The Heat Is On

Record high temperatures and below average rainfall spells trouble for our landscapes. Not much change in the weather since our last post. Some agronomic practices will have to change if we stay in this pattern. Lawns that do not have irrigation will go into a state of rest( dormancy) which is a natural way to protect itself and not die under most conditions. Please read some of last summers posts because there is often a repeat condition. The order of importance is to water your landscape plants, vegetable gardens, then the turf. Unlike evergreen and deciduos trees that turn brown from lack of water grass will often come back as the weather cools and we receive some rainfall in the Autumn months.

Hot, Hot, Dry

Summer has just begun and already the lawns look like something you would see in August. The year to date precipitation is significantly below the average. Tall fescue grass and bluegrass are showing signs of stress as we remain in this heat wave. For those that have vegetable gardens concentrate on keeping up with watering and keep and eye out for Japanese beetles in the landscape.

Summer Stress

Lawns are under severe stress with the heat and disease pressure. Most of the lawns grown in Northern Virgina are cool season turf types in which they suffer during the next couple months. Please raise your mower height too the highest setting and be certain not to cut the grass in the afternoon when the temperatures are exceeding 90 degrees. You may notice that a tractor or heavy commercial mower can damage the turf and leave tire marks when cutting in the heat of the day. I have noticed a lot of Japanese beetles in the landscapes which may result in a high population of grubs this year in the lawns. Please read our watering instructions and mowing instructions on our website.

Preparation for Summer

Several important tips to remember for your lawn and landscape as summer approaches.

First, raise your mower height to the highest setting 3-4 inches. Do not remove more than one third of the grass blade at one time. Mow often, it's great exercise. We have a chart under Horticultural Tips that will calculate how many calories you burn while cutting the grass.

Second, read and do your best to follow our watering instructions online. Watering instructions are for maintaining a green healthy lawn. If you cannot dedicate your time to proper watering of the lawn, then it is best to do nothing at all. Not watering your lawn during hot and dry periods will cause it to become semi-dormant and turn brown, which is its natural way of preserving itself until cooler weather. Most lawns will bounce back in September for those that do not water.

Third, keep an eye out for Japanese beetles and turf disease.

I hope everyone can take a family vacation this year and get your grills ready for some fine summertime cooking. Remember to have your extra propane tank filled and available so when you’re cooking for friends you don’t run out of gas.

Finally, it feels like Spring time weather

I have noticed a lot of storm damage to the landscapes. Pruning out broken branches at this time is very important. Many trees have become uprooted and fallen. If tree replacement is needed, you might want to consider choosing a different variety. Many Leyland cypress trees have uprooted. Leylands planted closely together have shallow root systems and are more prone to storm damage. Leylands are often planted closely together to create a screen. Ten years later in many cases, every other tree should be cut down because they are growing into each other. Staggering evergreens is better for airflow and the development of a stronger root system.
You may notice something about your grass that we do not find often in this region -- snow mold. Most cases of snow mold do not require any treatment at this time. Typically, in the northern part of the country individuals spray a fungicide before the first lasting snowfall. Fertilization and cutting the grass is going to encourage new growth this spring and recovery should take place. Crabgrass pre-emergent should begin soon depending on the type of crabgrass control. The old rule of thumb is that when the forsythia is blooming you should apply crabgrass control. There have been many developments in crabgrass control and some pre-emergent applications can be delayed until the crabgrass germinates and has begun its leaf stage. Horticultural Solutions uses Dimension® for crabgrass control for many reasons. We also apply it twice for better control. Dimension® has a pre- and post-emergent effect on crabgrass as well as the lowest use rate, toxicity, and the best control in all university studies. Seeding in the spring is not ideal; however, in shady areas where you do not have to apply crabgrass control, it can be done. As a reminder to everyone, be certain your lawn mower has sharp blades and new gasoline for the season.

What can be done with my lawn during the winter months?

First, absolutely do not fertilize! One of the most important aspects of creating a healthy lawn is having the soil pH around 6.8 for turf plants. Soil pH is a measure of the number of hydrogen ions (H+) present in a solution. Simply speaking it is a measure of alkalinity and acidity. During the fall or winter months it is a good practice to take a soil pH reading and make any adjustments. There are a number of direct and indirect benefits for the grass plants. First, when the soil pH is 6.5 to 7.0 most nutrients are readily available for uptake by the grass plant. Also, calcium and magnesium though secondary nutrients have been found to have a critical role in grass plant health. At Horticultural Solutions we use a lot of new and improved products such as Solu-Cal , Cal-Turf™ and Mag-Turf™. These products have chelating agents that bind to plant nutrients increasing solubility and availability. Calcium and magnesium play a structural role in chlorophyll, cell formation, cell strength and root hair development. Additionally, they aid in the plants water uptake and evaporation and improve the availability of phosphorus. The direct benefits include turf that is more resistant to disease and stress as well as making fertilizer applications most effective.

Don't think you can wait until spring to apply your winterizer fertilizer

The term winterizer fertilizer in the marketing world means it is high in nitrogen. The ideal time to fertilize cool season turf with nitrogen is during the Autumn months. It is a good practice to fertilize with a slow release form of nitrogen. During the Autumn months the grass needs fertilizer to build up food storage, carbohydrates and promote root development. Fall fertilizing is essential because with cool season turf you reverse the application in the spring. During the spring months you generally want to apply more potassium and less nitrogen if any at all. Excessive nitrogen in the spring has no benefit for the turfgrass and leads to excessive growth, depletion of reserves and a greater uptake of water weakening the plant before summer stress.