Understanding the need for Spring Lawn Care: In order for our Florida lawns to green up, they are completely dependent on the soil temperatures to rise. While a sunny 70 degree spring day feels great for us, our tropical lawn still may be cold. Areas affected by cool weather in January will take a couple of weeks longer to green back up.
There are a few things you can do as a homeowner to help the process along:
Rake the Thatch
Transplant plugs of grass from the corner of the yard to the areas that are bare.
Add top soil where needed
All of this is in preparation for Spring Fertilization. Be sure to test the pH level of your soil and add lime if needed. This will help with the uptake of the nutrients presented in the fertilizer application.
If your soil is compacted, aeration is suggested as another Spring Lawn Care tip. Aeration involves drilling small holes in the soil to allow air, water, and nutrients to penetrate the lawn’s roots. This helps the roots grow deeper which produces a stronger, more dynamic lawn.
The main reason for lawn aeration is to relieve soil compaction. Compacted soils prevents proper circulation of air, water and nutrients within the soil.
However, excess lawn thatch or debris buried beneath the lawn’s surface can also rob the roots of these essential elements.
An application of liquid fertilizer during your Spring Lawn Care activities includes nitrogen and potassium to help stimulate root growth. In addition, Peninsular applies the microbial inoculant Quantum Growth® which enables the turf to better utilize nutrients and water. When it comes to spring lawn care, and fertilization, the application of fertilizer needs to be watered in properly to release the nutrients into the soil so the grass roots absorb them.
Aerating your lawn is an important part of maintaining a healthy and lush yard. Aeration helps promote healthy root growth and encourages the grass to grow evenly. It also helps reduce the compaction of your yard’s soil. This compaction can lead to problems like poor drainage or nutrient deficiencies in the grass.
Additionally, aerating your lawn can reduce thatch buildup. Thatch is the layer of dead grass that accumulates on top of a lawn during the winter. Thatch can prevent new grass from growing properly. Regular aeration will help keep your lawn looking green and healthy for years to come.
Continue reading to learn all about spring lawn aeration and how our friendly team at Peninsular Pest Control can help!
The Importance of Lawn Aeration
Lawn aeration is a crucial part of lawn maintenance. It helps promote healthy grass growth and increases the overall vitality of your lawn. Lawn aeration involves poking small holes throughout your lawn, which allows oxygen, water, and fertilizer to reach deeper roots. This process also reduces soil compaction, allowing your lawn’s roots to spread out more efficiently and absorb nutrients more quickly.
Reducing soil compaction also creates a more suitable environment for beneficial organisms. Earthworms and fungi that help break down organic matter into nutrients for plants. Furthermore, regular aeration can reduce the risk of certain diseases and brown patches, improving drainage throughout the lawn.
Aeration can either be accomplished via DIY means or handled professionally with motorized tools. The aeration process involves removing small plugs of soil from your lawn. This allows the lawn’s soil to absorb more air, water, and nutrients. This is especially beneficial for areas of your lawn that are compacted due to foot traffic or heavy tree roots.
It’s important to remember that aeration every spring will help keep your grass looking its best!
Preventing Compacted Soil
Aerating your lawn can help you prevent and remove compacted soil in several ways. Firstly, aeration creates a more consistent layer of soil, which leads to better drainage and more efficient absorption of nutrients. Aeration also allows air to reach the root zone more efficiently. Air is essential for healthy grass growth and helps your lawn’s roots penetrate deeper into the soil and absorb more water and nutrients.
In addition, aeration helps reduce surface compaction by breaking up clumps of soil. This process allows for better water infiltration into the ground. Aerating your lawn regularly, you can ensure your grass has adequate access to all the oxygen and nutrients it needs. The result is a better-looking lawn that’s more resilient against diseases and pests.
Quality Spring Lawn Aeration
Peninsular Pest Control is here to help with all of your springtime lawn aeration needs! Our friendly team of professionals is knowledgeable and experienced in both residential and commercial properties pest control. We will work closely with you to ensure that your lawn is properly aerated. This will keep it looking beautiful all season long. Get in touch with us today for a free estimate!
