Tips from the Old Man with the Ponytail :
When lawn care procedures are accomplished at the optimum time of year, utilizing the appropriate products, results are also optimum, requiring less effort in the long run. Every procedure accomplished inefficiently or at less than optimum timing will require more effort down the road to compensate.
Example#1:
You can thatch or aerate and seed in the spring even though early fall is optimum.
Result: You stimulate crabgrass and broadleaf weed development. This requires future applications of control products. Thatching or aeration opens the ground up to increased soil moisture evaporation. This causes drought stress and or the need for supplemental irrigation. Drought stress causes more susceptibility to insect damage. Insect damage causes bare spots. Bare spots allow for weed infestations which require weed control measures and reseeding. And so the cycle begins.
Example#2:
Fertilize with 2/3 your yearly fertilizer in the fall.
Excessive spring fertilizer stimulates turf top growth at the expense of the root system, depleting nutrient reserves stored in the roots the previous fall. This problem is compounded by a lack of appropriate fertilization in the early fall and or late fall which minimizes production of these food reserves. These negative impacts on turf quality cause turf to thin and become unhealthy, ultimately requiring reseeding. And so the cycle continues.
In all cases, inappropriate timing of otherwise effective lawn care procedures cause thin unhealthy turf.
Stop by any Mendham Garden Center location or give us a call with any questions on the appropriate timing of product application, lawn care procedures, and anything else you may have concerns about!