Transcript Lawn Care Basics

Starting a New Lawn,
Renovating An Old One
SMART Lawn Series: Program 3
Henrico County Extension Office
2011 Lawn Care Seminars
Sandston Tuckahoe
Wednesdays
Twin
Hickory
7:00 - 8:30 p.m.
Tuesdays
Spring Weed
Control
March 8
March 9
March 10
Building a Healthy
Lawn
April 12
April 13
April 14
Starting a New Lawn
or Renovating One
August 9
August 11
Winterizing the
Lawn
Sept 6
August
10
Sept 7
Thursdays
Glen Allen
Sept 8
Fall Lawn Care Field Day
Saturday, August 13, 2011
8:30 a.m. to 12:00 noon
Henrico County Extension Office
8600 Dixon Powers Drive
Lawn Care Advice
Lawn Care Products
SMART Lawns – Basic Steps
Know your Soil
Measure to save time and money
Aerate those roots
Be Right about Fertilizer
Practice Trouble-free maintenance
Enroll in SMART Lawns!
 A Master Gardener Volunteer will:
– Collect a soil sample (Soil Test)
– Measure your lawn areas (Measure)
 You will receive:
– SMART Lawns Guide
– Customized lime and fertilizer plan
 You provide the ART!
– Aerate
– Right Fertilizer
– Trouble-free Maintenance
To Enroll in SMART Lawns
 Complete the SMART Lawns
Enrollment Form and Pre-Survey
 Attach a check for $20
 Provide a plat (survey) sheet of your
property
 Mail to the Henrico Extension Office
Healthy Lawns Protect
Water Quality
A dense turf
protects against
soil erosion and
nutrient runoff
Nutrients are
carried away
with eroding
soil
Soil Sediment
is Pollution
When to Establish / Renovate
Cool-season Turf
– Kentucky bluegrass, tall fescue,
perennial ryegrass
– fall (mid-Sept to mid-Oct)
– late winter/early spring (mid-Feb to
mid-Mar)
Warm-season Turf
– Zoysiagrass, bermudagrass
– May and June
Overseed or Start Over?
How Many Weeds? How Much Time?
Some Weeds Can Be Selectively
Controlled
Common Lespedeza
Spotted Spurge
Difficult to Selectively Control
Common
Bermudagrass
Weed Control Products
 Most broadleaf weed problems
– 2,4-D + MCPP (MCPA)
– 2,4-D + MCPP + dicamba
 Harder to control broadleaf weeds
– Triclopyr, carfentrazone
 Lots of weeds or perennial grasses
– glyphosate (non-selective)
 Read label for wait time before
seeding
Broadleaf Weed Control
Read the Label
MCPA +
triclopyr +
dicamba
triclopyr
MCPA +
triclopyr +
dicamba
Broadleaf Weed Control
Read the Label
2,4-D +
MCPP +
dicamba
MCPA +
MCPP +
dicamba +
carfentrazone
carfentrazone+
2,4-D + MCPP +
dicamba
Lawn Establishment Steps
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Soil test
Kill existing vegetation
Apply lime and fertilizer
Add organic amendments
Rototill 4-6 inches deep and grade
Apply appropriate seed for area
Rake or drag to cover seed lightly
Roll lightly
Mulch
Water
Overseeding / Renovating Steps
 Soil test
 Selectively kill existing weeds
 Dethatch or aerate
 Apply lime and fertilizer at lower rates
 Apply appropriate seed
 If bare patches, cover seed lightly
 Water
Soil Test Box
and Form
Test every 2 to 3
years
Accurate Soil Testing
 Requires a
representative sample
 Sample from 10+
areas
 Sample to 4-6”
depth
 Mix soil together
 Place 1 cup of mix
in soil sample box
 Send to Soil Testing
Lab
Soil pH
 A measure of soil alkalinity or acidity
 Many nutrients become unavailable if pH
is not correct
 May need 100 pounds of lime per 1000
square feet to raise pH 1 point
Proper pH for Lawns
6.2 to 6.5
Information on a Fertilizer Label
16 - 4 - 8
Total Nitrogen………..…………..…..… 16 %
5.6% WIN (Water Insoluble Nitrogen)
Available Phosphoric acid (P2O5)…… 4 %
Sulfate of Potash (K2O)...…………….. 8 %
Maintenance
Fertilizer
4 - 1 - 2 Ratio
No deficiencies
Other Maintenance Examples
 Starters for
low P
 Winterizers
for low K
For
More K
than P
4-1-2
How Much Fertilizer To Apply?
