this region of the country). And yes, this includes Cranky Man’s home turf! The real test of lawn health then is how well your grass rebounds in the following cooler months of September and October, as well as how it looks the following April when we start the cycle all over again.

And what you do in April and May is clean-up, fertilize, mow and aerate. We have covered clean-up and aerating. Today I’ll tell you what little I know about fertilizing.

DISCLAIMER: These casual lawn tips are the product of trial-and-error experiences in the Philadelphia region of the Mid-Atlantic; and in no way reflect any formal training or pretentious claims to know what-the-hell I’m talking about . Results may vary – and vary wildly – given your region, conditions, and level of common sense. The lawyers made me do this. Reader beware!

Fertilizing: Generally I fertilize five times a year, running from crabgrass (early Spring), weed ‘n feed (late Spring), insect (mid-Summer), weed n’ feed II (early Fall), and winterizing (late Fall) treatments. I rely on two types of Spring lawn fertilizing, crabgrass pre-emergent and weed n’ feeds.

I concern myself only with a crabgrass pre-emergent (apparently there are several kinds). The most important aspect to consider is timing when using a crabgrass pre-emergent. If applied too late, it will not prevent crabgrass seed from germinating. If applied too early, it will wash away or be absorbed too deeply in the soil to be effective. Since crabgrass seeds germinate in the Spring when ground temperatures reach 55-60 degrees and stay there for several days, I recommend waiting until temperatures warm a bit to apply a crabgrass pre-emergent. Since crabgrass treatments last for about three months, this should cover your lawn for most of the prime crabgrass season.

On the other hand, regular weed ‘n feeds can be applied as soon as the first weeds pop up. Hopefully, these are popping up on your neighbor’s lawn, not yours. But either way, a properly applied weed ‘n feed will not only kill whatever weeds you get, it will also give your lawn a nice growth jolt.

If you don’t have a “weed problem”, then you can apply a weed ‘n feed at any time. However, if you have active weeds on your lawn, it is best to apply a weed ‘n feed after a rain heavy enough to thoroughly wet the grass, or very early in the morning when the lawn is dew-soaked. Weed ‘n feeds are active weed killers that work by clinging to weed leaves and blooms. Wet grass helps the fertilizer cling to visible weed plants. So it is also critical that there be a 48-hour rainless period AFTER you apply the weed ‘n feed which allows the active ingredients plenty of time to do their dirty work. So pay attention to rain forecasts before applying!

In years past, I would usually apply the weed ‘n feed now to give the lawn a growth spurt; then apply the crabgrass pre-emergent later, since I needed it only as a preventative measure. However, I noticed last summer that crabgrass was popping up in places I had not seen it in a while. The culprit turns out to be my non-compliant next-door neighbor, who has not as yet subscribed to the Unofficial Lawn Guru Code. It’s a veritable weed and crabgrass farm over there!

So this year I will be in full weed-combat mode, with primary battle lines drawn along the northern frontier. And this week – assuming continued warming – I will be applying a crabgrass pre-emergent in an attempt to lay down an effective defensive perimeter.

This means I will push weed ‘n feed back until late May, which is fine considering the near weed-less condition of my thick green spread of lawn lushness.

If you face a situation like mine, with non-compliant or semi-compliant neighbors causing unwanted weeds on your lawn, do what I do. Buy a bit more fertilizer than you need to cover your spread, and apply it liberally to the offending lawn along the contested border. You’ll be laying down an effective perimeter defense. And if your neighbor sees you violating his airspace, he’ll think you’re just being Good Neighbor Guy. He will never suspect your undercover guerrilla weed-warfare strategy! So it’s …

Damn the dandelions! Full speed ahead!!

Good luck, and be careful out there!

Cranky Man’s Lawn Care: An Idiots Guide; Chapter 2 – Aerating

Posted on April 16, 2011 by Mike Shortall

Pre-Brief: Really, really wanted to aerate this weekend, but without snorkeling gear it would prove difficult. (Had tix for tonight’s Phils game, also a washout.) Since you need to plan an aerating operation (i.e. equipment rental/reservation), here is Cranky Man’s Lawn Care chapter on lawn aeration to get you off your rider. Good news is that wet weather makes for favorable aerating conditions.

Aerating: Spring is the best time of the year for aerating your lawn. Aeration helps to loosen the top most layer of soil, which allows for fuller lawn growth. Aerating – especially for high-traffic lawns – allows much-needed oxygen, nutrients and water to reach grass roots.

