Archives for November 2015

November 2, 2015 By trimmerline

10 Ways to Improve Your Lawn

It is always not easy to grow a healthier lawn, but thanks for below 10 ways of helpful information that will improve your lawn to be more greener, healthier and beautiful.

#1 Improve Your Soil

The soil is the foundation of organic plant growth. The base for a beautiful, healthy lawn is soil. Many homeowners do not consider soil composition as a potential threat to the health of their grass. But more often than not, many grass problems can be attributed to unhealthy soil.

Healthy plants grow in healthy soil, growing deeper roots in soil that holds more water and nutrients. So building your soil is the best way to save water and work in your lawn and garden.

Get to know your soil. Dig in and take a look for thatch, compaction, or other soil problems you can fix.

Add compost. Dig or till 2-3 inches of compost into the soil when planting new garden beds or lawns. Every 2-3 years, spread another 1 inch on garden beds or ½ inch on lawns.

Use mulch. Spread 2-3 inches of fall leaves or grass clippings on beds in spring or fall. For woody plants and trees, use wood chips or coarse bark as mulch.

Fertilize responsibly. Trees and shrubs can get the nutrients they need from compost and mulch. For lawns, flowers, and gardens look for the words “Natural organic” or “Slow-release” on fertilizer products, to feed plants slowly, develop healthier roots, and reduce runoff to our streams and lakes.

Refer more at Organic Soil http://www.weedtrimmerline.com/organic-soil/

#2 Feed With Compost

Add compost to increase the soil’s organic matter content to as much as 7 percent and greatly improve water retention at the same time, Osborne says. To apply compost as a topdressing for areas smaller than 2,000 square feet, use a wheelbarrow and drop small piles intermittently around your lawn; then rake the compost out to about a quarter to three-eighths of an inch, recommends Osborne. For larger areas, use a spreader.

#3 Water Your Lawn Properly

Be sure to water deeply and infrequently. Avoid watering from 11 AM-3 PM, the hottest part of the day. It is best to water between 6-10 AM. There’s less wind, less hot sun, and your lawn has a full day to dry. Watering at night invites mildew and fungus but if you can’t water in the morning aim for around 4-7 PM. In the hot afternoon, much of your water can be lost to wind and evaporation. If you live in the dry southwest, though, the rules are different. There, watering in the evening or night causes less evaporation.

Check the soil before you water. Probe with a finger of trowel to see if the soil is still damp a few inches down. When it’s dry down at the root zone, it’s time to water.

Water deeply, but less frequently. An hour after watering, check the soil again to see if you’ve penetrated as deep as the roots reach. Adjust your watering time to moisten the whole root zone, but then wait until the upper few inches of soil are dry before watering again – that encourages deeper roots.

Water slowly, or start and stop irrigation, to prevent surface runoff and give water time to penetrate.

Get water right to the roots, by using a watering wand with shutoff for small areas. For larger areas, drip or soaker hose under mulch delivers water efficiently right to the roots.

Make every drop count. Water early or late in the day to reduce evaporation, build your soil with compost and mulch, and choose low water use plants.

Refer more at Best Lawn Watering http://www.weedtrimmerline.com/best-lawn-watering/

#4 Use Organic Lawn Fertilizers

The two basic types of organic lawn fertilizer that are used on lawns: natural organics and synthetic organics.

The term synthetic organic is primarily a reference to “urea”, the nitrogen source found in most synthetic organics. Urea can be altered through chemical reactions with other chemicals to produce different varieties of slow release products.

Urea is classified as an organic because it contains carbon in its structure.

Synthetic organic nitrogen can be blended with natural organic fertilizers to give it a variety of nitrogen levels and release responses. These products are referred to as “bridge products”.

Note: Synthetic organics should not be confused with “inorganic” chemical fertilizers, such as ammonium nitrate or ammonium sulfate.

The benefit of using organic lawn fertilizer

Organic lawn fertilizers have brought new options to homeowners who desire both a green lawn and a green lifestyle. Environmental issues continue to be a concern in our society, and good citizens everywhere are doing all they can to preserve the health of our beautiful planet. Using organic fertilizers instead of chemical products is an easy way to make a difference, and many would be surprised at the effectiveness of the organic solutions. Listed below are some of the many proven benefits of natural fertilizers and insecticides.

