Hey, lets go mow about 25 acres in
100 degree temperatures today. Throw in a little weed eating trimming,
mulching and sodding just for fun and you've got what the guys at
Norton's lawn care do every day.
Jimmy Norton gives some strange lawn
care advice for a guy in the business; "Don't mow." Procrastination
is usually a bad trait. But, when it comes to maintaining summer
lawns it's the best thing you can do. "Each time you cut your
lawn in dry summer days you let moisture out of it. You may make
your lawn look neater but your killing it."said Norton. If
you do have to mow, Jimmy recommends mowing high, keeping it at
a height of 4 inches is best.
People often want to know if -- and
how often -- they should water their lawns in the summer. If you
don't have an irrigation system, or a sprinkle system built into
the lawn, it's best to be as consistent as possible. If you have
a regular sprinkler you have to move it throughout your yard several
times a day, every day.
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Insects can also be a big problem
in the dog days of summer. Duane Brasfield of Turf Green Lawn Care
recommends Seven dust or spray for Japanese Beetles, a lawns worst
enemy. "It's best to use 40% concentration though." he
explained. "You'll have to get it from places like Co-op. What
you can get from Wal-mart or Lowes is weak and doesn't work as well."
Fall is fast approaching and people
are wondering how to prepare their lawns for the season. Grubs are
common from late August to early October. Grubs can damage lawns,
but most lawns do not need annual treatments. They're easy to recognize
because they eat roots, you can roll back small areas of turf like
a rug on a wood floor. You'll also see turf wilting in small pockets,
or skunks and other rodents digging for the grubs.
Norton's Lawn Care Owner Jimmy Norton
advises aerating your lawn in preparation for fall. "In September
or October if your soil is hard underfoot similar to concrete, it
is time to aerate. You also need to lime your yard, especially if
you have a high concentration of Oak trees or other high leaf yielding
trees. It's important for anyone wanting a nice cosmetic appearance
in their yard."
Fall is also the time for seeding,
both men agree. "Fescue grows best when nights are cool like
in September and October." explained Duane Brasfield. It may
not feel like it but fall is approaching and the care you give your
yard now will ready it for fall and winters cooler temperatures,
setting the scene for a great green lawn next summer.
