Aerate and Overseed

When lawns are damaged by insects and need to be repaired. We almost always recommend aeration and overseed as the method to be used to get the lawn back in shape. The seeds falling in the aeration holes are almost sure of germinating. Here is a photo of an core aeration hole on lawn that was aerated and seeded.

The Photo was taken 7 days after the aeration was done. (now this may be an exception in how fast the seed will germinate. The amount of water the seed receives will determine how fast it germinates. So watering and rainfall will affect this)

Seeding is much less expensive than sodding. Sodding is great if you need an instant fix. Seeding takes a little longer but in the long run is a better fix. With seeding, you will normally use a seed mix with several species and varieties. This variability in the lawn population will increase the lawn's resistance to disease and help it to overcome those conditions such as soil, light/shade, and drainage.

Aeration/overseed is much more economical than topdressing and seeding. Topdressing is also great for the lawn, but when it purpose is to repair the lawn, aeration/overseed  is the way to go. There is not the same amount of labour needed to move wheelbarrows of soil to the furthest corner of the lawn.

Sometimes, people are concerned that the holes are 4-10 inches apart. With aeration/overseed, you are unlikely to see a whole lot of green "fuzz" of seeds coming up. That green fuzz of seeds germinating is what one often sees when topdressing and seeding.

One thing to remember is that we only need one grass seedling every 6-8 inches to germinate. 

When a stray seed grows in the flower bed and is given a little while to grow, that single seed will grow into a grass plant that can span 6-8 inches very easily. So if only one seed grows in the aeration holes and nowhere else, the lawn will fill in. (in this photo above, here are 2 single grass plants. Together they are at least 6 inches wide. Notice the peach pits to the right)

In the situations where a fuzz of grass seedlings grow, one must remember that if there are a hundred seeds in a small area the size of a sheet of paper, only 2-4 seeds are likely to survive. I know that because I have seen a hundred weeds seeds grow in a small area much like the grass. A few weeks later, when I didn't pull out those weeds, I notice that even though there were originally a lot of seedlings, only a have dozen have survived. The rest of the seedlings have died out due to the competition from there "litter mates."

The same thing will happen with the grass seedlings. It's just that with grasses, it is much harder to distinguish individual plants.

After the aeration/overseeding, the lawn should be watered daily to allow the grass seed to germinate.

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Lawn Care Challenge

This lawn is in more than rough shape. It appears to have been neglected for some time. Lawn care is certainly essential to maintaining a healthy green lawn.

The bare and thin spots did not yield any white grubs or leatherjacket larvae. The thin lawn is likely to have been caused or exasperated by chinch bug damage.
The thinned out turf coupled with a lack of nutrients has also permitted moss to get a toehold on the lawn.

Our recommendation would be to aerate and overseed heavily with a high quality lawn seed mixture that contains endophytic perennial rye, in order to restore a healthy population of grass plants in the lawn.

A program of regular applications of a high quality, slow release fertilizer will help to thicken the lawn and to increase its density.


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Over the Phone Diagnosis

Lou sign up as a new Turf King customer for 2010. Chris lives down the street. Lou's lawn was greatly improved by the lawn care program.

Chris moved in a year and a half ago, but the lawn just didn't want to measure up, in spite of tender loving care, seeding and watering. Lou recommend a call to Turf King.

Chris called and described the situation on the lawn. "It's patchy, and bare, the seed didn't grow." A few questions to pinpoint the time of year that the problems started. Doesn't sound like an insect problem. They tend to occur within certain time periods that correspond with their life cycles.

Sounds like you have Necrotic Ring Spot- a lawn disease. Sure enough, once at the site, the spots and patchiness were very typical of this particular disease.

