You Ask, We Answer

Your most common spring lawn questions


The care you give your lawn now will keep it lush and green well into the fall. Here are the questions we hear the most when we’re out evaluating people’s lawns.

Why is my lawn not greening up in certain areas?

This depends a lot on the conditions on your property, as well as the current weather. Here are a few common culprits:

• Disease. If you’ve noticed that only specific patches of your lawn seem to be struggling, it’s possible that what you’re actually seeing are the effects of a lawn disease. To get the right treatment, you should reach out to an expert to diagnose the issue.

• Insects. There are a variety of insects that feed on grass roots and blades in the spring, producing results that look very similar to disease. As with diseases, these can be difficult to diagnose unless you know what to look for, but they are treatable.

• Temperature. If it’s still early in the season, it’s possible that temperatures have not warmed up enough to bring your lawn out of dormancy. This can be especially true for turf in low or shady areas, as it’s soil temperature (not air temperature) that kicks off growth. Even then, different varieties of grasses green up at different soil temperatures.

Is there a wrong way to mow?

Yes! To cut down on the risk of disease and stress, you should only mow when grass is dry and avoid mowing during the heat of the day. When it comes to ideal grass blade length, most varieties do well at around 2 ½ to 3 inches, though in the heat of the summer, you may leave it slightly longer. When you mow, aim to remove no more than one third of the grass blade each time.

What’s the best way to conserve water when watering my lawn?

To encourage more drought-resistant roots, you should only be watering 2-3 times a week, ideally in the morning. The key, however, is to water deeply for around 20-30 minutes. If the weather is particularly dry and this watering schedule isn’t working, you may want to consider our wetting agent. This organic soil treatment maximizes water penetration, so that a smaller amount of water can have a bigger impact on the health of your lawn.

 

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