The weather has been great BUT..

We've been having some terrific weather lately, but the lack of rainfall means your new grass seed needs you more than ever. If you'd like a thick, healthy lawn next spring, then it is important that you keep your freshly-laid seed properly watered.

The type of grass seed you have in your yard will dictate how long it needs to stay moist. Perennial ryegrass takes around 5-7 days to germinate, while bluegrass and tall fescue seed can take up to a month. Typically, your seed will need to be watered every day, with just enough water to keep it moist (about 15 minutes of steady watering).

It is best to water in the late afternoon. That way, water will not have the opportunity to evaporate before nightfall and dry out the grass seed in the process. If your seed does happen to dry out before it germinates, it will typically die.  

Remember: all varieties of seed depend on sunlight for germination. Keeping your lawn free of leaves and other debris will ensure that newly laid seed receives the light it needs to thrive.   One or two rain events is not enough water for optimal germination, light frequent watering is key!

 

The Weather Has Been Great But...

We've experienced some great weather these past few weeks from Abington to Limerick, however, the lack of rainfall can catch up with your lawn, especially new seed.

Fall is a great time to aerate and seed your lawn.  Core aeration is the healthiest thing you can do for your lawn all year besides keeping it fed.  Relieving soil compaction, reducing thatch, and improving the flow of air, water, and nutrients to the root zone and helping your lawn 'breathe' are just some of the many benefits.

Keeping new seed moist throughout the germination process, usually 3-4 weeks will help maximize the germination of your seed.  Initially, 30-40 minutes of water will help set up the seed, then light, frequent watering, 10-15 minutes per day is typically sufficient.

Remember, keep the leaves up!  All seed needs sunlight to germinate.  Follow these simple steps and help introduce new, healthy turf varieties into your lawn this fall to help improve the overall density of your lawn.

Chow Time for Grubs

As we head into the fall, the typical seasonal activities come to mind: back to school, football, and, of course, grub activity.  This September in Chester and Montgomery Counties, we've seen a significant increase in the amount of grub activity.  According to Penn State County Extension, the excessive rain we had this summer not only exacerbated weeds and crabgrass, it also permitted a high number of beetle eggs to hatch, which has caused an increase in grub feeding now.

Grub damaged lawn will pull back very easily

The best defense against grubs include cultural practices, like core aeration, to keep your thatch layer below 1/2".  Grubs like to burrow underneath a thick thatch, keeping your thatch layer to a minimum is a big deterrent.  In addition, while it's too late now, this season really emphasizes the point of applying the proper grub preventative early in the summer to prevent grubs from feeding once they hatch.

Rough Bluegrass is often mistaken for grub activity

If you suspect grub activity, pull at the brown turf, it will come up easily since the grubs eat the roots.  If you see grubs, there's your problem. Remember, it takes 6-8 grubs in a one foot section to cause significant damage.  One grub here and there is not a concern.  From Flourtown to Trappe, it is common to misdiagnose grub activity.  Rough Bluegrass (Poa trivialis) will brown out after a hot summer and pull up easily, however, you will not see any grubs feeding.  When in doubt, contact a lawn care professional, and allow yourself to kick back and enjoy some football.

Fall Tune Up Time

As the summer winds down, some lawns from Hatboro to Pottstown will be stressed from the summer heat.  It's the perfect time to prepare the lawn for the fall and revitalize it.  Controlling the weeds in the early fall along with annual grasses, like crabgrass, which die out with the first frost help pave the way to improve the overall density for the following spring.

Core Aeration is the healthiest thing you can do for your lawn all year besides keeping it fed.  The core aeration process removes small cores of soil from your lawn to relieve the soil of compaction, which is very common in Southeastern PA soils.  It also helps reduce thatch which can constrict the flow or air, water, and nutrients from reaching the root zone.

Core Aeration helps reduce thatch and relieve soil compaction providing a healthier lawn.

Thatch is the layer of dead and decaying plant tissue between the soil surface and the green vegetation.  A thin layer of 2/10” is beneficial; however, when the thatch layer exceeds ½”, it promotes insect, grub, and disease activity and impedes water, fertilization, and pesticide effectiveness.

In Montgomery County, fall and spring are the best times to aerate.  Fall core aeration is best when performed between August and November.  Aerating before late season fertilization enhances root growth and improves spring greenup and growth.

Summer time and the lawn isn’t easy

For the past few summers lawns from Norristown to Cheltenham have battled the intense summer heat and typically lose the season-long battle. Once temperatures reach the 90's consistently, our cool season turf enter a state of dormancy but typically bounce back in the early fall, while weaker grasses simply die out with the blazing temperatures. This year, the relatively mild conditions have cut back on the drought damage, but a different issue is wreaking havoc on our lawns.

Afternoon thunderstorms promote fungus and disease activity in lawns throughout the summer. By night, the excess moisture coupled with dark, humid conditions create a hot zone for the spread of dollar spot and leaf spot disease which are two of the most common lawn diseases in Montgomery and Chester County during this time of year. Brown spots throughout the lawn are either caused by dollar or leaf spot disease. The grass surrounding the brown grass will have lesions that resemble an hourglass or a cigarette burn, respectively.