Call Turf King for your problem lawns. We have the experience and we can help.
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Overseeding Myths & Facts

Nutrite Lawn Care Seminar
Cathy Wall, Quality Seed

Strategy- what is our objective?
Is it thin? Renovate
To thicken turf? Rejuvenate

Site
Soil
Fertility
Moisture
Sun/shade
Competition from other plants

Species
Establishme
Growth habit
Texture
Mtce- low or high
Competitive ability

Kentucky Bluegrass
Slow initial establishment-28 days
Rhizominous growth
Fine texture
Sunny environment, winter hardy
High maintenance
2.2 million seeds per lb

Fine fescues
Rapid establishment
Germination 21 days
Rhizome (creepin red) or basal tillering
Fine texture
Adaptable to soils fertility, moisture winter hardy
Low mtce
640,000 seeds per lb

Perennial Ryegrass
Rapid establishment- esp in existing stand
Germation in 14 days, some in 3-5 days
Tillering, stolons
Fine texture
Adaptable, winter hardy
Moderate mtce
227,000 seeds per lb

Annual Ryegrass
Coarse, medium texture
New SOS variety-to use for quick repair, finer texture darker colour
http://qualityseeds.ca/turf/ryegrasses/sos-brochure.html

New perennial ryegrass
RPR
Repairing
Will fill in more like kentucky
Darker green

Tall Fescue
Rapid
Germinates 14 days
Texture medium

 tillering, rhizomes 

Adaptable, moderately winter hardy

Low mtce - deep roots

RTF-Rhizomatous Tall Fescue- a new self repairing lawn, Drought resistant
http://qualityseeds.ca/turf/tall-fescue/rtf.html

Endophyte enhances seed
Reduces leaf feeding lawn insects
Enhanced stress protection

When Overseeding
Perennial ryegrass is good to renovate or repair
Aggressive
Mixes in colour and texture

Adding multiple varieties
Better to provide the things to cover a wider variety of conditions.

Due to differences in seed size, seeds mixed by weight.
20% 20% 60% kentucky, fescue, perennial rye.

In a 100 lbs - 22 million Kentucky bluegrass seed, 7 million fescues, 7 million Perennial rye seeds

Micro clover- new
Not many flowers, so fits better in a lawn, but hard to get enough seed
Will be available in a few years
Grows below height of grass for most of season


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FREE WINTER FERTILIZER
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Ripening Crabgrass

Somehow, this summer has been ideal for crabgrass. Lots of it everywhere, often in lawns that have not been bothered by it for several years.
Crabgrass seed, is thus shown to have seeds that remain viable for a long time.
On the other hand, this is a reminder that good grass seed also keeps its ability to germinate after a long time. Once in a while, someone will ask, "I have a package of grass seed in the basement that's been there for years."
As long as it is quality seed, throw it on the lawn. Its viability will be lessened, but you have nothing to lose.
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From Flower Islands to Artificial Turf

The City of Hamilton used to put in a lot of traffic island flower gardens. The program started under Mayor Wade, I believe in the 1990's. Recent budget cutbacks have seen a number of them disappear in spite of the corporate sponsorship program. A couple of years ago, a few were filled with decorative gravel.

Earlier this summer someone from the Public Works department called to ask if there were any products that could be used on the traffic islands. This person said that the city had tried weed whacking the weeds. The hot water machine worked reasonably well, but the equipment was no longer usable.

Today while driving, I was struck by an island of green. Whoa, that's artificial turf!

Is this a new sponsorship deal? Or is this the new beautification program? No water, no fertilizer, no mowing, no weeds? Personally, my guess is that the weeds will eventually creep into the edges and seams, but who knows.

BUT, then, driving a little further down the street, another section of the road had another green facelift. Several islands that had been full of flowers earlier this year were not sprouting real grass.

Now the real grass looked fairly new. Not all of it has filled in. And it looked like it needed a trim. Maybe this was just a fall cover crop? Or is this the other side of the new traffic island program?

Really uneven and too long. A little lawn care is needed here.

What will they think of next? A lawn in the median will need some care, even if it is only to trim it once in a while.

I'm sure a few pounds of grass seed are a whole lot less expensive than growing petunias and begonias in the greenhouse and transplanting them into the traffic islands. Is this the new place for lawns?

If you have a lawn/tree/shrub that needs some Tender Loving Care- get The KING OF GREEN, the King of Lawn Care:

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Low Maintenance Lawns

University of Texas researchers have been testing out grasses hoping to find one that’s easy to grow and less work to maintain. 


