Basic Lawn care and Watering

Lawns require regular watering, mowing, and fertilizing to keep them healthy and attractive. Occasional dethatching, aeration, and renovation will result in a better-appearing lawn. Good lawn care and careful selection of grass types will help prevent problems with pests, diseases, and weeds.

Watering

Most lawns require 1–2 inches of water per week in summer, depending upon the climate and the soil type. Everyday watering is seldom needed. Letting the soil partially dry between waterings results in healthier turf and fewer diseases.

For most areas, watering twice a week is plenty. Naturally, lawns growing in warmer climates will need more water than those in cooler areas. Lawns growing in sandy soil may need more frequent irrigation; those growing in clay soil, less frequent.

Grass needing water appears bluish gray instead of normal bright green. Dry turf doesn't bounce back as quickly; when you walk across it you can see your footsteps.

Many communities, particularly those in parts of the western United States where summers are dry, publish watering guidelines based on historical weather data and water use rates for different turf grasses. These guidelines can help reduce waste and eliminate guesswork from lawn watering. Contact your local water department or cooperative extension office to obtain watering guidelines for your area.

Sprinklers

There are two types of sprinkler systems for watering lawns.

Underground irrigation systems are most efficient and can save time. They can be connected to automatic timers and in-ground moisture sensors so that the lawn is watered only when it needs it, even when you are away. Underground systems are usually installed before planting a lawn but after amending the soil. However, they can be installed in existing lawns. Most manufacturers provide very helpful step-by-step instructions, so it's a fairly easy do-it-yourself project. Irrigation supply stores can also help you design a system.

Hose-end lawn sprinklers come in a variety of types, such as oscillating, rotary, traveling, and pulse-jet. Hose-end sprinklers are much less expensive than underground systems, but they require more time and attention because they have to be moved. Inexpensive, battery-operated controllers or timers can be attached to hose-end lawn sprinklers to regulate lawn watering.

Watering efficiently

Water is a valuable resource that should never be wasted, so it's important to irrigate your lawn efficiently. Determine how much water your sprinklers are applying by conducting a can test:

Place several flat-bottomed, straight-sided containers (like tuna cans) around your lawn.

Turn on the sprinkler and water for 15 minutes.

Measure the water depth in each can.

Find the average by adding the depth in each can and dividing by the number of cans.

When watering lawns, wet the soil to a depth of about 8–10 inches. Watering less will encourage shallow rooting and result in a lawn that needs more frequent watering. Water applied deeper than 10 inches is beyond the reach of most grass roots, especially in sandy soils.

Check water penetration by probing the soil with a stiff wire or long screwdriver. The probe will pass easily through wet soil and become more difficult to push when it reaches dry soil.

Many sprinklers apply water faster than the soil can absorb it, and the runoff is wasted in street gutters. If this happens, water in short intervals, turning off sprinklers for 10 to 15 minutes in between so the water can soak in. You can also ask an irrigation specialist about low-precipitation sprinklers, which apply water at a slower rate.

Adjust your watering schedule with the seasons and apply less water in cooler months. If possible, turn off automatic systems in winter.

Check your automatic system often, and fix or adjust sprinklers as necessary.
Mowing and Edging

Regular mowing keeps a lawn looking well kept and reduces weeds by encouraging dense turf.

Cutting height

Each lawn type has a recommended cutting height. Mowing too low is a common mistake, especially with Kentucky bluegrass lawns. It results in unhealthy turf that is more susceptible to insects and disease.

A general guideline is to cut a lawn when it reaches a height one-third higher than its recommended cutting height. For example, if you cut your lawn to a height of 2 inches, it should be mowed when it reaches a height of about 3 inches. If you let the grass grow taller, too much foliage is removed with each cutting, harming the overall health and appearance of the turf.

Tolerance to low mowing (high to low)

·         Creeping bentgrass

·         Hybrid Bermudagrass

·         Colonial bentgrass

·         Common Bermudagrass

·         Zoysiagrass

·         Perennial ryegrass

·         Buffalograss

·         Centipedegrass

·         Seashore paspalum

·         Rough-stalk bluegrass

·         Creeping red fescue

·         Kentucky bluegrass

·         St. Augustinegrass

·         Tall fescue

·         Bahiagrass

Clippings

Most experts recommend that grass clippings be left on the lawn. If you mow regularly, the clippings will decompose quickly and add nitrogen to the lawn. Grass clippings do not add to thatch. However, if you miss a mowing and the lawn grows an inch or more above its normal mowing height, leaving clippings may smother parts of the lawn. In this case, collect the clippings after mowing.

After you've collected clippings, add them to the compost pile or use them as mulch.

Lawn mowers

There are two types of mowers: rotary and reel. Variations include whether the mower is manual, gas, or electric; or hand-pushed, self-propelled, or ride-on. Gas-powered rotary mowers are the most popular. Newer types of lawn mowers, called mulching mowers, cut clippings into very small pieces, promoting quick decomposition and eliminating the need for cleanup.

