Bigfoot Lawn Tips

• Apply 1.5” of water, per week in early morning. Avoid watering in the afternoon because a large percentage of the water is lost to evaporation. Avoid evening watering because a prolonged drying period can increase fungal disease.
• Increase watering frequency during hot periods. To maintain a lush lawn during the hot periods of the summer more frequent applications are required. Generally one application of water every 4 to 5 days is adequate.
• An alternative method is to wait for the lawn to tell you it needs water. Prior to dormancy (browning) the following occurs: Foot printing – Foot prints and lawnmower tracks do not bounce back. This is a sign that your lawn needs water immediately in order to avoid drought dormancy.
• Raise Your Mower Height. Set your mower blade up an extra setting from where you normally cut at. The higher cut creates a thicker canopy of leaves that shade the soil and protect the grass plants growing points. By cutting higher during heat and drought stress you will see a remarkable improvement in your lawns health.

Proper cutting techniques are absolutely essential to a healthy Lawn.

As the intensity of summer heat changes during the growing season, so will the rate at which your lawn grows, therefore it’s necessary to change the frequency of cutting.

Here are a some tips that will help you manage your lawn like an expert.

Tips:

• Cut at a height of 2.5 to 3 inches. Mowing at these hieghts allows your lawn to shade out newly germinated weed seeds. Turfgrass root depth is also deeper in lawns that are mowed high.
• Never remove more than 1/3 of the leaf blade, otherwise stress will result in browning.
• Mow Frequently (every 4 to 7 days). Spring time requires more frequent cutting because a large percentage of total growth occurs in the spring time.
• Mow in different patterns to avoid rutting or tire marks. Going over the same set of tire marks compacts the soil and inhibits good turf growth.
• Sharpen the mower blade regularly to avoid shredding the grass. A dull blade creates a ragged cut that caused the lawn to look brown, and promotes disease problems.
• Mulch clippings back into the lawn. Clipping are predominately water, provide a free feeding and do not contribute to thatch accumulation when the lawn is mowed regularly. If clippings clump up, pick them up.
• Mow when the lawn is dry. It’s difficult to get a clean cut when the lawn is wet, and mowing a lawn when it is wet can spread some fungal turfgrass diseases.
• Make your last cut before winter short – cut when the lawn is dormant, at 1.5 inches high. This also encourages tree leaves to blow through your lawn and avoid dead spots.

Lawn care maintenance will put the finishing touches on the perfect lawn.

There are three infrequent activities that can breathe new life into your lawn.

Overseeding at the proper time of the year can help fill in bare spots as well as thicken your lawn which will help to minimize weeds.

If your soil has become compacted, you should consider aerating your lawn. This can also be helpful if you plan on reseeding so that the seed gets into the soil easier.

Finally, if you have a thick layer (>1/2 inches) of thatch, you should dethatch your lawn. This will help your lawn “breathe” and make it easier for water and nutrients to get to the roots.

Moss can be a problem area, especially in humid, shady areas. Here are some recommendations to deal with it.

If you have a problem with moss where you don’t want it, you need to take a look at the area where you are having a problem. You may have a drainage problem, or the area might not get enough sunlight to dry out.

Soil may be acidic low soil fertility. Moss is at the opposite spectrum as turf grass – if something is good for your lawn, it is bad for moss.

Every lawn is going to have some weeds. Here you will find the tips to make them few and far between.

The best defense against weeds is a nice thick lawn. This will effectively keep weeds from having anywhere to grow. If you ever notice, the places where you have the biggest problem with weeds tends to be the thinnest areas of your lawn.

If you have a wide spread weed problem, the best option is a broad leaf weed control. This can be applied by itself, or there are many combination fertilizer/weed controls.

The other important step in dealing with a wide-spread problem is overseeding. This will help thicken your lawn eliminating room for weeds to grow.

Ideally, you will have sporadic weeds throughout your lawn. This is almost unavoidable, and is best dealt with using a targeted spot weed treatment. This minimizes the chemicals you spread over your entire lawn and is just a better practice in general.

Read to learn how to deal with pests in your lawn.

If you have a brown spot or spots on your lawn and there is not any obvious reason, you may have a problem with pests in your soil. There are a number of pesticides available to deal with many of these problems.

If possible, it is best to minimize the use of broad spectrum pesticides to minimize exposure to them in general.

Also, there are a number of helpful insects that you will kill off as well if you use a general purpose pesticide. And some of these are useful in minimizing or eliminating the bad ones.

We prefer controls that target specific pests.

Dealing with lawn problems can be a frustrating ordeal. Read on to find solutions to your lawn care problems.

Sometimes if you see areas of brown spots and there isn’t an obvious reason (not enough water or pets), you may have a problem with insects. There are a number of different types of insects that can cause damage to your lawn and sometimes each one has its own solution.

Every lawn is going to have some weeds. The key is to grow a thick lawn that overcomes weeds. If that is not possible there are a number of spot treatments or whole lawn treatments if you have a bigger problem.

If you have a pet, especially a dog, you may have problems with brown or bare spots on your lawn. This is caused by excess nitrogen in their urine. There are a few things you can do to try and minimize this issue.

Bare Spots can be caused by some of the other issues discussed on this page like pets or pests, and there are a few different methods by which you can eliminate them.

If you have areas that rarely get any sun and you live in a humid area, you may have issues with moss. Recommendations will help.

There are three basic lawn care activities that will help you get that green lawn you’ve always wanted. Watering, mowing, and fertilizing are the foundation of a healthy, green lawn. The more quality time you spend on these areas will minimize time needed dealing with problems and more intensive lawn maintenance.

Everyone wants a weed-free lawn, and by following the basic maintenance outlined in this section, you will be well on your way to rid your lawn of weeds. The key to having a weed-free lawn is by growing a thick carpet of grass. This will provide little or no room for weeds to grow.

If you have a well-established lawn, basic maintenance is just about all you will need to do to keep it well-maintained. If your lawn needs some work visit our section on maintenance. And if you have specific problems, please visit our lawn problems section.