Lawn Care - Turf Tips

• Mowing
  Height of cut - Mow at least 3 inches or higher.  Mowing to closely reduces root growth, weakens the lawn, and encourages the growth or development of weeds, crabgrass and disease.
  
  Frequency of cut - Mow the lawn only when needed.  Base your mowing schedule on the growth rate of the lawn rather than a time schedule.  Never remove more than 1/3 of the grass blade at any one mowing.  This will stress the turf, making it more susceptible to disease and insect damage.
  
  Clippings - Do not remove grass clippings unless they are smothering the lawn.  Clippings decompose and re-supply the lawn with nutrients.  Clippings do not contribute to thatch.
  
  Blade care - Maintain a sharp mowing blade.  Lawns mowed with a dull blade appear "ragged" and "wounded", which is unattractive and results in making the grass plant more susceptible to disease and insects.  Ideally, mower blades should be sharpened once a month.
  
  
• Watering
  General requirement - Your lawn should receive roughly 1 to 1 1/2 inches of water per week during the hottest, driest months (June-Aug.).  If rainfall should occur, adjust the amount of watering you do.  Usually once every 5-7 days is sufficient.  Deep, infrequent watering to a soil depth of 4-6 inches is recommended.  Frequent, light watering that only dampens the grass can cause more harm than good, by creating conditions favorable for diseases to form. 
  
  Timing - The best time to water your lawn is very early in the morning (starting around 6 a.m.).   This will allow the lawn to dry as the day progresses.  Watering in the middle of the day when temperatures are hot allows the water to evaporate.  Evening watering promotes disease problems due to prolonged wetness.
  
  * A rule of thumb for figuring out how long to water is to put a coffee can or bucket on the lawn to see how long it takes to collect the 1 to 1 1/2 inches of water.  You then know how long it will take to water the lawn to the proper depth. 
  
  
• Miscellaneous
  Leaf removal - Remove leaves at weekly intervals from established lawns during the fall.  Do not let any leaves accumulate on newly seeded lawns that have not been mowed at least once or twice.  Leaves that are left to accumulate will smother the grass.  Do not mulch leaves into the lawn with your rotary mower.
  
  Mower maintenance - Avoid filling your mower with gas or doing other maintenance work while on the lawn.  Any gasoline or oil spills are going to kill the grass and sterilize the soil.
  
  Objects on lawn - Avoid leaving any objects, such as plastic drop cloths or pieces of wood on the lawn.  On a hot day, they can damage the lawn by smothering it in a very short period of time.