Using organic lawn fertilizer offers your lawn an organic source of nitrogen and other micronutrients. However, the nutrient content can vary greatly depending on the type of organic matter used. You should always read the nutrient analysis to ensure it has the required nutrients to meet your grass’ needs for that time of year. If the nutrient analysis is insufficient for your lawns needs, you can choose another type or you may need to supplement your lawn with an application of an inorganic or synthetic organic fertilizer.

Fertilize once or twice a year.

This is sufficient for an attractive lawn.Cool season grasses are semi-dormant in the summer; fertilizing during summer will be ineffective. Fertilizing in early fall promotes vigorous lawn growth the next spring.

Use a fertilizer with time-released, water insoluble nitrogen.

These fertilizers are less likely to burn your lawn with excess nitrogen, and slow-release allows the roots to absorb the nutrients as needed. In most instances, choose fertilizers containing at least 35% – 50% of their nitrogen supply in the “slow-release” form, such as sulfur-coated urea, methylene urea or various natural organic products. With fast-acting fertilizers, some nutrients are washed away with watering or rain, and the wasted fertilizer pollutes ground water supplies.

Refer more at Organic Lawn Fertilizer http://www.weedtrimmerline.com/organic-lawn-fertilizers/

#5 Cutting The Grass Properly

Mowing the lawn not only in suitable time with the efficient tools, but also with proper mowing techniques.

The best way to insure good lawn health is to mow properly. Here’s how:

Start with a sharp mower blade.

Mowing more often.

Cut off no more that 1/3 of the grass blade’s length at one time to prevent shocking the plant.

Allow the grass clippings to fall back onto the lawn (mulch) instead of bagging them.

Clippings provide important nutrients, and contrary to conventional thought, do not promote thatch.

The proper height for mowing your lawn depends on the type of grass, the season, and the growing conditions. For example, bentgrass can be mowed under 1/2″ while tall fescues should be 3-4 inches high. Choosing the correct mowing height is important since:

Proper mowing creates a low-maintenance, drought-tolerant lawn.

Mowing discourages undesirable grasses and weeds while encouraging your chosen grass type. For example, mowing fescue higher will discourage Bermuda grass which is low-growing.

Setting Mower Cutting Height

Shady grasses grow better if mowed a little higher.

Raise the blade to the top of the cutting range for your type of grass (see chart below) during drought conditions in summer to reduce the stress on your lawn.

Cut warm-season grasses at the lower end of the cutting range in early spring to remove dead blades.

In general, cool-season grasses do best when cut as high as possible.

Different varieties within the same grass type may vary as to the best cutting height, so try to identify the specific variety you have (such as ‘Zenith’ zoysia or ‘Empire’ zoysia), then check with a sod or seed supplier for cutting recommendations.

Refer more at Mow The Lawn: The Definitive Guide http://www.weedtrimmerline.com/mow-the-lawn/

#6 Leave Clippings & Observe The Weeds

Sometimes referred to as “grass-cycling”, this provides nutrients (nitrogen, phosphorus, water) equivalent to one application of fertilizer. Clippings do not cause thatch. Mulching mowers are also available which help the clippings hide in the grass. For effective grass cycling, wait until the lawn is 3″ tall, then set the mower height to remove 1″. The clippings left on the lawn will quickly disappear from view. Of course this technique also saves hauling yard waste to the landfill – some states have banned yard waste from landfills.

Instead of bagging up grass clippings and sending them to the landfill, invest in a mulching blade for your mower and leave the clippings on your lawn. As they decompose, they add valuable organic matter to the soil and about 2 pounds of nitrogen per 1,000 square feet each season, which means you have to spend less time and money on fertilizing. Contrary to popular belief, letting the clippings decompose on your lawn does not cause a buildup of thatch (a layer on top of the soil that blocks water and nutrients from reaching the grass’s roots). Rather, thatch is caused by overfertilizing.

Observe the weeds.

Dandelions thrive at a pH level of about 7.5, and are a sign to add gardeners sulfur to lower the pH. Clover and medic are sign that your lawn may be nitrogen poor, and needs compost or a nitrogen-weighted fertilizer.

