5 Things You Should be doing for Summer Lawn Survival

Times can get a little hectic in the summer. Lots of things on your mind with summer vacations, holidays and kids out of school. Don't forget about the hard work you put into the lawn this spring, so here are 5 reminders to ensure your lawn's summer survival.

1. Summer weed pressure. Now is the time those ugly summer weeds will move into the lawn. Walk around your lawn and identify your weeds to determine your mode of control. Dandelions, clover, maple and elm sprouts along with other broadleaf weeds can be controlled with spot spraying using Speedzone or a granular application of Loveland Weed and Feed. If your lawn has a mix of broadleaf weeds and crabgrass, Uncle’s Q-bomb will control both weed types in one simple spray solution. Summer time is also the season for nutgrass invasions. Typically showing up in areas with poor drainage, nutgrass or yellow nutsedge can be a little more difficult to control. Uncle’s Nut Buster will control nutgrass. Nutgrass is a little slower to react while Nut Buster is being absorbed deep into the nutlets. Nutgrass tops will start to yellow and fade in 7-10 days.

2. Summer lawn food. If it’s been more than a month since you fed the lawn, it may be time to give it a little summer boost. Uncle's Green Love  the ideal summer lawn fertilizer. Slow release formula containing iron, will not burn plants, and will green up your lawn fast and not make it grow six inches a week. Providing iron will keep grass deep dark green for a long time. Green Love contains organically complex iron and won't discolor concrete.

3. Summer Critter Gitters. Summer is for more family time on the patio and in the yard. Control chiggers, ticks, fleas and ants using liquid Cyanora around the lawn and spraying up onto the house will help to control a broad spectrum of biting insects. If you have butterfly gardens nearby, use granular Critter Gitter on the lawn and water it in. This will help to prevent any overspray into the flower bed because not all bugs are bad. 

July is also the time to apply Long Lasting Grub Control into the lawn. Absorbed by the roots of the grass plant, Long Lasting Grub Control will protect your lawn from damaging white grubs during their hatch this fall. Mama and Papa June bug are making babies now and soon those eggs will hatch into hungry baby grubs. Baby grubs are voracious and feed on yummy grass roots.

4. Summer Turf Fungus. Frequent night time rains and high humidity this summer create ideal situations for brown patch and other turf diseases. Early application of Fungus Fighter is your best defense against disease, but sometimes it gets missed and you will need a curative application. Fungus Fighter will not turn a brown lawn green, but it will keep the disease in check, preventing it from spreading. Remember, you will need to reapply Fungus Fighter about every 21-28 days to maintain control. 

5. Shade Grass. In those established lawns with heavy shade, summer months are the time to deep water those areas. Big trees will use up much-needed water from your soil, leaving less water for your grass. Re-seeding shaded areas with additional Premium Shade Mix will help fight weed pressure.

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Today is May Day. Is it too late to over seed my yard?

Today’s lawn problem needs attention today. Waiting for August merely is not acceptable. Killing dandelions and henbit today will leave bare areas for crabgrass to move in this summer and when the crabgrass dies this winter, the dandelions and henbit move back in for the spring. It’s a vicious cycle, and the only thing that will stop the cycle is to keep grass growing in those bare spots. No bare spots no weeds. 

Longer daylight hours, and gradually warming soil temperatures have started to green up area lawns and golf courses. Hazy brown turf is turning bright green as new grass shoots pop out of the ground in response to the first spring fertilizer treatment.

Thin areas and bare spots show up quickly as the rest of the lawn begins to turn green. Winter injury to newly seeded areas is apparent. Dead crabgrass and foxtail form brown patches and bare spots in the otherwise green turf. Heavily shaded areas look particularly forlorn and muddy.

Question of the week. Can I seed my lawn today? The answer is almost always, YES! Grass Pad customers have been successful in seeding twelve months of the year. Every year and every season brings a new challenge when it comes to overseeding, and if you have reasonable expectations when you seed your lawn in May, you can be successful.

Reasonable expectations. If the coming summer is as wet as the last three, then there is an excellent chance the majority of your spring seeding will survive the summer with routine watering. If the weather pattern changes and we get high heat, blowing wind and no rainfall for extended periods, even the most drought tolerant grass seed will have a tough time surviving without a mature root system.

