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Minnesota Grass: What is it?

Minnesota lawns are made up of many different kinds of grasses, however, there are three primary grasses we grow and cultivate for home lawns:

• Kentucky Bluegrass
• Fine Fescue
• Perennial Ryegrass

The most prevalent grass in Minnesota is Kentucky bluegrass. There is a good chance that your lawn is made up of a blend of Kentucky bluegrass with varying amounts of Fescue and Ryegrass.

Kentucky bluegrass grows under some of the most extreme weather in the country. It survives year after year through harsh winter conditions. It has the ability to tolerate periods of drought and recover when ample moisture returns. Kentucky bluegrass has the ability to fill in thin areas and grow together from sod to form one continuous lawn. Hybrid varieties of Kentucky bluegrass grow thicker, greener and are more disease resistant. Kentucky blue grass is the number one choice for sod lawns in the northern tier states.

The Proper Way to Get Ready for Spring Green up

There are a ton of misconceptions and miss-information about how to get your lawn ready in the spring time. Some of these misconceptions include:

• power raking your lawn
• hand raking with a steel rake
• pulling out all of the brown grass blades
• spreading grass see over the entire lawn - with the idea your lawn will get thicker
• mowing and bagging the entire lawn

Every one of these actions is not necessary and can even hinder your efforts for a green lawn in the spring: Here are 6 easy and quick steps to green up your lawn in the spring:

1. Blow sand from the winter into the street.
2. Blow leaves from landscaping into the lawn area.
3. Set cutting height of mower to 1.5 inches for one time spring cut.
4. Return to 2.5 inches for your next mowing.
5. Mulch all leaves with lawn mower. The short mowing will help sunlight heat the soil and speed green up.
6. Once all surface covering debris is mulched, you're ready to fertilize.

Fertilizing Your Lawn

The major reason for fertilizing your lawn is because Nitrogen does not store in the soil and gets consumed by the grass plant. Fertilizing produces denser turf, deeper green color and uniformity and growth. A thick healthy lawn will shade the soil and naturally prevent weeds from growing. The fertilizer level in soil is continuously being depleted. Fertilizer provides the necessary nutrients for turf to thrive. A healthy lawn contributes positively to people and the environment, a thin or dormant lawn does not!

Nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P) and potassium (K) are called macro-nutrients and lawns require them in larger amounts than occur naturally in the environment. N-P-K are the primary active ingredients in lawn fertilizers and the numbers you often see on a fertilizer bag represent the percentage of each of these nutrients. Turf grasses also consume micro-nutrients such as iron, calcium, magnesium and zinc. The micro-nutrient level in most Minnesota soils is adequate and does not require supplemental applications. A soil test can confirm this.

How Many Applications Do You Really Need?

Kentucky Blue Grass lawns that are 35 years or older need 3 pounds of nitrogen per year - which can be accomplished in just 3 applications. Improved Kentucky bluegrass lawns are usually less then 35 years old require and 4-5 pounds of nitrogen per year - which should be applied in 4-5 applications.

The only weed treatment that needs to be scheduled regularly is pre-emergent fertilizer for crabgrass control. Crabgrass is controlled by preventing the seeds from growing. As a result this application needs to be done on average, no later then May 20th each year.

Broadleaf weeds such as dandelions are not prevented, but treated as they emerge. Consequently, broadleaf weed treatment does not require regular scheduling - but should be available with each application in case these broadleaf weeds appear on the lawn.

Good results can be achieved with as little as 3 applications per year ... and if you want outstanding results, 5 applications of fertilizer should be applied each season. A reputable lawn care service can give you the expert inspection and advice you need with each visit and will provide insight to thatch management, insect and disease control, and can answer any other questions you may have.

Environmental Impact of Fertilizer

The truth is, any fertilizer whether it's organic or manufactured has negative potential impact on the environment if handled incorrectly. If you use organic or manufactured fertilizer in the wrong manner - both can have negative affects on the environment.

