Common lawn problems that don't really need fixing
As with many long-standing love affairs, the one Americans have with their lawns is that we're maturing in how we care for them. Considering that nearly 2% of the U.S. landmass (more than 40 million acres) consists of turf or grassland, how each of us chooses to manage our portion of this total will have a significant environmental impact. Expert advice on lawn care has changed over the past few years, moving toward more eco-friendly practices that let nature take its course without much involvement from you. In that spirit, here are four common lawn "problems" that aren't really that big of a deal, so simple solutions to them should do nothing but change your mindset.
1. Reintroduce clover to your lawn
Instead of fighting off herbicides, humble clover can actually be an attractive and useful part of healthy lawns. Clover is a "set it and forget it" type of plant that needs little water to thrive. If you've ever tried to weed it, you know how fast it can grow, even in poor soil. It is a legume that has the ability to capture nitrogen from the air and store it in the ground, fertilizing itself with this important plant nutrient. Clover tolerates high foot traffic and prevents soil erosion.
If you let clover grow, this disease-resistant plant will dot the lawn with tiny white flowers in the spring, feeding bees and other pollinators. If you don't want to host these pests, cut the flowers a little shorter to avoid them. Another bonus? You don't need to mow as often as you do grass, just once or twice during the growing season to keep this low-growing plant tidy.
2. Put away the bag of lawn clippings
When you picture a well-manicured lawn, you might think that it must be completely unmowed after mowing. But all those clippings have to go somewhere. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) estimated that in 2017, approximately 35 million tons of landfills were dumped as municipal solid waste. If you were to take the world's largest cruise ship, the Symphony of the Seas, and dump it in a landfill 154 times, that's the same weight!
Besides the surprising amount of waste, the mistletoe leaves where they fall can actually help keep your lawn healthy. This is because they decompose and fertilize the soil, and they help keep the soil moist and protected from sunlight. With "grasscycling," you no longer have to bag clippings by leaving clippings on your lawn. In addition, you need to water and fertilize more often.
To get the most benefit by leaving clippings, mow high and cut grass blades no more than a third of the way with each cut. Use a mulching mower, which cuts the blades into smaller pieces that break down faster. Be sure to alternate the direction of your mowing pattern so that the grass doesn't bend in one direction.
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3. You don't have to rub off all the grub
Grubs are the chubby white larvae of scarab beetles that you may find while digging in your garden. Seeing them, people go into full "Terminator" mode and want to eliminate them by any means necessary. But while they feed on grassroots, a few chicks in the lawn are normal and have no reason to declare an all-out pesticide war.
Instead, get out a trowel and dig a square foot of soil about two inches down into the soil. Then, peel back the grass layer. If you find five or fewer grubs, experts say there's no cause for alarm. Above five, you may have a problem. However, if you have 10 or more, you need to take action. Even so, beneficial nematodes and neem oil are less harmful ways to solve the problem.
4. Make peace with dandelions
Put away the dandelion weeder and love those fluffy white balls above your lawn instead. Dandelion flowers are the first stop for many bee species and other pollinators when they emerge in the spring in search of nectar and pollen. Dandelions are also healthy for humans; It's a real superfood that grows under your feet.
Dandelions contain beta-carotene, vitamin C, iron, zinc, calcium, and many minerals, and contain more protein than spinach. That's right, Popeye, dig in! Herbalists claim that dandelion is a diuretic, and scientists are now investigating the theory that it helps in the fight against colon cancer.
A long taproot that you struggle to pull may help your lawn. Dandelions grow deep, helping to loosen and aerate the soil. If you don't want the plant to reseed, you can cut it before the flowers open, but why? Who hasn't laughed at a child plucking yellow flowers before blowing the seeds, or secretly desiring? If you embrace the many benefits of dandelions, you'll end up with a lush green lawn to enjoy.
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How to Aerate Your Lawn
While every homeowner is familiar with watering, mowing, and fertilizing their lawn, many people don't realize that aerating the lawn is also part of basic yard maintenance. The work can be a bit tedious, but it's not hard, and the benefits of aeration—greener, healthier grass—make those few hours well spent.
There are many ways to aerate your lawn with various soil aerating tools, such as aerator shoes and gas-powered machines, but no matter which method you choose, your soil will be punctured by tiny holes that penetrate the roots.
Why aerate your lawn?
Over time, soil compacts and hardens due to foot traffic, mowing, clay soils, or poor drainage. This prevents water, oxygen, and nutrients from reaching hungry roots. As a result, the floor becomes thin, pale, or patchy.
Lawn aeration—the process of creating holes in the lawn—breaks up hard soil, allowing water and nutrients to penetrate grass roots more easily. There are two basic types of lawn aerators:
Spike aerators, which simply poke holes in the soil
Plug aerators, which actually remove dirt and grass from a plug
Both break up hard soil, but lawn plug aerators are more effective.
