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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Turf King Hamilton Halton Haldimand
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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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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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Snow & the Seed Catalog

We're happy to not be in the SNOWMAGEDDON in  London, Ontario which is reeling under a metre of snow that's fallen in the last day or so. While Hamilton and Stoney Creek had just a light dusting of flurries, here in Hagersville, we got about a couple of inches.

What should appear but the William Dam seed catalog. 

Gardening can be a lot of fun, relaxation, - a fine hobby, but it can be a lot of work too.

Maybe we should cut back next year? But when you start looking at all the new varieties...

then well, maybe we could try growing some of those.

Ah the challenges of gardening- they always start with the seed catalog. Spring can't be that far away. . .  .

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Grub Damage Recovery Plan

Angie emailed about animals digging in her lawn. Here is our recommendation to her.

Angie, Thanks for your response

The digging by animals is a problem. Most likely there are grubs there. There are not insecticides currently allowed for the treatment of grubs. Nematodes can be used in warm weather. (mid Aug to mid Oct). One problem with nematodes is that they may only control 50-75% of the grubs (if we are lucky). Also it does take time for the grubs to die, therefore, sometimes the skunks and/or raccoons may still come for dying grubs or for the ones that were not controlled.

To look on the bright side, the animals digging for grubs are at least getting rid of some grubs. If you could train them to put the sod back after they are finished, we could hire them.!

The grubs do survive the winter. The animals may be back next spring. By the spring, I would not recommend treating at that time. Nematodes could technically be used in the spring once the soil warms up. Even when chemical insecticides were available, I normally did not recommend treating for grubs in the spring.

Reasons for not treating.

1. Most of the damage to the lawn by the grub is done in the fall. Some feeding does occur, but generally it is minimal

2. Spring grubs have now reached close to their maximum size and are harder to kill with insecticides.

3. Even if they could be controlled, the grubs in your lawn are not necessarily the source of the next batch of grubs to invade your lawn. (grubs pupate in May-June, then emerge as adults in June-July. The adults can fly. This means they can go to other lawns to lay their eggs which then hatch into baby grubs.) So even if we got rid of all the grubs in your lawn, adults from down the road, across the street or from a neighbourhood park, may still fly over to your lawn and lay eggs in the soil. Controlling the grubs in your lawn in the spring will mean less adults flying in your neighbourhood, but not necessarily any less eggs laid on YOUR lawn.

What should you do?

Once the animals have stopped coming to your lawn, replace the sod pieces as best you can, (green side up.) Don't do it every morning, because, most likely they will come back and rip up the same piece tomorrow night. At this time of year, it is cool and damp, the sod, if it is still alive, will survive a few days on its back. By waiting you will be less frustrated - hopefully you replace the sod only once or twice.

If the damage is very minimal, sometimes a couple of pieces of sod, may be an easier fix. Do this if sod is available.

In the spring, add some soil as needed, and sprinkle lots of good quality grass seed that is appropriate for the sun/shade conditions of your lawn. If it is both sunny and shady, and you only want to purchase on type of seed, use shady grass seed. Shady grass seed will grow better in the sun than sunny grass will in the shade.

If the damage is very severe, the easiest way to get grass back is to aerate and overseed. Seeds falling in the aeration holes are protected from drying out, and from the birds. 

Feed the lawn to help it recover from the damage. Good quality fertilizer is important to help the lawn fill the spaces where the roots have been eaten by the grubs.

Consider doing a nematode treatment for Late August- September to control any grubs from the next generation.

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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Still time to seed

It's not to late to seed your lawn. In fact, it's a great time to fill in the bare spots, thin areas and parts that may have suffered damage from insects, winter kill or old age.

Turf King will gladly leave a small bag of our premium grass seed mix to our clients who are on a seasonal program. 

For more seeding information go to our Lawn Library.

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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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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

Thatch Problems

Thatch can be a problem in your lawn.

We inspected a lawn this week that was just not responding the way is should. On inspection we found that the lawn had a very heavy layer of thatch.

Now by thatch we mean that layer between the soil and the green part of a lawn. Some people refer to dead or yellow grass blades as thatch. As in, "My lawn has a lot of brown in it. It has a lot of thatch." Well, that is just dead grass blades. Thatch is normally not visible until you start scratching the surface.

Thatch can consist of roots, stems and other organic matter. Some thatch is a good thing. A little bit will help prevent moisture from escaping too readily on a warm day. Somte thatch acts a cushion to prevent the soil from getting too compacted from foot traffic and mower wheels- anything that will push the soil down and drive the air (really we mean oxygen) out of the soil pores.

