THE THREE "S-s" FOR A SUPER LAWN
      SOIL - SEED - SUSTAIN
Presented by Barbara MacDonald
 

A lush, thick, green lawn does not just happen: it is the result of paying attention to the three "S's" for a super lawn coupled with the gardeners three "P's": patience, persistence,and pride.

The first step in establishing a lush, green, lawn is to ensure that the SOIL, provides the pH, nutrients, and aeration needed for the healthy, happy grass to grow and proliferate.

What is the soil's pH and why is it important? To grow grass successfully, soil can not be too acidic or too alkaline. The pH is a measurement of the soil's acidity or its alkalinity. The pH scale ranges from 0 to 14, with neutral at 7.0. A pH between 6.5 and 6.8 is ideal for growing most grasses. In this pH range, nutrients in the soil can be released to feed grass and encourage strong grass roots.

How can you know the pH of your soil? The cooperative extension service will for a small fee test samples of your soil for you, but this requires sending several 6" deep soil samples from different locations in your lawn area and waiting the results. Although, not as precise, doing a home test with a soil pH test kit available from most garden centers, is easy, inexpensive and adequate. If you test the soil and the pH falls outside the 6.5 - 6.8 range you will need to address either an acid or alkaline soil problem. Acid Soil (pH 6.0 or less) means the grass grows slowly with poor root development because magnesium, phosphorus, and calcium are less available and nitrogen is only partially released. (A pH of 5.0 or lower means no nitrogen can be absorbed by the grass and soil organisms that free the other chemical components of the soil, simply stop working!) Acid soil can be neutralized with finely ground dolomitic limestone worked in to the soil.
Alkaline Soil (pH 8.0 or higher) means the lawn will become pale or yellow and manganese and iron are no longer available in the soil. Alkaline soil can be connected with applications of iron and sulfate compounds worked into the soil.

For lawns to thrive, you must get the soil's pH in the ideal range for grass. In addition, organic amendments may be necessary to improve the ability of the soil to hold water, disperse nutrients and provide oxygen to the lawn grass. Adding organic materil to clay soil can lessen the problem of compaction and water run-off and in sandy soil, organic matter helps hold moisture and nutrients in the root zone. To determine if your soil is clay or sandy, fill a quart jar 2/3 full of water, then fill the rest of the jar with soil. Replace the jar top, shake vigorously, and then let
the soil settle out of the water. A layer of sandy soil becomes visible in a short period of time,
while clay takes hours to settle out. Five organic amendments are most ofen used: compost, manure, peat moss, ground bark and sawdust.

Compost - Makes clay or compacted soil crumblier. When soil particles have air spaces
between them, water penetrates better, nutrients can reach root zones, and drainage is improved. In sandy soil, compost acts as a sponge to hold moisture and nutrients in the root zone.
Manure - Aged cow and horse manure (with insect eggs and weed seed removed) is an effective soil conditioner, but beware, fresh manure gives off ammonia gasses which may severely damage grass and grass roots. Also, the high salt content of some manure prevents seed gennination.
Peat Moss - Use sparingly! Peat moss is highly acidic (pH is 3.5 -4.5) and it sheds water if allowed to dry out.
Ground bark and sawdust - Although frequently used, these wood by-products are not recommended soil amendments because, they decompose with the aid of bacteria that use nitrogen, taking the nitrogen away from the grass. If used, (because it is cheap) be sure to mix in a general purpose 10-10-10 plant food.

Any amendment added to the soil should be 1-4 inches deep and worked thoroughly into the soil.

The second step in achieving that evasive lush lawn, is finding and sowing the appropriate grass
SEED. If planting a new lawn, or over seeding an existing lawn, be sure to purchase seed produced for the year you are planting it. Old seed may not germinate. Grass seeds can be sown
in the spring or fall, not in the hot, dry summer months. Fall planting (mid-September) decreases the probability of heat damage to the germinatiny seedlings. Spring: planting allows for ample
water and sunlight but there is a disadvantage to spring planting - weed seeds are also germinating and may crowd out the grass seedlings.
Distribute grass seeds with a drop or broadcast spreader, rake them lightly into the soil, then roll
with a light roller so that the seed is firmly pressed, no more than 1/2 inch into the soil. Cover the
seeded lawn area with 1/4 the to 1/2 inch of straw and keep tbe soil moist once the seeds germinate. The most common problems with seeding a lawn are improper watering (once seeds germinate they must be kept wet) and overly wet soil with a high nitrogen component (this encourages fungi growth which attacks the seed).

Gardeners who do not have the time to plant seed and monitor seedlings, or who want an
immediate lawn can consider laying sod. The soil must be adequately prepared and amended the
same as for seeding prior to laying the sod. Purchase sod that is unifomly green, not overly wet
and at least 3/4 to 1 inch thick. Sod lawns fail when the sod is placed on hard, unprepared soil that does not permit roots to penetrate the soil and or when the soil is not kept moist (not wet) for at least 2 weeks. Compared to seeding, a sod lawn is rather expensive and requires almost as much work to install.

