Heather N. Kolich, ANR Agent, UGA Extension Forsyth County
Whether you’re a first-time homeowner or new to home-ownership in Georgia, your new home probably came with a yard adorned with a variety of plants. As with all living creatures, landscape plants need care.
In this series, we’ll break landscape management down into basic parts – lawns, trees, and shrubs. Principle tasks include managing growth, controlling pests, and maintaining adequate irrigation and fertility.
Lawn care basics
In suburban settings, turfgrass tends to be a large percentage of the landscape. Unfortunately, lawns have a high labor requirement.
Task 1 – Identify your grass. Different species of turfgrass require different soil conditions, mowing heights, and seasonal care. Tall fescue is the typical cool-season lawn grass, with active growth during fall to early spring. The more common warm-season lawn species in North Georgia are bermudagrass, zoysiagrass, and centipedegrass. Their active growth season is late-April to September.
Task 2 – Mowing and trimming. During active growth, mow turfgrass frequently enough to maintain the recommended blade length (mowing height) without removing more than one-third of the blade. Mowing frequency depends on conditions such as grass species, irrigation, frequency of fertilization, and weather. Recommend mowing heights are 2-3 inches for tall fescue, and 1-2 inches for bermuda, zoysia, and centipede grasses. During hot weather, let the grass grow a half-inch taller between mowings.
Use a string trimmer to tidy areas too tight for the mower and to make clean edges, but avoid using it around the base of trees. Mowers and trimmers can damage tree roots and bark.
Task 3 – Irrigation. Lawns are high water-use areas, but according to the EPA, half of summer irrigation water is lost to evaporation, wind, and runoff, or is otherwise wasted through overwatering.
Lawns need around one inch of water weekly. Invest in a rain gauge to measure weekly rainfall, and you’ll save money – and maybe your lawn – by supplementing with irrigation only when necessary. Deeper, less frequent watering encourages grass roots to push deeper into the soil, making them more likely to survive during drought periods.
Time supplemental irrigation for late evening or early morning hours. This practice reduces loss of water to evaporation and limits the hours of wetness on grass blades. The longer plant leaves stay wet, the more likely they are to have fungal disease issues.
Task 4 – Weed control. Weed seeds enter lawns on wind, equipment, shoes and clothing, and in the digestive tracts of birds and wildlife. Weed control includes preventive and responsive actions.
Preventive actions:
- Don’t let weeds flower. Frequent mowing removes weed flowers before they can form seedheads.
- Make timely applications of pre-emergent herbicides to stop weed seed germination. Apply pre-emergent herbicide to lawns in late February to mid-March to prevent summer annual weeds. Apply again in late August to mid-September to prevent winter annual weeds.
Responsive actions:
- Scout for lawn weeds frequently.
- Hand pull or spot treat with appropriate herbicide when weeds are small and young. They’re easier to pull out and more susceptible to herbicides as seedlings than they are when they’re more mature.
Task 5 – Amending soil. We’re often trying to grow turfgrass in soil that’s been eroded, compacted, relocated, or excavated during the home construction process. Numerous weeds can exploit poor soil, but turfgrasses need more optimal conditions to thrive. We can improve soil condition, but it takes time, persistence, and the right amendments.
Start improving your soil by leaving grass clippings where they fall on your lawn. They’ll break down quickly, returning necessary organic matter to the soil. Next, bring a soil sample to your Extension office for lab testing before applying lime, fertilizer, or other amendments. Use the soil report as your guide for adjusting soil pH, and talk with your local Extension agent for advice on improving soil condition and fertility to nourish the type of turfgrass you’re growing.
Contact UGA Extension Forsyth County at 770-887-2418, or visit our website for more information.