When to Aerate the Lawn
The best time to use aerated lawn equipment depends on the type of grass you have. Cool-season grasses, such as fescue, bluegrass, or ryegrass, should be aerated in early spring or early fall. Warm-season turf, including Bermuda grass, Josiah, or St. Augustine, does best with aeration in late spring. Regardless of your grass type, do not aerate the lawn within a year of planting the seed or sod.
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How to Aerate a Lawn by Hand
Larger lawns require gas-powered aerator tools, but if you have a smaller lawn, a handheld (or walk-in) aerator will work. There are many types of manual aerators. Aerator shoes have sharp spikes on the bottom. Strap them on over your regular shoes and walk across your grass, creating multiple paths in different directions to fully penetrate the ground. If you're looking for one of the least expensive and most popular aerator tools, get lawn aerator shoes with strong metal buckles, such as Bunsaw Shoes.
Portable aerators come in a variety of configurations, but most resemble a pitchfork. Most are spike aerators, but there are versions that remove plugs. Using a hand-held aerator is simple but tedious: poke the spikes deep into the lawn, pull them out, and repeat, making sure to cover the entire lawn. If you have a small yard with small lawns, invest in an aerator with a foot strap for extra leverage, like the Yard Butler Lawn Coring Aerator. Manual drum aerators—sometimes called lawn spikers—are heavy drums covered with a long-handled spike or knife. To use, press a drum aerator like the Agri-Fab Bush Spike Aerator across your lawn, making at least two complete rounds in different directions. Most manual drum aerators are spiked lawn tools, but some are plug aerators.
The basics of aerating a lawn
No matter which type of yard aerator you choose, the basics of how to aerate a lawn are the same.
A few days before aerating the lawn, cut it to half its usual height and then water it well.
Remove fallen leaves or debris.
Mark the sprinkler locations with flags or chalk.
Aerate the lawn using your chosen tool. If it's a spike aerator, make at least two passes over the lawn, each in a different direction. If using a plug aerator, only one pass is required.
Leave any soil plugs on the lawn; They return nutrients to the soil as they decompose.
Fertilize your lawn or top it with compost. This is a good time to reseed any bare patches.
Return to watering and mowing your grass on its regular schedule.
To keep your grass at its best, ensure annual aeration in addition to watering, fertilizing, and weeding on a regular schedule.
Best time to add compost
Making sure your lawn has all the nutrients it needs will go a long way in keeping it healthy and green. You've probably heard that it's a good idea to use a winter fertilizer on your lawn to help weather the colder months and come back stronger in the spring. While that is sometimes true, it depends on the type of grass you have and where you live. That's because you want to add nutrients while the grassroots grow. For cool-season bluegrass, fescue, or ryegrass, their most active root growth occurs in early fall, and for warm-season grasses such as Bermuda grass, Josiah, and St. Augustine, they do best with a spring fertilizer boost. Once you know your grass type, you'll be able to figure out exactly when your lawn needs fertilizer.
When to Fertilize Cool Season Grasses
Use this quick rule for the best time to add winter fertilizer to your lawn: Unless you live in the southern third of the United States, apply in September because the northern two-thirds of the United States have cool-season lawns. Grasses or "transition" grasslands with cool-season and warm-season grasses. Throwing a lot of fertilizer on your cool-season lawn in July is a waste of money because, in the high summer, those grassroots are biding their time, waiting for the temperatures to drop again so they can spread some more. In addition to fertilizing in September, you can add a light supplemental fertilizer in the spring, and that should be your cool-season lawn needs for the year.
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The best fertilizer for cool-season turfgrass
Nitrogen is everything your lawn needs. N-P-K are the letters you see on fertilizer labels and they represent the key nutrients: nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K). Your soil is rich in phosphorus and potassium. In fact, in some states, it's not legal to buy lawn fertilizers without a soil test to prove you need them.
Excess phosphorus can cause major problems in waterways by promoting algae, which throws off the balance of the ecosystem that keeps water clear and fish and other aquatic life healthy. Does your lawn with a slow-release nitrogen fertilizer; The N-P-K ($24, The Home Depot) fertilizer bike display should have a large number first and zeros or small numbers for the other two nutrients, such as 32-0-10.
How to Apply Fertilizers to Cool Season Lawns
Do not fertilize a dry lawn. Instead, wait until the soil is moist after rain. It's best to time your application so it's at least a few days before the next rain, so your compost isn't washed away before it's absorbed into the soil. Calculate how much fertilizer your lawn needs. Use a spreader or broadcast equipment to spread the fertilizer as evenly as possible.
State laws regarding lawn fertilization
Maryland protects the Chesapeake Bay from pollution by setting a cutoff date for lawn fertilization: No lawn fertilization is allowed between November 16 and March 1. Many states regulate phosphorus in lawn fertilizers to reduce phosphorus-rich algae that pollute streams and rivers. and lakes.
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