Author: Travis Scott

Landscaping For the Long Term : Planning and Property Values

Landscaping and Property Value
As we head into Spring, many homeowners are looking outside and seeing a dreary, wet, bare landscape. This can motivate homeowners thinking about their property and contemplating making a change, to pull the trigger on a new project. However, many are unaware of the costs or benefits of a landscape makeover.
Landscaping and hardscaping are two of the most important ways to increase your property’s value quickly. In fact, a beautiful, well designed landscape /hardscape, can increase the value of your property substantially. Landscaping/hardscaping is not only one of the easiest home improvements you can make, but it is also one where you will get the greatest return on your investment. Here are some tips to get you started as you contemplate improving your backyard.

  • Well designed, properly installed landscaping/hardscaping can add tens of thousands of dollars to the value of your property.
    one of the few home improvements you can make that adds value immediately and increases in value as the years go by.
  • Interior styles and design concepts regularly go out of style and mechanical systems wear down however, plants grow fuller and more robust as the years go by and outdoor hardscape spaces continue to provide use years after installation.
  • A well-landscaped home has a significant price advantage over a home with no landscaping, ranging from 5.5 percent to 12.7 percent depending on the type of landscaping and the home’s original value.
    This translates into an extra $16,500 to $38,100 in value on a $300,000 home.

There is more to landscaping than sticking some flowers and a couple shrubs in the ground:
-number-one thing that buyers are looking for in landscaping is a sophisticated and functional design concept that takes into consideration each properties unique characteristics
-as folks spend more time at home, functional outdoor spaces that provide gathering space and living space are becoming more of a draw to homeowners
-close behind is plant size and maturity,a lesser factor, but one still worth considering, is the diversity of plant life within the landscape

Planning
The biggest landscaping mistake that homeowners make is not having a plan:

-They decide to put a tree in, and then a few years later add some flower beds, then maybe put in some shrubs and another tree or maybe add a sidewalk now and come back in a few years and add the corresponding patio or seating area.
-A landscape that is assembled piecemeal looks disorganized, and that turns buyers off.
-Come up with a plan before you do any landscaping.
– Even if you do not have – or won’t spend – the money to hire a landscape designer, at least draw up a master plan for your yard and stick to it.
-Even an amateur can get a professional-looking landscape for $500 to $3,000 worth of plants and materials if they are willing to do the work.

A landscape full of large, mature plants is clearly one that has been carefully tended to over the years, and that sends a signal to buyers. That is a good indication that they’ve taken care of the inside of the house as well, which is appealing to home buyers.

Long-term landscaping plans are great if you are planning to be in the house for the long term.
-you can take several immediate steps to dress up your landscape :
-cutting fresh edges around your planting beds; having a sharp, well-defined edge between grass and mulch or dirt gives the landscape a professional look,
-begin regular fertilizer treatments on your lawn; you want potential buyers to see a lush carpet, not a patchwork quilt,
-add splashes of color with flowers; pick up some colorful annuals for a few dollars apiece, and be willing to invest a few hundred dollars in larger perennials and shrubs, so that your yard doesn’t look as if you just started working on it – even if you did.

Of all improvements to boost home value, landscape is one that will get you the largest return on your investment.
-make sure that you design your landscape with a plan.
-keep the plantings manageable so as not to scare off potential buyers.

Match Landscape to Your Home’s Style

The best way to get an excellent return on investment with landscaping is to make sure it fits with your home’s style. For instance, if you own a Victorian home, a Japanese garden will be sorely out of place and may even lower your home’s value rather than add to it. In this instance, you are much better off with a country or cottage-style landscape that blends in with the old-fashioned formality of your home.

The same holds true for more modern home styles. If your home falls into one of these categories, you will want to stay away from square, formal gardens or an excess of flowery blooms. Instead, create a more modern landscape by relying on plenty of greenery and natural-looking beds that fit the contours of your property.

Design With a Strategy in Mind

You should have a good strategy. That means you should not clutter the entire yard with various high-maintenance plantings, but you also shouldn’t have plain grass with no landscaping. A study by the Virginia Tech Department of Horticulture found that a good foundation planting along with a couple of well-designed points of interest can increase your home’s value by up to 42 percent.

By that same token, you should encourage diversity among your plantings without taking it too far. The ideal landscape has a good mixture of shrubs and perennials, but it doesn’t have one of every kind of plant that you can find at the garden center. Instead, it has a uniform look with just enough diversity to make it interesting, but not so little that it becomes boring.

