Transcript Lawn maintenance

Maintaining the Lawn
Modified by Georgia Agricultural
Education Office
June, 2002
Maintaining the Lawn
• Applying lime
• sulfur
• fertilizer
Lime
• Should be applied when
necessary to keep the pH
between 6.0 and 6.5
• Late fall and winter are the
best times to apply lime
Lime
• moves through the soil
slowly at a rate of about 1/2
to 1 inch per year
Sulfur
• should be used on soils that
are alkaline to adjust the pH
Fertilizer
• annual applications of
fertilizer are needed
• Nitrogen leaches through the
soil and must be replaced
regularly
Fertilizer
• Lawns require high N
fertilizer
Nitrogen
• can be applied in an organic
form which acts as a slow
release nutrient that does not
burn the grass and supplies N
over a longer period of time
Fertilizer
• should be applied with a
spreader just prior to the
active growing season
Mowing
• two types of mowers;
• reel
• rotary
Mowing
• close mowing of 1/2 to 1
inch is done most efficiently
with a reel mower
Mowing
• most lawns are cut too short
because the homeowner
believes that the lawn looks
best when short
Mowing
• a very short cutting reduces
the leave area of the plant so
much that it cannot make
enough food
Mowing
• Cutting the grass too short
also encourages weed growth
• Cool season grasses should
not be cut shorter than 2-3
inches
Mowing
• Warm season grasses are cut
1/2 to 11/4 inches depending
on the variety
• Warm season grasses grow
faster in warm weather
Mowing
• Warm season grasses are
better able to compete with
weeds.
Mowing
• Lawns should be mowed
often enough that no more
than 1/3 of the top is
removed.
Mowing
• mower blades should be kept
sharp at all times so the grass
blades are cut not torn off
Mowing
• Mulching mowers eliminate
the need to remove clippings
from the lawn and reduce
fertilizer needs by 50%
Mowing
• lawns should be cut so that
they are cut at right angles to
the direction of the previous
mowing.
Mowing
• This eliminates compaction,
gives the lawn a more even
appearance and reduces
thatch build up
Mowing
• Each pass over the lawn
should slightly overlap the
previous one
• If lawn is too tall clippings
should be collected and
removed
Mowing
• Heavy build up on the lawn
shades out light and kills the
grass.
• Causes a thatch build up that
reduces soil aeration
Mowing
• damages roots and provides a
breeding place for disease
and insects
Growth Regulators
• Can be applied by spraying
on the lawn which will slow
the growth of the grass and
reduce the number of times
the lawn must be mowed.
Growth Regulators
• An example is PRIMO
Watering
• At least one inch of water
should be applied in each
application
• one inch of water is
equivalent to 1/2 gallon per
square foot
Watering
• Applying less than one inch
does more harm than good.
• Watering shallowly, the
plants root system is not
forced to grow deeply into
the soil
Watering
• A healthy lawn can go
dormant and withstand a
great deal of dry weather
without being damaged.
Watering
• The grass will become green
and actively grow after the
next good rain
Problems
• Weeds:
• If lawns are heavily infested
with weeds, chemical
herbicides should be used to
eliminate the problem
Weeds
• are usually an indication of
poor maintenance practices
• two types of weed killers
used on lawns are preemergence and postemergence
Post Emergence
• herbicides are applied after
weeds sprout and begin to
grow
• Many chemicals are selective
and only kill certain types of
plants
Selective herbicides
• make it possible to select a
chemical that will kill almost
everything but the grass
Diseases
• most turf diseases are caused
by fungi - parasitic plants
• Fungi live in and on dead
grass and in the soil where
they attack the grass and rob
the soil of nutrients.
Diseases
• Fungus diseases are spread
easily by mowing or simply
walking across the infected
area especially if the grass is
wet
Diseases
• for fungal diseases to cause
serious problems, there must
be:
• grass plants on which fungus
can live
Fungal diseases
• fungus spores and a means of
spreading them to the grass
• temperature and moisture
conditions favorable to the
growth of fungi
Disease prevention
• do not over use N
• maintain a pH of 6.0-6.5
• avoid thatch buildup
disease prevention
• water only when necessary
and then water deeply
• mow frequently, remove only
1/3 of top growth
Disease Prevention
• keep trees pruned to allow
sufficient light for good
growth
Insect Control
• can cause serious damage to
lawns
• spraying of application of
granular insecticide may be
necessary
Lawn renovation
• Reasons lawns fail
• wrong species or variety of
grass
Reasons lawns fail
• improper mowing
• cutting to short, not cutting
frequently enough
Improper fertilizing
• applying fertilizer too late in
the spring for cool season
grasses.
• Apply a few weeks before
the grass begins its active
growing stage
Fertilizing
• Use slow release, high N
fertilizer according to soil
test results
Improper Watering
• failure to apply enough water
to soak the soil to a depth of
4-6 inches
• Water one inch per week
Heavy Traffic
• plant varieties that are known
for durability such as the tall
fescues
Excessive shade
• plant shade tolerant grass or
other ground cover
• Improper soil preparation
prior to planting
Infestation
• of weeds, diseases and or
insects
Thatch
• speed thatch rotting by
maintaining a pH of 6.0 -6.5
• remove thatch with a
thatching rake or machine
Thatch control
• layer of dead stems, leaves
and roots which build up on
the soil surface
Thatch control
• may prevent water from
penetrating soil
• prevents proper aeration
• provide breeding area for
insects and disease
Thatch build up
• not adjusting mower blade
properly
• returning clippings to the
lawn
• heavy fertilizing
Thatch build up
• heavy clay soil
• acidic soil
Compacted soil
• most needed lawn
maintenance is aeration
• compaction robs plant roots
of oxygen and water
Compacted soil
• recommended treatment is
use of a plugger
• pulls out plugs of soil
• leaves holes in lawn for air
and water to enter
Weed infestation
• when more than one third of
the lawn is dead and large
bare spots exist
• May be better to kill the
remaining lawn and start
over
Weed infestation
• Apply “Round up” and re
seed the area
• after grass is killed the entire
lawn is dug up and the
seedbed reworked and
prepared for seeding
Thin lawns
• remove thatch
• work up soil
• add seed use a roller to press
the seed into the soil
thin lawns
• Apply weed killers to control
broadleaf weeds as needed
• fertilize with slow release
high N
• mow properly and follow
good maintenance practices
Spot seeding
• any bare spot that covers a
foot or more should be
treated
• follow the same process for
seeding a new lawn
Spot patching
• remove good sod from
inconspicuous area and patch
the weak area by digging up
the sod and replacing it with
good sod
Spot patching
• press the sod into place
• water and fertilize
accordingly