Lawn Mowing

Lawn Mowing

Many times lawn mowing is overlooked for how important it is to keep the lawn healthy and looking nice. In general cutting the lawn short causes physical damage to the lawn, allows more weeds and crabgrass to grow, and increases the need for water by allowing the more evaporation.

Everyone has the idea that the Lawn needs mowing once per week. This idea is popular because of scheduling. That is fine, and it should be cut a minimum of once per week. One secret for having a better than average lawn, is to mow more often. Twice per week is great! I mow my lawn 3 times per week.

Good Mowing Practices Checklist

• Start the season with Sharpened Blades.
• Sharpen Blades every 10- 15 mowing's or if blades get damaged.
• Never cut off more than one third of the leaf blade.
• Never cut below 3 inches. The one time that you can is the first mowing of the season.
• Gradually increase mowing height as it gets warmer and the grass is growing more.
• Mow on the highest setting from July to September.
• Never Bag Clippings!!!  They offer valuable nutrients that will keep the lawn greener.                                                                                                                                                                         Here Are A Few Popular Myths About Lawn Mowing                                                                          
• Bagging the clippings creates a thatch layer. (This was proven not to be true over 50 years ago.)
• Cutting the lawn short will slow down the lawn growth. (It actually speeds up the growth.)
• Cutting short will allow more water to get to the soil. (It will dry out the soil faster)
  
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Late Summer Lawn Stress

The late Summer brings multiple problems to the turf. When cultural practices such as mowing and watering are not properly managed, the turf will get weak and will allow for turf decline and weeds to move in.

The most common problem that I see is that the grass is cut too short. Cutting too short in the Summer will definately cause the grass to decline and weeds and insects to move in by weakening the grass. Starting in Mid to Late June the lawn should be cut at at a minimum of 4 inches or the highest setting on the mower if using a push mower or ride on tractor.

This is a typical example of cutting too short

Also watering needs to be increased going in to the Summer especially on the hotter days that are in the 90's. If you have a sprinkler system you should be watering some time between 11PM and 5AM ideally.

When this happens to the turf then recovery will happen when the weather is cooler. Aeration and seeding in September will speed up the recovery.

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Red Thread Disease in Lawns

We are now at the point in the season where Red Thread Disease will be present in your lawn. The disease starts appearing in the Spring when the weather is getting warm and it is humid.

Red Thread will grow out of the lawn over time and no treatment is needed. The turf types that are most affected are Fine Fescue and Bluegrass. The disease may affect Ryegrass when present with Fine Fescue and Bluegrass.

Long-term, more Tall Fescue should be planted in the turf to help make the turf more disease resistant.

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Moss In Lawns

In general Moss is associated with conditions which do not favor the growth of grass. I get asked all the time about eliminating Moss and there is no simple solution.

Some of the conditions associated with Moss , are as follows;

Excessive Shade: In general Moss is more tolerant of shade compared to other types of plants. In heavy shade you will need to remove trees and branches to allow sunlight to get in.

Soil Compaction: This is important because this condition does not allow the grass roots to penetrate the soil. In many cases Aeration will help.

Low pH: Acidic soil is another factor.

Low Soil Fertility: Low pH and compacted soil will generally have low fertility levels.

Poor Drainage: Moss will also grow in well drained soil, but the poor drainage will inhibit the growth of grass that will create bare/ thin spots.

Improper Watering of the Lawn- Proper watering of the lawn is a must for turf development.

Improper Mowing of the lawn- This will thin out the lawn allowing the moss to compete.

Leaves Laying on the Ground- Leaves will smother the lawn if they are left there for too long. Especially in the Fall, leaves should be picked up regularly rather then waiting for one leaf cleanup after all of the leaves fall. Leaves sitting on the ground will also kill soil organisms which is another factor for Moss growth.

Too Much Weed Control- In general weed controls should be used less in the shady areas as the weed controls are highly acid, which will acidify the soil quicker. Most companies will blanket the entire turf with weed control over and over again, with my service we only treat the weeds that are present by spot treating.

As you can see there are many factors that have created the condition for Moss growth that has taken years to develop. It is safe to say that it will take years to correct the condition, but only if steps are taken to change the condition.

Control Products- Materials that may be applied are limited to materials that will correct the pH and easing soil compaction. There are products that are sold with the promise of controlling Moss, even some smart people and some Universities will recommend these products. There are mainly two products; one is a weed control product that will turn the Moss brown temporarily, and the other is a form of Iron that will also turn the Moss brown temporarily. The problem is that in both cases the Moss never dies and will come back again, and the side effect is that both methods will add highly acid substances to the soil which adds to the poor condition in the first place.