Look for Balance

A profusion of spring blooms won’t interest potential buyers who look at your home during other parts of the year. Think about ways to make your landscape attractive all year — blooming bulbs for spring, annual beds around the house during the summer, shrubs with brightly colored leaves in the fall, and evergreens for the winter. Even though most buyers will be looking at your home during one season, they will notice the balance you’ve created, and they’ll think about how beautiful the home will be as the seasons change.

Plant Trees

A few simple trees can make an enormous difference to the sale price of your home. In one study, simply living on a tree-lined street added between 10 to 15 percent to the sale price compared to neighborhoods with fewer trees. So why are trees worth so much? Trees remove carbon dioxide and pollution from the air, so people view them as an eco-friendly option. The shade helps keep neighborhoods and homes cooler and more pleasant, which in turn cuts air conditioning costs. Trees are also a stress reliever — people enjoy relaxing in their shade or gazing at the leafy view.

Lawn Maintenance

Few things look nicer than a healthy, vibrant, carefully maintained lawn. The confined look of an edged lawn gives it an easy-to-maintain look. In other words, no weed whipping or weeding required.
Edging along driveways, sidewalks and garden beds also shows prospective buyers how meticulous you have been concerning the property’s upkeep. They’ll know that if you’re willing to keep the edges of your yard looking nice, the rest of the property is likely in pristine condition, too.

Usable Space

Just keep in mind when designing or planning your next outdoor project that the primary goal of any home improvement project is that you are happy with it. Create a usable, functional space that provides you enjoyment and you can enjoy it for many years while making contributing to an increase in your overall property value.

Welcome to Summer

It looks like the summer heat came a little early this year. We are already experiencing some of the warmest and driest conditions that the are has seen in a few years this early in the summer season. Over the holiday weekend, while you are spending time with family and friends, take heed of the temperatures and make sure that you keep yourself and your lawn hydrated.

Your turf likely has not been able to put down deep healthy roots since the wet winter (yes, too wet is a bad thing for turf). Please keep an eye on your turf and if you haven’t already turn on your irrigation system. We haven’t really needed them until this week, but if you have one use it. If you are unsure how to operate your system, let us know and we can assist you.

Watering during periods of drought can help prevent many serious turf problems like dormancy, yellowing, bare spots, and some diseases. Here are some tips on how and when to water your lawn:

When to water

Using irrigation water to fill the gaps between precipitation events is critical to a healthy lawn, and efficient, responsible use of this natural resource will keep water bills lower. You should always pay attention to any local ordinances regarding water usage. Drought tolerant turf species, while they may go dormant during drought, will revive once precipitation occurs or watering restrictions are lifted

To be the most efficient when watering your lawn, you should always irrigate when:
 Winds are calm
 In the early morning hours, this minimizes evaporation loss and results in a more efficient irrigation event.
 Only when lawns show signs of drought stress.

Do not irrigate in the evening (increases disease pressure)

How to Water

There are two basic kinds of sprinkler systems available to homeowners:

  1.  In-Ground, automatic irrigation: This is the most efficient way to irrigate your lawn. A professionally designed and installed system will provide complete and even distribution of water across the lawn surface, should have a battery back-up for any timing devices, and a rain sensor to disable the system when precipitation occurs.
  2.  Above Ground, movable hose based sprinklers: These methods are less expensive than in-ground systems, however not as efficient or convenient. These sprinklers may either be a portable surface type, which needs to be moved from time to time in order to cover the whole lawn or a traveling sprinkler, which follows the path of the hose or a cable around the lawn.

Both methods require observation and effort on the part of the homeowner in order to avoid over watering and ensuring uniform coverage through out the lawn.

Knowing how to irrigate is one thing, but how much should you be watering your lawn?

  • A general rule for most turf species requires 1 inch of water per week in order to maintain a healthy status, this includes any precipitation.
  • Irrigation should be a supplement to natural precipitation, not the main source of water for your lawn.
  • Water once every 2-3 days in periods of drought (about a half an inch per application).
  • If one or more inches of precipitation falls in any given week, then supplemental irrigation is not necessary.
  • Soils that are primarily clay based (most around here) will require less water overall and fewer applications than more sandy soils. Clay has a very high water holding capacity.

Irrigation cycles should be run so that you are watering as deeply as possible into the soil profile, with causing runoff on the surface. Irrigation should only be applied to supplement precipitation deficits. Avoid hard and fast irrigation timer settings, be flexible with your times and days. Avoid standing water in your lawn.

