Central & Eastern Massachusetts Landscape Message

We have previously blogged about snow mold.  Look for “Signs of Spring” entry from last week.

I was on the ski lift this morning enjoying one of the last days of riding for the season and got into a conversation about crabgrass control.  The question posed to me was what do I do to get rid of my crabgrass. 
The question you need to ask yourself is are you dedicated to organics, traditional or what I believe is the best approach- IPM (Integrated Pest Management).  With IPM responsible lawn care companies use the chemicals that are available only when needed to maintain a healthy ecosystem in the turf.  That is the best way to keep crabgrass out of your lawn- having a healthy and alive turf system.

But I digress, the question that was really posed was how do I rid my unhealthy lawn of crabgrass.  After learning that the lawn in question was situated on well drained gravel with a serious deficiency on healthy soil depths. I advised

1. Apply a crabgrass control (dimension) in mid-late May

1a. Unless you have vast patches of dirt showing do not seed at this point in the year (if you can’t resist you must use a crabgrass specific control, which is not as effective as the non specific control)

2. continue on a healthy fertilization program (chemical or organic)

3. re-apply crabgrass control in  late June- early July.

4. Continue with your typical fertilization program and mow the remaining turf at least 3.5″ high. 

5. In late August aerate the entire lawn, then top dress with composted soil, overseed

6. allow new seedlings to be mowed 2-3 times then apply next round of fertilizer.

7.  Wait until late November and apply the last round of fertilizer (light on the nitrogen) this round will go directly to the root system and set your turf up nicely for spring.

A couple things to note- There are many different scenarios that affect a healthy lawn, this is a general guideline on how to effectively make your turf healthy enough to withstand the crabgrass in the future.  Also, in this scenario there would be crabgrass, there would just be less allowing the turf system to gain strength.  And having a nice lawn is typically a process played out over time.  It is impossible to have a beautiful, healthy lawn without a concerted effort.

As always we are equiped to design, build, maintain and care for your landscape.

March is here and there are many signs of spring all around us especially in the eastern part of Massachusetts.  Snow drops have started to pop and crocus will soon peak their colors.  I drove by a maple shack last night and they were boiling down the sap!

There are some other signs that affect our landscapes that we need to be aware of.  Snow Mold is a fungus that grows this time of year typically in soaking wet areas of your lawns. Typically it is worse under heavy snow areas, but not always.  It consists of circular patches of dead/ matted looking grass.  If  left alone it will kill or severely stunt the patch of turf.  The easiest thing to do is give it a good hard rake as if thatching your lawn.  A healthy lawn that has had an adequate lawn care program is just as susceptible as an unhealthy lawn.  Give us a call if you are in the Concord, Wayland, Dover or Holden, Paxton, and we can schedule a visit to assess your lawn and give you the information to correct any issues you may have with your lawn.