This summer has been a hot one! Have you been watering your lawn properly? It’s hard to keep up with all of the rules for maintaining the perfect yard, but we are here to help! It is important to make sure that you are watering your lawn at the best time of day, not overwatering or watering too frequently.
Although it is common belief that watering at night is the best time of day to water your lawn, this isn’t exactly true. Watering at night could cause problems further down the road for your yard. It could cause fungal diseases to take over. The best time to water during the hot summer months is in the morning! Typically, two hours before sunrise is going to be the perfect time to water. If you water your lawn during the middle of the day, the sun will just evaporate the water and then the water is unable to soak into the grass’s roots. So by watering two hours before the sun comes up, there is time for the water to absorb properly. Knowing when to water your lawn is key. However, you also need to know how much water is necessary, too. It is not necessary to water your lawn every single day. In fact, not only is it not necessary, it isn’t healthy for your lawn. It is better to water your lawn less often. A good rule of thumb is to water every other day or every 2 days for a longer length of time. This creates a deeper root system for your grass. During the summer, it is recommended that you water around 1 to 1.5 inches per week. It is also helpful to check your local weather forecast! You never want your lawn to be too saturated. So if a large storm is imminent, maybe hold off on watering. Also, if you have questions about if you’re overwatering, take a look at your edges. If your lawn’s edges are beginning to turn brown, but the soil is moist, then you are probably overwatering. If you have any questions or concerns about your lawn, drop us a comment, send us a message or give us a call. We will be happy to answer any of your questions! By: Hannah Raines Copyright ALL Outdoors 2019 We all have dreams of having a perfect green lawn. However, this isn’t always the case. With the extreme temperatures, this can sometimes be a difficult task. Yard fungus can show up at anytime and it isn’t going anywhere. Fungi will not go away on it’s own, so it must be treated. The best way to prevent any fungi from popping up on your lawn is to practice consistent turf management and the use of fungicides. So, what should you be looking for on your lawn to determine if you have fungus? Usually you will notice irregularities on your lawn. Two of the most common types are Brown Patch and Root Rot. We’ll break it down below. Brown Patch: This yard disease is caused by the Rhizoctonia species fungus. Brown Patch is very true to its name and is noticeable when brown spots begin showing up on your lawn. Usually the patches are in a circle and the blades of grass are brown at the top, or may have brown spots all down the blades of grass. If this goes untreated, the grass may go away completely and only the ground beneath is left behind. This is because the fungus has attacked the grass. Brown patch fungus usually strikes when climates are warm and humid. Root Rot:
Root Rot or Take All, is often mistaken for insect damage. Root Rot is noticeable when grass becomes yellow with dark roots. Over a period of time, if the problem persists, the grass will also become noticeably thinner. It is best to inspect your grass at the root to see if Root Rot is your problem. If this fungus is living on your lawn, you may find that the grass roots are short, black, or even rotten. The grass will easily come out of the ground when given a tug. As with most things, there are ways to prevent getting fungus in your yard. It is important to make sure that the pH of your lawn is correct. Watering correctly is a big key. Removing debris from your yard, such as lawn clippings helps to prevent the spread of disease. Aerating your yard every year can prevent infestation. Also, if you see a diseased area of your yard, be careful not to mow or walk through this area when it is wet because this can spread fungus to other parts of your yard. These are just a few ways to prevent fungus and steps to maintain a beautiful, disease-free lawn. If you are noticing irregularities in your lawn but it doesn’t sound like the yard fungi above, you may have a pest problem, your lawn could also be from lacking certain nutrients, over/under watered or over shaded, just to name a few. We are happy to answer any question you may have about your lawn. Give us a call, send us a message or drop us a comment below! By: Hannah Raines Copyright ALL Outdoors 2019 Even though it may not feel like it outside, fall has arrived! Leaves are falling, but what should you do to keep your yard clean? Many people rake up the leaves, put them in bags, and dispose of them. However, leaves have nutrients that are beneficial for your yard! There are better options than just throwing away those leaves.
Leaves can’t just be left in your yard after they fall. They block air and sunlight from reaching the grass roots. This can become even worse if it rains and the leaves are matted on top of the grass. If something isn’t done to falling leaves, your yard may develop turf diseases or die. Turn those leaves into mulch! Many mowers are designed with mulching blades that cut the leaves into tiny pieces. So tiny, that you won’t even notice that the leaves are in your yard anymore. It is important that you are mulching the fallen leaves at least once a week. If leaves are left to build up for too long it could be too much for your mower. If you have several big trees on your property, you may even need to mow twice a week, depending on how rapidly the leaves are falling. It is important to mulch in the fall to supply your yard with nutrients before winter comes. By utilizing the leaves in your yard you are saving money because you’ll make your own mulch for free! It will also save you time because instead of raking for hours and placing in bags, you can mulch in the leaves with a mower. If you have any questions or concerns about your lawn, drop us a comment, send us a message, or give us a call. We will be happy to answer any of your questions! By: Hannah Raines Copyright ALL Outdoors 2018 With fall right around the corner, its time to start thinking about aerating and overseeding your lawn. Fall is the perfect time to prepare your lawn for the coming cold weather months and to ensure that your lawn comes back green in the spring. Fall is a great time because the air temperature is cooler, but the soil is still warm.
important because it ensures that the grass seed makes direct contact with the soil.
