Your Lawn Questions Answered
1. Every spring my lawn looks great but by the time July is over, it’s brown and dead! What can I do to prevent this?
A healthy lawn starts with strong roots. The best way to get this is to water properly: infrequently but deeply. As the water trickles downwards, the roots follow. The end result is a long root that is more drought resistant than those that are watered only a little bit every day.
July and August are hot months, we know that, and depending on where you live, your lawn may not see rain for three to four weeks. Don’t panic, by mid-August the days will become shorter and nights a little cooler, providing some much needed relief to your grass. It will be green again by September.
I will remind you again in the fall but the fall fertilizer application is the most important one, don’t skip it.
2. I have large dead patches in my lawn, when should I reseed and how do I do it?
You will want to wait until the snow has melted and the ground is no longer frozen. Get yourself some good quality lawn soil and spread it out to about ¼ inch overtop of the bare patch. Sprinkle a generous amount of good quality seed and walk over it to make sure there is good contact between the seed and soil. Water generously. I like to follow this regiment after I’ve thrown down seed:
Week 1: once a day
Week 2: every 2 days
Week 3: every 3 days
After germination: as the soil dries to 1 centimeter
3. When should I fertilize my lawn?
Three fertilizer applications a year are best for a healthy lawn. A spring application using a slow-release, high-iron product such as CIL’s Golfgreen is best. Then, using the same fertilizer, apply again 6 to 8 weeks later. The fall fertilizer is slightly different in that it is high in potassium rather than nitrogen and should be applied before the first snowfall.
4. The dandelions and chickweed are taking over my lawn! Help!
There is a solution; it isn’t the quick fix that chemicals used to provide but it does a much better job in the long run. You’ll want to crowd out the weeds, compete them out of existence. And you do this by throwing down the very best lawn soil and overseeding with the very best grass seed. Be persistent, and those weeds won’t stand a chance.