However, too much thatch can be detrimental to the health of the lawn. Too much thatch acts like a thatch roof and prevents water from penetrating into the soil. The rain and irrigation instead are carried off the lawn and into the storm sewers. Too much thatch prevents fertilizers from reaching the root zone. Too much thatch also increases the likelihood of disease problems. Chinch bug like to hide in the thatch. White grubs feed on grass roots as well as thatch. Anecdotal evidence would suggest that European chafer adults seem to know if a lawn has a lot of thatch and may be more likely to lay their eggs in lawns with excessive thatch.

So, how do you get rid of thatch and keep it away? First off, thatch is not caused by leaving the clippings on the lawn. Secondly, we don't normally recommend usin a dethatcher to remove thatch. While a dethatcher will indeed remove the thatch, this is really only a temporary solution. The thatch may be gone, for now, but without tackling the root causes of thatch, it will be back.

Our recommendation is to core aerate the lawn. Aerate it heavily, i.e. aerate it twice all at once. This will put that many more holes in the lawn. It will remove that many more cores. Each hole will allow oxygen back into the soil. This will encourage the bacteria and other soil fauna to grow and multiply so that they can decompose the excess thatch. Each core that lands on the surface will now "topdress" a small section of the lawn. The soil there will also encourage soil organisms to do their work. Grass roots will quickly grow into the core holes where there will be a better mix of moisture and air. As the grass roots flourish, so the lawn will become healthier.

If you want to speed up the process, the addition of more soil to the lawn surface will mean that the whole lawn will be topdressed instead of just the areas that have the cores. At the same time, sprinkle some grass seed over the lawn. Grass seed that fall into those aeration holes always has a better chance of growing. They are less likely to dry out, less likely to be snatched away by a hungry bird, and more likely to continue growing once they sprout.

In a few weeks, the lawn will start to turn around. This is not an instant cure, but it is the first step to a green, healthy lawn.

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

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Summer Crabgrass Tips

With Crabgrass showing now in full force, what can be done about it?
In Ontario, we have a new Cosmetic Pesticide Lawn. Post-emergent crabgrass control products like Acclaim are now longer permitted to be used.

If you have a lot of crabgrass problems, now is the time to consider how best deal with this less than ideal grass.

First, recognize that the good thing about crabgrass is that it is an annual weed. When the first hard frost hits the lawns in the fall, crabgrass will die. It will be gone for the rest of the year. So at least we know that any crabgrass you may be seeing right now is only temporary.

The bad news about crabgrass, however, is that each crabgrass plant can produce thousands of seeds that can grow and infest your lawn next year. Any thing we can do to reduce the amount of seed that is produced will make our job that much easier for next season.

When the crabgrass is still young, it will pull out fairly easily. Hand pulling is a great option as it gets rid of the crabgrass and hopefully before it has a chance to seed. Sometimes a small hand trowel or a dandelion weeder is helpful in getting the roots out. If you hand pull after a good rainfall, the roots will come up easier. Crabgrass, fortunately has fine fibrous roots rather than a long, tap root like a dandelion.

If the size of your crabgrass crop has exceeded your ability to hand pull in terms of quantity and size, one option is to use the permitted non-selective herbicides. These products contain either acetic acid (vinegar) or soap based herbicides. Because they are non-selective, they will control not only your crabgrass, but they will damage the desirable turfgrasses as well. So, one has to decide if damaging the good grasses is worth it.

If you have a large amount of crabgrass, it may be worth the risk of damaging the lawn in order to combat the crabgrass problem. Spray the crabgrass patch carefully. Try not to get any of the spray onto those areas of the lawn that does not have any crabgrass. Use a shield of cardboard or other material to protect those areas of the lawn that you do not want the spray to damage. Once the crabgrass (and the good grass) start to yellow, spread some black soil on the damaged areas and spread some high quality grass seed. Keep the seed constantly moist by watering at least twice a day. As the new grass seed germinates it will help to fill in the spaces left by the crabgrass. The black soil, while it does look like a band aid solution on your lawn, at least shows that you are doing something about the crabgrass.

Later as the crabgrass starts to go to seed, do your best to remove as much of the seed heads as possible. As the crabgrass matures, it will start to spread out on the ground, laying flat and close to the surface. Sometimes you may be able to use a stiff rake to pull some plant out.

Another way to help reduce seed production is to rake the prostrate seed heads before mowing. That way they will be upright and vertical enough to be mowed off. Bag the seed head clippings and dispose of the seed.

As we get into the fall, continue seeding as needed so that the areas where the crabgrass problems occurred are growing in nice and thick. Add fertilizer to also help with the thickening and turf density. Crabgrass will die off with a hard frost and will certainly be gone by winter.