#7 Use The Right Tool

There is a saying goes:to yield twice the result with half the effort. The right gardening tool makes job much easier. As the development of technology of gardening tools, it is lucky to have a handful of inexpensive tools to handle the most common lawn and garden maintenance. All of these tools make perfect housewarming gifts to give — and receive.A garden tool is any one of many tools made for gardens and gardening and overlaps with the range of tools made for agriculture and horticulture. Garden tools can also be hand tools and power tools.

Refer more at 25 Gardening Tools Make Job Easier http://www.weedtrimmerline.com/gardening-tools/

#8 Try Use As Less pesticide/herbicide As Possible

Accept a few weeds, and crowd out problem weeds by growing a dense healthy lawn. Use a long handled weed puller to easily remove dandelions without bending over. Weeding is easiest when the soil is moist. If you want to use weed killer, don’t spread “weed and feed” all over (it gets into our streams) – just spot spray the problem weeds.

Pesticides kill the soil organisms which contribute to a healthy lawn. The sooner you remove harsh chemicals, the faster your soil will recover. Repeated past use of toxic chemicals may have destroyed the macrobiotic life that exists in healthy soil; it will take time, at least a season, for the soil to begin to recover. If lawn chemicals are used, clean out pesticide and fertilizer applicators and empty containers on the lawn, where the residue will be utilized. Do not clean out on sidewalks or driveways, or residue will go directly into water supplies.

#9 Reduce thatch

Thatch is a layer of dead grass and grass roots that has accumulated on top of the soil surface. If this layer gets to be more than about a half inch thick, it begins to block the flow of air, water and nutrients. Grass roots start to grow along the soil surface rather than down into the soil. These roots become intertwined and form a dense mat. A lawn with a severe thatch problem has little drought tolerance and becomes susceptible to a host of pest and disease problems. Dead patches of lawn can signal thatch problems. You may also notice a spongy feeling when you walk across the lawn.

It is not necessary — or even desirable — to remove all of the thatch. A thin layer serves to insulate and protect the root zone. If you have a severe thatch problem, correct the problem incrementally to avoid damaging the lawn. Minor thatch accumulations can usually be removed by raking vigorously with a steel-tine rake. For severe problems, consider renting a mechanical dethaching machine. Early fall is the best time for dethatching. Once the thatch has been reduced, you can prevent future buildups by reducing the amount of fertilizer you apply, and avoiding frequent, shallow irrigation.

#10 Reseeding or over-seeding?

If you are adding seed to cover bare spots or a thin lawn, use hardy perennial ryegrass and drought-tolerant fescue seed mix. Alternately, reseed with a drought-tolerant, low-maintenance eco-lawn seed.

The weather, kids, and pets can be tough on lawns. Lack of water, too much heat, wear & tear, and other problems can make it look worn and thin. You can help reinvigorate your lawn by overseeding. In the north, spring and fall give you the ideal conditions for cool-season grass seed: cooler temperatures and more moisture. In the south, late-spring through mid-summer provide ideal conditions for warm-season grass seed. The following are simple steps to overseed your lawn.

November 2, 2015 By trimmerline

Watering Systems

Watering systems are necessary tool for watering the lawn. There has several watering systems:Sprinkler System, Irrigation System, Drip Irrigation, Automatic System,Soaker Hose, and etc. Below we briefly introduce the uses, advantages and disadvantages of these different watering systems.

Sprinkler System (Sprinkler Hose)

Uses

Lawns

Larger garden beds

Advantages

Probably the best benefit of a sprinkler system is the automization of lawn care. (If the industry could only automate mowing, too, we’d be in business). It removes the need to worry about watering.

Sprinkler and irrigation systems help you water consistently and effectively, like limiting watering to one inch each time.

Sprinkler systems help conserve water, enabling you to set them to water during overnight hours to take advantage of the coolest possible temperatures. They can also be easily adjusted during droughts or water conservation periods. When overused, sprinkler systems can waste water. You can easily avoid this risk by setting your sprinklers to water only a little at a time, twice a day, depending on your climate.

Sprinkler systems also allow you to customize your watering strategy according to your lawn – its shape, size, and type. They come in a variety of types, including oscillating, revolving, stationary, and traveling sprinklers.

Sprinklers don’t just water your lawn; you can adjust them to water plants, flowers, trees, and hedges, getting the most out of the system and conserving more of your time.

