Lime - "Vitamins" for your lawn

Lime and Soil pH

Various factors affect soil conditions and increased acidity. Low soil pH (highly acidic) can be caused by leaching of nutrients from the soil as well as the soil type and even irrigation frequency. Also, decomposition of organic matter may reduce soil pH and increase acidity.

When soil pH is below 7.0, the soil is said to be acidic. When the pH is above 7.0 it is alkaline. Most soils in our area are acidic and the majority of lawns will benefit from liming. Our testing the past 3 years has consistently returned low pH readings on lawns with samples as low as 4.8! 

Why is soil pH important? As the graph indicates, low pH affects nutrient availability. Nitrogen, phosphorous, potassium, sulfur, calcium, magnesium and molybdenum can all be affected. With these nutrients tied up in the soil by low pH, the lawn’s color, vigor, and ability to resist disease, heat and drought stress can be reduced.  Applying lime not only changes the soil pH, but it adds essential nutrients to the soil such as calcium and magnesium. Consider these the “vitamins” in your lawn’s meal plan!

Lime applications help to balance the soil and make these most important nutrients available for the best health and quality of the soil and your lawn. Based on our most recent 3 years of testing, we recommend most lawns receive at least a maintenance level liming every fall. If you need more information about your lawn’s pH, give us a call at 413-736-9333.

Turf Aromatherapy

Here's a great article from Turf Design Build Magazine....

Turf Aromatherapy

Inhale that freshly cut grass; it's good for you ...  Australian researchers have discovered when grass is cut, it releases chemicals that make people feel happy and relaxed. In fact, it can even prevent the mental decline of old age.

The scent works directly on the brain, affecting the regions responsible for emotion and memory, according to Nick Lavidis, a neuroscientist at the University of Queensland. These two areas "are responsible for the flight or fight response and the endocrine system, which controls the releasing of stress hormones like corticosteroids," he says, explaining that the scent of freshly cut grass helps regulate those areas.

So, go ahead. Take a few nice, deep inhales of spring.

HAZY HOT AND HUMID!

After a relatively cool and wet month, June is ending with a reminder of what summer can be like in New England.  A couple days in the 90’s with summer humidity really takes a toll on us. And it certainly can affect our lawns and landscapes.

The lush growing conditions for our lawns during June allowed grass plants to easily find water readily available near the soil surface. Unfortunately with summer heat, usually comes drying conditions. The heat will cause the soil to dry faster and because the turf roots have been able to stay close to the surface for water, many lawns will likely suffer heat stress during hot dry days.

Unfortunately heat stress can be like a sunburn to your lawn. When it gets burned, it likely will start to turn first a grayish blue, then quickly to a straw brown color. This is the grass going into a resting mode. There’s no permanent damage and once you water enough to stimulate new growth, the turf usually recovers and greens up in about two weeks time. Sometimes that stress on the turf can cause summer diseases, but those are secondary to the fact that the growing conditions are just making it difficult for our cool season grasses to survive the heat.  

Some tips to help your lawn during the summer weather:

R  Mow at the correct height (3 to 3-1/2”).

R  Water, water, water.... Summer Showers and thunderstorms don’t usually help! In heat of summer you will need to water several times a week, depending on your soil type and how much sun your lawn receives. If your lawn is in full sun and if it’s above 85 degrees with no rain, you may need to water every day. Otherwise you probably need to water every 2-3 days during the summer.

R  Leave the clippings on your lawn when you mow to add nitrogen to the lawn in the best organic form. Your lawn will be healthier and greener! And no, it doesn’t make more thatch!

R  Red-thread fungus is lingering on lawns and we may see “dollar spot” - another fungus that shows up when the weather is hot and dry. We manage both with regular fertilizer treatments and by working with you on the best cultural care of your lawn. Regular watering will help release nutrients and speed the recovery of those spots. (It’s kind of like growing out a bad hair cut – it can take a couple weeks.) If fungus is a continuing problem, ask about adding a disease control program.

If your lawn just doesn’t look right, be sure to call us at Weed Man for a quick check-up. Our goal is to work with you to have the best lawn possible.

We Missed Our April Showers!

April showers were lacking this year and we ended the month about 2 inches below normal rainfall. Most lawns don't normally need supplemental watering during April or much of May. Without any rains recently, some lawns are teetering on the edge of showing drought symptoms. If you haven't started watering yet, it's time to pull out your sprinklers or turn on your irrigation controller!

There's no need to start automatically watering every day though. Usually we get enough rain and cooler temps through May that a good deep watering once a week is enough. Right now we're just looking to help Mother Nature with a little supplemental watering until we get a good soaking rain.