Before you begin to aerate, it is important that your lawn isn’t dry. The ground should be moist so you should either aerate the day after a rainfall, or water your lawn the day before. The most effective way to aerate your lawn is with a machine called a core aerator. The core aerator pulls out small cores of grass and soil. After aerating, spread fertilizer. Then, overseed your lawn. After overseeding, rake the grass seed in, to make sure there is good seed-to-soil contact. Finally, make sure that you are properly watering your lawn to ensure that the new grass seeds will grow. ALL Outdoors offers services to aerate and overseed your lawn for you! If you have any questions or concerns about your lawn, drop us a comment, send us a message, or give us a call. We will be happy to answer any of your questions! By: Hannah Raines Copyright ALL Outdoors 2018 Over time, it is very common for concrete driveways and sidewalks to obtain cracks. These cracks become a great place for weeds and grass to pop up in. While it doesn’t seem like driveways or sidewalks would be great breeding grounds for things to pop up, they actually are. Underneath these foundations there is soil and trapped moisture. Think of how often you water your lawn or wash your car outside. The excess runoff finds its way into these cracks and crevices and creates the perfect environment for sporadic weeds and grass. The moisture under driveways and sidewalks lasts longer because it is shielded from the sun. A big breeze blows a grass seed across the driveway and it finds its way in a crack. Pretty soon you'll have unwanted weeds and grass sprouting from the cracks.
While it can be very difficult to control these weeds and grasses, there are a few remedies that others have found helpful. These solutions have been found to kill the weeds and grasses. Boiling water kills many weeds and grass that is found in cracks. It doesn’t kill them instantly, but after a few times, they’ll go away. If you add some salt to the boiling water, you have a better chance of the weeds dying. You can also create a mixture with salt and vinegar to spray. This mixture contains 1 cup of salt and 1 gallon of pickling vinegar. To make the mixture even more powerful you can add 1 cup of lemon juice and 2 tablespoons of dish soap. Another solution that can be used is Horticultural vinegar mixed with orange oil and dish soap, but this type of vinegar is hard to find in stores and very acidic! It could cause burns if any gets on you, so this method is a little more intense and should be applied with caution. Last but not least, you could always seal the cracks in your sidewalks and driveways. Clean out the cracks and then fill them with mortar. This takes care of the chance of any more seeds falling into the cracks to sprout. If you have any questions or concerns, drop us a comment, send us a message, or give us a call. We will be happy to answer any of your questions! By: Hannah Raines Copyright ALL Outdoors 2018 Have you noticed that your lawn has brown patches? While there could be several causes, one could be grubs taking up residence on your lawn. Grubs love to munch on grass and could be causing the dead brown patches on your green lawn.
Brown patches due to grubs normally occur in spring and late summer. You can easily find out if your brown patches are due to grubs by pulling on the grass. If the grass comes up and has no roots, your problem is grubs. They feed on grass roots and other nutrients found in the soil. You may also notice that animals are tearing up your lawn. This is also another sign that there are grubs under the grass. Animals such as raccoons, birds, and skunks love to eat grubs and will tear up your lawn trying to uncover the grubs that lie below. Typically, grubs begin feeding on grass roots in fall, but you won’t realize their damage until spring with your lawn begins to green up. In spring, grubs awaken and feed on grass roots. In summer, they turn into beetles that come above the surface and feed on flowers and other foliage. They also lay eggs in the soil. In fall, the eggs hatch into new grubs to begin the cycle over again. Make sure if you see these brown spots and grubs are the culprit, you are taking steps to remove the grubs. Fall and spring are the best times to treat grub problems. If you have any questions or concerns about your lawn, drop us a comment, send us a message, or give us a call. We will be happy to answer any of your questions! By: Hannah Raines Copyright ALL Outdoors 2018 Have you noticed that your lawn isn’t as green as it should be? Does it have brown spots or feel dry? Your lawn may be stressed from the summer weather! In this article we are going to list five causes of summer lawn stress that you should keep an eye out for. 1. Stress from Drought: If your lawn isn’t being properly watered, it can cause your lawn to brown, wilt, or die. High summer temperatures and a lack of water are a bad combination for grass. If you are able to pull on brown grass and it is firmly rooted, this means your grass is brown because it hasn’t received enough water. 2. Dormant Grass: It could be possible that your grass has gone dormant. Grass becomes dormant as a way to protect itself and happens during the dry, hot summer conditions. Dormant grass will return to green if it is water properly, however watering one time will not make the green return. You must water regularly and your lawn should return to being green in 3 to 4 weeks. Cool season grasses may even need to be reseeded. 3. Pesky Insects: Insects are alive and well in the warmer summer months. Several insects such as grubs love to feed on the roots of grass. If you pull on the brown grass and it easily comes up with no sign of roots, you probably have an insect problem that you should look in to. 4. Overwatering: Just like you may not be watering enough, you could be watering too much. Grass does not need to be watered everyday. If there is too much moisture in the ground, it creates a perfect breeding ground for lawn diseases and can weaken your lawn. 5. Cutting Too Short: It is a common misconception that if you cut your grass shorter, you won’t have to mow as often. You are actually just damaging your lawn. If grass is cut too short, you expose your lawn to insects and exposed soil. Exposed soil leads to a perfect place for seeds of weeds to fall. You definitely don’t want a lawn full of weed and insects! If you have any questions or concerns about your lawn, drop us a comment, send us a message, or give us a call. We will be happy to answer any of your questions!
