For many homeowners, the lawn is the most prized possession during the summer. Nothing is more valued than having a green lush lawn. A lot of money and time is spent each year to achieve the perfect lawn and to keep it looking its very best. However, in reality, one only has to follow the basics to keep the lawn looking green and clean all summer long.

Fertilizing - There is a lot of fuss about what, when, and how to fertilize lawns. In fact, there are numerous lawn products on the market geared to helping achieve that perfect lawn. The truth of the matter is that buying and using a generic "weed and feed" or some other customized lawn product does not always make logical sense. None actually knows your personal situation, nor are they guaranteed to benefit your lawn or solve your lawn's problems. They might even hurt it! Only a soil test will accurately determine what your lawn really needs.

Regular ordinary fertilizers are likely just as good or better than all these specialized and fancy products. Your lawn won't know the difference anyway if you paid $10 or $50. As long as it gets the nutrients it needs, why bother. Complete fertilizers such as 8-8-8 or 13-13-13 are just as effective as long as that is what the soil test calls for. You'll probably have to mix and match fertilizers anyway to meet your lawn's needs. To do so, you can buy still buy ammonium nitrate, superphosphate, and potash all separately if necessary.

The most ideal time to begin fertilizing lawns is in May, when the last chance of frost is long gone. Be sure to know what type of grass you have so you can follow the proper fertilizing schedule and application amounts. Centipede grass will only need one application, while Bermuda grass will require several throughout the summer.
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mowing - Proper mowing techniques will help keep the lawn looking great. A good rule of thumb is to remove no more than one-third of the grass height at any one mowing. For example, if you are maintaining your centipede lawn at two inches, mow the lawn when it is about three inches high. Cutting off more than one third at one time can stop roots from growing and would require frequent watering during dry summers to keep the plants alive. In addition, following this rule will produce smaller clippings, which will disappear quickly by filtering down to the soil surface.
Be sure to recycle your grass clippings instead of bagging them. Bagging is unnecessary since leaving the clippings on the lawn helps return nutrients to the soil. Grass clippings contain about 4% nitrogen, 1% phosphorus, 2-3% potassium, and smaller amounts of other essential plant nutrients. Added up, this totals up to a 4-1-3 fertilizer. Recycling grass clipping ultimately saves you time and money.

Grass clippings do not contribute to thatch build-up in any lawn. Thatch is a layer of living and dead plant parts that lies between the grass and soil surface. Grass clippings are made of water and will break down quickly once they fall between the grass blades and onto the soil.

Watering - The most mismanaged lawn practice has to be watering. Lawns need water at various times of the day and throughout the summer. Naturally, if there is not enough rainfall, supplemental watering through irrigation will be required. If you irrigate your lawn, water deeply to develop grass plants with deep extensive root systems. Water early in the morning for efficient water use, and to discourage the development and spread of diseases. During the driest period of summer, lawns require about 1 to 1½" of water every 5 to 14 days. This means you may have add water. If water runs off the lawn before 1 inch is applied, turn the sprinkler off, let the water soak in for about an hour, and the continue watering.

You can determine when your lawn needs water by using the "footprint" or the "screwdriver test." If you walk across your lawn and see your footprints behind you, then you grass needs water. Low levels of water in the tissue of the grass blades will prevent the blades from springing back up. To do the screwdriver test, take a screwdriver and press it into the soil of your lawn. If the soil is very dry, it will be difficult to push the screwdriver into the soil. Use this test to confirm the results of the footprint method to help judge when you should water your lawn.

Pest Management - Like any other plants, lawns have pest problems too. Weeds, insects, and plant diseases can all affect the overall health of a lawn. Proper management of these pests is necessary to keep the lawn looking good.

Although weeds are more of a concern during the winter when the lawn grass is not growing, there are summer weeds that are just as aggravating. Crab grass, nut grass, spurge, and plantain are just some of the weeds that will show their selves in the summer lawn. A post-emergence herbicide or hand removal is usually necessary to get them under control.

Insect pests such as grubs, fire ants, and spittlebugs can damage the lawn. Grubs are the most destructive and typically the ones that go unnoticed. Diazinon and Merit remain as the only two listed insecticides for controlling grubs and other insect pests in lawns, with diazinon set to be taken off the market at the end of the year. There are numerous fire ant baits and controls out there. Amdro, Extinquish, and Over n Out continue to the most economical and effective.

Luckily, plant diseases in lawns are not as major as with other plants. Brown patch and dollar spot remains the top two that can cause spots and permanent damage. A few applications of a recommended fungicide will help prevent and control these plant diseases. Timing is usually the most critical.