This year my grass is so dry. I water it on my watering days but that still doesn't help much.
Is it too late to fertilize? ************************************************** 09-04-02, 06:37 PM gizmogram Not knowing where you are, I cannot give you a definitive answer, but I can say...If you have assigned watering days I'm assuming you are in a more arid area, such as the Southern part of the country or west.
If so, any frost danger is still far off, so I wouldn't hesitate to fertilize. When I fertilize, I always wait until the sun is no longer beating on the lawn, as close to dusk as possible, or early in the morning on a day when rain is imminent.
For green, go for a fertilizer with high nitrogen content.
I would strongly recommend getting your fertilizer from an outlet that has knowledgeable salespeople, like a Menards, Ernst, Fleet Farm or the like. If you don't have a large lawn & garden center in your area, at least stop by a nursery and get some expert advice.
Good Luck! smile
09-09-02, 10:25 PM DvdGStwrt Is it a water issue?
Or is there a disease, lack of fertilizer, lack of aeration???
Too many question arise from your question.
Yes, you can toss on fertilizer, that doesn't mean your grass will get greener if it isn't getting enough water, or if it has disease or grass eating bugs, or if the should is so hard that the roots are starved for air.
First thing to do is to go out and place your finger about an inch below the ground. Is the soil Damp, moist, dry, or too hard to get a finger in?
If you feel that it is damp enough, then you have to get the soil tested. Most counties have offices that will test the soil. What you need to do is call around and find out who in your area tests soil.
The ideal method is to get a cup from every corner and from the center. If you have a rather large area, set about taking a cup from every ten feet.
Have it tested for the general combinations of chemicals, telling the lab that you are trying to grow a lawn on it.
The test will tell you if you need to add any thing to the soil.
Personally, I suspect that you need to open a can of worms here.
Huh? Well actually you will more than likely need more than just a can of worms.
Earth Worms are the natural aerators in soil. They dig tunnels, eat organic waste (grass clippings) leaving behind a little tunnel that is loosely filled with their scat - which is a good fertilizer.
Those little tunnels allow air and water to get down deeper to the roots where it is needed.
I would start mulch mowing if you use a bag. I mulch mow every other week, bagging the weeks in between. in the past two years the lawn which we have has grown thicker, greener and stays moist even if I do not water for 3 days.
When I first moved in the lawn was bare in patches, browning and yellowing, our soil (mostly sand) didn't hold any water.
Today there is organic material which holds on to the water and the rotting clippings feed the roots.
I have noted an increase in our earth worm population - Earth worms are a good way to judge the health of your soil.
Other things to try:
Let the grass grow longer. Set the mower on its highest possible setting, and get used to the idea of having a thicker lawn. This holds more moisture and the grass tends to grow a little thicker.
Mow in different directions each time you mow.
example: If you have a square yard, mow it north to south south to north one week, then the next week mow it east to west, west to east. The way the mower cuts has an impact on how well the grass will grow.
Keep the Blade sharp - instead of ripping the tops of the grass, make certain there is a clean cut. A dull blade rips the grass, opening the grass up for diseases.
Refrain from using chemical fertilizers, insecticides, herbicides, weed killers. All of these chemicals will have a deep impact on your little ecology.
Be mindful, laws will have insects and diversity of life in them - start mucking that and you will muck up the health of your soil.
Plant a variety of Types of grasses.
My lawn consists of Dicondra ( a broad leaf, sort of round leafed goround cover), bermuda (the type of grass that spreads by runners) and fescue ( the thinner type of grass like blue Grass) - three kinds of grass growing together to make a nice carpet. 3 is the magic number, it is diverse enough to where the soil is being fed and depleted of nutrients evenly (Fed when you return the grass clippings to the soil) over three tends to stress the whole lawn and ecology.
Let it rest. Like everything else, one can work the lawn too much - let it rest every so often, skip a week of mowing - yes, it will get shaggy, but the grass will be able to do what it is intended to do - grow - thicken, breath. Note, the lawn may look a bit brown after the next cutting, but it will green out rather rapidly.
I know, a very long answer, but there are so many possibilities here.
David
10-15-02, 11:33 PM Jerry Several areas in The Midwest were also on volentary or mandated water restrictions this summer. No, it is not too late too fertilize. Before fertilizing with a good fall fert(lower N higher P and K) you may want to aerate the lawn first. This will help losen the soil and get better root development.
10-21-02, 12:23 AM nursey63 My moms yard is green and weed free. She has already planted grass seed and put fertilizer down. We live in Missouri and it has not gotten below 34 yet. I would think you would be OK to do it but If it doesn't rain soon you should water it in. Then when about February or March it is time for Halts to kill the crabgrass. Then a few months later she weeds and feeds. The only time she does not put it down is when summer comes because your grass will burn when it gets so hot.
11-07-02, 01:36 AM Wildflower63 It's a little late in the season here for me to bother with it. When I first moved into this house, the lawn was a disaster. I'm no garden pro. I loaded up the grass with all kinds of products. I used fertilizer. I used broadleaf killer to get rid of the weeds. I used insect killer (mostly to avoid fleas on the animals). I would sprinkle grass seed throughout to thicken it. Don't forget to water the lawn. It worked great even though I had everyone convinced that going in my yard would give them cancer.
11-08-02, 09:07 AM Walks On Water But there is draw back to all this. I do most of the above. Moderate watering when needed.
All the neighbors are envious of my lawn. The only one staying green though out the summer.
In the spring, I have to cut THREE times a week and on an adverage of TWO times even with our dry summem here at the waters edge on Lake Erie.
11-08-02, 12:13 PM cattywampus There's nothing for greening up grass like Weed N Feed. It takes a while to show results, but when they come they are spectacular!
Catty (off to the nursery - wait! I don't have a lawn!) big grin
11-09-02, 10:15 PM Wildflower63 Very true about mowing the lawn often. I got lucky on that. The yard is shady, so it wasn't a problem.
04-09-03, 06:53 PM sidnee an American was visiting an English stately home. As he stood admiring the acres of green billiard table flat lawns, he asked the Duke who was standing nearby how he achieved such perfection. "well" said the Duke, "you sow the seed, then you fertilise it, then you roll it with a roller for three hundred years".
04-10-03, 01:06 PM Ashmom Thank you for all of your responses. I live in Canada so it has been raining alot. I also noticed that my grass has gotten kind of mossy in some areas. I think I should probably buy a moss killer/lawn fertilzer. Even more tempting I feel like hiring someone to take care of my lawn.
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