To determine if you are applying the correct amount of water, place a rain gauge between a series of irrigation heads or midway between the sprinkler and the end of its coverage and check the depth of water in the gauge after a predetermined length of time. Use this information to calculate the amount of time that irrigation must be applied to reach ½ inch.

Things to keep in mind
When watering
• Water deeply and infrequently.
• Proper use of sprinkler water will result in a healthier and attractive lawn and lower water bills.
• Consider spot watering localized dry spots instead of the entire lawn.
• Water areas on mounds and berms and near buildings more often, where reflected heat dries the turf.
• Avoid irrigating until water runs off the lawn surface and on to walks and roads.
• Areas shaded from trees may require more water to support both trees and turf grasses.
• Avoid standing water for any period of time.

When Maintaining
• Make sure that you are mowing at the proper height for your turf species (not all grasses should be mown at the same height of cut).
• A sharp mower blade is essential if you want to maintain a healthy lawn through periods of stress. Dull blades tear the grass, resulting in a more stressful and jagged cut, making the turf more susceptible to fungal diseases.
• Avoid fertilization until fall for cool-season turf (fescues, ryes, bluegrasses).
• Spot spray only for weed control in cool-season turf.

Benefits of Turfgrass Sod

A lawn sodded with turfgrass is considerably easier to maintain than a lawn that is seeded, sprigged, or plugged. Sodded lawns need no special care because they are already healthy and mature when they are installed, where as a lawn that is propagated from seed, sprigs, or plugs will need significant time and continued effort in order to reach maturity.

Turfgrass sod is grown from top-quality seed blends or certified sprigs by professionals and is under constant supervision. After is has been installed, just water, mow, and fertilize according to plant needs and it will remain a healthy, green carpet of grass that requires very little maintenance.

Turfgrass sod can be installed practically anywhere, even in places where seeding is impossible or too costly. Sod is often used to stop soil erosion and water pollution on slopes where rain would wash away both seed and soil. Turfgrass sod is also available in numerous varieties to serve various regional needs, such as soil type, climate conditions, intended usage, sun/shade conditions, etc.

Sod can really be installed any time of the year, so there is no need to wait until the “time is right”.

Because sod establishes itself very quickly and is capable of handling full user traffic within a week or two. It creates the perfect surface for lawn games, family get togethers, and other outdoor activities. With advancements in the development of hardy grass species, sod is often the choice for parks, golf courses, athletic fields, as well as residential and commercial applications.

Lawns sodded with turfgrass should be considered an investment by the homeowner. Sod is the only way to go from bare soil to a lush lawn in just a few hours. However, it is relatively inexpensive to use. In the few hours it takes to install your turfgrass sod lawn, your property value increases significantly while you enjoy the beauty and convenience that sod has to offer.


Because of today’s ecological and environmental concerns, many people are turning to sod to meet their home lawn needs. Sod offers many environmental and health benefits:

• Cools and cleans the atmosphere
• Releases O2
• Stores Carbon (C)
• Breaks down harmful pollutants
• Helps to minimize dust
• Provides erosion control
• Reduces storm runoff
• Helps to recharge groundwater

As it grows, it silently contributes to a healthier environment. Today’s turfgrass sod lawns give homeowners an opportunity to enjoy life a lot sooner than traditional lawn propagation methods. In today’s hustle and bustle world, we expect convenience, efficiency, and quality in the products we use. New developments seem to go up overnight and attractive landscaping can be installed in mere hours, so why wait 1-2 years for a new lawn to struggle to maturity when you can be relaxing on a beautiful, mature lawn right now. Sod meets the needs of today’s fast paced, demanding lifestyle and provides environmental benefits all at a surprisingly low cost of ownership.

 

Spring Clean-Up: A Strong Start to the Season

Finally, there are signs of Spring.

January is over and we are starting to notice little changes in the environment that are early indicators of Spring. For those of us in the Landscape and Lawn Maintenance industry, it is a welcome arrival. I am sure that many of you are ready for warmer weather, longer days, and sunnier skies too.

The arrival of warmer weather and longer days signals the start of the spring planting season. Before you can make plans for new plantings or other changes to your landscape, you need to take the time to thoroughly clean up your landscape or lawn. We call this a Spring Cleanup. We have all heard the terms Spring Cleaning before, though maybe you never associated it with your outdoor spaces.

