Sunbelt Turf Farm is happy to offer suggestions on how to avoid the most common mistakes homeowners make in regard to their lawn care.
Mowing
The most common mistake people make when mowing their lawn is cutting the grass too short. This encourages weed growth, increases heat stress during dry hot periods and will make your lawn more susceptible to insects and diseases. A dull lawnmower blade will rip or tear the grass instead of providing a nice even cut. The tearing of the plant tissue can create a breeding ground for disease and other problems for your lawn.
Advice
Set your mower blade to a height that cuts no more than the top third of the grass. This will encourage stronger roots. Always have sharp blades, a dull lawnmower blade is bad news for your lawn. Have the blades sharpened by a professional to ensure a sharp blade for an even cut. In our warm weather climate here in Alabama, it may be necessary to have the blades sharpened more than once a year.
We all know that water is essential to all living things. Too much water and we drown, too little water and we die. Water makes up over 70% of the weight of our lawn grasses with clippings alone are almost 90% water. Most people worry about not watering their lawns enough but the fact is more lawns are damaged more by over watering than under watering.
Advice
For newly installed sod, you will need to water immediately to ensure the turf gets established. The sod will need at least 1 inch of water within 1/2 of installation. You will need to water daily to keep the turf moist until it is firmly rooted. Then you can water less frequently but with a deeper watering. For established lawns the amount of water needed is determined by the overall health, beauty and the ability to withstand use and drought. The average lawn needs 1 inch of water per week. The appearance of your lawn can always be a sign of needing water. Grass in need of water will have a grey-blue cast and footprints will be visible after about 30 minutes while footprints will disappear in just a few minutes on a well watered lawn.
Fertilizing
When it comes to fertilizing, you need to make sure you are using not only the right mixture, but the right quantity and applying it the right time of the year. Too much fertilizer tends to increase thatch problems and leaves the lawn more prone to insects and disease. You could actually burn your lawn.
Advice
Lawn fertilizers usually contain Nitrogen, Phosphorus, and Potassium. The grass needs more nitrogen than any other nutrient. It helps to give the lawn the beautiful green color since it is part of the chlorophyll molecule. Potassium helps with good cell wall development and the plant's ability to withstand stress, disease and damage from insects. Phosphorus is responsible for the energy transfer systems in the plant and is required in smaller amounts than nitrogen and potassium in established lawns. Shop for slow release nitrogen, it is designed to meter-out the nitrogen over a longer period of time and it doesn't have to be applied as often. Warm season grasses like we have in Alabama flourish during the warmer summer months. It is best in this area to apply a larger amount of nitrogen in the early-late spring applications and less nitrogen in the fall application. By leaving the grass clippings on your lawn, you are increasing nitrogen and can reduce the need for fertilizer by 25%.
Sunbelt Turf Farm began in St. Clair County. Over 30 years have perfected the art of growing, selling and the delivery of quality turf grass. Customer satisfaction is paramount and we stand behind our turf grass. Expansions into Shelby and Talladega Counties successfully turned cotton fields and pasture land into beautiful green turf. Commercial and retail opportunities, pick-up or delivery, free estimates, fast turnaround and remaining environmentally friendly separate us from the rest.