Leaf spot disease

There are several solutions to this problem. Fungicides help to stop the spread of the disease but do not return the brown areas to their original, spring-time green. Depending upon the disease, proper fertilization and watering at the appropriate times will speed up the curing process. Once the weather cools, aerating your lawn will reduce the thatch layer which promotes significant disease activity. 

 -Contributed by Harry Bambi, Sales Supervisor

Geometry and Your Lawn

It’s summer time in Montgomery County.  It’s been really hot and really wet.  While it’s a common perception to feel the lawn should have plenty of water and be green, the combination of excessive heat, humidity, and moisture create the perfect recipe for disease activity from Collegeville to Hatboro.

In order for a disease to develop, the ‘disease triangle’ must be present.  The disease triangle consists of three components: a susceptible host, a pathogen (cause of the disease), and an environment suitable for disease develop.  If any one of these three factors is not present, the disease will not develop.

There are several common diseases, such as dollar spot and summer patch, in Montgomery County given the high humidity, high nighttime temperatures, and significant amount of rain, which has kept the ground moist.

While fungicides can help stop the spreading, it’s best to manage the disease through proper fertility and cultural practices.  Here are some simple tips:

• Properly identify the disease.  Certain diseases are nitrogen deficient while other are aggravated by nitrogen.  Understanding which disease is present is key to proper management.

• Avoid light or nighttime watering.  Watering should be deep enough to saturate the root zone; typically 30-45 minutes per section.

• Manage your thatch.  Thick thatch, more than 1/2” will promote disease activity.  A healthy thatch layer is 2/10”.  Plan to aerate this fall to reduce thatch and relieve soil compaction.

• Considering seeding this fall with update varieties of turf to improve disease resistance.

• Manage your fertility.  Ensure your lawn is properly fertilized, consistently throughout the year.  Too much or too little fertilizer can promote disease activity.

There are many reasons the lawn can go brown in Montgomery County during the summer, proper diagnosis is key.  If it is an active disease, consider these tips to help manage your lawn through the summer stress.

Controlling Crabgrass Effectively

The very wet summer we've experienced throughout Montgomery County this year has increased weed and crabgrass breakthrough from Dresher to Spring City.  Here's some tips to help reduce the outbreak of crabgrass.

Crabgrass control combines reducing numbers of crabgrass with strengthening the overall health of your lawn. Application of crabgrass control material in the spring before the crabgrass seeds germinate is important.   It will form a barrier to stop crabgrass seed roots as they germinate and remember, following application, this barrier must not be broken by raking or digging or edging, which can weaken and nullify the crabgrass barrier.

Ongoing proper maintenance is also an important step to help rid your lawn of crabgrass.  Crabgrass in the lawn can be reduced over a few seasons of special care by improving the overall density of your lawn through core aeration and seeding with more drought tolerant, updated varieties of turf.  One of the easiest maintenance steps is to remember not to mow your lawn to low. Taller grass will shade the soil and make it less hospitable for many weed seeds, like crabgrass, to develop. Most grasses do well at a mowing height of 2 inches to 3 inches, and some varieties even higher.

The fight against crabgrass requires patience and a commitment to creating and maintaining a healthy lawn. It will take some hard work but a thick, dark green, crabgrass-free lawn is well worth the patience and special care.

Keep Your Lawn Healthy When The Temerpatures Soar

Regardless if you live in Blue Bell or Phoenixville, the temperatures throughout Montgomery County have been near recording this week.  We thought we'd offer some answers to some common questions related to the scorching temperatures.

 Will the fertilizer hurt my lawn when it is so hot and dry?

Many homeowners are under the misconception that fertilizer will burn a dry lawn.  The key is to use a quality, slow-release fertilizer.  Certain types of fertilizer contain a special polymer coating that allows the fertilizer to release as needed based upon temperature, moisture, and microbial activity.  When it rains, the grass plants need nutrition immediately to support their new growth.  The slow-release fertilizer remains in the soil, making those nutrients available as soon as possible for a quick recovery. 

What are the proper watering instructions when temperatures consistently reach 90°?

Avoid light, frequent watering. A more thorough watering helps turf roots to grow more deeply.  With the soil types in Southeastern PA, 30-45 minutes per section is required 4-5 times per week when temperatures are above 90°. Check your soil moisture by pushing a screwdriver into the ground.  If you meet little resistance, the soil is wet. If it does not push in easily, more water is needed.  Early morning is the best time to water.   

What if I cannot water? Will the grass die?

No.  That’s fine.  The turf will not die.  Cool season turf simply goes dormant in excessive heat as a defensive mechanism.  As the temperatures cool and moisture return, the nutrients available will be released to the turf and your lawn will recover.

Heat stress on cool season turf.  The weight of the mower stressed the turf.

What else can I do?

Ensuring your lawn has the proper grass types, especially in areas of the open sun will help.  Core aeration and seeding this fall with drought tolerant varieties of turf will help improve overall color, vigor, and density.  Drought tolerant grass types also recover more readily than inferior types of grass seed.