Whether sod or seed, the type of grass seed used is important. For lawn success, you need to choose the type of grass appropriate for the climate, lawn use, location, (i.e. sun or shade) and
has maintenance requirements you can live with. Most packaged lawn seed is a blend of grass
seeds. The following cool season grass seeds are the most appropriate for our area. Bentgrass - Used on golf courses, but fussy to maintain. Has some shade tolerance. Must be
mowed regularly and often, requires heavy applications of fertilizer, and suffers in drought. Bentgrass is susceptible to fungus. Hence, bentgrass seed produces a high maintenance lush lawn. Kentucky Blue Grass - This grass seed is best for over ali appearance because of its deep color, high density and heat resistance. However, there are several types of Kentucky Blue grass, each with their own peculiar advantage or disadvantage. For example, Merion Blue grass does not do well in shade and is prone to mildew and rust. All blue grass varieties require ample watering, and can not be severely mowed.
   Fescue - Fescue grass seed comes in chewing fescue, red fescue and tall fescue. The fescue are good for a rugged lawn able to withstand play and foot traffic. They adapt well to dry conditions, poor soil and some shade. In particular, the red fescue grass seed tolerates acid soil and some shade fairly well.
   Ryegrass - This geed has an annual and a perennial variety. The annual is used to produce a quick lawn cover. It tolerates some shade but needs lots of water and must be replanted each year. Frequently mixed with other grass seeds in lawn packages, therefore, note the percentage
of seed that is annual ryegrass. The perennial variety of ryegrass tolerates some shade and needs
only moderate applications of fertilizers and water. It is good for play areas, but grows clumpy which may make it hard to mow.

Now that you have the SOlL prepared and the grass SEED in, it is time to consider the last "S" for your super lawn - how to SUSTAIN the growing grass. Sustaining the lawn falls into the same category as raking - it's time consuming, tiring and boring, but it must be done. You may be tempted to blame those yellow patches on insects or fungus, but your mowing technique or the mowng equipment may be the culprit.

Mowing - mower blades should be sharpened after 5-6 hours of cutting and the first cut of the spring should be low with the last fall cutting, high. If possible, mowing should be done after
5 p.m. and the cutting pattern should be alternating. The frequency of mowing can also create
problems. For example, when you mow too frequently, with the blades set low, shallow roots
develop. Lawns with shallow grass roots are prone to disease and weed problems. Conversely, mowing too seldom often means taking off too much grass at one time. When you let grass grow
too high and then lop off half of it, the roots go into shock. Never remove more than 1/3  of the grass top when you mow.

The following lists the recommended grass height for the cool season grass appropriate for our location:
Bentgrass~- 3/8" - 3/4 inch
Kentucky Blue Grass: 2-3 inches
Fescue:Chewing- 1-2 inches, Red Fescue-2-3 inches, Tall Fescue-3-4 inches.
Rye Grass: Annual- l&l/2-2 inches, Perennial- 1-2 1/2 inches. After mowing, what about the grass clippings? Some say they are good for the lawn, some say they shade the grass too much, and others say they foul the lawn mower. There is some truth to all these opinions. It seems the best approach to what to do with grass clipping is to mow regularly with a mulching mower and if clippings are less than 1" leave them on the lawn. Grass clippings are 90% water and they will dry up and disappear in about 24 hrs. Also they provide as
much as 1/3 of the lawns nutritional requirements. If you do need to rake or if you do use a grass catcher, do not pile the grass clippings close to the house. Piled up grass clippings have no room for air movement or water evaporation and will turn to slime. This is the perfect environnnent for flies to deposit eggs. If you turn over just one small section of decaying piled grass you may expose as many as 3,000 maggots. Yuk!

Watering - A lawn needs water when footprints remain visible after walking on it. A proper watering program requires watering before 2 p.m. to decrease the chance of evaporation, and after the first 5-6 inches of soil are moist, 1-2 inches per week should sustain enough deep moisture. Soil type must be a consideration when watering.  Clay soil slows water penetration, therefore, grass grown in clay soil should be watered slowly to avoid water run-off. Also, resist walking on clay soil when wet -it just increases soil compaction. Once watered, clay soil will hold water for a long time. This is true even when the top soil looks dry and cracks. Be careful not to continue watering just because the topsoil looks dry in clay soil. Water logged clay soil decreases air penetration and may lead to a myriad of fungus diseases. Sandy soil gives quick drainage and effective air circulation, but it does not retain moisture well and needs more frequent short bursts of watering.
A quick test to see if your lawn has enough water is to poke a long screwdriver into it. If it pokes through 6 inches easily the soil is usually wet enough. Or, you can test soil moisture 12 hours after watering. After watering, the soil should be moist 6-8 inches deep. In a drought situation, with watering restrictions do not fertilize (fertilizer promotes growth now unsupported by adequate moisture), remove weeds (they compete with the grass for available water), and mow less frequently (but do not let the grass grow higher then l/3 over the
recommended cutting height).

