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For townhouse residents, your lawn is a source of pride as well as enjoyment.
A well-maintained lawn has a cooling effect during summer months. They also deflect and absorb sound, reduce noise pollution, shelter the soil, prevent erosion and reduce injury to people and pets. Lawn work is worth the effort.
Mowing
Without proper mowing, all other maintenance (like watering and fertilizing) does little for the appearance and longevity of your yard. Generally, properly-mown lawns are vigorous enough to resist disease and weed infestation.
How often you mow is important. As a general rule, do not remove more than a third of the leaf surface at any one mowing. The first mowing in spring should be as soon as possible after growth has started. Lower the cutting height to about 1.5 inches and catch or remove all the clippings. This serves to remove old, discolored grass blades and expose the plants to sunlight, air and warmth for early growth.
After the first mowing, raise the cutting height to 2 to 3 inches and cut at this height during the spring. During July and August, ensure the mowing height is 2.5 to 3 inches. This provides shade to the ground and will help reduce stress from hot, dry weather. When the lawn is mowed high in the summer, less water is lost from the soil surface and the development of a deeper root system is encouraged, which improves summer resistance and winter survival.
No matter what type of mower you use, it is important to keep the blade sharp. A dull blade frays and tears the grass tips. If the lawn has a whitish cast after you mow, check the grass tips. If they are white and feathered out, sharpen your mower blades.
Watering
Start watering as soon as symptoms of moisture stress appear. There are several indications you can use to determine when to water. If footprints remain for a long time in the grass after walking on it or if dark bluish-green spots appear in the lawn, it’s time to water. Another method involves keeping track of rainfall. With our sandy soil, generally a lawn will require 1.25 inches of moisture each week.
The primary aim is to moisten the root zone area, down to 6 to 12 inches deep. Wait between watering as long as possible without allowing the root zone soil to dry out. More water should be applied under trees to allow for their competition for the water. This will encourage a deeper root system and encourage drought resistance. Frequent shallow watering encourages a shallow root system, which makes the grass susceptible to heat, drought and winter injury.
It is best to water your lawn in the morning. Watering late in the evening can encourage disease problems because the leaf blades remain wet overnight. Watering during the heat of the day can result in up to a 60 percent loss of water to evaporation.
For a lawn to be proud of, keep your lawn mowed at a proper height; mow frequently and keep mower blades sharp; and maintain adequate soil moisture with infrequent, deep watering.
(Courtesy of the KMC Housing Office)