Although we don't grow these types of grasses here in Ontario, it's good to know that someone is working on grasses that will use less of our limited resources.


Story from Terri Gruca / KVUE News

Our recent rains have been a welcome relief to our yards. However the drought may have already destroyed some of our lawns.

It’s why for the last year and a half University of Texas researchers have been testing out grasses hoping to find one that’s easy to grow and less work to maintain.

It may make you wonder how homeowner Bobby Schreiber did it.

"Our lawn stayed green all through this drought, this brutal summer we've had here," he said.

Schreiber considers himself a self taught lawn expert. He says he learned his lesson after years of watching the St. Augustine grass struggle.

"With St. Augustine the biggest problem is probably the afternoon sun beating down on this," he said.

So this year he planted Zoysia grass. He said it’s more expensive but it still looks fabulous.

It turns out St. Augustine, which many homeowners have in their yard is actually more susceptible to pests and disease and like most lawns requires a lot of water.

"They use between 30 and 60 percent of the urban water around the country,” says UT researcher Mark Simmons.

It is why Simmons is so excited about the research he’s doing at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center.

“Being a Brit I love my lawn. I had to mow it once a month, so I’ve been thinking about this a long time,” said Simmons.

UT researchers received a two year grant from Wal-Mart to test seven native species of grass.

The idea is to find a lawn that requires less maintenance.

"With a native grass with these native grasses you can effectively let them go dormant, drought dormant," said Simmons.

So far that’s exactly what researchers have found. A lack of water won’t kill these native grasses. Like Bermuda grass they’re easy to grow, but they are less susceptible to weeds and require less mowing.          

"These were mowed two to three weeks ago,” Simmons said pointing to two plots of grass sitting side-by-side. “And you can already see the Bermuda grass is much higher now. It's coming up about twice the height of the native turf grasses."

And there’s another benefit to using native grasses.

"It's actually a much more pleasant texture to sit on and walk on," said Simmons.

 The research comes at a critical time. The drought provided the best real world test and these grasses appeared to pass with flying colors.

"If something like this means a reduction in gasoline from lawn mowers, reduction in pesticides, reduction in fertilizers, then we know we're doing the planet a favor," said Simmons.

The Best Grass

According to Simmons the native grasses so far seem to be a mixture of Buffalo grass, Blue Grama and Curly Mesquite grass. They are all currently commercially available, which means you can plant them in your own yard.

You can find more information about those grasses and the UT native lawn program here.

Fall Lawn Tasks

a List of things to do in the Autumn for your lawn

• Seeding thin, bare and weak spots
• Seeding areas where crabgrass is prevalent to help crowd it out next year
• Seeding the lawn overall to increase its density
• Topdressing to improve soil conditions
• Fall is a good time to aerate the lawn- do it along with seeding and/or topdressing
• Soil tests can help determine what nutrients are lacking
• Add horticultural lime to areas of acidity (eg under evergreens)
• Rake moss away and seed
• Fertilize now for winter hardiness and better spring colour
• Continue to mow regularly at 3 inches high
• Lower the mowing height for the last cut to prevent winter diseases
• Watch for insects- white grubs- damage will be visible now.
• Watch for crane fly adults- an indication of future problems with leatherjacket (larvae)
• Chinch bugs - are around but not for long
• Remove fallen leaves from trees before the snow comes
• Think about pruning trees to allow more light into shady areas
• Apply gypsum to areas that may be subject to salt damage -near roads, walks, etc.

Call a Lawn Care professional to set up a Lawn Program for this fall and next spring.

If you have a lawn/tree/shrub that needs some Tender Loving Care- get The KING OF GREEN:

Turf King Home

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Hamilton Spectator Readers' Choice Awards Vote Sept 16-25

Thanks to all who nominated us in the Hamilton Spectator 2009 Readers' Choice Awards in the Lawn Service Category. From September 16 through 25 you can vote for us as the Finalists are chosen.

At www.thespec.com Thanks for voting for us.