According to the University of Florida IFAS Extension, the Southern chinch bugs can rapidly damage a lawn. The patchy areas of yellowing grass are usually the first indication of chinch bug activity. Uncontrolled chinch bugs will rapidly kill the grass which will begin to appear brown. Homeowners ofter mistake the damage for drought.
Damage
These damaged areas of the grass are generally circular in shape. They expand outward as the insects move from dying grass into healthier grass. These southern insects attack the open sunny areas first. Areas of the lawn that are under drought stress are also a target. Consequently, periods of drought cause elevated chinch bug abundance and damage. The thick thatch areas of the lawn provide refuge from natural enemies and environmental conditions.
Identification
t’s easy to determine if you have chinch bugs. Simply part the grass where the brown damaged lawn meets the green grass. Then look for small insects that are damaging the turf.
Although adults can fly, they preferentially walk from plant to plant, which also makes them easier to detect. Chinch bugs love the thatch area of the grass. But, when populations are high, you will see them resting on leaf blades or crawling across the lawn. Although these insects are small, there are a few easy methods for detecting them in a lawn.
Some causes for chinch bugs is mowing your grass too short or improper irrigation. This will dry your lawn out create the perfect condition for chinch bugs to begin their damage.
Chinch Bug Treatment
When we treat a lawn for these bugs it requires two treatments 14 days apart. This will break the lifecycle of this destructive insect.
Check out our Lawn Treatment Programs for more information. You will also see the different lawn insects in our area and the specific treatment for each.
Spring lawn care tips are important and here are several things you can do to help your lawn recover this spring.
Thatch
The first spring lawn care tip is to use a leaf rake to remove any dead grass or thatch. Remember, your spring lawn has been dormant during the winter and it will welcome the help. New growth needs sunshine to flourish and, removing old dead grass will allow for more sun. Your new spring lawn will apreciate your extra effort.
Bare spots
Next, add a layer of topsoil to help promote new growth therefore, if needed, transplant healthy grass from other areas of your lawn to the areas that are bare. This can easily be done with a post hole digger. Just punch out a small grass plug from any area of the lawn that is healthy and tranplant it over to the bare area of the lawn. Remember your initial spring lawn tip and make sure the dead grass or thatch has been removed first.
Lawn Fertilizer
Suitable for spring lawns
The next spring lawn tip is to add fertilizer to the lawn to prepare for the green-up that is about to occur. Peninsular is currently providing Quantum Growth®, a fertilizer application which includes nitrogen and potassium which stimulates root growth. Water it in properly so the roots can absorb the nutrients but, don’t overwater because too much moisture will cause disease and encourages weed growth.
Check mower blades
Next, be sure to check your mower blade to make sure they are sharp. Dull mower blades cause an uneven cut which can lead to disease issues like fungus. An even cut allows the grass to heal more easily and your lawn will look better as a result.
pH levels
Finally, test the pH level of your lawn because it will tell you which nutrients are lacking. Not everyone has a pH soil meter so, calling on Peninsular Pest Control for that test is not uncommon.
Use a handheld pH meter to check the pH level in your soil.
1. Use a leaf rake to remove any dead grass or thatch
2. Add a layer of topsoil to help promote new growth
3. If needed transplant healthy grass from other areas of your lawn to the areas that are bare
4. Add fertilizer to the lawn to prepare for the green-up that is about to occur
5. The fertilizer application should include nitrogen and potassium to stimulate root growth
6. Water it in properly so the roots can absorb the nutrients but don’t overwater. It causes disease and encourages weeds
7. Check your mower blade to make sure it’s sharp. Dull blades cause an uneven cut which can lead to disease issues. An even cut allows the grass to heal more easily
8. Call us if you need help testing the pH level of your lawn. This will tell you which nutrients are lacking
As always, we offer free estimates and a $30 discount on new services.
