the grasshopper's gazette april 2020

Spring is right around the corner! Now is the perfect time to discuss your lawn and some spring actions to help it look it’s best going into this new growing season. As you may know, grasses will either slow (St. Augustine) or go dormant (Zoysia) during the wintertime. This means that fertilizer and the nutrients added to the soil will not show their benefit as quickly as they do in the spring and summer. On the upside, the cooler weather allows us to get a bit more fancy with weed control. The weeds are growing slower and we can really get ahead of them before the growing season. 

AERATION

One of the best things you can do for you lawn in the spring is an aeration. While our “southern turfs” can be dethatched, we use that as a last resort for an extremely locked up lawn. We prefer the more gentle process of aeration. We use a core aerator machine that is pushed over the lawn and takes out cores of the lawn a little smaller than an apple corer which opens the thatch layer and allows for the exchange of nutrients, air and water to work it’s magic on the turf. 

TOP DRESSING

Top dressing is a great way to help level your lawn, provide nutrients and assist with drainage. If you have low or thin areas in your lawn, top dressing could benefits those spots. The process is as simple, yet labor intensive as it sounds. We use a specialized blend of sand and compost to cover those trouble areas or the entire lawn and carefully spread and rake the dressing into it’s proper place. It takes knowledge and skill to ensure the correct amount is placed to help with health and growth. Top dressing can be done after aeration or independently. 

SPRINKLERS

Early spring is a great time to check all your sprinklers. Physically check each sprinkler head on every zone to make sure there are no leaks, brakes and your grass is getting the proper coverage. It is also the best time to test your “water cutoff device” to make sure it is fully functioning. This is especially important if you are going up north for the summer. Water cutoff devices enable you to leave your irrigation set for it’s summer watering schedule without fear of the lawn getting too dry or wasting water from watering while it’s raining. The device will turn off the irrigation if enough rain has fallen avoiding water and money waste. 

SCHEDULE

If you would like more information on any of these services just let us know. We would be happy to discuss the need, pricing and timing that best suits your lawn. 

You can email us @ Info@AheadOfTheGrass.com