A sprinkler system also supports your home value, showing the care you take and offering your yard sustainability for years to come. Sprinklers water lawns consistently and evenly, removing the pressure to do so manually.

Disadvantages

Uneven watering patterns

Hard to avoid overspray

Water loss from evaporation

Watering Wand

Uses

Individual plants or small beds

Containers

New trees or plants mixed with established plants

Advantages

Easy to water individual plants

Can avoid wetting foliage

Have you ever stood watering the garden on a hot summer afternoon, the sprayer nozzle and hose in one hand and a cool drink in the other? It feels good, but the trouble is, you’re getting a better drink than your plants are.

Why? You’re using the wrong tool for the job.

A sprayer nozzle is great for washing the car, but pretty ineffective for watering because it gushes a high-pressure jet that flattens plants. This makes it almost impossible to stay in one spot long enough to give an adequate amount of water. A sprayer nozzle just won’t deliver enough moisture to penetrate the soil to the root level where plants take it up. For watering patio plants, try a plant wand.

Then there’s the fact that a hot mid-afternoon is about the worst time to water this way or run a sprinkler as a lot of water evaporates in the heat.

Plants need moisture — a healthy plant is 75 to 90 percent water. Adequate water is especially critical during the first few weeks of growth, while plants are building their root systems and getting established. To water individual plants or or plants in containers, rather than a hose end sprayer nozzle, the better tool is a watering can or a hose-end watering wand, (shown above), with a water breaker that has many tiny holes so it releases water in a soft shower rather than a high-pressure stream.

Disadvantages

Time consuming to water large areas

Drip Irrigation (Soaker Hose)

Drip irrigation is an efficient and economical method of watering. Used commonly in dry regions with scarce water resources, the use of drip irrigation is increasing in the Northeast. This irrigation method is typically more than 90% efficient at allowing plants to use the water applied. Unlike other forms of irrigation, such as sprinklers that are only 65-75% efficient, drip irrigation reduces runoff and evaporation. Drip irrigation applies the water slowly at the plant root zone where it is needed.

Drip irrigation has more commonly been used in commercial nursery and agricultural operations, however, homeowners are beginning to take advantage of its uses and benefits. As a homeowner, you can use drip irrigation in your vegetable and perennial gardens, and to water trees and shrubs.

Uses

Garden beds that need regular water—slopes OK

Food gardens

Fruit & other trees that need water after established

Containers

Advantages

Prevents disease by minimizing water contact with the leaves, stems, and fruit of plants.

Allows the rows between plants to remain dry, improving access and reducing weed growth.

Saves time, money, and water because the system is so efficient.

Decreases labor.

Increases effectiveness on uneven ground.

Reduces leaching of water and nutrients below the root zone.

Disadvantages

Needs to be properly installed & maintained to work well (may need help from a professional)

High-quality drip parts can be expensive

Automatic Irrigation System

Uses

Larger lawn or garden areas that require regular watering

Can include drip zones

Advantages

Saves Time

An automatic irrigation system will save you plenty of time that you in the past would have spent watering your lawns, gardens and flowers. You can now have your timers set, so that watering will take place at the times that best suits your landscape and the climate where you live. You can go on that holiday knowing that your lawns and flowers will be maintained and flourishing when you return.

Saves Money

With an automatic irrigation system there is no money or water wasted, for everything is timed, programmed and these systems all have rain sensors, so every drop of water is used only when it is needed.

Automatic System

Saves Water

Whatever type of irrigation system you install, there will definitely be a greater saving on water. You can help conserve water with automatic systems, for there is no wasting of water, every drop is used not wasted away. You can save between 30 and 50 percent of the water that you would normally use with other more conventional watering methods.

Improves Growth

When plants, crops, lawns or flowers are watered with smaller amounts of water over a longer period of time, they grow faster, for it is the ideal condition for growth. You will enjoy greener and more luscious gardens and lawns.

Weed Reduction

You will notice a reduction in the amount of weeds appearing, this is due to the fact that those areas that need water are the only areas receiving water, with the implementation of a specifically designed irrigation system.

The benefits of an automatic irrigation system include reduced labor for watering, convenience, full landscape coverage, the ability to control irrigation timing, and added value to your home.

