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Treatment three
April 15 - May 31
Lawns should be green or turning green during this time under normal circumstances. A granule fertilizer high in slow-release nitrogen will be applied to enhance the color and growth. We will spot spray for existing weeds that are present. Perennial weeds such as dallisgrass, sedge, and Virginia buttonweed may emerge at this time. We will try to control dallisgrass, but later in the year provides the best opportunity to eliminate it without causing permanent damage to the turf grass. The pre-emergent products will not provide any prevention of perennial weeds. If your property has major weed issues, we will likely apply a liquid application containing liquid fertilizer and weed killing products in lieu of the granular application. This is a great time for additional services such as an aeration to reduce compaction. During this time, certain issues such as spring dead spot become noticeable. Spring dead spot is a disease that is active in the fall causing dead circles approximately 1 foot in diameter. Treatment for this is done in the fall as a preventative. If present, this will have to grow in overtime throughout the growing season. Winter damage is also noticeable now and can vary from year to year. Factors that would affect this would be frigid temperatures, compaction, poor maintenance practices, and heavy rains. Damage from winter is more common on low lying areas, shade areas, and slopes.
Homeowner Tips:
Now is the time to start a regular mowing routine. Mowing weekly would be ideal but during this period 10–14-day intervals would suffice. The most important thing to remember when mowing is to not scalp and remove too much leaf surface. Grass should remain green after cutting and should be cut often enough to not remove more than 1/3 of the leaf surface. For a residential lawn, a cutting height of 2-3 inches is preferred. Depending on the weather irrigation might be required. 1 inch of irrigation every 7 days during the first half of the growing season is appropriate. Most of the time this is acquired by rainfall. If irrigation is needed, water once per week heavily in the early morning. This should total 1 inch of water. Placing an aluminum pie pan in your yard while running sprinklers is a great way to measure. Do not water in the evenings. This will keep the leaf surface wet over night and promote disease.