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Basic Lawn Care Tips For A Successful Turf

If you’re frustrated with the way your lawn looks, maybe it’s time to make some changes. It is very possible that you’re not aware that some of the things you’re doing (or perhaps not doing) is having a very big effect on your lawn. Here are some lawn care tips that may help you take better care of your turf and ensure a more successful and healthy landscape.
Watering: If you drive through any normal American neighborhood in the evening, chances are you’ll see quite a few residents watering their lawn. This is a common mistake. Since the moisture won’t evaporate throughout the night, it will create the perfect opportunity for mold or other fungi to grow. Instead, water your lawn in the morning so the moisture has a chance to evaporate.

Weed Control: If weeds are popping up in your lawn, you definitely want to get a handle on this issue sooner rather than later. Weeds are notorious for their ability to spread quickly. Corn gluten, an organic material, has several benefits that include killing weed seedlings and introducing nitrogen into the soil naturally.

Lawn Clippings: Many people are tempted to bag their clippings or have them blown away, but as long as the amount of clippings isn’t thick (as in you haven’t mowed for a couple months), you can leave them on your lawn where they will decompose and become natural fertilizer. If you’re worried about clippings making your lawn look messy, consider investing in a mulching mower.

Hopefully these simple lawn care tips can help put you on the path to a healthier, more beautiful lawn!

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Lawn Care Tips for Exotic Weeds

The one thing any homeowner does not want is to find their lawn swimming in a sea of weeds. Not all of us are lawn care experts, so we probably aren’t aware of half the weeds out there other than your standard crabgrass and fescue. However, there are several types of weeds to be on the lookout for and here is the description of some of the most exotic types.

Mouse-ear chickweed sounds nothing like a weed, other than the “weed” part at the end of its name. However, it is indeed a weed and can be discovered in the late spring and early summer when small, white flowers begin to appear. The leaves are narrow, long and fleshy and also have a fuzzy appearance. The best time to eliminate them is in the spring because by mid-summer they have begun to sprout seed heads.

Oxalis is another spring/early summer weed. It stays close to the ground, which makes it easy for it to remain on your lawn even after mowing. If your turf is damp, does not have proper irrigation and is heavily shaded, it is the ideal growing conditions for oxalis. This weed is distinguishable by its bright yellow flowers with purple or reddish leaves and stems.

Purslane has rubbery leaves that are thick and sprawling, along with five-petaled yellow flowers that are in full bloom when the sun is shining its brightest. Lawn care experts say the seeds of this weed are most dangerous because even though you may remove the weed and its roots, the seeds lay dormant in the soil for years. This lawn sabotager loves hot, dry weather and is often found in thin areas of a lawn or in turfs that have been seeded in the summer.

Permalink to single post July 5, 2012 by Duvall Lawn Care Kansas City Lawn care, Exotic, Lawn, tips, Weeds

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Weed and disease lawn care tips for St. Augustine grass

All grass types are susceptible to diseases and weeds, however, there are ways to prevent, deter and combat these issues through proper Kansas City lawn care techniques. But even with the absolute best care, you cannot guarantee that disease or insects will never be a problem with your St. Augustine grass.

St. Augustine grass is a sturdy type of turf and is able to assert itself over weeds as long as it is healthy and is receiving adequate care. If St. Augustine grass is left to fend for itself, it may become weak, at which time opportunistic weeds will stop popping up throughout your landscape. This is especially true if the lawn is already infested with insects or has been infected with a disease. St. Augustine turf is usually found to have broadleaf and grassy weeds, however, chickweed, clover and henbit have also been found by lawn care specialists to be a menace to this type of grass. These weeds respond best to hormone-type herbicides that are applied in the early spring. Other weeds such as fescue, crabgrass or annual bluegrass require a different type of treatment that includes precise applications of pre-emergent herbicides.

In addition to fighting off weeds, St. Augustine grass is also susceptible to a number of turfgrass diseases including Helminthosporium, brown patch, SAD, Pythium, gray leaf spot, rust, downy mildew and more. Most of these diseases are caused by the presence of fungi and can be easily controlled by a knowledgeable lawn care company. SAD is a virus disease for which there is no chemical solution, which means only defiant types of St. Augustine grass are resistant to the disease.

Brown patch and gray leaf spot are the most severe diseases caused by fungi infecting St. Augustine turfs. Although these diseases seldom destroy St. Augustine, they weaken and thin the grass to the degree that the lawn is extremely unattractive. Precautionary treatments of fungicides are most effective against these diseases.

To keep your St. Augustine lawn primped and pristine, call your local lawn care provider and ask about their weed and disease control programs.

Permalink to single post March 1, 2012 by Duvall Lawn Care Kansas City Lawn Augustine, care, City, disease, grass, Kansas, Lawn, tips, weed