How do you protect your lawn and the environment? Apply fertilizer, organic or man made at the proper rates of application. Clean up any residual fertilizer material from impervious surfaces such as driveways, sidewalks and the curb along the street. This is best handled by using a hand held blower and blowing it back into the lawn. When properly used all fertilizer benefits you, the environment, and your lawn and landscape.

More is not better

Remember; when it comes to fertilizer more is not necessarily better. Read and follow all instructions. And better yet, consider hiring a professional, as they have the experience and knowledge for proper applications and rates. Excess fertilizer that washes off lawns is wasted and is potentially harmful.

Use only slow release fertilizer

Use slow release fertilizer because its effectiveness is spread over time. It provides continuous feeding and more natural and gradual release. Slow release fertilizer has less potential for leaching through soils. Slow release fertilizers can reduce the amount of fertilizer applications you need.

Fertilizing and keeping your grass thick and healthy helps the environment in many ways

When properly applied all fertilizer is helpful to the lawn, landscape and the environment. Green plants, including grass are living and breathing ecosystems, they give off oxygen and consume carbon dioxide (CO2). Turf grass also has a cooling affect on the environment and enhances ground water by increasing infiltration of water and cleanses the water as it passes through.

Did you know you can reduce the phosphorus run off of your lawn by 40% with one simple action?

By simply cleaning up the leaves and grass clippings from the street you can reduce phosphorus run off by up to 40%. If every homeowner understood that it would make a huge positive impact on our environment.

Liquid vs. Granules

The fact is your lawn doesn't know or care how fertilizer is applied. The only way turf can absorb nitrogen and potassium fertilizer is through the roots. It doesn't matter how it's applied, it still needs to be watered into a solution into the soil and absorbed by the roots.

Both granule and liquid fertilizer applied to the surface of your lawn do nothing but sit on top. Liquid dries on the surface as a dry fertilizer on the surface of the lawn. Granule fertilizer is applied dry and sits on the top of the lawn. So the point is; all fertilizer needs to be watered into the soil and become a liquid at some point to get to the roots and be absorbed.

It is often assumed that granular fertilizer is slow release and dissolves slowly.

Not true. Only the portion of the granular that is actually a slow release formula will last up to 8 weeks. Scott's fertilizer contains 20% slow release, and 80% really quick release, which dissolves and goes to work immediately. This is considered an acceptable average fertilizer blend.

The true advantage of Liquid slow release fertilizer

It is also true that a higher percentage of slow release formula in your fertilizer blend will last longer. The more slow release applied at one time the higher the dose can be with out damaging the lawn. You want to make sure that the company you choose has a slow release formula like Pro Turfs'. It starts in a bag and then the slow release is controlled by an ingredient that treats all of the nitrogen in the fertilizer - providing 100% slow release nitrogen. Compare that to the 20% you receive in the average bag of fertilizer - including top brand names like Scott.

Liquid blends can be custom made and provide up to 20 weeks of slow release fertilizer benefit. Liquid fertilizer can be blended daily for changing weather patterns. Fertilizer blends can be controlled per batch and all compatible products can be added as needed, such as fungicide, insecticide and herbicides. Liquid fertilizer blends can simply be made better and applied with other products resulting in one labor charge for multiple products.

Do It Yourself versus Hiring a Professional - Can You Afford to Do It Yourself?

If you are a true do-it-yourselfer and you love spending many hours every week keeping up with your lawn, tweaking the fertilizer, controlling the weeds, and you really enjoy the challenge of lawn care, then obviously hiring a professional service is not for you.

But honestly there are only a very small percentage of homeowners who are like that. And chances are if you are reading this, you aren't in that group anyway. As homeowners we often times forget the up front costs of fertilizing and weed control, not to mention the hours upon hours spent on lawn care. In the beginning there is the upfront cost of fertilizer and weed control equipment.

