Garden Maintenance - Lawn |
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Cutting Down on Lawn Care
New grasses and techniques make a
good-looking lawn easy to establish
Warren Schultz
For years our lawns have been on a binge-and-purge program. At the first sign of spring, we rush to the garden center, load up on fertilizer, and blanket the lawn with it. Sure, the lawn greens up, but the more we feed, the more we mow.
For decades, experts recommended fertilizing four, five, or six times per year with up to 10 pounds of nitrogen per 1,000 square feet total over the course of the year. But lawns can get by — and even look great — with much, much less fertilizer. You don't believe it? Well, ask Glenn Smickley, superintendent of the Robert Trent Jones Golf Club at Lake Manassas, Virginia. This showcase private course hosts major professional tournaments, so it must need lots of fertilizer to keep it looking good, right? Wrong. Smickley applies just 1 pound of actual nitrogen per year (per 1,000 square feet) over most of the course.
Or ask Eugene Roberts, owner of Fairwood Turf Farm in Glenn Dale, Maryland, one of the East Coast's best-looking sod farms. For him, grass is a cash crop. It has to grow quickly and look good. So he must pump it up, right? Wrong again. He too applies 1 pound of actual nitrogen per year per 1,000 square feet.
Both lawn-care professionals know that the secret is finding a turf grass that's well adapted to your particular climate. So here's a list, by region, of some new varieties — and some old species that were once disparaged as weeds — on the cutting edge of low-maintenance lawn care.
Rocky Mountain and Plains States
Dr. Reed Funk, turf breeder at Rutgers University in New Jersey, says that Kentucky bluegrass has gotten a bad rap as a high-maintenance turf grass. "I grew up in the intermountain West," he says, "and I remember lots of Kentucky bluegrass and clover lawns that were never fertilized, and they looked fine." Clover was a key component. Now scorned as a turf weed, that legume was once considered an important part of a low-maintenance turf mix because of its ability to add nitrogen to the soil. Some turf experts are recommending that clover be added to low-maintenance seed mixes again.
Today's Kentucky bluegrass varieties get by with even less help. Some of the best varieties for minimum maintenance are 'Bartitia', 'Belmont', 'Caliber', 'Colbalt', 'Challenger', 'Midnight', 'Monopoly', 'Ram-1', and 'Unique'.
For nonirrigated lawns in the high plains of Nebraska, eastern Colorado, and the Dakotas, Funk recommends two natives, buffalo grass and blue grama grass. Buffalo grass, reaching only 4 inches high, thrives with little or no mowing and no fertilizer or supplemental water, although it goes dormant in late fall.
You can make an instant lawn of buffalo grass using sod, or for a fraction of the cost and a couple months of establishment time, use seed. Both 'Prairie' and '609' have been available for a few years, but they're still the best sod varieties you can buy. The best seed varieties include 'Top Gun', 'Tatanka', and 'Plains'. The first two make lower, denser lawns; the latter is taller but has deeper roots. It's best suited to highway slopes and similar sites.
Blue grama grass has a fine texture but a grayish color. It withstands heat and drought and requires only infrequent mowings at a 3-inch height. Only common blue grama is available; no improved varieties have been released.
Northeast and Midwest
Fine fescues have a well-deserved reputation as low-maintenance grasses. But perhaps the most trouble-free of all, hard fescue, has been overlooked until recently. "If anyone in the Northeast wants a true low-maintenance grass, hard fescue is the way to go," says Richard Hurley, of Loft's Seed Company in Bound Brook, New Jersey. This grass has wiry, needle-like blades like other fine fescues, but it grows slowly and has a mature height of only 6 inches. "At my vacation home, I often make only two mowings per year: one in the third week of May, one in mid-June," says Hurley. "In fact, sometimes I don't even use a mower; I just knock off the seed heads with a string trimmer. When I'm done, I get more compliments than you could imagine." 'Biljart', 'Discovery', 'Reliant II', and 'SR 3100' are good varieties.
Though common Canada bluegrass is found in pastures throughout the cooler areas of the North, it grows most vigorously and forms a dense turf in USDA Hardiness Zones 3 and 4. New varieties, such as 'Reubens', have better color and finer texture than the species, but they retain the ability to grow well in poor conditions, including low fertility, acidic soils, low moisture, and cool temperatures.
Another potential lawn grass for northern regions is the ultra shade-tolerant Poa supina 'Supernova', a perennial and spreading relative of the famous weed, annual bluegrass (Poa annua). Tests at Michigan State University established that 'Supernova' can grow in deep shade far better than any other lawn grass. It needs cool temperatures and moisture. Availability is limited, but you can find it as a component of some shade-area lawn mixes for northern regions.
