Healthy Lawn - How to care for your lawn - for your lawn's health, your health, and your family and pets health

Mowing

* Only mow when grass is dry.
* Mow after 6 p.m. - lawn will be cooler then.
* It is best to mow the evening before sprinklers are scheduled to come on.
* Remove no more than 1/3 of the grass blade.
* Alternate mowing direction. For example: one week mow North to South, the next week mow East to West.
* Grass should be allowed to grow 2 - 3" in summer but can be cut to 1 ½-2" in fall (last mowing).
* Be sure mower blades are sharp.
* Leave clippings on the lawn. If the lawn is healthy and is mowed properly clippings should break down quickly. Clippings provide nitrogen for the lawn. Clippings do not contribute to thatch. Thatch is caused by improper lawn care and chemical fertilizers.

Watering

* Water before 10 a.m. to avoid evaporation of water before it reaches the soil.
* Early morning watering is preferable to evening.
* Water 1-2" per week - measure sprinkler output by placing tuna cans in various places around the yard and measuring the amount of water during one cycle of Multiply amount in can by number of cycles per watering day.
* Water no more than three times per week. Two is preferable. If you have a sprinkler system you may need to let it cycle two or three times each watering day. For sandy soils 3 times per week may be necessary.
* Avoid watering if there has been at least 1" of rain on or close to the normal watering day.
* If possible avoid watering on windy days.

Weed and pest control

* Proper watering and mowing will take care of most insect, disease and weed problems.
* Do not mow blooming dandelions. The flowers will still go to seed.
* Pre-emergent (prevents germination of seeds): corn gluten meal sold under various brand names. From corn syrup processing, this product has been shown to prevent seed germination. It is safe and will also fertilize your lawn.
* For best control use in Fall and in Spring. Avoid using on newly seeded lawns.
* The best way to remove most remaining weeds is by digging.
* Chemical weed killers and fertilizers can damage soil structure and kill earthworms and soil organisms. This contributes to problems with lawn and soil health and can cause thatch problems.

Lawn care tips continued below

Fertilizing

* Corn gluten meal if there are any weed problems.
* Use organic fertilizers to improve lawn and soil health without harming soil organisms.
* If clippings have been removed more nitrogen fertilizer will need to be applied.
* Kelp and fish emulsion sprayed on lawn every three to four weeks during the growing season provides macro and micro nutrients and helps the lawn to be drought resistant.
* It is normal for Kentucky Blue Grass to look less green during hot weather.

Aerating

* It is best to aerate clay soils once per year.
* Aerating in fall allows water and melting snow to penetrate better.
* After aerating, peat moss, coconut fiber, compost or composted manure can be spread and allowed to fill the holes and improve clay or sandy soils. A drop spreader may not work for spreading these items.

Other

* Lawns on which chemicals fertilizers and pesticides have been used may require some recovery time before looking their best.

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