Something's Wrong!

"What's wrong with my lawn? It never looks like this in May?"
Unfortunately the weather has not cooperated this spring! April's rainfall amounts fell short by about 2" below the normal. May is ending short by over 1.5" below our normal rainfall. So the spring showers we usually have are just not keeping up with the above normal temperatures. Those 80 and 90 degree days really take a toll on grass plants that are still growing on a springtime calendar!

So what does it mean? We normally don't have to water our lawns in May. The turf usually comes out of winter and starts growing and sending new roots that will help to feed it and give it the water it needs. The heat and the dry days have come on too fast, way before the grass was ready for it. So the grass thinks it's summer, and it starts to go dormant, just like it wants to do in July and August.... the good news is that it is not dying! And that with a good soaking rain and our regular watering, the lawn will green up again. We just have to be patient because it might take a couple weeks for the color to come back. In the meantime, don't rake it out to help. That will just open it up for weeds and crabgrass.

My lawn has a grassy weed!

Yes, it happens every May. The lawn gets this odd look with patches of whitish, weedy looking grass growing. The good news is that is not a weed! It's the turf-grass plant flowering and producing seed.

The grass will get a little "stemmier" and possibly not look as full during this stage, but keep up your normal routine and it will be fine as the flowering ends and gets mowed off. Do keep your mower sharp because those stems are tougher than cutting grass blades!

By the way, don't count on the "seed" to do anything for the lawn. The seed would need to be harvested, dried, then seeded back into the soil. The flowers and seeds will simply compost themselves and add to the organic matter in your lawn.

ISN'T IT LATE?

It's April 18, is it late to do my spring fertilizer and crabgrass preventer??

Absolutely not!
First of all, how does your lawn look? The nutrients stored up by the lawn's roots from your fall fertilizer give your lawn a steady supply of food to green up and start growing in the spring without a surge of growth that you would see from traditional "quick release" fertilizer often used in early spring lawn feeding.
As far as crabgrass goes - there is still plenty of time to put down that preventative application. Even with those 80 degree days we have not had the consistent heat that would warm the soil enough for crabgrass germination. And it's still only mid April, temperatures were in the 30s last night. The soil is cold!!

Best of all, with our Weed Man program, the fertilizer we apply feeds the lawn for 6-8 weeks, AND we make a second application of crabgrass preventer so that later when the soil does warm enough, we make sure that crabgrass is not an issue for your lawn.

Bottom line, our lawns are greening and growing, and we have no worry about crabgrass!

Forsythia in bloom! Does that mean CRABGRASS?

Yes, forsythia is in bloom! NO, that does not mean you have crabgrass already! While flowering shrubs do act as indicators for things happening in our landscapes, crabgrass does not sprout until the soil warms. So there is plenty of time for your crabgrass application. In fact putting crabgrass preventer too early without planning a "booster" application can mean having crabgrass break out later in the season. Managing crabgrass and weeds requires working around the weather, proper timing and knowing the way each product works!

It's still March!

Last weekend's weather really made us want for spring to be here, but it's still March and we should be patient with our lawn and landscape expectations!

We've had some nice days to rake, and the grass is even starting to green up some. Fertilizing is fine right now, but the lawn is not really going to start growing and filling in damaged areas until we get some warmer weather. So, be patient! Now's a good time to start seeds for your flower or vegetable gardens inside, and let the soil start to warm up outside!

Spring Has Sprung?

Saturday's weather for the first day of spring brought everything we could hope for in an early spring day! And for those who hadn't started yard work yet, the weekend was perfect for some raking, pruning, and sweeping to kick off another season of lawn and landscape care.
By the way, there's no need to rush spring! The grass will start to green as the days get warmer. And there's plenty of time to put down fertilizer and crabgrass control. If you want to work on the yard, it's time to sweep off the winter road sand, pick up the sticks and debris, and start planning your flower gardens!
Oh, and it's a little too early to put down seed right now also! Let's give the soil a little time to warm up. Today's rain is going to slow things down out there!!

So, the snow is gone! Can I rake?

Sure you can rake, but be careful! It's still early!
In many areas even with the snow gone, it's still wet. That means the grass is sensitive to tearing when you rake. And you know, it's the beginning of March in Western Massachusetts where we can still get a lot of snow. Even though the Springfield Hartford area has not had the normal snow this winter, we have to keep in mind that March came in like a lamb - so does that mean it will go out like a lion with the big snow we missed all winter?

Bottom line - if you want to rake - do so carefully! And remember that the only reason to rake is to clean up sticks, winter debris and maybe fluff up a little snow mold or vole damage....