 If tilling in fertilizer, use 2.5
pound nitrogen rate
 If over-seeding, use 1 pound
nitrogen rate
Use this formula and the first number
on the bag:
Desired lbs. of nitrogen per 1,000 sq. ft.
% nitrogen in fertilizer
x 100
=
lbs. of fertilizer to apply per 1,000 sq. ft.
Examples
For 16-4-8 Fertilizer
To apply 1 pound of nitrogen per
1,000 square feet:
1 / 16 x 100 = 6.25 lbs.
To apply 2.5 pounds of nitrogen per
1,000 square feet:
2.5 / 16 x 100 = 15.62 lbs.
Drop vs.
Rotary
Spreaders
Both must be
calibrated!
Follow Bag
Instructions
(Maintenance Rates)
Trial and Error Calibration
Zoysiagrass
Fine to medium texture
Well-suited to lawns
Full sun, but more tolerant of shade
than bermudagrass
Not recommended for high traffic areas
Establish from sod, plugs or sprigs
Slow to establish from plugs or sprigs
Bermudagrass
Fine bladed
Not common for lawns other than SE
Virginia
– lack of winter hardiness
– long dormancy period
Athletic fields, golf course fairways &
tees
Establish by sod, plugs or sprigs
Kentucky Bluegrass
West of Blue Ridge & north of Richmond
Lush, blue-green, fine-bladed lawns
Well-drained soil, partial to full sun
Moderate to high levels of maintenance
Establish from seed or sod
Seeding rate: 1 ½ to 2 ½ lbs. / 1000
square feet
Fine Fescues
Creeping Red, Hard, and Chewing
Tolerant to shade, drought, low-nitrogen
and acidic soils
Susceptible to disease; not heat tolerant
Best use is for shady lawns in mixtures
with Kentucky bluegrass
Seeding rate: 3-5 lbs. / 1000 square feet
Perennial Ryegrass
Medium textured, but blends well with
Kentucky bluegrass
Quick germination & establishment,
bears traffic well (erosion control)
Early spring green-up
Susceptible to disease, poor heat
tolerance
Generally not a “stand-alone” grass
Tall Fescue
Moderately coarse textured
Wide range of soil and climatic
conditions
Low to moderate management
Establish from seed or sod
No rhizomes = no thatch, but
overseeding needed for recovery
Seeding rate: 4 to 6 lbs. / 1000 square
feet
2010-2011 Recommended
Tall Fescue Varieties
Biltmore, Bingo,
Chochise III, Constitution, Coyote II,
Crossfire II, Endeavor, Fidelity,
Firecracker LS, Grande, Greenkeeper WAF,
Houndog 5, Inferno, Justice,
Magellan, Masterpiece, Matador GT,
Padre, Penn 1901, Raptor,
Raptor II, Rebel Exeda, Rendition,
Spyder LS, Tarheel II, Tombstone
Purchase Quality Seed
Compare labels, not price
– Pure Live Seed = Germination % X
Pure Seed %
Certified Seed
– Blue label guarantees kind and variety
of seed named on label
2
1
3
4
OR
Rototill
4
Incorporate
lime, fertilizer,
organic matter
5
Rake smooth
6
Seed in 2 directions
7
Drag chain link fence
to cover seed lightly
8
Roll for good seed to
soil contact followed
by straw mulch
Core
Aeration
Hollow tines
Seeding, Mulching, Irrigating
Good seed to soil contact
Seed lightly covered with soil
Straw mulch to cover 50% to 75% of
soil surface (1 ½ to 2 bales / 1000
sq.ft.)
Light, frequent watering to keep seed
and soil surface moist
Maintain for at least 30 days after
seeding
COOL-SEASON TURF FERTILIZATION
“SON” Program
Time
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
lbs. Nitrogen per
1000 sq. ft.
September 1 to 15
October 1 to 15
November 15 to December 15
May 15 to June 15
TOTAL :
1
1
1
0 to ½
3 to 3 ½
A Simple Weed Management Plan
 October and November, 2011
– Broadleaf weed killer for winter weeds
 Mid-March, 2012
– Apply a crabgrass preventer
– Repeat for season-long control
 April and May, 2012
– Broadleaf weed killer for summer weeds
Pre-emergent Chemicals for
Crabgrass Control
Siduron (Tupersan)
– only product that can be used when
seeding new turfgrass