Southeast
Southerners in the know call centipede grass the lazy man's grass. That's because this light green grass grows slowly and requires less mowing and fertilizing than most other warm-season grasses. Centipede grass is very well suited for the sandy soils of the Southeast and Gulf states. It is coarsely textured, low growing, and somewhat cold-tolerant (to 5° F).
You can grow common centipede grass from seed, but improved varieties, such as 'AU Centennial', 'Oaklawn', and 'Tennessee Hardy', must be propagated by sprigs, which are individual plants, runners, cuttings, or stolons that are planted at spaced intervals.
Throughout the upper South, blends of turf-type tall fescue have replaced Kentucky bluegrass as the fancy lawn of choice. Only an expert could tell them apart, yet the fescue is much less demanding and less problem-prone.
Southwest
Turf grasses have a tough time in California. Warm-season grasses can withstand the heat of the summer but have other problems. Zoysia is slow to establish and browns out in the winter, and Bermuda grass survives so well that it's as invasive as a weed. Tall fescue, a cool-season grass, is good-looking and heat-hardy but requires irrigation to make it through the dry season. So researchers have been looking for unconventional alternatives.
Zoysia is a good-looking and tough option but browns out from October to March. In California, 'De Anza' and 'Victoria' are new varieties garnering lots of attention for their short dormant season. Also from California is 'El Toro'. New from Texas is 'Diamond', noted for its ability to grow in shade. The oldest improved zoysia, 'Emerald', is still available and still good.
Throughout the inland regions of Southern California and the Southwest, Bermuda grass is hard to beat. Again one of the keys to success is not to overdo the water and fertilizer. For minimal maintenance, look for seed varieties such as 'Yuma' and 'Sundevil'. Hybrids like 'Tifgreen' look great at their best but are high-maintenance types.
For cooler areas, perennial fairway wheatgrass is gaining many fans. Shorter, denser, finer in texture, and slower to grow than most wheatgrasses, it's particularly well adapted to cool, semiarid regions such as the high plains, and the deserts of eastern California and Oregon. It tolerates drought and grows vigorously with minimal fertilization.
Northwest
Throughout most of the country, bent grasses are considered high maintenance. But some types, especially colonial bent grass, are well adapted to the Northwest's climate. There, they are low-maintenance turf grasses. "Bent grass has the lowest fertility requirement of any grass we grow here," says Tom Cook, turf breeder at Oregon State University in Corvallis. "Even without fertilizer, it will produce color 10 months of the year." He hasn't fed his bent grass lawn in 10 years, and he says it looks fine. Good varieties include 'Allure', 'Egmont', and 'Exeter'.
Reed Funk casts a vote for velvet bent grass, pointing out that 50 years ago it was touted as one of the most promising of all low-maintenance species for cool areas. Breeding of velvet bent grass has lagged in recent years, however.
Renewing an Old Lawn
These new grasses may save time and effort in the long run, but who has the time and energy to rip up the old sod and replace it? Fortunately, getting new grasses into the lawn doesn't require a top-to-bottom makeover. Instead, you can gradually introduce new grasses to your lawn by overseeding — sowing seed directly over your existing lawn.
To overseed, just rake the entire lawn vigorously with a metal garden rake. Then sow the grass seed at 1-1/2 times the recommended rate. Top-dress lightly with sand, topsoil, and sifted compost, and keep the lawn well watered until the new sprouts emerge. The new, more vigorous and perhaps better-adapted grass will gain a foothold and eventually replace the older grass.
Warren Schultz's most recent book is A Man's Garden (Houghton Mifflin Co., 2001; $40). He lives in Essex Junction, Vermont.
