Maintaining a healthy, dense, high quality lawn requires proper mowing, fertility, watering, and thatch control as well as pest, weed, and insect management*. It's a complicated and time-consuming process. Why not let Curb Appeal can help you with your lawn care maintenance.
MOWING - A good mowing practice has a major influence on the turf density, uniformity, and aesthetic quality of a lawn. But it is often done incorrectly.
Frequency and Height - Grass can be mowed frequently, provided no more than one-third of the grass blade is removed in a single mowing but mow as high as possible. Lower mowing produces a shallow root system that cannot take up water and nutrients and be susceptible to drought stress. It is best to mow a lawn when it is dry as grass cuts cleanly and clippings distribute more evenly.
Clippings - Leave clippings on unless they are excessively heavy. If so, rake them and remove them. By leaving the clippings on you can use less fertilizer.
Mowers - Keep mower blades sharp for a good quality cut. Select mulching type mowers that recycle grass clippings.
Fertilizing - A well-balanced fertilizer program is one of the most important factors in maintaining an attractive healthy lawn. The three main nutrients required by lawns are: Nitrogen (N), Phosphorus (P), and Potassium (K).
Nitrogen promotes a dark green colour, leaf and blade development, and density. Phosphorus is important for good root and rhizome development as well as promoting plant maturity. Potassium contributes to the general vigour of the plant, promotes wear and drought tolerance and hardiness against winter injury.
Amount of Nutrients - The amount of nutrients required by a home lawn is best determined by soil testing. A soil test will provide levels of phosphorus, potassium, pH and lime requirements. There is no soil test for nitrogen. Generally, 1.5–2 kg/100 m2 of actual nitrogen can be applied throughout the season, split into 2–4 applications. In the absence of a soil test, a 4-1-2 ratio (N-P-K) such as 20-5-10 is recommended. The three numbers on the fertilizer bag represent the amount of N, P and K in that order. For example the 20-5-10 fertilizer ratio listed above contains 20% N, 5% P and 10% K. Nitrogen has to be applied every year, while phosphorus and potassium are relatively stable in the soil. If the lawn is on sandy soil, higher potash or more frequent applications may be required because it may leach. On newly established lawns, higher levels of phosphorus and potash may be required.
Timing - The timing of fertilizer application is determined by the total amount of fertilizer you wish to apply to your lawn. The table below has some suggested timing of fertilizer applications based on the number of yearly applications.
No. of Yearly Applications* |
Early
Spring |
Late
Spring |
Early
Summer |
Late Summer
Early Fall |
Late
Fall |
1 |
– |
– |
– |
1st Application |
– |
2 |
– |
2nd Application |
– |
1st Application |
– |
3 |
– |
3rd Application |
– |
1st Application |
2nd Application |
4 |
– |
3rd Application |
4th Application |
1st Application |
2nd Application |
* each application consists of 0.5 kg of nitrogen per 100m2
Late fall fertilization with a quick release nitrogen fertilizer is beneficial for home lawns. Apply when the lawn has stopped growing but is still green to: increase fall and spring root growth; promote a thicker lawn; and produce an early spring green up.
Application - An even application of lawn fertilizer is important in achieving a uniform green lawn. If using a drop type spreader, operate it the long way of the lawn. First apply header strips at each end of the lawn to provide room for turning. Overlap one wheel’s width when spreading the fertilizer and shut off the spreader when reaching the header strips. With a centrifugal type spreader, make two split (half rate each) applications at right angle to each other. Always make sure the spreader is properly adjusted, otherwise you could end up with striping or uneven colour.