While surveying your lawn for cold damage you may also find areas that contain grassy weeds. Now is the time to dig out these areas or use a non-selective herbicide to kill the crabgrass. Also, rake out the area and loosen the top 3 inches of soil to allow healthy new root growth.
Pull Flowering Weeds by Hand
These areas will need to be resodded after 10-14 days per the label directions on herbicide. It is important to watch these areas closely as weed seeds may be contained in the soil and may germinate after sod is put down. Pull any new emerging crabgrass by hand and give the new sod the proper water it needs and these areas should re-establish into a healthy lawn with no crabgrass.
Spring lawn tips are important and here are several things you can do to help your lawn recover in spring. The first spring lawn tip is to use a leaf rake to remove any dead grass or thatch. Remember, your spring lawn has been dormant during the winter and it will welcome the help. New growth needs sunshine to flourish and removing old dead grass will help. Your new spring lawn will apreciate your extra effort.
Topsoil
Next, add a layer of topsoil to help promote new growth. And if needed transplant healthy grass from other areas of your lawn to the areas that are bare. This can easily be done with a post hole digger. Just punch out a small grass plug from any area of the lawn that is healthy and tranplant it over to the bare area of the lawn. Remember your initial spring lawn tip and make sure the dead grass or thatch has been removed.
Fertilizer
The next spring lawn tip is to add fertilizer to the lawn to prepare for the green-up that is about to occur. Quantum Growth® is a fertilizer application which includes nitrogen and potassium which stimulate root growth. Water it in properly so the roots can absorb the nutrients but, don’t overwater because too much moisture will cause disease and encourages weed growth.
Mowers
Check Mower Blades
Be sure to check your mower blade to make sure they are sharp. Dull mower blades cause an uneven cut which can lead to disease issues like fungus. An even cut allows the grass to heal more easily and your lawn will look better as a result.
Finally, test the pH level of your lawn because it will tell you which nutrients are lacking. Not everyone has a pH soil meter so, calling on Peninsular Pest Control for that test is not uncommon.
Nutrients are necessary in order for the lawn to grow during the spring. People often question why they need to fertilize when the grass appears to be brown and dead. It’s important for you to know that although the grass appears to be brown, the roots are still very much alive.As many of our customers are aware we have been applying pre-emergence weed control throughout the winter to help control the weeds as the spring comes around. I’d like to share some additional inexpensive things a homeowner can do to their lawn to make it look better this spring.
These suggestions will help maximize the growth of the grass in your yard this spring:
1. Rake out the dead areas of your yard. This process is called thatching. Over time, lawns develop a thatch of dry, dead grass at the base of the grass blades. Thatch stops sun and water from reaching the roots of the grass and impedes growth. Most lawns benefit from a springtime dethatching so that the grass has time to recover over the summer.
2. Resod the areas of your yard where the grass missing. You can either buy grass sections from your local retailer or use a post hole digger to transplant grass from the edge of your yard to these bald patches.
3. Aeration of your yard is also very important. This is one of the most important cultural practices that a homeowner can perform, or have performed, on their lawn. You obviously can’t just plow up your yard like a farmer would do, so the only cultural practice that can be performed is aeration. This core aeration helps relieve compaction and allows for better penetration of water and the better absorption of nutrients. Our company performs this service for our customers through March and then we will start back up in November. In summary November to March is the time that we do our aeration in preparation for the spring green up and it’s my suggestion that you do it during that time as well.
Nutrients
Let’s talk about Nutrients The major nutrients that lawns need are: nitrogen and potassium and in some cases phosphorus. Phosphorus has been in the news recently as one of the pollutants that get into our water supply so therefore its usage has been limited to only a ¼ pound of application per thousand square feet of lawn, per year.
One of the things that we as a company is require all of our technicians go through the Green Industry Management Practice classes and they are certified by the state as a GIBNP. This certification is a requirement that will be in place January, 2014. It basically states that any person applying fertilizer will have to have a certification by the state and be required to pass a course. They will then be required to take continuing education on the subject. All of our technicians are are already in compliance with this new law.