Photography by Suzanne DeJohn/National Gardening
Mowing and Trimming a Lawn
Mowing and trimming -- especially when done properly -- improve the health and appearance of your lawn, reduce its need for water, and lessen your maintenance time. Tools and Materials • String trimmer • Rotary lawn mower with sharp blade • Lawn mower • Tape measure or ruler • Rake • Broom Trim first. If you use a string trimmer, use it before mowing. The mower will chop the trimmings and reduce the need for raking. Do not use line trimmers to cut grass against the bark of trees. This will damage the bark, often severely enough to kill the tree. Instead, establish a grass-free, mulched area around the tree so that close trimming is not necessary. Mow at the right height. Each grass type has its ideal height range. Mow bahia, blue gramma, and buffalo grasses 2 to 3 inches high. Mow fescue, Kentucky bluegrass, ryegrass, and St. Augustine grasses about 1-1/2 to 2-1/2 inches high. Cut common Bermuda, centipede, and zoysia grasses about 1 to 2 inches high. Cut hybrid Bermuda lowest, about 1 inch high. Adjust the blade height. Place your mower on a hard surface, disconnect the spark plug, and measure the height of the blades with a tape measure. Adjust the deck height to the desired level. Test the setting by mowing a patch of grass and checking the grass height. Adjust the mower as necessary. Mowing on the high side of the range improves drought resistance and root health. Keep it sharp. Sharpen the blade of rotary mowers at least once a season. Disconnect the spark plug and with mower upended, remove the blade. Sharpen the blade on a bench grinder or with a heavy-duty mill file, and be sure to check blade balance afterwards (center it on a nail hammered into a wall). Or take your blade to a mower repair shop and let them sharpen it. Follow the one-third rule. Mow when the grass blades are about one-third taller than the recommended height. To maintain grass at 2 inches high, for example, mow when it reaches no more than 3 inches. Only remove one-third of the grass height when you mow to prevent damage and stress to the lawn. Taking too much off at once starves the roots and may expose new lower leaves to sunburn. Mow grass when it's dry. Wet grass cuts unevenly, and requires raking to remove the matted clippings, which smother the grass. Cutting wet grass also promotes the growth and spread of disease organisms. Rake up clumps. Leave small and finely chopped clippings on the lawn where they will decompose and improve the soil's health, but remove clumps that can smother the grass. Sweep clippings off sidewalks and driveways for a neat appearance. Tips Keep your mower blades sharp to prevent damage to the grass blades. Ragged cuts invite disease and make the lawn look brown. Alternate mowing directions each time you mow to help keep grass growing upright and to prevent soil compaction. Mow at a 45- or 90-degree angle to your last pattern. Photography by National Gardening Association |
Plugging and Sprigging a Lawn
An inexpensive way to start a new warm-season lawn or patch an existing one is to plant plugs or sprigs in late spring to early summer. Warm-season grasses, such as Bermuda, St. Augustine, and zoysia, spread easily from 2- to 3-inch sections of sod, called plugs, or bits of rooted or unrooted leafy grass runners, called sprigs. Tools and Materials • Sterilized compost • Lawn starter fertilizer • Soil amendments, as needed • Steel rake • Rotary tiller • Sprinkler • Plugs or sprigs of grass • Wooden stakes and string • Tape measure • Trowel or bulb planter • Hoe • Water-filled lawn roller Prepare the soil. Remove all weeds and undesirable plants from the soil. If starting a new lawn, spread 1 to 2 inches of compost over the area. Also apply fertilizer formulated for new lawns, and lime or sulfur, if indicated by a soil test. Moisten the soil slightly, then rotary-till everything into the top 3 to 6 inches of soil. Rake smooth. If necessary where you live, check that your sprinklers cover the area evenly. Order the plugs or sprigs. Late spring to early summer is the best time to plant. Tell the nursery how many square feet of lawn you have, and the nursery will order the correct number of trays of plugs or bushels of sprigs. When the order arrives, plant as soon as possible, keeping plugs or sprigs lightly moist and cool. Make a planting grid. Use stakes and string to mark out rows. Space plug rows 6 to 12 inches apart, depending the grass. Along each row, use a trowel or bulb planter to make sufficiently deep (usually 1 to 2 inches deep) planting holes 6 to 12 inches apart to form a grid. For sprigs, use a hoe to make 1- to 2-inch-deep furrows spaced 10 to 18 inches apart. Most likely instructions will come with your order with more details. Install the plants. Set plugs into the holes and firm the soil around them. With sprigs, lay them 4 to 6 inches apart in the furrows, with the leafy sides up; fill in the furrows, burying the bottom two-thirds of the plants. Rake, roll, and water. Rake the planted area carefully to smooth the soil without disturbing the plants. Roll with a half-filled lawn roller. If a lawn roller is not available, press plugs into firm contact with soil with your feet. Keep the soil evenly moist as the plants grow new roots and leaves begin to spread. Hoe out weeds as they appear. Tips Spacing plugs and sprigs closer together gives you a full lawn but is more expensive. Space plugs of slower-growing species, such as zoysia, closer together. Begin mowing when the lawn is firmly rooted, a month or two after planting. To avoid damage, set mower blades higher than usual until the lawn is fully filled in. Photography by Suzanne DeJohn/National Gardening Association. |