Soil compaction can prevent adequate root growth and development. Since compaction is the problem you’re trying to treat by aerating, it’s important that you use hollow-core aeration equipment as opposed to a machine using solid spikes that actually compact the soil further. A core aerator will deposit many, many little plugs of soil and grass on top of your lawn. These plugs will deteriorate quickly and will not harm the grass.

Many lawn devotees will aerate TWICE a year – in Spring and in Fall. I’m not that ambitious or obsessive so once a year in the spring suffices; sometimes even skipping a year with no concerns. But my lawn does not have a high level of traffic in most areas. The higher the traffic, the greater benefit aerating will have. Aerating in the Spring – after melting snows and typical Spring rains – ensures deep core penetration and maximum benefit. Too often aerating in Fall follows hot, dry summers and results in harder soil that will resist adequate penetration.

I would suggest going over very high traffic areas several times, overlapping as you go.

Many lawn owners will accompany aerating with overseeding. I’m not a big believer in overseeding (assuming you are observing other Healthy Lawn Behaviors), but overseeding can benefit struggling lawns.

Next segment: Fertilizing

Mike Time

Posted on April 8, 2011 by Mike Shortall

Bummer …

Step 1 (See Chapter 1) of the Lawn Cleanup Project ran into a light – but steady – rain. Bummer …

So instead I get to enjoy a little Mike Time in a house that’s actually empty. It will only last a few hours, so no time to spare. I feel so guilty.

(Really, really tried to say that with a straight face.)

Loading some free library CD music up to the iPod, concentrating on Joe Cocker this time around. Then maybe a little reading.

Will certainly be wondering if the idiots D.C. – on both sides of the aisle – will get their acts together and pass a budget.

Generally, I agree with the Republican goal of reducing and bringing under control Federal spending. But when the jobs of 800,000 civilian employees (Me included … And who – by the way – are already under a potential five-year pay freeze) are at stake, I get a bit annoyed at reports that policy riders (EPA, NPR, etc.) are the real worm in the pie.

Must be too much to ask, I guess.

And this is taking way too long.

Outta here … For the sake of Mike Time.

Cranky’s Lawn Care: An Idiot’s Guide, Chapter 1: Clean & Green

Posted on April 6, 2011 by Mike Shortall

When I decided to create this blog, for some reason working “lawn” into the title seemed to be a natural choice. I take much pride, a few compliments, and much abuse for my Obsessive-Compulsive lawn tendencies. Many a friend and neighbor, upon marveling at the fluffy greenness of my 1/4 acre “spread” say to me, “Mike, what do I need to do to get my lawn looking so incredible?!?” But after listening to me yammering on and on about fertilizers, aerating, mowing, dethatching, edging, raking, etc., they usually pick up the phone and call a landscaper.

So, in keeping with my nature, I will blog a bit about lawn care. But as to not overwhelm the uninitiated; scare off the slackers; or offend the laissez faire “What lawn?!?” set, I will present my completely untrained, common sensical approach in a series of posts as I go about performing my own lawn care activities!

So without further ado …

Clean & Green: (Yes, I am well aware this is backward from the blog title subtext of Green & Clean, Venting My Spleen; but you cannot get “green” unless you “clean” first!)

I love Spring. I hate Spring. I love the warming weather. I hate the Winter cleanup. It’s a love-hate Spring thing.

But cleanup is the first task we face when it comes time to prepare the lawn for the approaching growing season. I despise the annual spring lawn clean-up. I’m a minimal effort for maximum effect kind of guy. It’s my personal house & home mantra.

I like a nice green lawn; but I hate the first step in getting there … Cleaning up the debris left over from Winter. I consider this a necessary evil, from the minimal effort/maximum effect point of view. There is nothing minimal about this effort. And I absolutely hate to rake.

It’s important to get up all of Winter’s debris – mostly in the form of dead leaves – off the lawn. Leaves tend to accumulate anywhere the lawn or soil is depressed (physically, not emotionally). It’s important to give your lawn every opportunity to awaken from its slumber, and reach its tiny, groggy awakening blades towards the warming sun and nourishing spring rains.

Yeah, I know … That was a bit weird.

But dead leaves will suffocate existing grass, and will prevent new growth from developing under those wet, spongy remnants from last fall.

I recommend using a good mower with a bagging attachment to keep raking to an absolute minimum. (I hate to rake.) Given that however, you simply can’t avoid doing SOME raking if you intend to properly clean it up. To make it easier to handle, I suggest mowing in small sections; raking up whatever debris the mower misses; then picking up the dead rakings with the mower. (Did I mention that I hate to rake?)

In the end, you’ll have the cleanest lawn in the ‘hood, and one that will be ready to take full advantage of the growing cycle. And if you’re lucky, no more raking until Fall!

Next episode: Aerating