Still finding lots of Crane Flies. Some call them Daddy long legs. They look like Giant Mosquitoes.

If you are finding a lot of these adults . . . . we recommend treating this fall. Crane Flies females can lay up to 300 eggs. These eggs will hatch in a couple of weeks and start feeding on lawns. They nibble on roots, stems and crowns.

Here is an article from the UK where it is a huge pest. Not all of it applies, but it does give more information.

---

September is the time to thicken the lawn with Overseeding . Fall is nature's seeding season for grasses. Spring is also a good time, but is always second best.

There are several ways to seed the lawn. One way is to truck in a lot of soil to topdress the areas you want to seed. After adding the soil, sprinkle the grass seed, then rake lightly. Keep well watered and moist for 2 weeks.

Another method that we generally favour is to do a core aeration first. Then apply high quality grass seed. When grass seed falls in the holes, it has a better chance of growing than seed that just sits on the surface. In the holes, it is less likely to dry out. It is better protected from the birds, too. And aerating and overseeding is a lot less expensive than moving a lot of soil.

---

Top dressing is a great way to improve the soil conditions in a lawn. Turf King has a new method of applying a top dressing that is less costly than the traditional way. When you get a load of soil to topdress the lawn, you are paying for a lot of moisture in that soil. It makes the load you get bulkier. Then you need to move the soil plus the moisture to the back yard.

Better to use our Top OM Dry Topdress. This method uses materials that have been dried out. By drying out the material, there is a lot less moisture. It is less water to transport. And it can be applied with a spreader. This keeps the cost down. The lawn gets all the goodness of the OM (organic material) without the weight of the water.

---

We are also seeing some Rust Fungus Disease at this time of year. I drove down one street. This lawn (not a customer's) was so heavily infested, the lawn had a big patch of orange in one corner. Maybe it was just the way the sun was facing, but it was very noticeable.

Normally, it is not that noticeable until you have walked across an infected lawn and you notice that your white running shoes are all orange. The spores from the fungus will easily come off onto your shoes.
Thankfully, Rust disease is rarely fatal. The weather conditions have a big part to play in causing this problem. Normally, we recommend raising the mowing height and if needed apply some fertilizer to help the lawn grow past the problem.

---

Please call or email if we can be of any help.

---

• Gerry Okimi
• Turf King Hamilton
• 95 Hempstead Dr Unit 14, Hamilton ON L8W 2Y6
• 905.318.6677
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Lawn Repair Time

Fall is an ideal time to get your lawn in shape. Lawn care is especially important at this time of year.
There are several reasons why your lawn can need some help. Now is a good time to thicken the lawn.

Crabgrass can be problem in many lawns. Overseed to help crowd out crabgrass next year. If tthe lawn is thick, crabgrass is less likely to grow. Make sure to mow the lawn at 3" high. A higher mowing height is one of the things you can do to help reduce crabgrass.

Chinch bugs can also devastate a lawn and leave it in need of repair. Sometimes a homeowner says they need weed control. But sometimes it just the chinch bug damage has left the lawn thin and weak. Weeds jump into the bare and thin spots. What is perceived is a weed problem may just be the result of a chinch bug infestation.

Japanese beetles and European Chafer can lay eggs that hatch into white grubs. These larvae feed on the roots of the lawn. The only method of control for grubs is to use nematodes.

One way to seed the thin spots in the lawn is to add some soil to the bare spots. Sprinkle the soil, then level it out. Spread some high quality grass seed over the soil. Rake it lightly to help cover the seed. Water lightly daily until the seed has germinated. Keep watering as needed for a couple more weeks.

If you have a lawn/tree/shrub that needs some Tender Loving Care- get The KING OF GREEN:

Turf King Home

Click here to Request a Quote Online -

or call us at 905.318.6677 or 1.888.TURFKING (887.3546)

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Environmentally Friendly Lawn Care

People are afraid that if they switch to an environmentally friendly lawn care method, they will have difficulty having beautiful green grass because of grubs or unwanted weeds. Nothing could be further from the truth. In fact, if you have done the ground work, you will notice that an environmentally friendly lawn care system is superior to using insecticides/pesticides for many reasons.