Push-type reel mowers have been popular for years. They are still useful for smaller, flat lawns and are a great form of exercise. Gas-powered reel mowers are most commonly used for grasses that are mowed to a low height, such as Bermudagrass and bentgrass. They are generally more expensive than rotary mowers, but result in a neat, golf course look. However, if the lawn is uneven or bumpy, reel mowers tend to scalp the turf.

Mowing tips

Keep your mower blades sharp to avoid tearing grass blades and giving the lawn a ragged, brownish appearance. Alternate the direction of mowing to prevent uneven mowing patterns. Whenever possible, mow at the higher end of mowing height recommendations. Taller grasses have deeper roots and can better withstand stress such as drought.

When mowing a new lawn, let it grow about 1/2 inch taller than the recommended cutting height, especially for the first mowing. However, don't let it get too long. Mowing will help a new lawn fill in.

Edging

A lawn that is kept trimmed along walkways and driveways always looks neater and better groomed. A variety of tools can be used to edge lawns, including hand clippers, push-pull edgers, tin snips, and gas or electric line trimmers.
Fertilizing

Fertilizer requirements

Lawns require regular applications of nitrogen-rich fertilizer to grow vigorously, remain healthy, and resist insects, disease, and weeds. Different types of lawns require different amounts of nitrogen over the growing season. In areas with long growing seasons, lawns need more fertilizer applications than those growing in short-season areas.

Cool-season lawns should be fertilized in spring and fall. Autumn applications are particularly important because they encourage healthy rooting and keep the grass green longer into winter. Fertilizing cool-season grasses during the heat of summer, when they are dormant and growing slowly, is not recommended.

Warm-season lawns should be fertilized in spring and summer. Fall applications can be beneficial but often encourage winter weed growth. They can also cause late growth flushes that may be frost tender in areas where the grass is of borderline hardiness.

Lawn fertilizers are available in liquid and granular forms, usually in an N-P-K ratio of 3-1-2. They are usually a combination of slow- and fast-acting forms of nitrogen to provide quick green-up and sustained growth. Combination products include fertilizer and an insecticide, herbicide, or fungicide.

Fertilizer labels provide recommended application rates and frequency, usually about one pound of actual nitrogen per 1000 square feet of lawn every four to six weeks.

Applying fertilizer to lawns

Various types of hand-held and wheeled spreaders are available for applying dry fertilizers. Liquid fertilizers are usually applied through hose-end sprayers. Before using any applicator, make sure it is properly calibrated according to the manufacturer's instructions.
Dethatching, Aeration, and Renovation

Dethatching

Thatch is a dense layer of decomposing organic matter that forms in the upper levels of a lawn. It can create a barrier that slows water and nutrient penetration to the roots, gradually causing the health and appearance of the lawn to degrade.

You can remove thatch in various ways. A hand-held dethatching rake with knifelike teeth can be used on small lawns, although it is hard work. You can also rent a gas-powered dethatcher, often called a power rake or vertical mower, which slices through the thatch with rotating blades. Either technique cuts up the thatch. The dead organic matter is raked up and usually discarded.

Dethatching is best done just before the lawn begins to grow vigorously—fall or early spring for cool-season grasses, late spring for warm-season turf. Follow with a fertilizer application.

When overseeding warm-season lawns, dethatching is often done in fall to provide a better seedbed for the cool-season grass, particularly Bermudagrass.

Aeration

Soil compaction (often from foot traffic) can also reduce water penetration and harm the health of a lawn. The best way to solve this problem is to use a power aerator (available in rental yards), which removes thousands of small plugs from the turf. The plugs are either raked up or allowed to break down. The holes supply air to the roots and increase water penetration. Aerating should be done just before a vigorous growth period—fall or early spring for cool-season grasses, late spring for warm-season grasses. Follow with a fertilizer application.

Renovation

When a lawn begins to deteriorate due to heavy thatch, weeds, or disease, it can be renovated to restore its health. Renovation is easier than starting from scratch because it makes use of the original seedbed. Rototilling, soil preparation, and leveling are not necessary.

One method of renovating is to aerate, dethatch, and overseed the area. This will improve the appearance of the lawn but will not remove existing grass. The most effective way to renovate is to kill the entire lawn with a contact herbicide such as glyphosate. (Although glyphosate is considered by many to be largely benign and nonresidual, always use extreme caution when using herbicides.) Then aerate, dethatch, and reseed as you would for a new lawn.

Lawn problems: Insects, diseases, and weeds

The best way to prevent problems with a lawn is to plant grass types adapted to your area and resistant to known pests and diseases. Then care for the lawn properly so it grows vigorously. A well-maintained lawn will usually out-compete weeds and resist many pests and diseases.

If you do experience a pest or disease problem, proper identification is the first step