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Tip of the Season:
Spring:
Now is the time to put on those pre-emergents for crabgrass
control. Typically here in Kansas you would like to have
pre-emergents on by April 15th. However crabgrass does not
germinate until soil temperatures reach 55 degrees, so the date
is merely a guideline.
The soil temperatures are published most everyday in the newspaper during the spring months.
Summer:
Watering is best done early the morning, if possible, to guard
against disease problems. Do not water during the heat of the
day. With high winds and evaporation working against your
efforts you might be wasting time and money.
Water at least one inch per week this may have to be upped do to excessive heat or sandy soils. During the heat of the summer cool season grasses may appear to be dead do not worry they are probably only dormant and will bounce back with cooler temps and some rainfall.
Fall:
This is the perfect time of year to aerate. Especially if you
live on the east side of Wichita, where our soils tend to be
clay and very compacted. Aerate just before you apply fall
fertilizer and/or do any necessary over seeding.
Aerating enables air, water, and nutrients to penetrate the soils surface and get down to the root zone. Fall is also the most important time to fertilize and treat your lawn for any weeds that you might find. However, you probably will not see any benefit of the fertilizer application until spring.
Winter:
Frost on Lawns
This is a question that I get all
the time this time
of the year. If you have ever walked across a frosted
lawn that isn't dormant, you may have noticed your
footprints showing up later in the day. Though this is
unsightly, it does not kill the turf. Grass blades are
damaged but the crown is not. Actively growing turf
will often recover after two to four mowings.
Damage that occurs late in the fall will continue to
show
damage until it is masked by the rest of the lawn turning brown
due to cold weather. It is believed that the damage is caused
by ice crystals killing plant cells when they are forced into
the leaf by the weight of a wheel or foot. Remember to avoid
damage by staying off of frosted turf. Also, even
damaged turf is not killed and will eventually recover.
Other Lawn Resources:
We're included a couple of other lawn care resources for your benefit.