You may sometimes find yourself wondering why your lawn doesn’t seem to flourish - even though you have invested time and money to aerate and reseed the grass. A systematic program of fertilization may not be something that has been a priority. Why? Sometimes it is because there are so many choices and recommendations when it comes to commercial fertilizers. The wrong type of fertilizer or too much of the right type can be more harmful than beneficial to a lawn. Eastside Lawn and Irrigation would love to help you with your questions and can give recommendations and applications of the right fertilizer to meet the needs of your particular turf.
Why is this important? • Soil testing saves money by avoiding over application of costly fertilizer
• Eastside Lawn and Irrigation utilizes the professional labs of Clemson University to get the most accurate analysis of the homeowners lawn needs.
• The results of a soil test will answer very important questions: 1. What nutrients are deficient in my soil ? 2. What types of fertilizer should be applied to my lawn? 3. How much fertilizer should be applied to my lawn? 4. How often should my lawn be fertilized? When Fall arrives many homeowners are under the impression that their lawn has no need for attention until Spring brings back the growth of grass and unwanted weeds.
The warm weather grasses, however, (Bremuda, Zoysia, and Centipede grass) benefit hugely from your efforts given to prevent weeds from taking over, competing for sunlight, soil moisture, and plant nutrients.
The second application addresses the late germinators and maintains a weed-free lawn for Spring. It is helpful to water at least a half inch after the pre-emergent is applied. When the winter annual weeds that come from seed (crabgrass, chickweed, wild onion or wild garlic) aren't addressed by pre-emergents and do make their appearance they often need multiple application of selective post-emergence weed killers.
You can look forward to a beautiful lawn in the spring if you are willing to make the investment with your lawn in the fall. Eastside Lawn and Irrigation is available to assist you with all of the procedures—aeration, fertilization, and the reseeding of cool weather lawns or applications of pre-emergents on the warm weather lawns. Have a happy fall season and let us know if we can help with any of your lawn needs.
The most effective time to do the aerating and reseeding of your Fescue lawn is between the first of September and the last week of October. Is there a reason that the timing for this process is so critical? Yes. It takes time for the soil to be loosened up with the aeration, and then seeded, fertilized, and thoroughly watered so that the seed will germinate before the first sign of frost. But sometimes people wonder if it is worth the money to have the aeration process done on their lawns. Aeration and overseeding is the best way to loosen overly compacted soil, reduce thatch, and fill in any bare spots. An aeration treatment removes small cores of soil and thatch to allow moisture, air, and nutrients to penetrate down to the roots. The cores plugs that are brought to the surface contain microorganisms. These microorganisms promote the breakdown of the woody thatch that is just below the lawn's surface. When the thatch layer is broken down it is converted into organic matter and all that is combined with soil particles to enrich the over-all soil content.
Our soil tests, taken before we begin the aeration, help us to determine any chemical imbalances in the soil and we eliminate those deficiencies. Our staff takes the time to inform the homeowner of the needs of his lawn and ways that he can best to care for his lawn during the fall and winter months. Contact us for a free, convenient email estimate, or let us know if we can help with any of your needs.
NEXT WEEK: How to care for your lawn after you aerate. | AuthorWeekly suggestions about caring for your lawn and all your landscaping needs. ArchivesNovember 2012 Categories |
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