There seems to be something in human nature that attracts us
to green grass. Ancient hunter-gatherers were attracted to abundant game on the
vast grassy prairies, and the early herdsmen searched out the greenest valleys
for their livestock. Even the
23rd Psalm
associates a sense of peace, protection and prosperity with lying down in green
pastures. While most of us no longer
hunt or farm, other than for recreation, we are still instinctually drawn to
green grass as it cools our environment, filters out pollution, and feels good
between our toes.
Keeping a thick, healthy lawn is a great way to have a
safer, natural surface for dogs and kids to play on, as well as reducing weeds
and increasing curb appeal.
Understanding the basics of when, and how, grass grows, repairs and
repopulates itself is critical to keeping your lawn healthy. If we can mimic nature, we can use the
grasses’ natural characteristics to maintain the lawn we desire more easily.
Most Kansas City area grasses naturally reproduce through seed
production. If left uncut, grass plants
come out of winter dormancy, using the rainy spring weather, and stored up
energy, to quickly push up a seed head.
After this seed head matures in mid-summer, the seeds are then battered
by late summer thunderstorms, knocking them to the ground, where they sprout in
the warm moist soil. The young plants
focus on growing deep roots and storing up nutrients to help get through the
winter, and to be strong enough to survive the heat that will be coming the
next summer. Since we mow our lawns, the seeding cycle is interrupted, and we
don’t get the advantage of young, vigorous plants, or the genetic diversity of
cross-pollination. That’s why we
encourage planting
HeatWave™ turf-type fescue blend, or
BlueWave™ Kentucky
bluegrass blend, in the late summer and early fall. Grasses are genetically predisposed to sprout
and establish quickly because of the warm soil, and by supplementing the fall
rains. Frequent irrigation cycles and adding
Loveland Renovator turf fertilizer your
new grass will establish faster now, than any other time of the year.
Some grasses also spread with runners called rhizomes. These runners are sent out by the parent
plant when it senses a bare spot nearby.
BlueWave™ Kentucky bluegrass blend has these runners and will create the
prettiest lawn in Kansas City. The varieties selected for BlueWave™ have a deep
blue-green color, and fine texture, which make it very desirable for those
seeking a distinctively luxurious lawn. Do not dismiss bluegrass as being too
‘delicate’ in the heat of the summer. Decades of plant breeding and
selection have created varieties that
are more vigorous, heat and drought tolerant, disease resistant and visually
appealing. Because of its spreading
capability, and the fact that there are about 2 million seeds in every pound
(10 times more than a pound of fescue), BlueWave™ Kentucky bluegrass blend is
one of the most economical grasses to grow in our area.
In areas that expect a lot of traffic, like sports fields,
and lawns with dogs and kids, we like to mix the
BlueWave™ with sports turf
ryegrass, creating
Estate Mix™. This mix
gives you all the benefits of the runners in BlueWave™, and adds the quick
starting, dark green, and fine texture of the same sports turf ryegrasses that
are used to repair golf course fairways and athletic fields.
See Related: Uncle's Best - Top Rated Grass Seed
Come on down to the
Grass Pad, and ask Uncle about upgrading
your lawn with
BlueWave™ Kentucky bluegrass blend along with his Fall Renovator
Program. It’s not too late! Yesterday
was better than today, but today is better than tomorrow!