Spring cleanups are, in my opinion, the most important cultural practice that we do all year for our landscapes and lawns. It helps us to establish a healthy, clean growing environment, where our plants and turf can thrive in the coming season. Spring cleanups do not have to be arduous tasks that take a long time to complete, however there are a few specific things that you will want to check off the list.

Perennials and Ornamentals

Spring is a good time to cut back certain species to encourage a bigger and better regeneration later in the season. Ornamental grasses can be cut back to about 1/5th of their max height.

It is also a good time to divide up fall blooming perennials and grasses. By doing this in the spring, you are giving the divided plants a season grow and will have new plants in the fall.

Beds

Beds are probably the most intimidating aspect of the Spring Cleanup. Over the winter they get cluttered with fallen leaves, twigs, sticks, and other debris. This all needs to be removed. By removing the debris, the surface of the bed becomes open to better water absorption and gas exchange, improving the growing medium for the bedded plants.

Folks tend to want to spread fresh mulch in the spring, to help dress everything up, after all, fresh mulch is one way to spruce things up quickly and affordably, but I would hold off. One of the primary functions of mulch is moisture retention, which can aid in the reduction of irrigation water to beds. In the spring though, there is plenty of natural moisture, we don’t necessarily need to retain any at this point. And we all know, or at least we should, that too much moisture for plant roots can create a host of disease issues. So, hold off on the new mulch for now.
If you just cannot wait on the mulch, then tread lightly. Go thinner on the application and monitor the moisture level in your beds closely.

The last thing that I recommend for bed maintenance in the spring, is to cut a fresh new edge on the perimeter of the bed and make a pre-emergent herbicide application to the interior of the bed. Pre-emergent is most often utilized by professional turf managers to control undesirable weeds in sports fields, golf courses, and home lawns, but it will also work wonders in a bed. Nobody likes spending hours on their hands and knees weeding beds all summer long. A well timed pre-emergent application in the spring can prevent this and keep your beds looking clean and weed free all season.

Lawns

We approach lawns in a similar manner to beds. Rake up or blow the debris from the winter away, exposing the underlying grass. Give the lawn a mow to clean it up. Spring is also a great time to aerify cool season grasses like Fescue.

In this area, Fescue can and often does struggle during the summer months if not properly maintained. A spring aerification can pay dividends later in the season when the temps go up and things get stressful.

Keeping a healthy lawn means keeping the weeds out. Make your pre-emergent herbicide applications before mid-March, although I prefer to use indicator plants, like the Forsythia. If you can make the application before the Forsythia bloom in your area, then you should be fine. It is also a good time to start feeding your lawn. A balanced fertilizer program is essential for healthy turf.

Spring clean ups can work wonders for a lawn or landscape, and they don’t have to be intimidating for the homeowner. Make the effort this spring to clean up your outdoor spaces before the growing season really starts and you’ll reap the rewards the rest of the year.

Understanding Mulch

Many folks take mulching for granted. They are not sure why they need to mulch, how much or when to apply it, or why type to use. However, proper mulching is one of the most beneficial things that a homeowner can do for their landscape.

Mulches are defined as materials placed over the soil surface to maintain moisture and improve soil conditions. They are intended to help reduce moisture loss from the soil, minimize weed competition, and improve soil structure (the aggregation of soil particles).

When properly applied, mulch can really complete a landscape. However, it must be selected and applied properly in order for the homeowner to receive the full benefits. If applied too deep or the wrong material is used, it can cause significant harm to trees and other landscape plants.

Benefits of Mulch
Proper mulching has many benefits:
– Helps maintain soil moisture
o Reduces evaporation and need for supplemental irrigation/watering
– 2-4” layer reduces the germination and growth of weeds
– Improves temperature regulation
o Keeps soil temperatures cooler in the summer and warmer in the winter
– Can improve soil aeration, structure (aggregation of soil particles), and drainage over time
– Can improve soil fertility
– Mulch around trees can help facilitate maintenance and reduces the likelihood of injury or damage from lawn equipment and tools
– Gives planting beds a “finished”/ polished look

Mulch mimics the natural environment. Forests create their own mulch via leaf litter and decomposing organics on the soil surface. This is critical to the overall health of the ecosystem as it improves nutrient uptake and root growth of forest plants. Mother nature, when left to her own devices, usually gets it just right.

