Some Facts about Lawn Care and Maintenance

By Pamm Cooper, Turf Program Coordinator, UConn Cooperative Extension   

An established lawn of cool season grasses like perennial rye, Kentucky Bluegrass, and fescues, should not be fertilized during the hot summer months. Growth slows down as the soil heats up and the grass goes into survival mode until soil temperatures cool down again. If the grass goes dormant during this time, it will not grow, and so it will not need fertilizer until conditions favorable to growth return

If grubs have been a problem in the past, they often will be a problem in the same area again. Most chemical controls for grubs are ineffective when applied in the spring. The grubs are larger and physiologically different than they were in the fall, and will pupate
by the time most applications are trans-located  within the grass plants. The better time to apply systemic grub insecticides is in late June. This will ensure that the insecticide will be in the plant roots when grubs are newly hatched and are very susceptible to it.

A great percentage of crabgrass can be prevented from invading a lawn when the lawn is dense, healthy, and mowed to a 3-inch height.  Crabgrass in an annual grass that germinates from the overwintered seed of last year's plants. A higher cut, dense lawn often shades crabgrass seedlings out so that they can never become established. If crabgrass has come in, and has developed seed heads, that is one of the few times to bag the clippings. That way, the seeds will not drop into any open areas when the grass is mowed and become a potential problem the next spring.

If moss has become a problem, there are a few things to consider. If shade is a problem, try to thin some of the tree canopy to get more light to the grass. Four hours of direct sun are the minimum grasses need to do well in. If the soil is suspected to be too acid, get a soil test done before adding lime. All mosses are not the result of acid soils, or even shade conditions.  A soil test will confirm pH problems and nutrient problems which need to be corrected. If all that happens is the moss is removed, and nothing else is done, the moss will return. The moss is not the problem. It is the result of some conditions that need to be changed to favor grass growth over moss growth.

Sandy soils benefit from the use of organic fertilizers. These will not leach easily in light soils, and they tend to build the soil up to a degree as they break down. Fast release fertilizers, such as ammonium nitrate, tend to leach through lighter soils and may even end up in groundwater. They also are used up quickly- some in as little as three to four weeks. The flush of growth that is produced quickly, is just as quickly gone. Organic fertilizers may be slower to get started, but they last a lot longer - some can last up to three or four months, and promote even, slow growth without the spurts of growth and the crashes common to the fast -release types of nitrogen..

As a final note, all lawns do not have equally good growing conditions. Soils vary from loamy sands to sandy loams to silt loams, loams and even sandy clay loams on occasion. All have different abilities to hold moisture and nutrients. Some grasses, such as Kentucky Bluegrasses, prefer a fertile well- drained soil and will not do well in light, sandy soils low in organic matter, especially in dry conditions without supplemental irrigation. Shade and sun conditions can vary on the same property, limiting a quality turf from developing if the wrong grasses are used. Get a soil test if there are any questions about possible soil problems or nutrient availability.

If you have questions about lawns or on any other home and garden topic, call us, toll-free, at (877) 486-6271, visit our web site at www.ladybug.uconn.edu or contact your local Cooperative Extension Center.