First of all, you will notice that once the initial work is done, this innovative lawn care method is more economical than the old-fashion method of having to buy lawn fertilizers and spraying twice or more times during one summer with all kinds of chemicals.

Secondly, using ecological or natural lawn care methods supports the ecosystem in many ways.

1. Your grass keeps getting thicker and thicker which prevents soil erosion

2. Your soil becomes a rich source of worms and other microorganisms which help nourish the soil and keep it healthy. In turn, a healthy soil promotes growth.

3. A soil full of worms provides food for the birds which in turn help you get rid of unwanted insects

4. Grass which is not contaminated can filter contaminants from rainwater and many types of pollutants such as soot and dust from the air

5. And more importantly for us humans, healthy grass, like trees, can absorb the carbon dioxide from the air and give off oxygen back into the air. This exchange helps clean the air. Switching to an environmentally friendly lawn care system is one way to help diminish the effects of global warming.

In order to get good results when using an environmentally friendly lawn care system, you must think "preventative". In other words you must take steps to discourage weeds and insects from taking over your lawn.

If you follow these steps, you can work with nature and avoid using pesticides/herbicides but still have a beautiful lawn:

A. Mow high (up to 3 inches) and often so that you cut no more than a third of the blade length at a time.

B Use a mulching lawn mower and allow the mulched clippings to fall back onto the lawn where they can decompose into rich fertilizer which promotes a slow but steady growth year round. With nutrients being slowly but constantly released, the grass can produce good strong roots which are not as attractive to grubs.

C. If you must fertilize, avoid fertilizers which make the grass grow very quickly. Too much fertilizing or using fertilizers with a high nitrogen or using "green up" liquid fertilizers makes the grass grow fast -- too fast. It cannot develop good firm roots, so you end up with weak roots which grubs just love. Fertilizing once a year is more than enough.

D. As more and more of your clippings continue to fall back onto the lawn, it will accumulate between the grass blades. If you have half an inch or more of this thatch, you may need to dethatch. Otherwise, the water will not get through to the soil.

E. Water sparingly (once or twice a week) and deeply. Keep a small container on your lawn at all times to measure the amount of water your lawn gets when you water or when it rains. When watering, don't stop until there is at least 2 cm of water in the container. In addition make sure the water has penetrated the soil to a depth of 6 to 8 inches minimum.

F. If you need to level your lawn, top dress with topsoil for lawns mixed with compost to prepare it for overseeding

G. When overseeding, use grass varieties which suit the specific location (sunny spot? shady spot?)

H. When the soil becomes compacted, aerate and add soil amendments such as compost or sand to relieve compaction

I. Use an environmentally safe method to control white grub. Put nematodes back into your lawn. Nematodes seek out white grubs, citrus root weevils, the Japanese beetles, the May/June pupa of the beetles, the European/Masked chafer, the black vine weevil, and the sod webworm.

Taking care of the environment begins in our own back yard. We now know how insecticides and herbicides are having huge detrimental effects on both humans and the environment, so why not work with nature to create a healthier, greener environment for ourselves and our children -- the sooner the better. Switching to an environmentally friendly lawn care system is one of the many ways we can all help clean up and save our environment.
About Author Marcie Snyder :

A gardener for years, Marcie has learned that working with the natural laws of nature is by far the best way to do any type of gardening -- even lawns can benefit from it. Get more indepth details re steps to an environmentally friendly lawn care system at http://plantsandgardeningtips.com

Article Source: http://www.BharatBhasha.com
Article Url: http://www.bharatbhasha.com/gardening.php/150801

Why do some people get chinch bugs?

A homeowner asked, "Will I need chinch bug treatment every year?"
And, "Why do I have chinch bugs and my neighbour doesn't?"

Chinch bugs like warm, sunny conditions. They're like "fair weather" enemies. You are most likely to find them in the sunniest spot on your lawn. Check for them on the south facing lawns, away from trees, shrubs, even fences. Any where that there isn't any shade.