The costs of an automatic irrigation system include installation costs (starting at about $1,000 for a small yard and moving up from there), water costs, maintenance costs (shutdown and startup and annual repairs), and increased landscape maintenance (you may be mowing more often).

You can minimize costs by carefully designing a system that meets the specific needs of your landscape, programming your clock properly, adjusting the program frequently in response to changes in the weather, installing a rain shutoff device or soil moisture sensor, and maintaining your system.

Disadvantages

Less efficient than most other methods, especially if spray heads are used (typically wastes 40 percent or more of water used)

Expensive to install

Requires annual tune-up & regular maintenance

Water use & bills usually higher than other watering methods

Here are a some tips for reducing the cost of operating and maintaining an automatic irrigation system:

Know how to run your irrigation controller and change watering times.

Adjust the watering times (number of minutes.) and the frequency of watering (daily, twice a week, etc.) based on weather conditions.

Change your settings to adjust for seasonal differences and reset the timer when needed.

Install an inexpensive rain shutoff device or soil moisture sensor.

Check your system regularly for leaks, broken heads, and other problems.

Only water after the sun has gone down.

Adjust your spray and sprinkler heads to avoid watering pavements and other non-landscape areas.

Water areas in the shade about 30 percent less than sunny areas.

If possible use drip irrigation to water trees and shrubs.

To eliminate runoff, set your clock to cycle 2-4 start times (no longer than 5 minutes each), 1 to 2 hours apart to allow water to soak into the soil. For example: water 3 times for 5 minutes, instead of 15 minutes all at once.

Develop a separate drip watering schedule for trees, shrubs and flower beds.

Aerate in the spring and fall to loosen soil and reduce runoff.

After each aeration, top dress the area with a composted mulch. This will keep the soil loose and hold water near the roots.

November 2, 2015 By trimmerline

Best Lawn Watering

When and how much to water Lawn?

Mother Nature usually provides enough water through rainfall for grass to grow strong. However, there are times when rainfall needs to be supplemented, such as with newly planted lawns or extended periods of heat and drought. Lawn watering plays an important part of lawn care. If you choose to water, wait until the lawn becomes dull green in color and footprints remain visible in the grass.

Use the tips below to save on water bills while growing a healthy, beautiful landscape.

Considerations on below key factors,which affecting how often and how much you should water include:

Soils – Soil texture influences how much moisture the soil can retain, and for how long. This will affect how long it takes to moisten the root-zone, and how quickly the soil will dry out again.

Your Plants’ Needs – Some plants need water regularly; others less so. How you water new plants affects root development, which also affects their “thirstiness”.

Sun/Shade/Exposure – Sun and shade affects evaporation of water from soil, but how windy or protected a site is affects this as well.

Watering System – How fast or slow your system applies water affects how much is actually absorbed versus running off or evaporating.

Lawn

When to Water:

Dull green color.

Footprints show for a long time.

Or let lawns go brown and dormant – they’ll bounce back in fall!

Let lawn areas that don’t get heavy wear go brown and dormant. Just water once a month.

In the fall you can thicken any worn areas by raking and then over-seeding.

Watering needs for different grass types

How long can you wait between waterings before the lawn starts to go brown?

12 – 21 days: Bahia grass, Buffalo gass, Bermuda grass, St. Augustine grass, Centipede grass

8 – 12 days: Carpet grass, Fine fescue, Kikuyu grass, Seashore paspalum, Tall fescue, Zoysia

5 – 7 days: Ryegrass, Kentucky bluegrass, Bentgrass

The fine-leaved fescues (grass blades) as well as the “common” types of Kentucky bluegrasses, such as Park and Kenblue, require less water, fertilizer and cutting than turf-type perennial ryegrass or many of the newer “improved” types of Kentucky bluegrass.

How Much to Water:

In July, lawns need about 1 inch of water per week, spread over 2 or 3 waterings, to stay green. They need only ½ to ¾ inch per week the rest of the summer (use a tuna can to measure sprinkler output). Watering deeply and less often is generally best, to moisten the whole root zone.

Lawns allowed to go brown do best if watered deeply once a month in summer to keep the roots alive.

Trees

When to Water:

Young trees planted within the last 5 years need water twice a week during the hot, dry summer months. Don’t wait until they show signs of drought stress.