Next spring
Once the new season begins, plan to tackle the crabgrass by applying a corn gluten meal fertilizer in late April through early May. Corn gluten meal acts as a natural fertilizer as well as a crabgrass preventer. There is a protein in corn gluten meal that disrupts the normal root development of germinating seedlings. Without a proper root, those seedling will die from a lack of moisture. Corn gluten meal is active for about 4 weeks, so timing of the application is critical. About 20 lb. of corn gluten meal need to be applied to 1,000 sq ft of lawn. Remember that it is also a fertilizer, so do not apply another fertilizer at the same time.

Care of your lawn to reduce crabgrass.
Once you start mowing your lawn, make sure to set your mowing height to 3 inches. At 3", there will be more leaf blade height to shade the ground. Compared to a mowing height of say 2 inches, the 3 inch height provides an extra inch of leaf blade. That may not seem like much, but it is 50% more leaf blade. That extra shade it provides helps to reduce crabgrass germination.

Crabgrass likes to grow in warm, sunny spots. That's why you often find it along the edge of the driveway where the concrete or asphalt transfers its heat to the lawn adjacent to it. Crabgrass loves that warmer soil. By mowing your lawn at 3 inches, the extra shade will keep the ground cooler and more moist. Lower soil temperatures will help to increase the lawn density and the lawn's vigour. All of these factors will reduce the amount of crabgrass that will infest your lawn.

The higher mowing height also helps to reduce weed germination so that less weed control will be required. As well, cooler soil temperatures will help to reduce chinch bug populations and chinch bug damage, so your lawn care all around will be much easier.

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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Early Fall Advice for Lawns

A Bit Of Fall Lawn Care Advice To Help You Keep Your Lawn Protected Throughout The Winter

As summer turns to fall the days will start to become shorter and the temperatures will begin to fall and this is that time of the year when you will do well to start your fall lawn care preparations. For most of us, the right kind of fall lawn care advice will ensure that we learn how to keep our lawns in proper condition despite the onset of the cool weather. In fact, only with the help of proper fall lawn care advice can you ensure making your lawn last through the fall season and in addition it allows you to prepare for the oncoming cold winter months.

Fertilizing Is Important

The fall season is the beginning of a time when your lawn is going to be dormant for the coming months and for this you need to ask the experts for proper fall lawn care advice. Fertilizing is an important aspect of fall lawn care as the addition of appropriate fall fertilizers will ensure that the roots in your lawn continue growing beneath the surface of the earth even in spite of the fact that the ground will be covered up with snow.

Another aspect to fall lawn care for which proper fall lawn care advice is needed is knows the correct way to go about doing power seeding which helps to increase density of the turf and which also ensures that your lawn remains in good overall health. One piece of solid fall lawn care advice that you will do well to heed is to use a power seeder that goes by the name of Turf Tamer ® that provides the turf with the right quantity of seeds that will then ensure that your lawn can easily recover from the ravages of the previous summer.

Another aspect to getting fall lawn care advice is knows how to aerate the lawn which is something that you need to pay special attention to as it helps to keep the lawn from suffering on account of compacting of the grass that will surely occur because of the heavy amount of traffic on the lawn. In addition, aerating the lawn helps ensure that the required nutrients and oxygen reach the roots and so ensures the safety of the lawn and its plants and grass.

Applying fall fertilizer is essential to maintaining the health of your lawn. It is therefore a good idea to seek a lawn doctor from whom you can get pertinent fall lawn care advice regarding fall lawn care fertilizer. You need to know the right time to apply the fertilizer and also the right quantities and remember that timing of applying the fertilizer is crucial to the health of your lawn. Only with the help of fall lawn care advice can you learn not to apply the fertilizer too early which could easily lead to winter injuries as well as to snow mold damage.

http://homeimprovement-advice.com/a-bit-of-fall-lawn-care-advice-to-help-you-keep-your-lawn-protected-throughout-the-winter.html


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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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Time to Plan for Grass Seeding

Seeding a Lawn
Now is the time to start planning for seeding your lawn.

When to Seed?
• Apply seed in Spring when soil temperature reaches 15°C (60°F) - Ideally April to mid June
• Best time for maximum germination is mid August to mid September when soil is warm and the nights are cool.
• If you have spread grass seed in the early spring, it will not germinate until the soil temperature reaches about 15°C (about 59°F).

Why Overseed?
A thick healthy lawn is the best defense against weeds, disease, drought and insect damage. Over-seeding can quickly repair a lawn that is thin and patchy from
• Winter Damage.
• Damage from Drought and Extreme Heat.
• Damage from Grubs, Chinch Bugs and other insects.
• Introduction of a new variety of grass.

Total Lawn Renovation
In some cases the entire lawn may be beyond salvation. This could be due to: the majority of the lawn is dead, undesirable grass species, damaged from construction, etc.
• If required apply a total weed and grass killer to kill off any unwanted weeds and grass.

