What’s happening with my lawn? We just had all this rain and
it’s still brown!
Our New England lawns are generally a mix of cool-season
grasses such as Kentucky Bluegrass, Perennial Ryegrass, Fescue and Bentgrass.
Cool-season turf plants prefer to grow in air temperatures
between 60-75 degrees and soil temperatures between 50 and 65 degrees. While it’s
not unusual to exceed those temperatures during the summer, the challenge this
summer has been extended periods of high temperatures combined with high
humidity.
We’ve had another “Georgia” summer with prolonged heat,
humidity and a moderate drought. Rain has been spotty with scattered showers
and thunderstorms. The US Drought Monitor puts Western Mass in “moderate”
drought. July is being recorded as the hottest month ever on record in the continental
US.
These weather
conditions cause stress on the shoots and root system of cool-season grasses.
Heat and drought stress cause roots to slow which affects the plants ability to
absorb water and nutrients. If we had cooler, less humid nights, there would be
greater chance for the turf to recover from the day-time stresses. Instead many
lawns are suffering from heat stress, disease, weed invasion, or may have even
gone dormant.
The good news is that the recent late July and early August
showers and thunderstorms are helping lawns to recover from dormancy and to
begin to fill back in. Many lawns that were totally browned out and dormant are showing signs of greening. Stressed lawns with patches of green and brown have green shoots starting to sprout up through the brown. While the “worst” of summer heat should be over, August
will likely continue to bring heat and humidity. More frequent rain or
irrigation along with shorter days will help with natural turf recovery.
Now is the time to consider the best plan to rejuvenate your
lawn. September is the perfect time of year to repair, rebuild or replace a
lawn. Core aeration helps turf to recover by opening the soil allowing more
water, air and nutrients to reach the root system. Aeration is also the best
way to control thatch by increasing natural microbial activity in the thatch
layer.
Over-Seeding can be combined with Aeration to add new
improved Kentucky Bluegrass and Perennial Ryegrasses. Adding improved turf-grass
varieties helps to increase turf density and adds more resistance to diseases,
insects and normal turf-grass stresses. The best way to improve or renovate a
lawn is through “slit-seeding” where the lawn is verticut to create rows
putting seed in contact with the soil. This method actually plants the seed and
makes the most significant improvement in the lawn.
Whether your lawn rejuvenation plan includes seeding or not,
late summer and fall fertilizer are critical to provide the essential nutrients
for turf growth. A test of soil pH also helps to ensure nutrients are
available. Liming an excessively acid lawn can make a big difference in lawn
appearance and health. Contact the Weed Man today if we can help! For more information go to http://springfield-ma.weedmanusa.com/drought-recovery.aspx