Chinch bugs overwinter in the bushes, along the house foundations, anywhere they can hide for the winter. They are back on the lawns now. (a bit earlier this year than most years.) We are finding them now. This picture is not very clear but it show how small the chinch bugs are.

With the new organic treatments for chinch bugs, not all chinch bugs will be eliminated. We can achieve a level of control that permits the lawns to not show visible damage. This means a few chinch bugs will survive to come back another year.

There are a few things you can do to reduce chinch bug damage and populations.
1. Mow the lawn high. We recommend 3" mowing height. The longer grass blades shade the soil and keep it cooler. A little bit extra shade may be enough to discourage the chinch bugs.
2. Water deeply and infrequently. A stronger, healthier lawn will withstand chinch bug damage better. Chinch bugs suck the sap from the grass. Damage is always worse, for instance, on bentgrass, which is a shallow rooted variety. Deep watering encourages deep roots.
3. Overseed with perennial ryegrass with endophytes. Short version- endophytes discourage chinch bugs. So by having more endophytic perennial ryegrass in your lawn = less chinch bugs.

And the neighbour- maybe he has more shade and is doing all the right things. Sometimes, though it's the neighbour who neglects his lawn that seems to avoid chinch bugs, while you look after your lawn and why do you get the chinch bugs?

I guess, you have to look at it from the point of the chinch bugs. If you were a chinch bug looking for a lawn to feed on, would you choose a neglected lawn or would you choose the green, succulent one that a homeowner can take pride in? Since chinch bugs are sucking insects, small wonder they pick the nice lawns. One of the downsides of having a nice, green lawn.

Chinch bug Article in Library.

If you have a lawn/tree/shrub that needs some Tender Loving Care- get The KING OF GREEN:

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Seeding Time

In August, I drove by a sod farm in Mount Hope. I could see that the fields have been prepared for seeding. Fall is the best time to sow grass seed. This is when Mother Nature does her seeding. The days can be warm, even hot in August, but the nights are cooler for sure. Any moisture that we do get is less likely to be lost.

If your lawn need thickening, fall is the best time to overseed.

If you have a lawn/tree/shrub that needs some Tender Loving Care- get The KING OF GREEN:

Turf King Home

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or call us at 905.318.6677 or 1.888.TURFKING (887.3546)

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Copyright 2007 Turf King-Hamilton. All Rights Reserved.

Too much salt may increase your blood pressure

Salt can be an interesting thing to look at in its crystalline form. It does a good job of melting snow and ice and thus keeping us safe on the roads and upright on our walks, steps and porches. Salt on the lawns however is not a good thing.

Excess salt will kill the lawn. This means that seeding must be done in the spring to fill the bare patches. (more work!!- always raises my blood pressure!!)

To reduce damage to the lawn- use an ice melting product that does not contain regular salt. Don't use more than is required. In areas where salt damage is prevalent, use gypsum in the fall and spring to help to neutralize the effects of salt. Apply at about 8 lbs per 100 square feet on clay soils. Sandy soils need about half as much.

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Grass types can reduce insect damage

Grass seed- we are looking at a new grass seed supplier. We were discussing the different mixes. We wanted to make sure that the new mix included some endophytic perennial rye grass seed.

What does "endophytic" mean for the lawn? Endophytic grasses reduce chinch bugs and other lawn pests. They contain materials that are either toxic to the insects or that cause the pests to avoid these plants. Perennial rye grasses have been developed to reduce the chances of insect damage. Never use endophytic lawn grasses in pasture areas as the endophytic grasses are harmful to horse and cattle. Our mix uses a "turf-type" perennial rye grass. This designation is to distinguish between fine textured varieties that are suitable for lawn use from those varieties that have coarse, unsightly leaf blades.

Mixes with Annual rye grass are generally not recommended. The annual rye grass is useful in some situations as it germinates rapidly. However, it is not long lived. Generally, turf-type perennial rye grasses will do the same job of germinating quickly and thus providing some cover and protection for the slower germinating grasses such as Kentucky bluegrass.

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