Most established trees, if well mulched, need no watering except in drought years. Watch your trees for signs of wilting or yellowing leaves – that means it’s time to water.

Trees planted in the fall are more likely to survive our hot, dry summers and will need less water.

How Much to Water:

Young trees planted within the last 5 years need 15 – 20 gallons of water twice a week.

Water should be applied directly to the roots.

The most efficient way to water young trees is by using a 15 or 20 gallon water bag, filled with a hose. You can set several 5-gallon buckets with small holes drilled into the bottom around the base of the tree and fill those with water.

Water mature trees, if necessary, once or twice a month. Place a soaker hose circling the tree toward the edge of the canopy, NOT at the base of the tree. Use a hose faucet timer to prevent overwatering.

Shrubs & Perennials

When to Water:

Varies widely by plant (see above). Many established plants need little or no summer watering, so become familiar with your plants’ needs.

Look for wilted leaves that don’t perk up in evening, deciduous leaves that are yellow before autumn, or evergreen leaves that are dull or bronze.

How Much to Water:

Water deep enough to moisten the whole root zone (6 to 12 inches). Dig into the soil before watering to see if water is needed, and an hour after watering to check for adequate moisture.

Annuals

When to Water:

Soil is dry below the surface.

Try not to let annuals wilt – many will be stunted or die if allowed to dry out.

How Much to Water:

Check the soil often to make sure it’s moist 1 or 2 inches below the surface.

Annuals

When to Water:

Soil is dry below the surface.

Try not to let annuals wilt – many will be stunted or die if allowed to dry out.

How Much to Water:

Check the soil often to make sure it’s moist 1 or 2 inches below the surface.

Quick watering tips

Check the soil before you water. Probe with a finger of trowel to see if the soil is still damp a few inches down. When it’s dry down at the root zone, it’s time to water.

Water deeply, but less frequently. An hour after watering, check the soil again to see if the water has reached the rootzone. Adjust your watering time to moisten the whole root zone, but then wait until the upper few inches of soil are dry before watering again, which encourages deeper roots.

Water slowly to prevent surface runoff and give water time to penetrate. If water puddles on the surface before it is absorbed by the soil, start and stop your watering several times, as needed, to allow the water to soak in.

Get water right to the roots, by using a watering wand, with a shutoff, for small areas. For larger areas, drip irrigation or soaker hoses, under mulch, deliver water efficiently right to the roots.

Make every drop count. Water early or late in the day to reduce evaporation, build your soil with compost and mulch, and choose low water use plants.

November 2, 2015 By trimmerline

Organic Soil

The organic soil is the foundation of organic plant growth. The base for a beautiful, healthy lawn is soil. Many homeowners do not consider soil composition as a potential threat to the health of their grass. But more often than not, many grass problems can be attributed to unhealthy soil. The concept of organics has to do with enriching the soil and increasing soil flora. In nature, nutrients enter the soil as organic matter is broken down by soil microorganisms. Therefore, the philosophy behind the use of organics in lawn care is simple. In feeding the soil, you feed the soil microorganisms, which in turn, feeds the plants.

Healthy soil is home to billions of microorganisms that feed on organic matter in the soil. Organic matter could be leaves, grass clippings, manure, buried wood, shed grass roots, or almost any biodegradable material that enters the soil. As the microbes feed on the O/M, they release nutrients in a form that plants can take up through the roots. Nitrogen is one of the elements released and the element consumed by grasses in the greatest amount.

Both, natural organics and most synthetic organics must have microbial activity to release nutrients into the soil. In fact, soil microbes are so important to plant health, that without them, the soil is thought to be dead. In nature, plants cannot live without them.

Test your soil

The first step is to test the soil’s pH – it should read between 6.5 and 7.0, which is slightly acidic. Soil that is too acidic will need a sprinkling of lime; sulfur can be added to soil which is not acidic enough. You can buy a pH tester for $40 – $60. Another solution is to have your soil tested professionally; first call your extension office – they often provide soil testing as a free service.

A soil test will determine the amount of organic matter that is currently in your soil. What the soil test doesn’t tell you is how much of the O/M is consumable by soil microbes. A supply of fresh organic matter in the form of organic lawn fertilizer will keep microbe populations high and healthy.

Soil Testing Steps

The next step is to find out if your soil is healthy with soil testing. A soil test is used to determine the pH, nutrient levels and soil type.