Watering Lawns and Gardens
One secret to achieving lush, healthy lawns and bountiful gardens is thorough, careful watering, which encourages deep, drought-resistant roots. Both the frequency and method of irrigation and amount of water required vary with your climate, soil, and plants' needs. Tools and Materials • Shovel • Sprinkler or drip irrigation • Measuring tape Determine current soil moisture. Dig a 12-inch deep wedge of soil from your lawn or garden. Observe the amount of moisture in the sample. Water only if the top 6 inches of soil is dry. Choose time of day. Evening and early morning are the best times to water because less water is lost to evaporation than with midday irrigation. On disease-prone plants such as roses, water in the morning to encourage the plants' leaves to dry quickly. Also avoid overhead sprinkling. Choose watering method. Aboveground sprinklers cover large areas, such as lawns, most effectively but may encourage the spread of disease on roses, raspberries, beans, and other susceptible plants. In arid climates, around shrubs and trees, and in gardens, use drip irrigation for maximum water efficiency and disease control. Cover irrigation lines with mulch or bury them just under the soil surface. Adjust sprinkler and drip systems. Set up overhead sprinklers so that water falls only on your lawn or garden and not on sidewalks, roads, or buildings. Adjust the water pressure of either type of system to allow water to penetrate the soil without puddling or running off. Measure water depth. After 30 to 60 minutes, recheck the depth of water penetration in the soil at different places in the irrigation pattern. Move or adjust the sprinklers to achieve uniform coverage. Stop watering when soil is moist at a depth of 6 to 12 inches. To avoid digging test wedges in the future, note the length of time needed to achieve thorough watering. Tips Water your lawn and garden before plants show signs of wilting. Wilting stresses plants and may cause flower and fruit loss and poor growth. To water vegetable and flower gardens containing tall plants that may otherwise block the spray, set sprinklers on a sawhorse, or use a tower-mounted sprinkler. |
Fertilizing Lawns
Lawn fertilizers consist of nitrogen, phosphate, potassium (also called N-P-K) and other important nutrients. Of these, nitrogen is the most important for healthy green growth. But applying too much nitrogen damages the lawn, causes pollution, and increases the need for mowing. Before fertilizing determine your grass type. Different grasses need different amounts of nitrogen per 1,000 square feet of lawn per year. Blue gramma, buffalo, and centipede grasses need up to 2 pounds. Bahia, ryegrass, fine fescue, St. Augustine, and zoysia grasses need 2 to 4 pounds. Bentgrass, Bermuda, Kentucky bluegrass, and tall fescue need 3 to 6 pounds. Use the upper end of the range in warmer climates that have longer growing seasons, and less in cooler climates with shorter growing seasons. To avoid lawn damage, apply only 1/2 to 1 pound of nitrogen per 1,000-sq. ft. at a time, making several small applications throughout the growing season. For example, if your lawn needs 2 pounds of nitrogen per 1,000 sq. ft. per year, make four 1/2-pound applications about six to eight weeks apart. If the fertilizer contains a large percentage of water-insoluble nitrogen (sometimes abbreviated W.I.N. on the label), it is safe to apply more than 1 pound of nitrogen in one application. In this case, follow the directions on the label. Here are the steps to follow to fertilize your lawn. Tools and Materials • Lawn fertilizer • Fertilizer spreader • Water • sprinkler Calculate Nitrogen on Bag. The numbers on the bag, such as 25-5-5, refer to the percentages of N-P-K in the fertilizer. To calculate the actual pounds of N-P-K a fertilizer contains, multiply the percentage (number) times the weight of the bag. A 50-pound bag of 25-5-5, for example, contains 12-1/2 pounds of nitrogen (.25 x 50). Calibrate Spreader. Adjust the setting on your spreader to the number recommended on the fertilizer bag. If the calibration setting is not given, calculate it using the following method: weigh the correct amount of fertilizer needed for 100 sq. ft. Using the spreader, apply the measured amount on a 100 sq. ft., hard, clean surface. Adjust the setting as necessary. Sweep up and return fertilizer to the spreader. Spread Fertilizer. Spread fertilizer around the perimeter of the lawn or section of lawn first. Then move back and forth in slightly overlapping strips to cover the whole lawn evenly with fertilizer. Water the Lawn. A day or two before applying the fertilizer, water the lawn thoroughly. Apply fertilizer once the grass is dry, then lightly water again to wash the fertilizer off the grass blades and into the soil. Tips Take a soil sample from your lawn to a garden center or testing lab for analysis every three to four years to find out the correct amount of nutrients and other additives, such as lime, sulfur, or gypsum, your lawn needs. Fertilize during the lawn's most active growth periods: spring and fall in cool climates and early and late summer in warm climates. Avoid fertilizing during very hot weather, when many grass lawns are essentially dormant. Photography by Sabin Gratz/National Gardening Association |
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