Spring has sprung a bit early this year in North Georgia. I am already finding myself doing battle with
weeds. This will be an ongoing war until the first frost. Since winter was milder than usual and March was really warm, spring caught me a little off guard. With more daylight in the day, I am able to spend a little extra time outside deploying my battle plan.
Tomorrow, I will hit Home Depot and Lowe's for pine straw, mulch, weed and grass killer. What made me plant so much grass several years ago is something I'll never figure out. What was I thinking?! Now, I'm ready to kill at least one half of the grass in my yard but here are a few tips according to They Say, that may help get the grass I want to save off life support:
Tip #1: It's ok to let the lawn turn brown, no really...
THEY SAY Fight the natural tendency to want to water lawn. The change in color just means the lawn is entering a natural state of dormancy in order to conserve nutrients. Typically, most grasses can survive a month without water (per Doug Soldat, turf scientist at the University of Wisconsin-Madison). If you just have to water because you can't live with brown grass, then walk on the lawn and if you are leaving footprints, water and give the lawn a nice long soak, about 30 minutes to help promote a better root system. Once you do that, you might be good for another month.
Tip #2: Fertilize less frequently
THEY SAY Most lawns do just fine with only two applications a year. Memorial Day and Labor Day are good times to fertilize. If you are far south, then start a bit earlier. It's recommended that if you only fertilize once, do it in September since most high-quality products contain slow-release nitrogen and promotes growth in the spring. Just be sure the product says lawn fertilizer since manufacturers have made it almost fool proof.
Tip # 3: Let the grass grow a bit longer
Here's my downfall - I always want to cut the grass as short as possible but THEY SAY that can compromise root development, the rule of thumb is never remove more than one third of the blade's total height based on research by U.S. Department of Agriculture in the 1950s. Experts say you can let the lawn grown to about 5 inches before mowing. Well, ok, I guess I can live with this as long as it means less mowing.
Tip # 4: It's ok to live with some weeds - Say what?!
But I'm in the midst of a battle with my weeds, I intend to win the war! Well guess what? THEY SAY dandelions don't actually harm the lawn and they might even improve soil structure. Good thing because I have a lot of dandelions. At least it's recommended to cut off the heads before they go to seed. I will have fun doing that. Whack, Whack! Oh, and I have a lot of clover too. So, come to find out, clover takes nitrogen from the air and feeds the soil. Well, now I'm wondering why I even need grass. Moss is better left alone since grass more than likely won't grow where moss grows anyway. Another plus for my yard. Crabgrass and grubs though do need to be eliminated. Seed bare spots to help promote a thick turf which is the best defense against lawn problems.
If you have any questions about your lawn, check with THEY SAY or an expert in lawn and gardening near you. I'm not an expert in gardening but I am an expert in North Georgia real estate!
In case you like to watch grass grow, enjoy the video
Donna Yates
Associate Broker, GRI
North Georgia Blue Ridge Mountains
www.move2northgeorgia.net
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