Urban area on the other hand, often have a more hostile growing environment. Generally speaking, land development and construction in urban areas leads to poorer soil quality, less organic material in the soil profile, and increased soil temperature and moisture fluctuations. These combine to create an environment that is hostile to the establishment and health of landscape plants. Applying a 2-4” layer of the proper organic mulch in these areas can create a more natural environment for trees, shrubs, and plants.

When considering trees, it is important to remember that tree roots are not a mirror image of the top of the tree. Roots can in fact extend out a great distance from the trunk. General tree maintenance guidelines reference the “drip line” (the outermost extension of the tree canopy), however roots can extend much further than the “drip line”.

Most nutrient absorbing roots grow in shallower soil though. These shallow, fine roots are essential for the absorption of water, nutrients, and oxygen for all plants. A think layer of mulch inside the “drip line” can improve soil structure, moisture, oxygen, and temperature in this crucial layer of the soil profile.

Mulch Types
Mulches are available commercially in many forms. The two major types of available mulches are organic and inorganic.

Inorganic mulches are generally comprised of material like:
 lava rocks
 stones
 crushed rubber
 certain geotextile material
 various other materials

These materials do not decompose and do not need to be replenished over time. They also do not provide any nutritional, structural, or organic value to the soil profile.

Organics mulches are composed of material like:
 wood chips
 pine needles
 hardwood and softwood barks
 cocoa hulls
 leaves
 other organic materials

These materials decompose in the landscape at different rates depending on the material and climate. The decomposition process improves soil quality and fertility, however they must be replenished over time.

How Much Mulch to Apply
The amount of mulch applied is just as important, if not more than the type being applied. Too much mulch can be harmful. The accepted depth for most mulch application is between 2-4”, however many landscapes fall victim to over-mulching, with large mounds around the bases of trees being quite common.

Although organic mulches must be replaced over time as the parent material decays, the rate of decomposition varies depending on material and local climate. Some mulches, like Cypress, can take years to decompose.
Many homeowners will top-dress with new mulch annually (to refresh the color). This can create a buildup to depths that become unhealthy for most plants. If top-dressing old mulch, remove the ole material every so often, keeping application rates in line with decomposition rates to avoid creating a anaerobic growing environment.

Improper mulching can lead to a host of problems:
– Excess root zone moisture
o Added stress for the plant and causes root rot
– Piling against tree trunks or plant stems can cause stem tissue stress and lead to insect and disease issues
– Certain mulches can affect soil pH (proper pH is essential for any life form to grow and develop)
o Continued use over extended periods can lead to micronutrient deficiencies in the soil or nutrient toxicities (yes, there can be toxic effects from too many nutrients in the soil)
– Mulch piled high against tree trunks may encourage rodent infestations
– Thick application of fine mulches may prevent the penetration of air and water (anaerobic and hydrophobic conditions)
o This is the opposite of why we mulch in the first place
– Anaerobic soil may give off foul odors (rotten egg smells)
– Build up of alcohols and organic acids may be toxic to young plants

 

 

Proper mulch selection and application method are very important to the overall health and sustainability of landscape plants.

Guidelines for proper mulching:
– Inspect plants and soil in the area to be mulched
o Adequate drainage?
o What type of mulch is best? (when in doubt, ask a professional)
– Check depth of any mulch already present
o Do not add if there is enough in place
o Rake old mulch to refresh the appearance and break up any matted layers
– Pull back from stems of plants and trunks of trees so that the crowns are exposed
– Organics are usually preferred over inorganics b/c of their beneficial soil contributions
o Organics should be well aerated and preferably composted
 Avoid foul smelling mulch
– Composted wood chips make a great mulch
o Especially when old leaves and bark is included
o Fresh wood chips may be used around established trees and shrubs
o Avoid non-composted chips that have been piled deep without exposure to oxygen
– For well drained sites use a 2-4” layer of mulch
o If there are drainage problems, a thinner layer should be used
o Avoid placing against tree trunks
o Do apply out to the drip line of the tree and beyond if possible

Keep in mind when selecting mulch for your landscape that there are many factors that must be considered in order to get the full benefits of mulch applications. For more information about mulch varieties, benefits, and application timings, contact a landscape professional.

Overseeding and Fescue Maintenance

Creating and developing a beautiful, thick fescue lawn is hardly ever by accident. It requires a well thought out strategy and patience. Fall is the most important time in the development of a dense, thick fescue lawn. Actions taken in the fall (September/October) will determine the level of success or failure that you see in your fescue lawn the following season. Many folks believe that the end of summer marks the end of lawn care season, however the reality is that the end of summer marks the beginning of the real lawn care season.

