HOA Information

Prepare Grass Now to Enjoy a Beautiful Lawn next Spring

Following are important elements for effective lawn care and for sustaining healthy, robust green grass. . . . beginning now!

Disaster Lawn = Starting Over, A Best Choice: If your lawn contains more than 60% weeds, better and quicker results can be gained by killing off the entire area by applying a product marketed as Round Up and employing a start-over process (which is not covered here). Consult with a local retail garden center or other resource for complete information In any case it is advisable to begin working the process no later than early September for best results.

Insect damage: If you have evidence of moles (holes and tunnels), you also have grass killing grubs. You may have seen white moths flying around the grass. You may also see patches of dead grass or have bare soil exposed from prior insect activity. If you have not applied a lawn grub prevention product, do so now prior to attempting to renovate your lawn. Actual grubs can be revealed by digging up one square foot patch of turf to expose the ugly critters which dine on grass roots. Check product label for information concerning seeding precautions with insect control chemicals, if any.

Weeds: It’s best to view overall weed control as a long range proposition and to plan accordingly. it is advisable to discuss mutual weed problems with neighboring homeowners because weed seeds do not recognize boundaries and are transmitted across property lines by the millions! Ongoing effective weed and pest control may require neighborly cooperation.

Two principal types of lawn weeds are broadleaf weeds and grass type weeds. LVE lawn spaces are filled with all types and kinds of weeds. Herbicides available for weed control fall into two main categories: preemergent and post-emergent, either may be granular and applied with a mechanical spreader, or, liquid and applied with a hose end or pump type sprayer. Information about specific chemical products and applications for specific weeds is beyond this article. It is critically important to read and heed all lawn and garden chemical product information prior to use.

For late summer/early autumn weed control and lawn renovation, satisfactory results can be had by applying a liquid broadleaf selective herbicidal and be eliminated faster than freshly mowed specimens. Then, mow (scalp) the grass as low as possible, bag and dispose of clippings and move on to the following elements of lawn renovation. Don’t forget to reset the mower height to at least 2 1/2 inches for subsequent regular mowing. More concerning weed control will be required after new grass is mowed a few times.

Soil and Top Dressing: Unimproved Soil directly under original sodded grass in our LVE development is rock filled native red clay having only a minimal layer of top soil. This condition cannot sustain sufficient moisture or natural nutrients for vigorous grass plant growth. Without amending the soil one can expect grass to require much greater amounts of fertilizers and irrigation/water use. Grass roots have difficulty attaining deeper root penetration through compacted native hard clay soil. Thus, it is very difficult to sustain adequate moisture for greener grass during the hot dry months. As a remedy for such poor soil conditions, homeowners might well consider successive annual top dressing applications of fine organic material such as “Compro” or Compro-like rich and finely sifted organic material.

Adequate top dressing will enrich the soil with needed natural nutrients and serves to create a better rooting medium for grass and new seedlings. In order to germinate (sprout), seeds must be kept moist and in contact with soil. This helps deeper water absorption and retention and to make rain and irrigation water actually available to grass rather than simply evaporate or migrate off the clay under soil. Grade imperfections may be corrected with the application of this material.

Soil PH Level: Proper Acid/Alkaline or PH balance is vital for healthy lawns. In general, the native red clay soil in our area will produce PH test results high on the acid side of the PH scale. Grass is happiest at a PH level of 6.5. Higher than 6.5 on the acid level indicates that, the soil requires balancing with application of agricultural lime. Adding lime to soil enables the grass to better use the nutrients we try to provide with fertilizer. As a general rule for our area, lime should be applied at a minimum, annual rate of 40 pounds for each one thousand square feet (of lawn) area. Lime is “non-burning” and can be applied any time of year. Lime is the least expensive and most important thing for your lawn that never gets done. The spreader setting for lime is 100% open. Consult Virginia Coop Extension or Master Gardeners of Loudoun County for information concerning testing of soil for PH and nutrients. Such tests are easy, inexpensive, and convenient.

Aeration: Lawn aeration involves the removal of small soil plugs or cores out of the lawn. Aeration is done mechanically with a machine having hollow tines or spoons mounted on a disk or drum. Known as a core aerator, it extracts 1/2 to 3/4 inch diameter cores of soil and deposits them on your lawn. Aeration holes are typically 1-6 inches deep and 2-6 inches apart.