Soil Preparation
The amount of preparation will greatly affect the final results.
• Remove dead grass and debris.
• Roughen area with a stiff rake to loosen soil.
• Apply 3-5 cm of good quality top soil, Triple Mix or Compost.

Starter Fertilizer
• Spread a Lawn Starter Fertilizer over the area (follow package directions).
• Rake soil level to a final grade.

Applying Seed
• Apply at rate listed on grass seed bag.
• For small areas apply seed by hand.
• For larger areas use a fertilizer spreader, apply in two passes using half the rate of application per pass - one at right angles to the other in a crisscross pattern for complete coverage.
• Use a low spreader setting. You should see approximately 2-3 seeds in a square inch (approximately 2.5 x 2.5 cm).
• Using an empty lawn roller to press the seed in to the soil or raking lightly with a leaf rake.
• Grass seed needs soil contact to germinate and should be covered by no more than 7mm (¼") of soil (If the seed is buried any deeper than this, it will have trouble emerging from the soil. Burying the seed is a common reason for poor lawn establishment.)

Watering
• The most important thing you can do now is to ensure that the lawn receives enough water.
• Keep the lawn moist for the first two weeks. You don't need a lot of water – about 15 minutes with an average sprinkler each day will work. You want to keep the first few centimeters (half an inch) moist.
• Watering in the early morning or the evening works best.
• Use a fine spray so as not to disturb the seedbed.

Next Steps
• During the first few weeks, keep as much traffic off the seedbed as possible. The tender, emerging shoots of grass will not withstand much wear and tear.
• Once the grass has grown up to 3-4 inches (8-10 cm), you can begin cutting it. This should be after about 4 weeks of growth.
• If you need to apply weed control wait until at least 6 weeks after seeding.
• After 6 weeks fertilize with a premium slow release lawn fertilizer.
• If you have a few patches that aren't as thick as the rest, they may not have received enough seed. Don't be afraid to overseed these areas. The longer they stay bare, the more likely that weeds will encroach onto your lawn.
Adapted from http://www.grass-seed.ca/

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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Damaged Lawns

Driving through town last week, I am surprised at how many lawns one finds here and there with damage from the summer. Some may be from the hot, dry summer. Some may have been from chinch bug damage. Hard to tell at this point in time.

Can anything be done in the middle of November? Sod may still be available so the lawn could be repaired. I would first suggest checking the lawn for grubs. These 2 lawns pictured don't look like grub problems. But, it is worthwhile checking. If there are grubs and you sod over them, the grubs aren't likely to do too much damage to the sod. Raccoons and skunks, however, may think, "hey these grubs are easy to find, and the grass was really easy to lift up!"

If you're not in the mood to sod right now, I would suggest waiting until spring to do any seeding. It is unlikely that grass seed will do too much at this time of year.

If it makes you feel better, you could purchase a small amount of grass seed and throw it over the bare spots. It may come up next spring and it may not. A little bit of grass seed is relatively inexpensive way to salve your conscience. The only problem is that by the time the ideal time to seed and repair comes around next spring, the grass seed you threw down now won't have come up so you will have to start from scratch.

So I guess the only reason to put some grass seed down now is if you are the type that only has a 50-50 chance of getting around to doing any repairs and seeding at the correct time next spring.

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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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

Click here to Request a Quote Online -

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

If you would like more information, please Contact us

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Copyright 2007 Turf King-Hamilton. All Rights Reserved.

Renovating spots of thick bladed grass, cont'd

When these grasses grow out by the farmer’s field, I don’t worry about them at all. They’re green and they don’t have yellow flowers. Around the patio, I’m a little more particular.

Last year I had a couple of clumps of thick bladed grasses growing near the back patio. In early April, I sprayed some glyphosate (Roundup) on the patch, then simply sprinkled grass seed into the grass. A day later, once that spray had dried, I watered the patch to wash the seed down to the soil level. In about ten days the unwanted grasses, along with the good grass in that spot, had turned yellow and started to die. Maybe it was the right weather, but by the end of 4 to 5 weeks, the new grass had sprouted and the patch slowly turned from a dead yellow patch into a spot of fresh new lawn. My memory is not as good as it was, so I won’t say that I didn’t throw some more grass seed down at a later date.

In your lawn, once the unwanted grass has turned yellow, (it should take 7-10 days), you can repair that area by putting in a piece of sod or by seeding that area with a good grass seed mix.

If you are going to seed and if it is a small area- slit the ground with a spade and drop the seed into the slits. The seed in the slits should be protected from drying out. You can see the slits I have made in the second photo. I'll try to remember to take pictures as the seed sprouts.

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)

If you would like more information, please Contact us

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Copyright 2007 Turf King-Hamilton. All Rights Reserved.