Well spring has finally arrived in the Plains. Who was ready for the nice weather? I know I was, and your lawn as well. With the soil temps up, the turf has responded nicely. The deep greens and rapid growth are a direct result. But as we all know this won’t last all season long. So you might be saying what can I do to maintain the spring look long into summer? Well you are in luck: below you will find a listing of tips to help win this battle.
1. Mowing
Often times mowing is the last item on a honey do list. As a result the grass becomes long and will even seed head out. While this is not harmful to the turf if taken care of in the proper manner, if left too long it can cause long term damage. If is important to remember several items when mowing. First, never mow below three inches in height and if possible never below three and half inches. This will shade the crown of the plant and help to create a deep root system. Second, never remove more than 1/3 of the overall blade height if mulch mowing. Too much removed will over time create thatch layers in the turf. The resulting thatch will prevent water and nutrients from reaching the root zone and thus resulting in a thinning out of the turf over time. To prevent this mow twice a week. I know, I know you are saying I am out of my mind. So if this is not an option perform a double cut of the turf. In other words go back over the mowed areas and chop up the clippings again.
2. Watering
While it often rains in the spring, sometimes it does not. It is important to maintain the turf with one inch of water per week. If a sprinkler system is present water three times a week. Set out empty cans in the yard to measure the precipitation rates from the heads to figure out how long to water. Another practice that works nice on our clay soils is what’s known as a cycle and soak. In other words run the system for half the time and repeat two hours later. This, as the name implies, allows the water to filter into the soil profile with out running off. If no irrigation system is present water as best as you can, still employing the same practices. For questions refer to our irrigation page for help.
3. 6-Step Lawn Care Program
While this is the last item on the list, it is the most important. A good fertilizer program will provide food to the lawn year around. What this does is to provide an environment in which the plant has a nutrient base available for use whenever needed. A typical program consist of six applications as follows:
Round 1 – Crabgrass preventer plus fertilizer designed to help wake the grass up
Round 2- Root builder fertilizer along with humic acid to maintain green and build a stronger root system mowing into summer
Round 3- Summer fertilizer designed to provide just enough food for the summer months
Round 4- Grub control
Round 5- Fall fertilizer which helps to strengthen the roots once again after the summer heat has faded away. Also provides some shoot growth and greens up
Round 6 – Winterizer
Green Head Turf Systems offers all these programs and more tailored to the needs of your lawn. Working together with the client we achieve incredible results; results that make lawns happy and clients proud. From Lenexa to Leawood and all points in between Green Head Turf Systems has you covered. Be sure to check us out on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/pages/Green-Head-Turf-Systems-LLC/160627584050309 for more fun lawn care tips. Also check out our reviews on google + and yelp.
