SERVICES: Fact Sheets

A FEW LAWN AND FERTILIZING TIPS:

• Potential weed problems can be avoided by keeping lawns tall. Longer grass blades shade out young weeds.
  
  
• When you mow, you cut off the meristem of broad leaf weeds, but not of grass! What does that mean exactly? When plant meristems are removed, plant grow is stimulated by the removal of plant hormone inhibitors concentrated in the meristem. Remove the inhibitors and you get accelerated growth.
  
  
• Topdressing: Always a great idea - topdressing with compost is a good idea for several reasons:
  • increases the water-holding capacity of the soil
  • improves both the soil structure and soil amenities
  • All of these promote plant health, which in turn improves the plants' ability to compete with weeds and pests.
  • If you have a fine, dry compost, you can apply it with a spreader. In the fall, you can mix it with seeds for an overseeding application.
  • You could also mix it with a granular fertilizer.
    
    
• Soil and Lawn Aeration: aeration is a very important component of lawn care and maintenance. It brings air and water to the root zone, promoting strong root development and above ground plant growth.
  • Aerating once or twice a year is recommended (depending on your soil type and amount of compaction).
  • Aeration is an excellent pre-cursor to seeding.
    
    
• Watering: Rule #1 - water infrequently and deeply
  
  
• Your Lawn Tells You What it Needs - Signs to Watch For:
  • clover is a sign of nitrogen deficiency
  • dandelions are a sign of alkaline soil
  • crabgrass is a sign of low fertility and possible presence of road salt problems.
  • Moss is a sign of soil acidity
  • Troubleshooting individual problems could save you time and money.
  • pH: for a lawn that doesn't seem to respond to any pH adjustment, a professional pH test should be done.
    • pH affects the uptake of macro and micro nutrients, and is a common, yet hidden, problem.
      
      
• Fertilizer recommended by Elliston Farm: Espoma Organic 18-8-6 has a nice variety of source nutrients and is an organic product. The nutrients in organic fertilizers are derived from a variety of sources, and thus will be able to offer the full complement of macro and micro nutrients. Inorganic fertilizers are usually derived from petroleum by-products, and do not offer the same range of nutrients.
  
  
• Herbicides:
  • Stay away from any herbicides in the so-called "phenoxy" category, as they are known carcinogens. In addition, run-off and drift from them can cause damage to other plants.
  • Post-emergent herbicides control both annual and perennial weeds, while pre-emergents only control annuals.
  • CONFRONT Herbicide used in lawns:
    • the active ingredient in Confront, Clopyralid (3,6-dichloro-2-pyridinecarboxylic acid), has been shown to remain active in soil and compost after several years AND after grass clippings have been composted. Compost created from grass clippings from lawns that had CONFRONT herbicide applications contain active Clopyralid herbicide. This means that compost applied to your perennial garden can contain Confront and will damage and kill your perennial plants. BE CAREFUL - when using bulk compost, try to determine the original content of the compost and its origins. Compost and mulch made from clopyralid-treated plants contain harmful residues.
    • A greenhouse experiment from Michigan State University, in which clopyralid-damaged bean plants were used as a soil amendment for subsequent plantings of beans, resulted in damage for three generations of bean crops.
    • For more information regarding Clopyralid (3,6-dichloro-2-pyridinecarboxylic acid), please visit http://www.mindfully.org/Pesticide/Clopyralid.htm
• Pesticides:
  • Grubs can do major damage to lawn root systems. Below is a diagram of the Japanese/June Beetle life cycle taken from the Ortho website. The time to apply grub control is just before the adult females are laying eggs, typically late July or early August.

CALENDAR FOR DO-IT-YOURSELF LAWN CARE

• Late winter (February or March): Sow all bare spots with a lawn-seed mixture and cover with 1/4" thick sifted soil.
  
  
• Spring: After last frost, top-dress with compost and work in with a rake. Roll sod as necessary. Remove dandelions and plantains, or spot treat any broad leafs with herbicide.
  MOW HEIGHT = 1.5 inches when grass is 2-3 inches high.
  
  
• Summer: In June, if weather is hot and humid, watch for brown patches caused by chinch bug. Also watch for patches of bent grass and remove as needed. Remove young crab-grass plants now and while small.
  
  
• MidSummer: Watch the moisture content and water accordingly. Grass requires approximately 1inch of rain/week! MOW HEIGHT = 2 inches.
  
  
• Fall: In August, inspect for chinch bug. Before the end of August and early September, cut the grass close, removing the clippings. Iron rake the lawn to remove weeds. Apply turf fertilizer (10-6-4) at 10-25 lbs. per 1000 sq. ft. MOW HEIGHT = 1.5 inches. Mow until top growth stops.
  
  

Mulch: 100 square = ~ 3" deep
Hemlock is recommended when using close to your house; this helps prevent carpenter ant infestations. However, pine and hemlock/pine mixes are also available. In addition, gravel, cocoa shells, and other materials are suitable, depending on your needs , budget and preference.