Several things must happen in the fall to ensure that you have a thick, dense fescue lawn to enjoy the following season.

The first thing that must be addressed as the temperatures turn cooler in the fall is to re-seed the lawn (if the lawn is a cool season turf). Generally, the best time to over-seed fescue lawns is when nighttime temperatures are consistently below 70 degrees. In addition to over-seeding, the application of a pre-emergent herbicide should be made 4-6 weeks after over-seeding germination.

While daytime temperatures are important and play a role in plant establishment, more important are the nighttime temperatures. Cooler nights allow the soil to radiate heat into the atmosphere, thereby cooling the subsurface of the soil. Fescue can struggle in the hot, humid summers that we have here in the south.

Cooler soil is beneficial to fescue in several ways:

  1. it allows for more aggressive root growth and development from new seedlings and encourages an overall healthier plant
  2. allows for recovery by the plant from stresses incurred throughout the previous day (mowing, high temperatures, etc.)
  3. encourages the plant to reach maturity at its own pace, thereby growing a stronger plant that is more capable of resisting stress from the environment and people

This is precisely why fescue sown in the spring (when soil temps are rising) does not generally make it through the summer months. There simply is no time to reach maturity and the process is rushed.

The first thing to remember when deciding to over-seed your existing fescue lawn is to get the timing right. While trying to determine the appropriate date to begin the process, it would be wise to also begin looking for the right seed mixture. That’s right, mixture. Mixtures, or blends, take several varieties of fescue seed and combine them to provide a genetically superior stand of turf once established. Taking several fescue seed varieties allows the best parts, the strengths if you will, of those strains to shine through.

It is possible to get genetically pure fescue seed from distributors; however genetically pure seed is just that pure as it relates to one grass species. This, while it sounds good, is a weak option. Pure seed is not as genetically protected as certified fescue seed mixtures or blends are. Mixes contain several varieties of seed, all certified, and afford the consumer the benefits of multiple genetic codes.

Certified fescue seed mixtures/blends:

  1. have proven to be more genetically diverse,
  2. are able to withstand more environmental stresses,
  3. preform better in challenging environments
  4. provide better results to homeowners that do not have the time or resources to invest heavily into professionally managed turf care

That is a lot of words just for me to tell you that certified seed mixtures are the best way to go for the vast majority of homeowners.

Once the mixture and date have been determined, it is time to prepare the site for seeding:

  1. Mow the existing grass low, rake or blow off any debris, and dethatch if you can (you can rent these machines at most equipment rental stores).
  2. After the prep work is done, it is time to sow the seed. Make sure that your spreader is calibrated properly (most over-seeding rates fall in the #5-7/ thousand square feet range).
  3. Set the spreader to one half of the recommended over-seeding rate and make passes over the desired are in a north/south pattern, next repeat the process (again at one half the recommended rate) in an east/west pattern. The pattern change helps to ensure thorough coverage and good seed dispersion.
  4. Once the seed is down, a light topdressing of compost is advised to ensure good seed to soil contact (crucial for germination) and a light watering.

After the process is complete, keep the area watered for 7-10 days multiple times per day (as needed based on environmental conditions (shade, wind, temperature, etc.) making sure to keep the top layer of soil moist, reduce applied water as the new grass grows, eventually getting down to once every 2-3 days or as needed only. After establishment, fescue will need approximately 1-1.5″ of irrigation or natural rainfall each week. Only apply water to supplement natural precipitation.

Refrain from mowing the newly seeded area until the grass is approximately 3-5 inches tall. Fertilize with a balanced fertilizer 2-3 weeks after the first mowing.

For more information about lawn care techniques and methods, contact Crossroads Turf for a personalized consultation.

Irritation or Irrigation?

Grass plants are made up mostly of water and to little or too much can be cause for concern. Water is the primary mechanism for transport of nutrients, organic compounds, and gases into turf roots and throughout the plant. While most people think a lack of water will damage their lawn, overwatering may in fact cause more damage to existing turf.  To maintain a healthy, dense, and actively growing lawn, it is essential to irrigate the lawn during dry periods. It is easy to overwater a lawn.