Weeds - In general weeds are a sign that growing conditions or grass are not optimal. Weeds thrive in a lawn where the soil is unimproved, water is minimal, and fertilizer is scarce. Weed seeds are extremely durable. They may germinate quickly, or if conditions are not quite right, lay dormant in the soil for a year or more. The best weed control is preventative. Knowing that weeds like acidic compact soil, tolerate poor drainage and lack of fertilizer, proliferate when good mowing techniques are not adhered too, thrive in under or over watering conditions and can live with or without adequate sunlight, stresses the importance of the three S's of growing a lush lawn. There are chemical weed control products readily avzlilable, but chemical herbicides are quite specific for the weeds they eliminate. In addition, some are pre emergent and some post emergent. Used inappropniately chemical herbicides can do more harm than good. If you choose to use chemical herbicides, READ THE LABEL AND FOLLOW THE INSTRCTIONS CAREFULLY. Also, avoid using herbicides on windy days and never apply any weed killer on newly seeded lawns. (New grass seedlings are more sensitive to weed control herbicides than mature grasses.)

Tree Related Lawn Problems - When tree and grass grow in the same area, two problems often develop - too much shade and surface tree roots.

Shade: Shade is creating problems if the lawn thins, turns dark green, or moss and algae take
over. To correct, try planting more shade tolerant grass seed, like the red fescue or perennial rye. Try increasing sunlight by trimming off all tree limbs that extend or grow less than 6" above the
ground. Thin out the crown of the treetop by pruning it. If the lawn area receives at least 2 hours of direct sun light daily, a shade tolerant grass can probably survive. In areas that receive less than 2 hours daily of direct sunlight, consider planting a non grass ground cover such as vinca, wild ginger, sweet woodruff, mondograss, winter creeper, ajuga, japanese spurge (pachysandra) or ivy (if you have time and energy to control it). Shady areas also call for care in mowing. When light is scarce, grass grows a bit taller in its reach for the sun. Close mowing of shaded grass is harmful, since it reduces the productive leaf blade area. Therefore, cut grass in shade higher than that in sun-lit areas of the lawn. Surface tree roots: Surface tree roots are a natural tendency of some trees such as, silver maples, honey locust, sycamores, papulars, elms, sumacs, black locust and willows to name a few. These trees should be left out of lawn areas.  Trees that can be planted in lawn areas are maples, silk tree, smoke tree, hawthorne, Modesto ash, golden raintree, star magnolia and flowering cherry, peach and plum trees. Surface tree roots are also an attempt of the tree root to get water and or oxygen. Therefore, shallow watering, standing water from poor soil drainage,
compact soil and soil fertilization can also cause. surface tree roots in a lawn area.  To fertilize and water a tree, bore 12" deep holes around the tree's drip line and apply the fertilizer and water
into these holes.

Insect and animal pests: Healthy lawns can tolerate insect invasions. Insects damage poorly maintained lawns. There are several chemical controls, all of which should be used with caution as they can be harmful to pets, wild life, birds, bees and even humans. To address insect invasions in a lawn without the use of chemicals, try attracting the insect's natural predators, such as birds, parasitic wasps, lady bugs and green lacewing larvae. For example, birds will seek out cutworms for breakfast, lunch and supper. In lieu of harsh chemicals, try using insecticidal soap, or a mixture of water and dish washing liquid.  If chemical control of insects is necessary,
there are several products on the market such as Orthene and Sevin, which will control most insect infestations. Remember, when using these products, to read the label carefully and follow application directions with care.

Animal pests such as moles, voles, rabbits, gopher, mice, and slugs cause significant damage to
lawns. Owning a cat or a dog that annoy these pests can be a partial solution. The trade off,
however, is that household pets urinating on the lawn also kill grass, but at least cats and dogs
are welcomed companions, mitigating their destructiveness.

What do to if all your efforts for a lush geen lawn fail? Get creative and make the most of what soil, and sun you've got.  In low wet spots, consider planting a bog garden with moisture loving
lilies, wild irises, marsh marigolds and astilbes.  If the soil is dry and rocky, put in a rock garden
with gravel loving alpine plants and sedums. If there is too much shade, think in terms of a woodland garden of ferns, bleeding hearts, hostas, begonias, and lobelias. If you have a steep slope, try terracing it and planting blooming vines, grapes or a display of roses. Work with what you have been given and Mother Nature may reward you with less maintenance and a more original landscape design aound your lawn areas.
 
 
 

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