SPRING LAWN CARE

As we enter springtime in Rochester Hills we are reminded of the usual lawn care routines ahead of us. If you had a lawn care service last year, or keep up with lawn fertilizing on your own, you should enjoy an early spring green up and a nice thick lawn. If, however, your lawn is off-color and thin you might want to start a lawn fertilization program in the early part of the spring.

In general, maintaining good healthy turf through monitoring problem areas in your lawn and proper management of fertility, irrigation, and mowing (yes mowing!) will reduce the potential for disease, insect, and weed problems in your lawn.

If your lawn has many bare spots and entire areas that require renovation and reestablishment, here are some suggestions. First of all, the spring is not the best time to establish grass seed due to the extensive weed competition. However, it is better to get started on the seeding now if it is needed rather than allow weeds to take over your lawn. If you are going to do seeding in the spring it’s also a good idea to apply a “starter” fertilizer to get the new grass seed off to a good start.

Kentucky bluegrass is the highest quality (and highest maintenance) grass used in Rochester Hills. However, turf-type tall fescues are enjoying wider acceptances as a medium maintenance turf species. Ryegrass and fine fescues germinate and establish quickly making them ideal for quick repair of bare spots. Just keep in mind that a patch of fine fescue will stand out if the rest of the lawn is all Kentucky bluegrass. Additionally, many ryegrass varieties and fine fescues contain an endophyte (a fungus that grows inside the plant) that provides some insect resistance and drought tolerance.

After the seed has been sown the most important task is keeping the seed, and new seedlings when they emerge, moist. For more information on watering new seed you can visit: http://www.owenlawncare.com/watering_new_seed.html