The good news is that Mother Nature wants to give you some help in greening up your lawn and filling in those unsightly bare spots. Grass plants have a biological clock and will begin to sprout and fill as the weather warms. The bad news is that ordinary lawn weeds will also start as fast

Weed control problems can create an interruption in spring seeding. But patience and timing will help guaranteed success. If broadleaf weeds are a severe problem, treat before starting to seed. Liquid weed control products containing Trimec or Speedzone do an excellent job for spot treatment or granular Loveland Weed and Feed for large areas.

Wait five days after broadleaf weed treatments and then begin your seeding program. Although some seed may be lost by seeding so quickly, the higher risk is summer’s approaching hot weather.

Eliminate crabgrass when overseeding in early May by applying Tupersan, a seed safe pre-emergent, and Golf Course Starter the same day. Once the seed has germinated and has grown tall enough to have been mowed twice, apply Prevent for season-long crabgrass control.

How long do I wait to seed after applying Prevent? Overseeding is not an option after you have applied Prevent. However, you can be successful seeding small bare spot areas using Uncle's Seed Sandwich technique, using a layer of PrimeraFC as an insulator above the Prevent barrier.

Uncle’s Secret for Crabgrass Control

Uncle’s secret to crabgrass control isn’t really a secret. Uncle has been telling us since we were knee high to a grasshopper. After fifty years’ experience in sod production, Uncle knows a little about killing crabgrass and when Uncle spoke our customers listened. Uncle’s Idiot Proof Lawn Care begins in spring with an understanding there are two different categories of weeds to deal with in your lawn and each requires a different manner of control. Furthermore, understanding routine, timely feedings not only keep the lawn green but keep it thick and aggressive to fight off weed pressure and disease.

Annual grassy weeds, like crabgrass, foxtail and goose grass germinate each spring from seed. Low growing and prostrate to the ground forcing out weak and summer stressed turf grasses for prime real estate in your lawn. Annual grassy weeds die at first hard frost leaving behind bare spots and seeds for the next generation of weeds.

Preventing crabgrass and other annual grassy weeds start now with an application of PREVENT® before the soil warms and crabgrass seeds start to germinate. PREVENT®, when activated, creates a barrier on the soil to kill crabgrass seeds before they mature. In addition, PREVENT® contains a combination of slow and fast release turf food for spring & summer green up.

The real secret to crabgrass control is using two applications of PREVENT®. Uncle’s two application PREVENT® formula extends crabgrass control through heavy spring rains and dry, hot summers while one step formulas simply breakdown and fade away. They didn’t need to tell Uncle, but University testing has shown that two application pre-emergent formulas outperform one application formulas under Kansas and Missouri weather conditions.

Spread the first application of PREVENT® in Mid-March to Mid-April. The second application of PREVENT®, works as a booster shot, going down in late May to early June. For the best results always apply ½” of water within 48 hours after application. 

Mow or Let it Go? Six Tips on Mowing During the Rainy Season

The cool spring season with plenty of rain and Uncle's Idiot Proof Program have Blue Wave bluegrass and Heat Wave fescue lawns growing like crazy. It's easy to fall behind on mowing schedules when it's raining every day. When the grass is wet and the soil is saturated, should you mow or just let it go? 

1. Be Patient

Excess water in the soil essentially pushes oxygen out of the soil. Without oxygen plant growth will stop until oxygen can be replaced. Be patient with an extremely soggy lawn and give the wettest areas a little time to drain and grass blades time to dry before mowing. Use your best judgement, you know the spots that hold water and those that drain well. A sunny south or west facing yard may need only one good afternoon to dry out and an east or north protected area may take a few days. 
Wet soil is easily compacted. Mowing or even walking over saturated soil can cause compaction problems making it difficult for grass to grow.

2. Use a Sharp Blade

When it does dry out enough to mow, we cannot stress how important it is to use a sharp blade on your mower. Sharp mower blades make mowing so much easier. They give a better-looking finish cut and cause less stress on the grass plant.

Keep two and swap them out every 8 to 10 hours.

3. Don't Cut More Than 1/3

If you fall behind on mowing and the grass gets too tall, on your initial cut, raise the mower deck two notches, then wait a few days and cut it again at one notch lower. Wait a few more days, then cut at your original setting. Removing too much leaf can stress the plant and turn it yellow.