Results are usually achieved - if they are achieved, by the trial and error method. Keep trying until it works - or doesn't! Service calls are provided by you going to the store to buy more materials. Insect and diseases are diagnosed by bringing in a hunk of our lawn to the garden center and then you cross your fingers and hope it matches a picture they have on the wall. The odds are really not that good!

Do you really know if you are watering too little or too much? Will you discover the problems before they start or when it's too late? A true professional service will give you that "value added" advice and service that they have learned from looking at lawns like yours for 20 years. And with a professional service taking care of your lawn - you can spend your precious summer hours doing the things you love to do!

The #1 Reason for Poor Results - Watering

No one single factor has more impact on the results of lawn fertilizing than water. Fertilizer simply won't work with out the growth caused from water. Lack of water can cause quick decline in color and density of your turf. Too much water can cause excessive growth, harbor disease organisms and increase disease occurrence. Infrequent or erratic watering patterns can cause flushes of growth with signs of improvement, and then cause declines in appearance and thickness when the watering intervals are to far apart.

Strong, thick healthy lawns receive regular watering weekly or bi-weekly, depending on the time of season. If you are on a weekly schedule, your sprinklers should be left in one area until one inch of water has been dispersed. One half inch can be used for bi-weekly watering. Watering is most effective when it is applied regularly and for properly timed intervals.

The #1 Biggest Mistake When Mowing Your Lawn

The biggest misconception when mowing your lawn is bagging your grass clippings every time you mow. It may provide a nice clean appearance, especially in spring, but it removes the beneficial grass blades and creates a lot of work. The most common benefit from lawn mowing is the neat trimmed and managed appearance after cutting. However there are additional and less obvious benefits from proper mowing. And there are detrimental effects when we deviate from regular cutting or cutting too short and mowing when the turf is suffering from additional forms of stress.

Cutting height

All home lawn turf varieties should be cut at 2.5 to 3 inches tall. This will allow enough of the green portion of the leaf blade exposed after cutting for optimum green appearance. Removal of too much leaf blade can result in increased moisture loss, reduced turf vigor, decreased root development and photosynthesis. Cutting too short puts the turf in a stress situation that will suffer greater damage from minor insect or disease problems, and will cause an increase in weed growth. Your lawn should be cut less than 2 inches only once per year, and that should be at the end of October or early November to reduce winter disease injury, mouse damage and expedite spring green up.

Mowing frequency

Your lawn should be cut after it grows 1/3 taller than the maintained height of 2.5-3 inches. This can be as often as every four days during high growth periods. If your lawn is being cut too infrequent it will appear yellow green after mowing from removal of too much leaf blade, leaving mostly grass stems. The leaf blade contains most of the chlorophyll that provides the green color.

Correct time to mow

Your lawn should be cut during the coolest time of day and there should be reasonable soil moisture or turf color. Cutting during high temperatures or dry conditions can result in immediate leaf tissue damage. This can appear in a day or two as brown streaks or general browning out of entire areas. Mowing in the peak heat of the day will also increase moisture loss through the leaf blade tip.

Grass clippings and blade sharpness

Grass clippings should be left on the lawn to improve moisture retention, increase soil organic matter, and return nutrients to the soil. When clippings are excessive, try double cutting to disperse them so they do not smother the turf. If they are too thick they may need to be removed. A sharp blade provides a cleaner cut and less moisture loss. Your blade should be sharpened once before the season starts and periodically touched up with a hand file. We often take proper mowing for granted and do not realize how dramatic the effects can be when we deviate from good mowing practices.

Fall Fertilization and Winterizing Your Lawn

One of the most important agronomical times to apply fertilizer is in the late fall; this is often referred to as "Winterizing". Late fall fertilization is applied when shoot growth slows, or around mid to late October. Nitrogen applied at this time is converted and stored as carbohydrate reserves for use the following spring. This provides an available food source in the grass plant for an earlier more natural spring green-up. This provides available carbohydrates prior to the application of your spring fertilizer. Both spring, summer and late summer fertilization is used to maintain the color and density produced by fall fertilization the previous year.

