Lets call it summer for the lawns…………things to know
Grub control. These little critters can create havoc. There is no way to know if they will come and where they will come so grub control is cheap insurance. It’s a lot better to get the grub control early than later. If they do damage and you will have to reseed. We have not seen a heavy infestation for a few years and when we have they have been isolated to certain areas but there is no way to know where and when that may be. We apply a grub control with the summer application to be preemptive. By doing the application with the summer application we can do it in a much more cost effective way. Generally we charge the same price for an early grub control as a normal fertilization application. If we provide one after grubs appear then we have to use a different chemistry and more o of it as the grubs are larger and the price is generally 2x the price of an application. When we combine it on the fertilizers with our summer treatment it is less expensive not only by us saving a trip but the required active ingredient is less as it is designed to kill the grubs after they hatch out and begin to eat the turf roots. This is when they are small and young and easier to kill. We don’t always see them but just to make you aware.
Mowing. Mow high and only as needed if it gets hot and dry. Low mowing causes more problems than anything else. Mow at 3.5”-4”. Higher turf allows for deeper roots, shading of the soil keeping it cooler and shades out weed seed. Our turf is not putting green turf. It is not meant to be cut down below 3.5”. Do not catch clippings. You can create up to an additional .25 lbs. of nitrogen per month by mulching your clippings. These things can help reduce pesticides and nitrates. If you do not water regularly (like me) then you do not need to mow it every week. Let it get a little long and go 10 days or more without mowing. Sometimes it may be 2 weeks until I mow.
Watering. Well we have had plenty of rain up until now this year, that is for sure. Unfortunately the ground can only hold so much and for so long and once it gets hot and dry for a few days we are back to needing to add water. Generally speaking the turf can use 1 inch of rain every 7-10 days. It is better to have long waterings than shorter, more frequent waterings. Every irrigation system is different so if you have one you should know how much water you are putting out in your cycles. You can put a can or Tupperware container out when you water and see how much you get in it. Running it 2 times a week, ½” per time is fine. I do not have an irrigation system and I have a turf type tall fescue lawn. I water my yard for about 2 hours with a sprinkler per location every 2 weeks or so when it gets dry. When you walk across it and the footprints stay matted down, it’s time to water. Doing a little watering in the summer is going to be cheaper then watering everyday for a month if you reseed. Personally I like a little break from mowing. As much as I like a screaming green lawn in the fall and spring Im okay with a healthy, less green, lawn in the summer months.