If you have any questions about the right amount of water, give us a call at Weed Man - 888-342-9333.

Lime - "Vitamins" for your lawn

Various factors affect soil conditions and increased acidity. Low soil pH (highly acidic) can be caused by leaching of nutrients from the soil as well as the soil type and even irrigation frequency. Also, decomposition of organic matter may reduce soil pH and increase acidity.

When soil pH is below 7.0, the soil is said to be acidic. When the pH is above 7.0 it is alkaline. Most soils in our area are acidic and the majority of lawns will benefit from liming. Our testing the past 3 years has consistently returned low pH readings on lawns with samples as low as 4.8! 

Why is soil pH important? As the graph indicates, low pH affects nutrient availability. Nitrogen, phosphorous, potassium, sulfur, calcium, magnesium and molybdenum can all be affected. With these nutrients tied up in the soil by low pH, the lawn’s color, vigor, and ability to resist disease, heat and drought stress can be reduced.  Applying lime not only changes the soil pH, but it adds essential nutrients to the soil such as calcium and magnesium. Consider these the “vitamins” in your lawn’s meal plan!

Lime applications help to balance the soil and make these most important nutrients available for the best health and quality of the soil and your lawn. Based on our most recent 3 years of testing, we recommend most lawns receive at least a maintenance level liming every fall. If you need more information about your lawn’s pH, give us a call at 413-736-9333.

Grub Attack!

Grubs are active!

It's turning out to be a great season for White Grubs! 

We’ve never seen so much grub activity in lawns in October….. It appears that grub development may have been delayed by the summer’s heat and drought conditions. Many lawns that have never had grubs are infested with white grubs!

White grubs are small, plump, white larvae which attack your lawn by viciously chewing on grass roots. As they continue to grow and feed, the damaged area becomes larger. Once the grass roots are destroyed, yellow and brown patches in the lawn will appear, just as if the lawn was dried out.

Other signs of grub damage include skunks, raccoon and birds grazing and digging in your lawn in search of these tasty insects. Grub damaged turf will also roll back like a carpet. Grubs are usually full-grown by late August, but this season it appears they may be hatching later than usual and raving havoc with lawns. 

Watch for small holes dug into the lawn, or even areas of grass pulled back or torn up. It could be skunks or raccoon searching for Grubs. In some cases we’re not finding significant damage from the grubs, but the animal activity is becoming a serious problem. If the grub population is high enough we still may need to apply an insect control, but in some cases an application of an animal repellent may be enough to discourage any further digging. The good news is there's still time for treatment to prevent further damage and their return in the spring. Let us know if you need help.

Still Time to Aerate!

Still time for Core Aeration 

Core Aerate to help fertilizer & water get to turf root zone.

Aeration is one of the most important steps to healthy lawn care. Your lawn requires cultivation to help improve soil conditions, and to build greater resistance to disease, insects and drought. 

What is Core Aeration?
Core aeration is the removal of small cores of soil and thatch (layer of living and decomposing organic debris between the soil surface and green vegetation) from your lawn with specially designed equipment. 

Lawn Care Aeration | Weed Man Professional

* During aeration, a series of hollow tines puncture the soil surface and systematically remove small plugs of soil and thatch from the lawn.
* The removal of soil plugs helps air, water and nutrients to reach the root system of grass plants.
* Following aeration, the process continues to work for your lawn through the leftover plugs. These plugs should be left on the lawn because they contain soil microorganisms that help break down thatch. These plugs disappear in a short period of time when left on the surface.

   

Why aerate your lawn?

 Aeration is beneficial for your lawn in a number of ways:

* Aeration helps to loosen compacted soil. Compacted soils make it difficult for roots to grow, limiting the movement of air, moisture and fertilizer through the soil.

* Aeration can reduce your water requirements by relieving soil compaction. Water penetration is increased and water run-off is reduced.

* If your lawn has a thick layer of thatch, aeration will push through that layer and improve air, water and nutrient penetration. This will enhance the development of a deep root system. 

* Aeration results in a deeply rooted lawn that is healthier and better able to withstand drought, disease and insect stress.

* Aeration creates a great seed bed for Over-Seeding. 

Most lawns benefit from Over-Seeding to introduce new, improved varieties of grass for better density, color and resistance to insects and disease . Fall is the best time to seed and aeration makes the task easier.

October is still a great time to aerate. Turfgrass is recovering from summer stress and putting roots down deep into the soil. Aeration will help your lawn get the most from Fall Fertilizer and strengthen the plant before winter. 

Schedule a core aeration today!