The consequences of overwatering a lawn include: increased weed pressure (especially crabgrass), increased disease pressure, shallow rooted turf (think weak), wasted natural resources, and for most, higher water bills. When you irrigate your lawn, it is best to err on the dry side rather than be guilty of overwatering. You can always add more water if the lawn is still dry, but you cannot take excess out of a lawn.
Frequency will vary based on the appearance of your lawn. The first signs of drought stress are a blueish-green color (caused by leaf blades beginning to curl up to conserve energy) and footprints that remain in the turf after walking across it.

 

Ideally this is the point at which you should irrigate your lawn. There is no benefit whatsoever to irrigating a lawn before this point.

As drought stress increases, your lawn will wilt and have a greyish-green color. At this point, you should irrigate the affected area immediately. Turf in this stage of drought stress can recovery quickly with prompt attention on your part.

Severe drought stress causes the plant to cease all metabolic processes and stop growing. The shoots (leaf blades will turn brown and could die.

green grass and dry grass

 

Irrigating at this point helps the plant to survive, however it can take up to two weeks to see noticeable improvement and possibly longer to make a full recovery. Patience is your friend at this stage of the game.

Another common irrigation misconception is that lawns should be irrigated on a set schedule. This is not the case, as a set schedule does not take into consideration the needs of the plant, evapotranspiration rates, or other environmental conditions, however it does increase the likelihood of over watering. Also, for those with automatic irrigation systems, you should not run the same programs for the entire season. Irrigation rates and timing should accommodate the needs of the plant at any given time.

Turfgrass species vary widely in their water requirements, with most cool-season grasses using approximately 20% more on average than warm-season grasses. Most turfgrass species will require between 1-1.5” of water per week to maintain a healthy status. Factors that influence water use rates of grasses (and all plants for that matter) are: weather, soil type, slope, etc. It is best to apply this amount of water in a single cycle or two equal applications spaced three to four days apart, rather than through light irrigations daily (if you have newly seeded or sodded turf, then you will need more frequent irrigation at first). During an irrigation event, soil should be wetted to the depth of the deepest root. Shallow, frequent irrigation encourages the plant to produce shallow root systems. A shallow root system weakens the plant when drought sets in or temperatures increase and encourages the proliferation of weeds, notably crabgrass.

Hose-end sprinklers usually apply a small volume of water to a given area and must be left to run for extended periods (2-3 hours) to provide adequate moisture. See the example below:

 

Automatic systems can deliver larger volumes (depending on system and nozzle configurations) in less time.

Irrigation of the green grass with sprinkler system.

 

If you have an automated system, then you should do an irrigation audit yearly to gauge the efficacy of the system and make any needed repairs. This will keep the system operating at peak efficiency and lower your overall water usage (your lawn and water bill will thank you).

The best time of day to irrigate turf is between 4-8am. There is little wind disruption currently of day, you do not lose water to evaporation, and temperatures are generally at their coolest. Yes, 4-8 am is early and could pose some logistical challenges for most people. The next best time to irrigate your lawn is between 8pm-12am. However, irrigating at this time of day can increase the possibility of soil borne disease that affect turf if humidity levels are high (we live in the South, when aren’t they high in the summer). Irrigation that is preformed during the middle of the daylight hours is ineffective and should only be undertaken as a last resort.
Proper irrigation practices are just as vital to a healthy lawn as fertilizer, weed prevention, or mowing and should not be intimidating. When in doubt about your irrigation practices, remember, you can always add more water, but you can’t take any out.

Fescue and Southern Summers

There are two types of grasses, warm-season (Bermudas, Zoysias, St. Augustine) and cool-season (fescues, ryes, bentgrasses, bluegrasses). Many factors distinguish the various cultivars, both in the general sense and more specifically between species. While we will not get deep into the weeds (pun intended) while discussing grasses this morning, I think that a little background information might be valuable as the discussion turns more from grass type to lawn maintenance, to turf performance.

If you are reading this, then you most likely have a variety of fescue grass in your lawn. Fescue is a general name given to a species that has several cultivars. Differentiating between specific fescue cultivars and their genetic pairing with other grass types is not of critical importance for this discussion, so moving forward any reference to fescue should be taken in the general sense.

Fescue is a cool-season grass that is quite popular in the transition zone (this is the climatic zone that you live in). It establishes easily from seed in the cooler fall months, stays green year-round (usually – more on this later), and can tolerate a variety of growing conditions. Fescue is also a bunch-type grass. These are grasses that grow in bunches and do not have Rhizomes that spread laterally (think Bermuda grass). Being a bunch-type means that any injury to the turf must be reseeded to fully recover.

