For Southern lawns (warm season grasses), the fertilization program should start just after spring green-up and stop about two months before the average frost date in the fall. Frequency of fertilizer applications depends primarily on the amount and form of nitrogen used. The slow-release type fertilizers can adequately feed the lawn from 6 to 10 weeks. If the lawn still looks good and is growing well after 6 to 8 weeks, wait longer for the next application.

Fertilizer application rates should be as low as possible and to still produce a high quality lawn. Over-fertilization weakens your lawn and causes excess leaf growth. As a general rule, if the amount of Nitrogen (N is the first number in the analysis) is between 5 and 12, the application rate should be 8 pounds per 1,000 square feet.

If the N number is between 12 and 18, the application rate should be 6 pounds per 1,000 square feet. Any N number over 19 should be applied at a rate of 4 pounds per 1,000 square feet. Always follow the recommended rate stated on the bag by the manufacturer.

Most turf experts recommend that a lawn fertilizer should have at least one-half of its nitrogen in one of the slow-release forms mentioned above. In most cases, both cool season and warm season grasses will do well when a 3-1-2 or a 4-1-2 ratio of N-P-K is used on an established lawn. Some analysis numbers that meet these rations include the following:

12-4-8

15-5-10

16-4-8

21-7-14

20-5-10

Since individual soil types vary greatly, be sure to check with your local County Extension Office for further information. Better yet, call our experts at Harmony Care!

Choose sod that has a soil layer of approximately ½ – ¾ of an inch. The soil should be moist, but not wet. The grass leaf should be green, not yellow or brown. Feel the sod; if it’s warm, then it has been sitting around too long. In hot weather, protect unlaid turf by placing stacks in shade, covering with moist burlap sacking, and/or sprinkling.

Install your lawn immediately upon delivery. Turf is a living plant that requires ground contact and moisture to survive!

Begin installing turf along the longest straight line, such as a driveway or sidewalk. Butt and push edges and ends against each other tightly, without stretching. Avoid gaps or overlaps. Stagger the joints in each row in a brick-like fashion, using a sharp knife to trim corners, etc. Avoid leaving small strips at the outer edges, as they will not retain moisture. On slopes, place the turf pieces across the slope.

To avoid causing indentations or air pockets, avoid repeated walking or kneeling on the turf while it is being installed or just after watering.

After installing the turf, roll the entire area to improve turf/soil contact and remove air pockets.

Begin watering your new lawn within 30 minutes of installation. Give it at least 1” of water. Water the sod daily, or as often as necessary to keep the turf moist, until it is firmly rooted (about 2 weeks.) Then water the sod as an established lawn.

TILL

The soil should be prepared by tilling to a depth of 4-5”. One method is to rent a sod cutter to break up your old turf into manageable pieces which can then be hauled off. But that’s the catch – it needs to be hauled off, literally tons of it! An alternative to cutting and removing the old turf is to till it under; using the largest tiller you can find to make the job easier. Go over the lawn 4 or 5 times, until the old sod is chewed to pieces. Spread compost across the area to a depth of 3-4 inches, add any other soil amendments you need, and then till that into the soil.

At this point, you should have 5-6 inches of very soft soil with small grass clumps mixed in. Use a leaf rake to rake out the grass clumps. Instead of truckloads of old sod, you’ll only have a few trash bags of grass to haul off!

LEVEL

Next, use a hard rake to level your yard, raking the highs into the lows. Compact the soil with a sod roller, filled with water. It will still be soft enough for the sod to root, but you won’t disturb the grade when you lay the sod. At this point, you’ll really be able to see any imperfections in the grade. Keep the grade 1” below sidewalks and driveway. Repeat the raking and rolling process until the area is perfectly smooth.

Make sure your lawn drains properly; correct any spots that look like problem areas. Then spread a starter fertilizer over the soil, rake it in with a leaf rake, and roll one last time.

CALCULATE

How much sod will you need to buy? Sod is sold in squares stacked on pallets or in rolls and the standard measuring unit is square yards. To calculate the number of square yards in an area, multiple the length times the width (giving you the number of square feet) and then divide that number by 9 (there are 9 square feet in a square yard).

If you don’t want to get out there with a tape measure, use the information in the public records to estimate the size of your yard by subtracting the square footage of your improvements (your house and any other structures) from the square footage of your lot. Calculate the area of your driveway, sidewalks and any landscaped areas and subtract those amounts as well. Divide the resulting number by 9, to estimate the number of square yards of sod you need. Easier still, use our handy sod calculator.

• Use a spade or a soil probe to take a sample from 4 to 5 different spots around a section of lawn
• Remove soil to a depth of 3 to 4 inches below the surface
• Put the soil into a clean plastic bucket and repeat in another spot
• Remove all grass, rocks, twigs, leaves and debris from your soil sample
• Thoroughly mix the soils samples together in the plastic bucket
• Remove a pint of soil from the mixed sample and place it in a sample bag

Do not use glass jars, metal cans of any sort, match boxes, etc. for your soil sample.

But why bother getting your hands dirty? Call the experts at Harmony Care for a complete assessment of your lawn’s needs and leave the care to us!

Let’s look at de-icing first. The cheapest way to encourage ice melt is to spread a layer of rock salt over the surface. However, salt is toxic to plants when it dissolves in water because sodium ions replace the needed phosphorous and potassium in the soil, robbing them from your turf. Also, rock salt absorbs the water that would normally be used by roots, which then dehydrate, causing stress on the turf. Salt is most effective at temperatures just below the freezing point, so during extreme cold, it should not be used.

Another method of ice removal involves using chemical de-icing agents. Like rock salt, chemical de- icers also work by lowering the freezing point of water to a temperature that’s lower than the outside air temp. Chemical de-icers are usually composed of some sort of salt, primarily either calcium chloride or magnesium sodium. However, chemical de-icers can be harmful to pets, burning their feet if they walk on them. They also pose a threat to animals if they are ingested, upsetting their stomachs and potentially poisoning them. Run-off from melted de-icers can also contaminate streams and other water sources, so these products must be used sparingly, if at all.

Sand, cinders and kitty litter aren’t technically de-icing agents. Their darker color will tend to absorb more sunlight and enhance the natural melting process, and they do provide traction when spread on icy paths. But they also make a mess when the melting begins, so care must be taken not to track them indoors. They are, however, the best solution for your lawn and other landscape plants as they do no chemical damage.

Moving snow with shovels or blades results in stockpiling the snow as close to the edge of the driveway or walkway as possible, creating heavy snow load on areas adjacent to these surfaces. This can cause damage to the grass underneath. Using a snow blower will distribute the snow over a larger area and reduce the potential damage to your lawn. Placing reflective markers at the edges of the hard surface can prevent inadvertent damage.