Once you're back to a regular schedule, set your height and leave it. Cutting at 3.5 - 4 inches will shade the soil keeping the roots cool in summer and help fight weed pressure.

4. Don't Leave Heavy Clippings

We all prefer to mulch mow. Mulch mowing is easier and beneficial, but at certain times bagging your grass clippings is a necessity. Cutting an overgrown lawn is one of those times. Heavy clippings left over the top will smother and yellow the grass plant. If you don't have a bagging mower, then do it the old fashion way and rake up the clippings.

5. Clean the Mower

Cleaning is a must if you want to keep Mama happy. Store a wet mower in the garage without cleaning the deck and in two days your garage will smell like a compost pile. Eventually, you will need to clean the deck, and it's a lot easier to clean before the grass mulch dries into a brick. Take the mower to an out of the way spot in the lawn, tilt it back and wash it out with the garden hose. Some of the new models have a hose attachment on the mower deck for clean out. Remember to remove the heavy clippings from the lawn to avoid smothering your grass.

Avoid washing it out on the driveway to keep grass clippings out of the storm drains.

6. PREVENT!  Booster Shot

Excessive rainfall will break down the weed barrier created by PREVENT! Step #1, leading to crabgrass breakthrough by fall. A second application of PREVENT!, crabgrass pre-emergence plus fertilizer, extends crabgrass control through the summer and gives a booster shot of nitrogen that has been leached from the soil by heavy rainfall.

Five Tips on How to Treat Your Summer Lawn During High Heat

Cool season grasses, like bluegrass and fescue grasses may soon go dormant as a result of recent high heat. Here are five tips on how to treat your lawn during high heat and summertime stress.

1. Minimize wear and traffic. Mowing stressed turf can cause damage to turf. Mow when the turf needs it -- not as a scheduled routine practice.
2. Mow higher than normal. Taller grass plants provide protection to the crown and shade the soil surface, reducing moisture loss.
3. Keep your mower blade sharp. A dull blade rips and pulls the grass blades, leaving ragged tears that both weaken the plant and promote fungal growth and other grass diseases. Blades should be sharpened at least twice a year.
4. Keep grass clippings on the lawn, rather than bagging them.
5. Water your lawn deeply – rather than frequently – to promote healthier roots. This helps lawns be more drought-resistant.

Spring Lawn Tune Up

March is the time to start your lawn's engine so that it is ready to give you a smooth ride all season long. Just like your car, a good Spring Lawn Tune Up will give your lawn top performance and keep grass problems to a minimum as the season goes along. In your lawn, your good turf grasses are in a race with the weeds and insects that will sprout and hatch in the next eight weeks.

Feed it! In hot weather weeds and bugs can simply run rings around your lawn's desirable cool-season grasses. It is important to get your lawn started now so your good grasses have a head start on the competition. Feeding the lawn in early March with Loveland's Renovator or Golf Course Starter formula fertilizer will encourage your lawn grasses to grow healthy tops and roots. Roots, tillers and rhizomes spread and thicken your lawn turf. Vigorous roots and rhizomes help fill in bare spots to give the lawn a more uniform appearance and prepares the grass plant to receive sunlight that will in turn also promote root growth.

In the spring established lawns can look uneven and clumpy. Different grass types, different soil types, variation in moisture, sunlight, pet traffic, all contribute to an uneven appearance that is the lawn hangover from winter stress. An early spring lawn fertilizer will give grass plants the extra boost they need to green up and all start growing at once.

Feeding your lawn early has an obvious aesthetic benefit as the green lawn will frame springtime’s flowering trees and shrubs. It also has the practical benefit of crowding out bare spots and mud patches before weeds can sprout. Weeds and bugs need heat and sunlight. As the grass grows and thickens, bare spots disappear and soil temperatures are dramatically reduced by the shade and insulation provided by the thick green grass carpet.

Seed it! Those lawn areas where bare spots or turf damage are larger than a silver dollar will need to be over-seeded in order to fill in before summer. Start early to get a jump on summer weed competition. Fine leafed bluegrass lawns may be overseeded with special attention to bare spots. Choose newer bluegrass strains that are adapted to the Kansas City areas and do better in hot weather. Some of these include Corsair, Rock Star, Gibraltar and our elite blend Blue Wave. In most cases, these bluegrasses will outperform fescues ten months out of the year. Hybrid bluegrass mixes such as Estate Mix containing perennial sports rye will germinate much more quickly in cold soils and will be well established by summer.  Topdressing seeded bare spots with PrimeraFC seed dressing or sphagnum peat will speed germination. 