Start at the County Extension Office or a local garden center to obtain a soil test kit, costing around $10-$15.

Choose 20 test locations, taking sun, shade, pet areas and shallow foundations into account.

With many test locations, your soil testing results will more accurately gauge soil health.

Dig soil out with a small shovel or spade. The soil samples need to be 4-6 inches in depth and a couple inches wide.

Lay each of the 20 soil samples on a newspaper to air dry. Once dried, thoroughly mix the sample and fill the soil test container.

Send or take the sample containers to the soil testing facility for results.

Understanding Soil Testing Results

Below is a breakdown of soil testing results! These results will include soil pH level, soil nutrient levels, soil type. All of which play an important role for a healthy lawn.

Soil pH

The soil pH scale runs from 0 to 14. Neutral is 7, the middle of the scale. Any number below 7 means acidic (sour) and any number above 7 means alkaline (sweet).

Most flower, vegetable garden plants and grass prefer a slightly acidic soil. If you aim for a pH between 6 and 7, most soil nutrients will be available for absorption by the green life.

With too much acid or alkaline in the soil, nutrients will not dissolve to later be absorbed by the plant roots.

How to Fix Soil pH Problems: If you find that your soil is too acid, you can add ground limestone to make it more alkaline. If your soil is too alkaline, you can amend it by adding sulphur, shredded leaves or peat moss.

Soil Nutrients

Soil nutrients are just as important as soil pH. Nitrogen, the most important nutrient for supporting plant growth, will not necessarily be listed in your soil test results.

The nitrogen content of soil changes so rapidly that it’s not helpful to report what the number may have been on the day soil samples were taken.

The most helpful information from the soil test results are soil type.

Ideally you will have a loamy soil mix with phosphorous, potassium and other nutrients.

How to Fix Soil Nutrient Problems: Adjusting soil to create a loamy soil texture can take several growing seasons. To change the texture, add compost and work it into the soil several inches deep, over several seasons.

To Choose the Best Lawn Soil Composition

Lawns grow best in loamy soils that have a mix of clay, silt and sand. Too much clay in the soil mix, or heavy use, can compact the soil and prevent air and nutrient flow. Compacted soil may need aeration, a process of lifting small plugs of turf to create air spaces in the soil. For best results, rent an aerator or hire a lawn service to do the job – this will remove “finger size” plugs which improves aeration. Aeration is best done before top dressing and fertilizing.

Sand is the largest soil particle. Sandy soil drains well, is quick to warm up in spring and easy to cultivate. Sandy soils, however, don’t retain water well and dry out quickly. Even though plant foods tend to wash out, it can be a productive soil with careful management.

Silt is a soil particle that is smaller than sand but larger than clay particles. It feels smooth and powdery.

Clay is the smallest soil particle. Clay soil is sometimes called heavy soil because it is sticky when wet and retains water and contains a lot of nutrients.

Organic matter, such as compost and grass clippings, will benefit any type of soil; it lightens soil which is heavy in clay, and it builds humus in sandy soils, which helps retain water and nutrients. Some lawn mowers are equipped with mulching attachments which break up the clippings and disperse them as you mow.

Soil Layering

Newly built homes or new lawns may experience soil layering issues. This occurs when the top soil is scraped away for construction, and then a thin layer of soil is put back before planting the new lawn.

The finer soil layer on top of the coarser textured soil can prevent roots from taking hold, making it difficult for water and nutrients to penetrate the soil structure.

How to Fix Soil Layering Problems: Aerate the lawn this spring to blend soil layers letting in water and nutrients.

Understanding your soil is just the first step to an overall healthy lawn.

November 2, 2015 By trimmerline

Organic Lawn Fertilizers

The two basic types of organic lawn fertilizer that are used on lawns: natural organics and synthetic organics.

Urea is classified as an organic because it contains carbon in its structure.

Synthetic organic nitrogen can be blended with natural organic fertilizers to give it a variety of nitrogen levels and release responses. These products are referred to as “bridge products”.

Note: Synthetic organics should not be confused with “inorganic” chemical fertilizers, such as ammonium nitrate or ammonium sulfate.

