Eco-Cultural Practices and Tips to reducing weeds and promoting a healthy lawn.
- Keep your lawn mowed at a height of 2.5 to 3 inches. Low mowing encourages broadleaf weed germination and invasion of grassy weeds such as creeping bentgrass and crabgrass. A higher mowing height also reduces the need for water by shading the soil.
- Mow your lawn during the coolest parts of the day if possible. Either morning or after 7pm. Cooler temperatures reduces stress to the grass plant. Stress increases chances of disease development. It is best to mow your lawn when the grass blade is dry.
- Cut your lawn more often when possible and try not to cut more than 1/3 of the grass blade at one time.
- Water in the early morning rather than late evening. Fungus and diseases grow better in a cool dark environment. Keeping grass wet during the night will promote more instances of disease.
- When possible hand pull weeds when they are small and have just germinated. Once the root is established they are more difficult to get rid of without the use of herbicides.
- If you already have weeds, mow them before seeds pods develop to reduce spreading of the seeds.
DIY homeowners must be careful not to over fertilize their lawn. Not only do you risk the chance of burning your lawn by doing so you also attract leaf feeding insects like Chinch bug who love to feed on over fertilized top growth. There is also the likelyhood of increasing your thatch level, this to habours and encourages insect habitat.
What 'sucks' in your lawn?
Did you know that certain varieties of turf grass such as Inspire Perennial Ryegrass contain a fungus called an 'endophyte' which gives the plant a natural resistance to sucking insects such as chinch bug? By adding this blend of grass seed to your lawn you can effectively eliminate some of the damage that these annoying insects cause. By using balanced fertility combined with a diverse selection of high quality grass seed, insect damage can be effectively controlled.