Related: March is the Perfect Time to Help Your Lawn

In Kansas City, fescue lawns are becoming more popular. But turf type tall fescue does best in warm weather. As such turf fescue lawns can be sluggish and slow to start in cold spring soils. If overseeding fescue lawns in the spring avoid coarse bladed pasture varieties such as K-31. New hybrid fescue varieties include Cochise 4, Falcon 4 and Bullseye as well as a number of popular mixes and blends such as Heat Wave and Macho Mix. Containing 5% perennial sports turf rye, Macho Mix seeded in early March sprouts one to two weeks sooner than fescue held until warm weather before sowing.

Related: Turf-Type Tall Fescue vs Kentucky 31 Tall Fescue

Weed it! Controlling broadleaf weeds in cold spring weather can be a real headache. Weeds that will curl up and die in two days when the temperature is eighty degrees will seem unaffected at fifty degrees. Winter weeds such as henbit, oxalis and even small dandelions can be seen on the lawn and are hard to kill in cold weather. Speedzone, a liquid broadleaf weed control, will kill springtime broadleaf weeds at lower temperatures than ever before.

Related: Best Control for Broadleaf Weeds in Cool Weather

The most important weed control application for the spring is Loveland's PREVENT!, a pre-emergent for crabgrass, foxtail and other ugly annual grassy weeds. PREVENT! will give best results when applied in two applications, once in Mid-April and again June first. PREVENT! will damage new grass seed so do not apply them to new seeding until the new grass has matured and mowed two times.

Related: Spring Seeding and Preventing Crabgrass

Control Broadleaf Weeds in Fall

As many of you know, there are two types of common weeds we talk about at Grass Pad. The first type is annual grassy weeds, like crabgrass, foxtail and goosegrass. These annual grassy weeds sprout from seed each spring, living only for one season and will die at the first winter freeze. Annual grassy weeds are controlled using PREVENT!, a pre-emergent, applied in early spring. Killing the weed seed as it starts to germinate in the warm soils of spring.

Post emergent control for annual grassy weeds can be done in early summer using Uncle's Q-Bomb. As fall comes around, don't worry so much about controlling an annual grassy weed that will die at first frost. Concentrate more on overseeding and fertilizing your turf following Uncle's Fall Lawn Renovation program.

The second type of weed is the broadleaf weed. These are the wide leaf weeds you will see in thin areas of the lawn blooming with white, yellow or purple flowers in early spring. Weeds like dandelion, clover and chickweed that look like they could be on the salad bar at Price Chopper. Most of these broadleaf weeds are perennial and will live through our winter here in Kansas City.

Broadleaf weed invaders are revitalized with cool weather and fall rains. Growing, spreading and filling thin and open areas in turf created from summer abuse, heavy traffic and weather. As days get shorter, Mother Nature is sending a signal to her plants; the winter is soon to come. Plants begin an energy storage phase in order to survive the long winter. It is the same for trees, bushes, perennial grasses and weeds.

Fall is an ideal time to control perennial broadleaf weeds like dandelions and clover. Perennial weed plants are busy collecting energy to store for winter survival creating a window of opportunity to apply granular Loveland Weed and Feed, liquid Speedzone or Trimec. The herbicide is quickly translocated from the leaf tissue deep into the root for maximum kill. Controlling broadleaf weeds in early fall, will open space for fall overseeding.  Furthermore, broadleaf herbicide applications made in October and November have very little chance of affecting trees and shrubs that are near dormancy. Fall fertilizing with Loveland Renovator or Golf Course Starter stimulates new seed and existing grass plants to quickly spread and fill in. No bare spots, mean no room for weeds.

Uncle's What Ifs:

• If you have already applied new seed to your lawn, avoid using herbicides until the new seed has germinated, filled in and mature enough to have been mowed at least twice. 
• If you have already applied any of these herbicide products, wait 14 days after application to broadcast new seed in to those areas. 
• If you are the procrastinator and suddenly notice it's late fall, your best choice may be to get your seed and fertilizer down first and control broadleaf weeds later.
• If you have any questions call your nearest Grass Pad or just come on down!