The benefit of using organic lawn fertilizer

Organic lawn Fertilizer that is high in organic matter, but low in N-P-K, can be applied in much heavier amounts. These varieties are usually labeled as summer fertilizers that typically deliver slow release forms of organic nitrogen. Summer fertilizers are extremely helpful in feeding the immense microbe populations. For most grass types, the lower nutrient content of summer organics makes it difficult to over-fertilize, even at the higher rates.

Organic lawn fertilizer developed for spring applications will often have the lowest organic matter content. A portion of the available nitrogen will be in another form. This is because most soil microbes are still inactive in early spring. Some companies offer early spring fertilizers with a pre-emergent herbicide to prevent crabgrass and other weeds from germinating.

Organic lawn fertilizer intended for fall use will have a fairly high organic matter content, but often combined with synthetic organic nitrogen sources. These are great for the higher nitrogen needs of late season cool season grasses. These fertilizers can also be used on warm season grasses during summer months.

It is Safer

The most obvious value to using an organic lawn fertilizer is to preserve the safety of your family members and animals. Commercial lawn treatments are a cocktail of dangerous chemicals and poisons that cling to shoes, skin, and hair. Even the most cautious application can result in an accidental poisoning. And if you can protect your family and pets from exposure, it is often impossible to prevent wildlife and other organisms from ingesting these chemicals.

Scientifically engineered chemicals react with our planet in very unnatural ways. Almost every naturally occurring resource on earth has the capacity to break down and return value to the environment. Man-made chemicals on the other hand are much harder to dissipate, and often form more potent by-products in the process. Every commercial brand chemical fertilizer contains compounds that are not only initially toxic, but ultimately breakdown and multiply into more toxins.

Less Waste

A major flaw with chemical lawn fertilizers is their “kill everything” approach to lawn care. These herbicides and pesticides may indeed kill unwanted nuisances like dandelions and ants, but they also destroy thousands of helpful organisms such as bees, earthworms, and beneficial microorganisms. Even if your lawn was comprised of 50% weeds, then you would still poison the soil in the remaining 50% with unnecessary chemicals. With organic lawn fertilizers, there is no concern for toxic runoffs or harmful integration with other organisms.

The limitations of organic lawn fertilizer

The primary limitation of natural organic lawn fertilizer is its low nitrogen content and slow release. As stated before, the nutrients in natural organic fertilizers are released slowly through microbial activity.

Soil microbe activity levels are subject to soil temperatures with the highest activity in mid-summer. Therefore, it stands to reason that the heaviest amounts of organic fertilizer are applied in late spring and summer. As soil temperatures begin to drop in the fall of the year, so does the level of microbe activity. A fact not often explained to homeowners is that you cannot expect the grass to have any reaction from organic lawn fertilizer that depend on microbe activity, when soil microbes are not active.

The limitation of low nitrogen content can affect many grass species that require higher nitrogen levels. Bermudagrass, for example, requires as much as 8lbs of nitrogen per year. If the organic material can’t deliver enough nitrogen to sustain the needs of the grass, then it will suffer. Nitrogen is an essential element needed for chlorophyll and energy production as well as other functions within the plant. The first visible sign of a lack of nitrogen is a condition called chlorosis. This is a yellowing of the grass from a lack of chlorophyll production.

Many cool season grasses require fertilizers with the highest nitrogen content to be applied in the fall. In fact, the highest percent of nitrogen in a single application is applied after the last mowing of the year. The lower nitrogen content of natural organics combined with the lower microbe activity of rapidly cooling soil temperatures could prove to be problematic for nitrogen hungry grasses. It is during these times that bridge products excel. You will get a higher percent of nitrogen using a synthetic organic nitrogen source that is blended with a premium source of organic matter.

Best natural lawn fertilizer?

As far as a great natural fertilizer, Compost and composted cow manure are great. However, most people don’t have access to the volume necessary to effectively cover their lawn surface. If you are one of the lucky ones that do, be sure the manure is thoroughly composted or it too can burn your lawn. But once it has mellowed, it is harmless (except for the weed seeds) and very high in nitrogen and soil building properties.

In conclusion,organic lawn care is not only the best choice in terms of safety for your family, but it is also an effective alternative to chemical fertilizers. The proper application of organic fertilizers and pesticides will keep your lawn green and disease free. And as an added benefit to “going green”, organic formulas can save a substantial amount of money.