Lawns

Lawn Schedule

EARLY SPRING LAWN CARE
(MARCH-APRIL)

• Rake, power rake or aerate before you do any seeding or crabgrass prevention.

• Apply crabgrass preventer with prodiamine. Prodiamine is a 6 month crabgrass preventer. One application lasts the whole year. We fell it outdistances the major brand. Water the preventer in. Do not wait for rain. You cannot seed if you are using crabgrass preventers.

• If seeding an area avoid putting crabgrass preventer over the seeded area. If you want to use a crabgrass preventer with your new seed it must contain the product called siduron or tupersan. All the others will kill the germination in new grass seed.

• Early spring weeds can be killed with Fertilome Weed Free Zone. It works as low as 40 degree temps. This product works great on ground ivy and wild violets. We find it works better than the trimec products.

LATE SPRING April - May

• Apply Weed and Feeds. The grass blades need to be wet when this product is applied. Either apply early in the morning when the dew is still on the lawn or sprinkle the lawn first. After applying the weed and feed the lawn should remain dry for the next 24 hours.

• If you do not have a large weed problem you may just apply a lawn fertilizer only. For spot dandelion control, the ready to use sprays work fine.

June GRUB WORM PREVENTION TIME

In June the adult beetles can be seen flying around outdoor lighting. They mate and lay eggs in the lawn area. These eggs are hatching out as young grubs in July. It is important that the Merit type grub preventers be applied earlier. June 15 is the optimal time. The preventative part of the chemical comes as a result of its absorption into the plant which the young grub is going to eat. Apply too soon and the chemical will not be strong enough to kill the young grub. Apply too late and the grass plant will not have had enough time to absorb the preventative chemical through its root system. Apply Merit June 15

July Grub Control

Use Mach1 if you were unable to apply a preventative in June.

August-September Grub Control

At this point grubs are well established. The use of Dylox type products will give post emergence control in 24 hours. It must be watered in immediately or it will not work.

Spring Grub Control

Very few grubs can be killed in the spring. Their presence is usually very short. They will go into the ground and turn into June Beetles. Kill the young larvae with a June application of Merit.

Fall Fertilizers

• August 15th to September 15th is the very best time to seed in the whole year.

• The most good for any lawn will be achieved by fertilizing in early September

• Apply lawn food at this time.

Late Fall

• Apply Winterizer Fertilizer

• Spray lawn weeds late with Weed Free Zone. This is the best time to control all broadleaf weeds.

Seeding and Rejuvenating an Existing Lawn

For older lawns with a build up of thatch (old grass clippings that make up a spongy layer before you get to soil) it is important that you rake up that thatch first so that you get good seed to soil contact. Grass seed that sits on top of thatch will germinate, dry out and die. For small areas use a hard toothed rake or garden claw to stir up the thatch. For larger projects I recommend a Bluebird thatcher seeder. This will eliminate the need to do any hand work. Both of the Tru Value Hardware stores in Council Bluffs rent these units. Stir up the soil, seed, and cover the areas with palletized straw mulch. This will not blow away and keeps your seed moist while it is germinating.

Seeding Bare Ground or Complete Lawn Rejuvenation

Level the ground first with a tractor, fine grader or other tillage equipment. For small jobs a rotary tiller will do. On new construction sites if the ground is hard packed you might want to run a disc or rotary tiller over the area first and work up at least the top 3 or 4 inches of soil. For an existing lawn or weed patch you may want to spray the whole area with Glyphosate first. I use a harrow before I seed just to knock down clods and even up the ground. For smaller areas use a rake. Fertilize with a starter fertilizer, seed and roll the seed in using a cultipactor or lawn roller. A cultipactor is a heavy antique roller that we rent that will press the seed into the soil and push out much of the air you have added to the soil layer by tilling or working up the ground. Most people do not realize that when you till soil you end up adding too much air. When the new roots come out on your grass seed they need moisture. If you have too much air the wind will be able to scorch young grass seed roots. Don't get me wrong, you need to get the ground worked up. It is just that the process needs tweaking with a weighted roller.

Seed Selection

Thirty three years ago I got a bag of grass seed labeled experimental. I sure wish I had saved the label. It was the only bag of seed I ever received that way. The seed was Rebel Turf type fescue. That same year I went to a Scott's seminar where they showed us their experimental turf type grass seed plots. It was there that I saw how they incorporated a 10% blue grass into their mix. I came back and ordered Turf type fescue with 10% blue grass added. Our Tough Stuff Lawn seed is 3 of the newest varieties of turf type fescue with 10% blue grass. They keep improving varieties and rather than confuse customers we drop out the old and add the new. It is always an up to date mix without a name change. For shade areas use our Delux Shady Mix. For a lawn with a sprinkler system and a showplace lawn with high upkeep use our Bayliss Park Lawn Seed Mix. We carry starter fertilizers as well as straw, pelletized straw, pelletized paper, and woven straw blankets for mulching your lawn.