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How to handle grass in cool or warm seasons
Published 3/11/2010 in Agriculture : Columns
The following suggestions are for cool-season grasses such as tall fescue or a bluegrass. Zoysiagrass, bermudagrass and buffalograss are warm-season grasses and require a different maintenance regime. A warm-season grass calendar is listed next.
March:
Spot treat broadleaf weeds if necessary. Treat on a day that is 50 degrees or warmer. Rain or irrigation within 24 hours of application will reduce effectiveness.
If fertilizer was applied to these cool type grasses last fall, don't be tempted to fertilize too soon this spring. Waiting until late April or early May will allow the grass to utilize the fall feeding and not cause excessive growth, resulting in more mowing in the spring.
April:
Apply crabgrass preventer when redbud trees are in full bloom (usually in April). Preventer needs to be watered in before it will start to work. Remember that a good, thick lawn is the best weed prevention and may be all that is needed.
May:
Fertilize with a slow-release fertilizer if you water your lawn or if you receive enough rainfall that your turf normally doesn't go drought-dormant during the summer. If there are broadleaf weeds, spot treat with a spray or use a fertilizer that includes a weed killer. Rain or irrigation within 24 hours of application will reduce effectiveness of the weed killer, but the fertilizer needs to be watered in. If you are using a product that has both fertilizer and weed killer, wait 24 hours after application before watering it in.
June through mid-July:
Apply second round of crabgrass preventer by June 15 — unless you have used Dimension (dithiopyr) or Barricade (prodiamine) for the April application. These two products normally provide season-long control with a single application. Remember to water it in. If grubs have been a problem in the past, apply a product containing "Merit" or "Mach 2" during the first half of July. This works to prevent grub damage. It must be watered in before it becomes active.
Late July through August:
If you see grub damage, apply a grub killer that contains Dylox. Merit and Mach 2 are effective against young grubs and may not be effective on late instar grubs. The grub killer containing Dylox must be watered in within 24 hours or effectiveness drops.
September:
Fertilize around Labor Day. This is the most important fertilization of the year. Water in fertilizer.
November:
Fertilize. This fertilizer is taken up by the roots but is not used until the following spring. Water in fertilizer. Spray for broadleaf weeds even if they are small. Broadleaf weeds are much easier to control in the fall than in the spring. Spray on a day that is at least 50 degrees. Rain or irrigation within 24 hours reduces effectiveness. Use label rates for all products!
Core aeration of cool-season lawns
If you are planning to core-aerate your tall fescue or Kentucky bluegrass lawn this spring, reserve a machine now so you can get the job done in March or early-April. Coring early in the spring gives cool-season lawns a chance to recover before crabgrass and other warm-season annual weeds start to germinate.
Core-aerating is one of the best things you can do for your lawn. It relieves compaction, hastens thatch decomposition, increases water infiltration and helps promote better root growth. Pay attention to the soil moisture level when coring. The soil should easily crumble when worked between the fingers. If it is too wet, the machine's tines will plug and it will merely punch holes in the wet soil, which increases compaction. If it is too dry, the tines will not be able to penetrate very deeply.
Lawn calendar for warm-season grasses
Warm-season grasses include bermudagrass, zoysiagrass and buffalograss.
March:
Spot treat broadleaf weeds if necessary. Treat on a day that is 50 degrees or warmer. Rain or irrigation within 24 hours of application will reduce effectiveness.
April:
Apply crabgrass preventer between April 1 and 15, or apply preventer when the Eastern Redbud is in full bloom. If using a product with Barricade, apply two weeks earlier. Crabgrass preventers need to be watered in before they will start to work.
May through Aug. 15:
Fertilize with one pound of nitrogen per 1,000 square feet per application. Remember, more applications will give a deeper green color, but will increase mowing and lead to a build-up of thatch with bermudagrass and zoysiagrass. Use the following as a guide according to the type of your warm season lawn.
Bermudagrass — Use two to four applications.
Zoysiagrass — Use one to two applications. Too much nitrogen leads to thatch build-up.
Buffalograss — Use one to two applications.
One application: Apply in June
Two applications: Apply May and July
Three applications: Apply May, June and early August
Four applications: Apply May, June, July and early August
June:
If grubs have been a problem in the past, apply a product containing Merit or Mach 2. Either product should be applied by mid-July. Merit can be applied as early as mid-May if there are problems with billbugs or May Beetle grubs. Both of these are referred to as grub preventers. Actually, they kill the grubs when they are small but are called grub preventers because they kill the grubs before they cause damage. These insecticides are effective and safe. They must be watered in before they become active.
June is a good time to core aerate a warm-season lawn. Core aeration will help alleviate compaction, increase the rate of water infiltration, improve soil air exchange and help control thatch.
Late July through August:
If you see grub damage, apply a grub killer. If Merit or Mach 2 has been applied, this should not be necessary. Grub killers must be watered in immediately.
Late October:
Spray for broadleaf weeds if they are a problem. Treat on a day that is at least 50 degrees. Rain or irrigation within 24 hours reduces effectiveness. Use the rates listed on the label for all products mentioned and read and follow all labels and directions.
For more information or assistance on this or other topics, please call the Extension office at 272-3670, located at 501 S. Ninth St.
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