FALL 2003 ONLINE NEWSLETTER

Your Lawn

Several items should be addressed after this unusual summer.
As pointed out in our Summer Newsletter, the continuous rain has dramatically increased the weed population, especially the crabgrass. The excessive rainfall prematurely broke down the pre-emergent barrier that was applied this spring.

This occurrence has allowed crabgrass germination in some lawns. It has been rare to see a lawn with 100% crabgrass control this season.

Not all lawns are experiencing this problem. Several other factors, such as your lawn’s exposure to sunlight, turf density and mowing height, also come into play.

Even though some of you are seeing crabgrass in your lawn, it’s not the fact that the pre-emergent did not work, it’s just that it worked to a lesser degree than in past years. The bottom line is we do not want to see ANY crabgrass in ANY of our lawns! We are currently evaluating our options for next year to prevent a reoccurrence of this situation.

To bag or Not to bag

This long debated question may finally have an answer. Recent research has found that by leaving your clippings, you can return as much as 30% of the nutrients used by the turf grass back to your lawn. I am not sure why it has taken so long to figure this out. But it has! And it does make sense.

Here is our official position on the matter at this point in time.

• Whenever possible, leave your clippings.

• Keep in mind that heavy clippings smother grass plants, as we discussed in our Summer Newsletter. Many of the newer mulching mower decks do a good job of “recycling” clippings.

• There are several other benefits of mulching. It takes less time - and energy - than bagging. You don’t have to get rid of the clippings (which is getting harder to do). If you have allergies, mulching causes less contact with the dust and pollens. With mulching decks, you can keep most of the clippings out of your landscaped beds.

Helpful Hint: Many ornamental grasses, like bamboo, tend to spread and take over a landscape. An easy way to prevent the spread is to plant them inside a garbage can or pot with the bottom cut out. Leave a lip of about 2 inches above ground to keep the runners in control.

Your Landscape

Fall is a great time for planting. Plant ornamental trees and shrubs now to give them time to get established before winter sets in. This will be an excellent year for planting because our soil remained moist throughout the summer.

Before planting shrubs and small ornamental trees, make sure to untangle outside roots or make several small cuts in the bottom third of the root mass. This encourages the new roots to grow outward and establish more quickly.

You can start dividing your perennials and multiplying bulbs (like daffodils) as soon as it cools off a bit. While it remains hot in the afternoons, try to do this on cooler, overcast days. It helps to give them a good soaking when transplanting. Wait to plant new bulbs until late October or early November to keep them from sprouting this year.

Plant pansies as soon as they are available. This will give them time to develop good roots before the soil gets cold. They often survive the winter in this area depending on our weather.

Aeration and Seeding

Fall is the best time to aerate and overseed your lawn. Please check our aeration sheet for more information on this important service.

Remember - the proper mowing height is 3 - 3 1/2 inches