By: Hannah Raines Copyright ALL Outdoors 2018 Have you ever thought about planting ornamental grass in your yard? Ornamental grasses can spruce up your yard. They come in a broad variety of colors, textures, and heights. Several types even stay colorful all year long. They may even have beautiful flowers or a lovely fragrance. Ornamental grass can also be planted to create a border wall or ground cover.
There are many options of ornamental grasses that you can plant in the Upstate. This month, on our Facebook page, we featured a different type of ornamental grass every Tuesday. Below, you will find every ornamental grass that we featured this month, all in one place! Summer weather is here and that means time to make sure your lawn is properly watered! There are several common mistakes when it comes to summer lawn irrigation. It is important to make sure that you aren’t overwatering, watering too often, or watering at the wrong time of day.
It is a common misconception that you need to water your lawn everyday for long periods of time. It is not necessary to water your lawn everyday. In fact, it isn’t good to water every day. A better technique is watering less often (maybe every other day or every 2 days), for longer amounts of time. This creates a deeper root system. A good rule of thumb for the summer is watering your lawn with 1 to 1.5 inches per week. It is also important to make sure that you are watering at the proper time of day, otherwise you may just end up wasting water. The best time to water during the hot summer months is in the morning, around 2 hours before sunrise. If you water during the heat of the day, the water will just evaporate and won’t soak into the grass’s roots. Many think that watering at night is also a good option, but this could cause problems down the road. Watering at night can lead to disease in your lawn. If you have any questions or concerns about your lawn, drop us a comment, send us a message, or give us a call. We will be happy to answer any of your questions! By: Hannah Raines Copyright ALL Outdoors 2018 Summer is right around the corner, are you ready? And more importantly, is your lawn ready?
Before the weather gets too warm, it is important to make sure that your lawn is cleared of thatch. If the thatch build-up is too much, it can be blocking sunlight and can prevent water reaching the roots of your grass. Just make sure that you don’t wait too long to dethatch. If you try to dethatch in the heat of the summer, you can cause stress to your grass and cause damage. (For more information, check out our previous blog post about dethatching.) Fertilization is also an important step to keep your lawn healthy. Applying fertilizer supplements nutrients in the soil and keeps your grass growing healthy and thick. Spring is a good time to fertilize your yard and should take place before 30 days before the highest summer temperatures. Next, make sure that your lawn is mowed regularly. Mowing keeps your grass healthy and growing strong. However, be careful that you don’t cut away too much grass. No more than 1/3 of the length of the grass blade should be cut at a time. It is also important in the hot summer months that you leave your grass blades a little bit longer. Keeping your grass slightly longer helps protect the grass roots and conserves moisture in the soil. Mowing every other week is fine, but if you are watering and fertilizing your lawn then you should be mowing weekly. Watering correctly is extremely important in the summer months. The summer heat can dry out your lawn if you aren’t careful. Make sure that you are watering less often, with more water, rather than less water, more often. This creates a deep root system for your lawn. Watering everyday is not recommended because you will create a shallow root system. Also, make sure that you don’t water in the heat of the day. The water will just evaporate instead of being absorbed. Watering early in the morning or later in the evening are the best times to ensure your lawn is watered correctly. These are just a few tips to get you started preparing for the summer months! If you have any questions or concerns about your lawn, drop us a comment, send us a message, or give us a call. We will be happy to answer any of your questions! By: Hannah Raines Copyright ALL Outdoors 2018 |
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