What Lies Under the Snow

With a foot of fresh snow from Jenkintown to Spring City, it’s hard to recall that there’s a lawn underneath all of the snow.  Given the persistent cold weather and high quantities of snow that have fallen throughout Montgomery County this year, the odds are high you’ll see some winter damage or even snow mold, a common turf disease, on your lawn come spring.

Snow mold characterized by matted, weak turf.

            Grey and Pink Snow Mold are lawn diseases that are usually related to winter conditions and excessive snow cover.  Snow mold is encouraged when lawns are left too long over the winter, and nutrients and trace elements are lacking.  Taking a light leaf rake to the affected areas and properly fertilizing the turf will help the turf recover.  For additional tips on helping your lawn recover from winter damage, follow this link to our website.

           

Baby it IS cold outside!

This week brought sub-zero temperatures to Montgomery County and while everyone was looking for a heavier jacket and an additional blanket, your lawn and landscape faced the brunt of the brutal weather.  

I left my home in Norristown on Monday morning with a great deal of hesitation. I felt like I was Colin Kaepernick braving the winter winds at Lambeau Field while I walked 9 feet to my car.  Stopping only to open the door, I noticed small rocks littering the dormant lawn.

Magnified photo of a frozen grass blade

When we shovel snow, we are rarely thinking of the lawn, and typically just want to move the snow from the driveway and relocate it to the nearest possible spot.  The lawn seems like the ideal spot for it, and it usually is.  If you’re driveway is made of gravel or if your walkway has tiny pebbles on it, chances are they will also transfer to your lawn.  Once the snow melts, make sure to walk the lawn with a light rake and remove any unwanted debris that may have been transferred to your lawn during shoveling or plowing.  Other unwanted debris can find its way onto your lawn so make sure to do a thorough inspection once we approach March.The spring clean up is a vital part of the lawn’s success, so let’s think warm thoughts and let’s think spring!

For more timely tips, visit http://montgomery.weedmanusa.com/!

-Contributed by Harry Bambi, Sales & Service Manager

The Frozen Tundra

While it's warmer in Siberia today than Plymouth Meeting, at Weed Man & Parkside Tree & Shrub Care, we still have plenty of tips to keep your lawn and landscape healthy all year long.  When temperatures are consistently below freezing, you can actually hurt your lawn just by walking across it.  In extreme cold breaking the crowns of the grass plants can damage it.  You'll see a brown set of footprints in the spring as the turf comes out of dormancy.

It's never too early to plan for spring! We're always planning to ensure our lawn and tree application are properly timed in order to produce the best results for the lawn and landscape.  In the meantime, have a warm drink and visit our website often for ways to enjoy your outdoor space all year long! 

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.