Step by Step to a Lusher and Greener Lawn
Want an Extreme Lawn? Sure you do. Perform these tasks and you will be in the top 20% of your neighborhood.
Tip: Rack and stack your lawn. List what areas of the lawn are performing the best to the least. Always begin your work with the least and work towards the best.
When a neighbor ask me what I did to have a nice lawn, my reply was, "Well it all began last August." Look at the chart below. Where I live, the rain usually stops in June. I do not water my lawn, I'll water my trees and bushes, but I do not water my lawn. With that said, I do not mow the lawn unless the weather forecasts a very good chance of rain.
Yes, the lawn may start looking a bit ragged, but think about it, if you cut your grass, over one million plants in your yard will need one inch of water. So if you are not mowing, keep the lawn trimmed. You will be surprised how well the yard will look with just a simple edge trimming.
Use a 20 gallon hose end sprayer when spraying the lawn. I reuse the sprayers from the premixed liquid lawn fertilizers. These sprayers are designed to mix the contents of the bottle with 20 gallons of water as the water exits your water hose. Sometimes the small mixing hole get stopped up, Simply use a wire from a wire brush to clean out the mixing hole. Pull the wire out of the brush with pliers. It is good to have two hose end sprayers, one for fertilizer and insect treatments and a seperate sprayer for weed treatments. All Master Gardeners do this.
More to come . . .
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Month |
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August |
Only mow with the promise
of rain. Aerate as soon as rains
soak the ground. When the Japanese beetles are gone apply grub pesticide. Lime the lawn early in the
month. Walk 45 minutes in the lawn every day. Spray weeds with lawn weed killer in a spray bottle mixed with a 2
table spoons of liquid dish soap |
|
September |
Fertilize Mix in Laundry
powder; Epsom salt; Ironite Spray newly fertilized lawn
with 1/2 cup soft drink (non-diet); 1/4 cup soap; fill the balance with ammonia After rain-in Sow grass
seed |
|
October |
Fertilize Mix in Laundry
powder; Epsom salt; Ironite Spray newly fertilized lawn
with 1/2 cup soft drink (non-diet); 1/4 cup soap; fill the balance with ammonia. Beds: Dress soil with compost: Replace annuals with pansies and bulbs Walk 45 minutes in the lawn
every day. Spray weeds with lawn weed
killer in a spray bottle mixed with a 2 table spoons of liquid dish soap |
|
November |
Spray newly fertilized lawn
with 1/2 cup soft drink (non-diet); 1/4 cup soap; fill the balance with ammonia. Get the leaves out of your
bushes - use a shop-vac. The leaves cause disease in your plants Walk 45 minutes in the lawn
every day. Spray weeds with lawn weed
killer in a spray bottle mixed with a 2 table spoons of liquid dish soap |
|
December |
Early in month fertilize
with weed and feed. Mix in Laundry powder; Epsom salt; Ironite |
|
January |
Early in Month Fertilize
with a high first number; coated urea Lime the lawn late in the
month. |
|
February |
Fertilize with pre-emergent
exactly when of just before Forsythia bloom (No more Fertilizer until fall!
If you do all will be lost to lawn disease. ) Cut back ornamental grass -
divide & transplant Prep the spring surge -
Spray lawn with homemade detacher: 1 can beer/ 1/4 cup dishwashing soap/ fill
balance with ammonia. |
|
March |
Always mow with the blade
all the way up Mow on Monday and Thursday Walk 45 minutes in the lawn
every day. Spray weeds with lawn weed
killer in a spray bottle mixed with a 2 table spoons of liquid dish soap |
|
April |
Shampoo all plants with 1/2
cup of soft drink; 1/2 cup of dish soap; 1/4 cup Listerine; 1/4 cup all purpose fruit
tree spray; 1/4 cup liquid fertilizer; fill balance with ammonia Mow on Monday and Thursday Walk 45 minutes in the lawn
every day. Spray weeds with lawn weed
killer in a spray bottle mixed with a 2 table spoons of liquid dish soap |
|
May |
Apply grub pesticide Mow on Monday and Thursday Walk 45 minutes in the lawn
every day. Spray weeds with lawn weed
killer in a spray bottle mixed with a 2 table spoons of liquid dish soap Plant annuals first
Saturday in May Blank patches? Drill holes in the earth with a bulb auger
every 8 inches and fill the hole with composted manure. The grass will find the manure |
|
June |
Only mow with the promise
of rain Walk 45 minutes in the lawn
every day. Spray weeds with lawn weed
killer in a spray bottle mixed with a 2 table spoons of liquid dish soap. End of June apply 0-0-60
(potash - to get the lawn through stress of summer heat) |
|
July |
Only mow with the promise
of rain Prep for fall sowing - Spray
lawn with homemade detacher: 1 can beer/ 1/4 cup dishwashing soap/ fill
balance with ammonia. Walk 45 minutes in the lawn
every day. Spray weeds with lawn weed
killer in a spray bottle mixed with a 2 table spoons of liquid dish soap. |
Contributors: Indiucky