Aeration of Lawns

Aeration of a lawn consists of extracting cores of soil from the lawn area. This is accomplished with a machine having hollow tines or spoons mounted on a disk or drum. The machine extracts cores of soil 1/4 to 3/4 inch in diameter, and 2 to 4 inches in depth when driven across the lawn. The two major reasons for aerating a home lawn are to help control thatch development and to help reduce compaction in the surface zone of the soil.

Thatch is a layer of organic matter that develops between the soil surface and the actively growing green vegetation. Development of thatch greater than 3/4 inch thick can lead to greater drought, insect and disease problems. Aerating a lawn helps control the development of thatch. It increases the activity of the soil microorganisms that decompose the thatch layer. Aeration results in a mixture of thatch and soil which retains more nutrients and water than a layer of pure thatch.

Compaction occurs when the lawn is used frequently as a play area or when vehicle traffic has been allowed on the lawn. In many cases the soil compaction occurred during construction activities. In addition, the growth of grass roots may be reduced due to less oxygen movement to the roots. Aeration of the lawn leaves open holes that gradually fill with un-compacted soil. Following aeration of a lawn water infiltration is higher, oxygen movement to the roots increases and grass growth is stimulated.

When to Aerate In Minnesota the best times of year for lawn aeration are spring (April-June) and late summer, between August 25 and September 20th. At that time the lawn is generally coming out of a summer stress period and into a period of vigorous growth. Weed competition is minimal during that period and the lawn recovers well from aeration.

All About Seeding

The best time to seed in Minnesota is late summer (mid-August to mid-September) due to favorable conditions for germination and growth. In addition, fewer weed seeds are germinating that might compete with the grass seedlings. Seeding in August allows ample time for the plants to be well established before winter.

Seeding can be done in the spring; however, weeds and high summer temperatures often reduce the chance of success. Most annual weeds that compete with new grass seedlings germinate in spring. In addition, the short growth period in spring allows little time to develop a root system to survive the summer heat stresses.

Site Preparation First rototil the top, 4-6 inches of soil, then use a lawn rake to level the soil. The lawn seedbed should be firm and free of large lumps. Proper seed for the area should be used for optimum results (sunny or shady). To get an even seed distribution, use a seeder such as a drop spreader used for applying lawn fertilizer. Spread 4-5 pounds per 1000 square feet and lightly rake into soil. Don't cover the seed with more than one-fourth inch of soil. Roll the surface lightly to improve seed-to-soil contact. A mulch protection should be applied to control wash out and retain moisture. Mulch products are available at lawn and garden centers or you could use grass clippings or straw.

Watering the new seeding site is very important. For the best germination, be sure that there is moist soil to a depth of 4-6 inches. After seeding, water only as needed (daily 20-30 minutes). Some drying during the day will not harm the seeds and may actually enhance germination. Cease watering when free water (puddles) begins to appear. When the seed has germinated begin regular watering while the seedlings are very small. This watering schedule should be maintained until grass is 2-3 inches tall. Gradually taper off the watering as the plants grow larger and the temperature in fall cools off. Ordinarily 6–12 weeks are needed for establishment. It takes nearly a full season for the new lawn to be a mature and durable turf able to withstand considerable traffic. New grass can be mowed after it reaches a height of 3 inches.

What can you expect? Grass blades will be thin and soil surface visible 3-4 weeks after planting. Germination is usually 85-90 percent. If you notice large bare areas, additional seeding may be necessary. Grass blades will become thicker and turf density will gradually improve, covering the entire soil surface. Please keep in mind seed always starts thin and builds density with continuous care. Fertilizing and mowing are very important in developing a dense turf canopy.

Follow up care is advisable to have your new seed fertilized and sprayed for weeds as soon as possible. This can usually be done after the lawn has been mowed 2-3 times. It may take an entire season of regular care before your new seed reaches its full density. Weeds may be a problem for an extended period of time because of the poor density and exposed soil of new seedbeds.

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