As mentioned above, Fescue can tolerate a variety of growing conditions. Fescue grasses generally preform best when temperatures are between 65-80 degrees for leaf growth and 68-86 degrees for seed germination. New root growth for most cool-season grasses occurs rapidly when soil temperatures are between 50-65 degrees at the 1-inch depth and will continue into the upper 80’s, albeit at a reduced rate. However, once temperatures in the soil reach 90 degrees or greater, root growth is greatly reduced, and care must be taken to protect the root system from damage.

Though Fescue can and does tolerate a wide variety of temperatures at which it can perform, it is susceptible to heat and drought stress. Fescue can tolerate the extreme summer heat that we routinely see here in the Carolinas, but it needs a break at night from those high temperatures to recover from the day’s stress and generate some new growth. Generally, Fescue requires cooler nights (< 70 degrees) to recover from high heat the previous day, if the night stays warm (> 70 degrees), then the plant cannot produce the energy that it needs to repair itself and grow the next day. Long stretches of high nighttime temperatures can be brutal on Fescue (many in the Carolinas are seeing the effects now from a brutal June weather pattern). Fescue can look devastated in the summer, and while high daytime heat is the first target of blame among many (and does share some responsibility in decline), high nighttime temperatures are more destructive, especially when coupled with high humidity.

With that information in mind, let’s examine the weather over the past month as it relates to historical averages for our area. June 2018 was on average, 5 degrees warmer than normal. Think about that for a minute….5 degrees! That is a noticeable variation and should not be taken lightly. During the month of June, we saw:

• Average High/Low: 87/65 degrees
• Actual High/Low: 91/70 degrees
• # days > average high: 26
• # days > average low: 28
• # days > 86 degrees: 27
• # days > 70 degrees (daily low): 15
• # days > 90 degrees: 19
• # days > 92 degrees: 13
• Total precipitation: 1.47″ (-3.25″)
• Average precipitation: 4.72″

As the numbers above indicate, June has been a brutal month with respect to traditional averages for the area. The result is that some folks are seeing decline in their Fescue sooner in the season than is typical. Usually we see this sort of weather begin to affect Fescue negatively in late July, this year it came a month early.
The big question we always get is what can I do to improve my lawn or what are you going to do to make it better? There is no easy answer for these queries. While there is a lot that can be done to mitigate the effects of extreme growing conditions (the last two weeks of June come to mind), there is little that we can do to counteract mother nature. Reversing course once damage appears can be quite challenging during a Carolina summer. All hope is not lost though.

Fescue may turn brown/tan, but can often survive periods of drought by going into a state of semi-dormancy, and will struggle in hot/dry summers (have you been outside). During periods of extended hot/dry conditions, fescue will require significant water, in excess of 1″ per week. Many homeowners irrigate their lawns in some form or fashion, however unless you have a professionally installed irrigation system that is programmable and have had it calibrated to meet your watering requirements, there is not a practical way to get that much water on the lawn in a given week without some assistance from mother nature.

When we do irrigate our lawns, it should be to avoid wilting, but only to supplement natural rainfall, not to replace it (unless it just is not rainy, like the last month was). We should also be mindful of our irrigation timings. Early morning is the best time to irrigate our lawns (before sunrise is ideal 3-5 am). On established lawns, deep infrequent irrigation is key to strong deep roots. Deep and infrequent means water longer cycles with more days between waterings, wetting the soil to a depth of around 3″. On lawns that are not quite established (newly sodded or seeded), we want to water as needed. Since the root systems are not as strong in a newer lawn, we want to water more frequently to nurse the grass through the days until we get a break in the weather.

If you have questions about your irrigation practices, let us know and we can help you develop a plan.

Fertilizer this time of year is NOT THE ANSWER. When temperatures are like they have been lately, turfgrass root systems are limited in their uptake ability and there is no need to stimulate a stressed plant that does not want to grow under adverse climatic conditions. If fertilizer is applied to a fescue lawn now, you will accelerate its decline. Patience here will pay dividends later.

Fescue may be allowed to go dormant (a natural process that is used as a defense mechanism by the plant) if heat and drought set in, and you will be surprised at the recovery once there is relief from the stressor, even if the grass was completely tan.

The best course of action right now for those with stressed Fescue is to trust your turf professional, consult one if you haven’t, and be patient (I know that is not what you want to hear), things will improve but it will take some time and cooler weather.

The weather will break, and recovery will happen. It only takes a few cooler nights to notice a significant improvement in turf quality, so hang in there for the time being.