Anthony Galluccio
AAG Lawnman
732-671-2020

www.aaglawnman.com

Stiltgrass

In recent years an invasive species called Stiltgrass has been slowly invading the lawns in our area. Stiltgrass germinates and spreads easily by their seedheads and stem nodes, which means that when the stems are cut and there is soil contact a new plant will grow. This makes it challenging to control. Stiltgrass is a problem in the Summer when temperatures are hot. Similar to when Crabgrass is present.

In our area the problem started in wooded areas and it has now made its way into the turf. Mowing can spread the seeds and cut stems as well as wildlife such as Deer, rabbits and birds can easily spread Stiltgrass to make its way into the turf.

It is important that if you have Stiltgrass in your lawn or if your lawn is near a wooded area, good management practices need to be followed for better control. For turf areas the products that are available is not 100% effective in controlling Stiltgrass but rather suppresses it. Because of this it is important to take control measures before it gets into the turf.

The main thing that can be done is to treat the garden beds and areas along woods with vegetation killer regularly while the Stiltgrass plants are small. You can try applying pre-emergent in these areas but they have been found to ineffective. I would also recommend mowing the main lawn area around the house first, then work your way out toward the outer perimeter areas where Stiltgrass usually gets started. Also clean off the mower deck after mowing.

AAG Lawnman treats Stiltgrass as part of my Standard Lawn Treatment Program which will keep Stiltgrass at a manageable level and allows the turf to recover better when the cool season arrives.

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Problem Grass Types In Turf

There are grass types in many lawns that are undesirable that will make the lawn look bad at times. there are mainly two types: Fine Fescue and Bentgrass.

Fine Fescue

There are several types of Fine Fescue: Red Fescue, Hard Fescue, Chewings Fescue ans Sheeps Fescue just to name a few. While these grass varieties may be beneficial in some places such as parks, roadways and possibly in some shady areas, they are problematic at times in a home lawn.

Problems 

• Susceptible to Diseases
• Patchy Growth
• Nutritional Problems
• Sensitive to Weed Controls
• Heat Sensitive

If you have a high percentage of Fine Fescue in your lawn, there are a few things that can help. If you do your own seeding, the most important thing is to not add any more Fine Fescue seed to the lawn. Unfortunately most seed that is sold in stores has Fine Fescue in the bag along with weed seeds. Mostly Tall Fescue and a small amount of Ryegrass should be applied to the turf and seeding needs to be done every season in the Late Summer generally Early September.This will populate the turf with the good grass varieties that are needed and will help to crowd out the Fine Fescue.

Bentgrass

Bentgrass is a cool season grass that forms patches in the turf and has a high probability of browning in the Summer because it does not take the heat or drought well. There are many ways that Bentgrass makes its way in to the lawn and it is not possible to eliminate it, but it can be managed.

Even though Bentgrass may turn brown, it will recover either later in the Fall of in the Spring. If treated properly you can speed up the recovery by Aeration, seeding and proper fertilization. Proper watering especially during hot and dry spells is very important. The mowing procedure is also highly important. See my instruction sheet called Cultural Practices for a Healthy Lawn, you can download that from the website page Lawn Care Tips.

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Lawn Seeding

Late Summer 

Seeding is best to be done in the Late Summer, generally Early September is best. That the seed time to germinate and grow before the cool weather arrives that slows down the growth. Shady areas are best done in August. The growth is slower in shady areas so that gives seed a head start so that it will grow and fill in before the leaves start falling.

The best grass seed type for our area is Tall Fescue that is drought, insect and disease resistant. A small amount of Ryegrass may be beneficial to blend into the turf. I do not recommend using seed that is sold in home improvement or other stores as they are inferior grass types , and in the long term will cause problems in the turf.

AAG Lawnman uses grass seed that is developed for our area, and along with spike aeration, fertilization, calcium and bio-stimulant application, you can be confident that the best possible seed job is performed.

Spring Seeding

In general I do Not recommend seeding in the Spring. Grass seed is not compatible with Crabgrass control and Weed control, and that leads to a high probability of infestation of weeds and crabgrass.

The only time seeding in the Spring should be done is if there are bare areas.

Anthony Galluccio
AAG Lawnman
732-671-2020

www.aaglawnman.com