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An old advertisement for the now-defunct Oldsmobile division of General Motors had the tag line "not your father's Oldsmobile." Do you tend your lawn, or your business's lawn, the way your father taught you? Good news: lawn care is changing, becoming simpler, less expensive, and more sustainable.
IHS Engineering 360 recently sponsored a presentation with a local garden/lawn care expert. Instead of conventional lawn-care "wisdom," much of which originates with seed and fertilizer companies, we came away with a trove of solid, lower-impact methods for establishing and maintaining a good stand of grass. Here are a few examples.
Weedy lawn. Photo from Gardendaze's blog, Karla A. Dalley, author. Use is licensed under a Creative Commons License.
- How many weeds do you have in your lawn? Not too many? Then don't waste time and money applying a "weed and feed" product. Pull the weeds by hand, or use a sprayer to zap weeds with weed killer. And follow directions on the weed killer: applied too early, it won't work.
- Lots of weeds? Use a strategy that keeps weed seed from germinating, such as applying corn gluten meal in the early spring to knock out crabgrass. Germinating crabgrass seeds can't penetrate this covering, so they never get a chance to take hold. Use weed killer on perennial weeds - like dandelions - since killing seeds won't kill established plants.
- A little water every day is not good. An inch of water once a week is just right. If Mother Nature takes care of this, great! If not, water only as much as your grass needs to be watered.
- Fall is the best time to prepare for next spring
- It's easier to prevent weed seeds from germinating than it is to eradicate the resultant weeds. Put down corn gluten in spring and fall.
- Establishing a new lawn or rejuvenating part of an old one is best done in the fall. You'll have a lovely green lawn sooner in the spring.
- Pick the correct grass variety for circumstances.
- Don't plant bluegrass in shady areas; choose a variety recommended by your Agricultural Extension Service for your local conditions.
- You don't have to spend a lot of money
- Need a rain gauge? Use a tuna or cat food can. Mark an inch. Use when it rains and when you're watering your lawn.
- Want to kill off a weedy patch of lawn before you replant? Or kill off some grass for a new flower bed? Cover the area with cardboard. You can put some mulch on top to look pretty. The cardboard will break down over time, leaving you with a pristine plot for new planting.
- And follow directions on fertilizers, weed killers, grass seed - you'll save money and frustration if you use your supplies effectively.
Tuna Can Rain Gauge
f you're not a fan of turfgrass, stay tuned. Next week's blog will examine how we got hooked on growing perfect lawns.
Resources
Our speaker, Peter Bowden, has an excellent Garden Blog. http://www.hewitts.com/garden-tips/
The U.S. Department of Agriculture has a Cooperative Extension service in every state. Find contact info for your state here ->https://nifa.usda.gov/land-grant-colleges-and-universities-partner-website-directory.
The Lawn Institute website has extensive information on all things lawn-related: http://www.thelawninstitute.org/
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Re: Lawn Care for the 21st Century