Core aeration is a recommended lawn care practice on compacted, heavily used turf and to control thatch buildup. Core aeration can benefit your lawn by:

   Increasing the activity of soil microorganisms that decompose thatch.
   Increasing water, nutrient and oxygen movement into the soil.
   Improving rooting.
   Enhancing infiltration of rainfall or irrigation.
   Helping prevent fertilizer and pesticide run-off from overly compacted areas.
   Contractors are available to perform this service, Schedule now.

Over Seeding: Selection of grass seed for your lawn is an important consideration. Sunny or shade areas should be considered and seed selected accordingly. In general, better seed costs more and, if all else is done correctly, will produce better results. Recommended over seeding rate is approximately five pounds of seed for each one thousand square feet of lawn. Always apply a seed and sod starter fertilizer when seeding. This type of fertilizer contains extra potash to make your seed germinate quicker and phosphorus for long term root development. Cover with no more than 1/2 inch of top dressing. (See above).

Water: New seed must be watered at least twice daily especially in the evening, for at least 30 minutes where new seed is present. After seed germinates and healthy sprouts can be seen less water is required. During the driest months lawns require a minimum one inch of water weekly to sustain active, non-dormant, and healthy. For mature grass it has been found that watering fewer times but more deeply each time will produce better results than frequent shallow watering, (See LCWA advisory on lawn irrigation).

Post Germination Mowing and Fertilization: After mowing the first two or three times (when needed) your lawn is established. Keep it free of fall leaves. On or after October 22 (autumnal equinox) apply a high first number fertilizer (nitrogen content) at one or one and 1/2 times the recommended rate. For most complete product coverage use a half rate setting for the spreader and go over the entire lawn twice. For better and longer results, select a fertilizer having a higher percentage content of “slow feed”. Consult information about fertilizer slow feed content on the product web sites and on the bag.

After October 22 and with good fertilization and PH balance taken care of with lime application(s), your lawn will be developing the deep roots that get it through next summer. Application of an agricultural iron supplement product such as ‘Ironrite’ (or other) at this time can provide a deep green color which can last late into winter. Be sure to remove leaves from grass for over-wintering. The end-of-season clean-up mowing for this area is usually around the Thanksgiving Holiday at end of November. Occasional leaf removal as needed through winter is a good practice for caring for healthy grass.

Guarding against winter weed invasions and into next year: November is the time of year to apply a pre-emergent broad leaf weed herbicide/preventer product (such as “Portrait”.) When applied in late fall, these products can prevent broadleaf weeds for up to one year.

Following the last mowing of your newly renovated healthy, thick green grass, sit back and anticipate the pleasure of the spring season and a healthy evenly green lawn to compliment your home. You should also plan for preventing crab grass next year by marking on your schedule a timely application of pre-emergent product (such as “Dimension”) before the absolute date of April 22 or date of the Vernal Equinox.

More Information: Much useful information about lawn care is available online with Lawn care product manufacturers’ websites. The Virginia Tech University Cooperative Extension is an excellent online source for lawn garden enthusiasts. Experts such as local Master Gardner organizations and better local garden and nursery retailers are usually happy to provide useful advice and lawn care product information. Of course, many other instructive resources can be found online.

Finally, one might ask whether, dollar for dollar, a commercial lawn chemical service company can or will provide the same results as a good DYI plan. The answer must be that, after accounting for total annual costs of DYI and commercial lawn care, including all products, labor and water usage as well as general appearance throughout a whole twelve months’ time, only the individual homeowner can answer.

References used for this article:

1) Virginia Tech Agricultural Coop Extension
2) Betty’s Azalea Garden (free fact sheets)
3) Virginia Ground Covers

Review Elements and Schedule for Lawn Grass Renovation

Start Mid-August to early September, Expect Mature Grass by End November; Apply grub control product if needed.

1) Apply broad leaf weed killer, wait 10 days
2) Scalp lawn grass, bag and dispose of all clippings (vegetative recycle pick-up)
3) Apply top dressing (Compro) at rate of 1/2 inch over entire area to be seeded (optional but vital for best results), Spread top dressing evenly.
4) Agricultural lime application
5) Core Aeration (option to seed now rather than under item 4 (can be done at same time with aeration)
6) Starter fertilizer (specific) application
7) Water, water, water!
8) Mow (cut grass as needed) 3 occasions/ time
9) October 22 apply high nitrogen/slow feed fertilizer
10) Late November, apply pre-emergent weed control (Portrait); keep grass free of debris and fallen leafs.
11) Early spring, latest April 22. Apply crab grass and, weed preventer
12) Don’t forget grub control at coming of the warm season
13) Plan to maintain lime, fertilizer and other applications throughout the season.