Sunday, January 26, 2014
Many homeowners are frustrated by lawn maintenance. Too much time is required to keep grass green and smooth, weed-free, and mowed. Others bemoan wear from foot traffic or visits from pets that make things look less than perfect. However, this whole subject can be made easier by analyzing soil conditions in the yard.
It's good to read up on the topic during winter months, when grass doesn't need attention. Put aside those colorful seed catalogs and focus on the plants that probably cover most of your yard. Grass can be as much fun as flowers.
Soil is the foundation of all that goes on in the garden. Healthy soil means strong, healthy plants that can resist insects, disease, and competition from weeds. Weeds, which can thrive in conditions that defeat plants we think more valuable, tell you a lot about your soil. The color of the foliage of both weeds and grasses, the kinds of weeds, and the luxuriance of growth helps you read conditions in your yard.
A weed is fairly specific about the pH of soils in which it will take root. Knowing that the weeds you see like acid soil shows you that grass, which prefers a neutral pH, will be struggling. Alkaline soil is more rare but just as bad for most grasses chosen for green lawns.
Weeds grow better on compacted soils which smother more shallow-rooted grasses. Moss shows that an area has poor drainage and stays soaked with excess rain or irrigation that collects in puddles. Weeds also need less fertility than cultivated plants, so mineral deficiencies and lack of nitrogen or organic matter affects their growth less than it does the plants you want to keep. Soil test kits and monitors are helpful tools, also.
Once you know what problems your soil exhibits and how to deal with them, you will need to know what grasses grow best in your area. Blue Springs, Missouri, not far from Kansas city, is in planting zone 6, a temperate zone. Its weather on average has hot summers - but not too hot or dry - and cold winters - but not usually sub-zero. The best grass for that zone is tall fescue, with perhaps a little Kentucky Bluegrass mixed in.
After improving your soil (with organic fertilizers, minerals found in lime, epsom slats, and gypsum, and aeration techniques that allow air, water, and nutrients to penetrate to plant roots) and choosing the right grass for your region, you need to learn about mowing and watering. Each grass has it's optimum height; tall fescue should be from 3 1/2 to 4 inches tall. Watering should be done every week in early morning - from 6 to 9 AM - generously enough to soak into the soil without running off or puddling.
Of course, you can turn all these tasks over to a lawn maintenance company, but it's more satisfying to do-it-yourself - and cheaper, too. You'll want to start a calendar for garden tasks and a journal to record success and failure. Then, while you're out doing early morning watering or fall feeding and over-seeding and the neighbors stop to admire your lawn, you'll be able to tell them what works best.
It's good to read up on the topic during winter months, when grass doesn't need attention. Put aside those colorful seed catalogs and focus on the plants that probably cover most of your yard. Grass can be as much fun as flowers.
Soil is the foundation of all that goes on in the garden. Healthy soil means strong, healthy plants that can resist insects, disease, and competition from weeds. Weeds, which can thrive in conditions that defeat plants we think more valuable, tell you a lot about your soil. The color of the foliage of both weeds and grasses, the kinds of weeds, and the luxuriance of growth helps you read conditions in your yard.
A weed is fairly specific about the pH of soils in which it will take root. Knowing that the weeds you see like acid soil shows you that grass, which prefers a neutral pH, will be struggling. Alkaline soil is more rare but just as bad for most grasses chosen for green lawns.
Weeds grow better on compacted soils which smother more shallow-rooted grasses. Moss shows that an area has poor drainage and stays soaked with excess rain or irrigation that collects in puddles. Weeds also need less fertility than cultivated plants, so mineral deficiencies and lack of nitrogen or organic matter affects their growth less than it does the plants you want to keep. Soil test kits and monitors are helpful tools, also.
Once you know what problems your soil exhibits and how to deal with them, you will need to know what grasses grow best in your area. Blue Springs, Missouri, not far from Kansas city, is in planting zone 6, a temperate zone. Its weather on average has hot summers - but not too hot or dry - and cold winters - but not usually sub-zero. The best grass for that zone is tall fescue, with perhaps a little Kentucky Bluegrass mixed in.
After improving your soil (with organic fertilizers, minerals found in lime, epsom slats, and gypsum, and aeration techniques that allow air, water, and nutrients to penetrate to plant roots) and choosing the right grass for your region, you need to learn about mowing and watering. Each grass has it's optimum height; tall fescue should be from 3 1/2 to 4 inches tall. Watering should be done every week in early morning - from 6 to 9 AM - generously enough to soak into the soil without running off or puddling.
Of course, you can turn all these tasks over to a lawn maintenance company, but it's more satisfying to do-it-yourself - and cheaper, too. You'll want to start a calendar for garden tasks and a journal to record success and failure. Then, while you're out doing early morning watering or fall feeding and over-seeding and the neighbors stop to admire your lawn, you'll be able to tell them what works best.
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