Lawn Maintenance Basics

A lawns viability or the lack there of is directly related to the degree of maintenance it receives.  A healthy lawn will compete with weeds and will win out if provided the right conditions.  The following is a minimum maintenance guide to establish your lawn.

Fertilizer:
New Seed/Sod
The three primary nutrients in a fertilizer are Nitrogen, Phosphorous and Potassium.  Each element has its own affect upon grass. Nitrogen stimulates grass growth and greening. Phosphorous stimulates the development of roots and seedlings. Potassium promotes disease and drought resistance.

Apply a general fertilizer 10-10-10 or 13-13-13 approximately 3-4 weeks after installation/germination.  Reapply four weeks later.  Follow the directions on the fertilizer bag for application rates.  Do not apply any Weed and Feed or other pre-emergent weed control products on a new lawn during the first season of growth.

Additional fertilizer applications at four to six week intervals will help develop your lawn to establish a deep root growth with lush green top growth if desired. 

Mature Lawns
At a minimum, fertilize once in May after the grass has begun active growth, and again in late August or early September.

A simple basic fertilizer program covers three applications a year.  Use these holidays as helpful reminders; Memorial Day, Labor Day, Halloween.  Many garden centers have brand name fertilizer programs on hand to simplify the process.  Follow instructions exactly as described on the fertilizer container and you will need to know how many square feet of lawn you have.

Additional fertilizer applications will help develop your lawn to establish a deep root growth with lush green top growth if desired.  (Click here for an advanced program)

Mowing:
New Seed/Sod
Mow new seedlings/sod at a height of approximately 3” once some of it reaches approximately 4” in height.  Do not remove more than 1/3 of the blade height at any one cutting.  Frequent mowing at this height will encourage tillering at the base of the blades, forcing the bluegrass to fill in, and result in a thicker, lusher lawn quicker.

Mature Lawn
Grass can be maintained at a minimum of 2.5”.  However, for better stress resistance, fewer weeds, deeper color, and lower water requirements maintain at a height of 3”-3.5”.

Herbicides:
Do not apply any Weed and Feed or other pre-emergent weed control products on a new lawn during the first season of growth.

Many brand name fertilizer programs have weed control products included in their mixes; however should you have a need to address a problem independently the following is a generalization of herbicides.

Annual weeds (i.e. crabgrass, shepherd’s purse, and foxtail) are best controlled in the spring using a pre-emergent herbicide during their seedling stage.  A repeat application with a post-emergent herbicide can be done again in the fall if necessary.  Perennial weeds (i.e. dandelions, clover, and broadleaf plantain) are best controlled in the fall while the grass still has ample time to grow into the space left by the dead weeds.

Follow instructions exactly as described on the herbicide container.