A thriving lawn benefits both the environment and homeowners. A healthy lawn reduces carbon emissions and helps with water conservation.

To get the best results from a lawn, perform a soil test to determine the soil’s pH levels, fertility, salt levels and organic matter percentage. A soil test will also tell you if the lawn needs lime or fertilizer. Contact Lawn Care Kentucky for professional help.

Your lawn needs a variety of nutrients to grow and look beautiful. The primary nutrients are nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium. There are also micronutrients such as iron, manganese and zinc that are essential to plant growth. Providing the correct balance of these elements will promote lush, healthy grass and reduce the number and severity of weeds.

Most soils naturally supply these essential nutrients to most native plants. However, the soil can become depleted through heavy use and over time, making it necessary to fertilize. Fertilizing adds nutrients to the soil that is then absorbed by the roots of your lawn grass. It is recommended that you use a slow-release commercial granular fertilizer. This type of fertilizer releases nutrients over a period of months and is a better choice than a water-soluble spray or liquid fertilizer that only acts on the leaves.

Grass needs a light application of granular nitrogen in fall, spring and summer to stimulate root growth and help the grass compete with weeds for available nutrients. Adding a pre-emergent weed control product such as Acelepryn at this time will provide additional benefits.

A soil test can tell you the relative proportions of sand, silt and clay in your soil. Knowing this information will help you choose the right types and amounts of fertilizers and other lawn care products. The soil test will also let you know the soil’s fertility level, salt content and its pH.

When starting a new lawn from seed or overseeding an existing one, it is best to sow a quality certified grass seed that contains no more than zero percent weed seeds. This will ensure that most of the seed germinates and grows into healthy, weed-free turf. Then, use a spreader to apply high-quality granular starter fertilizer that has nitrogen in slow release form. This will help prevent nutrient build-up in the soil that might divert energy from root growth to leaf development, and it will keep stray fertilizer from washing into storm drains and into rivers and lakes.

Natural organic fertilizers are made from materials such as manure, fish emulsion, compost and processed sewage. Unlike synthetic chemical fertilizers, they release the nutrients into the soil slowly, which allows them to be absorbed by earthworms and other microbes without disrupting normal microbial activity.

Aeration

Aeration is the process of puncturing small openings in your lawn to relieve soil compaction and enhance the flow of water, oxygen, and nutrients. This allows roots to grow deeper into the ground and encourages grasses to strengthen. Aeration also helps improve the performance of your fertilizer, and it can help prevent thatch build-up.

If your soil has a high proportion of clay, it can become compacted over time. Clay soils lack air spaces, and this can rob grasses of vital nutrients and moisture. If you notice your lawn has a spongy feel or that it develops diseases like brown patch, aeration may be required to loosen the soil.

You can aerate your lawn with either a core or spike aerator. A core aerator removes plugs of soil from the lawn, while spike aerators simply poke holes into your lawn. While both methods work, core aeration offers more benefits and is the preferred option.

Late summer and fall are the optimum times to aerate your lawn. This is when lawns tend to be most compacted from heightened activity and dry weather. Punching holes in the yard during other seasons could cause weed growth and compromise your crabgrass control spray or pre-emergent herbicide, and it would be too hot to seed the lawn effectively.

Once the aeration has been completed, it is important to water well. This will jump-start the nutrient flow to the roots, and it will give the grass the opportunity to repair any damage caused during the aeration process. It is a good idea to apply lawn food right after aeration as well.

After aerating, it is an excellent time to apply soil additives and conditioners. Lime (calcium carbonate) and gypsum (calcium sulfate dihydrate) are two commonly used products that can help balance soil pH, neutralise acidic soils, and break down clay soils. It is also a good time to apply the recommended amount of grass seed based on the variety and blend you have chosen. It is best to spread the seed in a checkerboard or crisscross pattern, as this will ensure that each hole receives a seed head.

Weed Control

Weeds are an unwelcome addition to any lawn. They steal sunlight and nutrients from grass, choke out healthy turf, and are difficult to get rid of. Regular weed control treatments will help you achieve a weed-free lawn. The best weed control is pre-emergent, which controls weeds before they grow. When used correctly, it prevents weeds from germinating and helps your lawn thrive.

Herbicides are another common weed control method. They can be selective or non-selective. Selective herbicides target certain weeds and not your grass. Non-selective herbicides kill any plant that they come into contact with, including your lawn. When using a herbicide, it’s important to properly identify the weed you wish to eliminate and to carefully read the product label.

Aerating the lawn can also help reduce weed populations, but beware that some weed seeds may sprout in the holes left by the aerator. This is why a pre-emergent weed control should be applied following aeration.

Biological methods of weed control involve the release of pathogens that can cause disease in a weed species, thus disrupting the weed’s ability to survive and reproduce. This type of weed control is typically used on more resistant weeds or on weeds that are too close to desired grass.

Physical methods of weed control can include pulling, tilling, burning, and mowing. However, these methods are typically labor-intensive and can result in uneven weed removal.

Other forms of physical weed control include the use of machines that physically remove weeds from the ground or roots, or mechanically cut and remove weeds from a lawn with a rotary mower. These types of machines can be very effective and are often available for rent at equipment rental businesses.

Chemical weed control includes a variety of products, such as granules, liquid sprays, and postemergence herbicides. It’s important to apply these products according to the product label, and to remember that the timing of application can have a big impact on how effective the product is.

It’s also important to keep kids and pets off of the lawn until the weed control is dry, which usually takes about 4 hours. It’s also recommended to wait until the lawn is dry before mowing, so that the herbicide has time to be absorbed and translocated throughout the weed system.

Insect Control

In a healthy lawn, insect populations are controlled by natural predators, the environment, and other factors. But abrupt weather changes can upset this balance, resulting in an increase in harmful insects. Some insects, like chinch bugs and sod webworms, can do serious damage to your carefully cultivated landscape. Others, like mosquitoes and ticks, can spread diseases that affect your family’s health.

Insect control products work above and below ground to help keep damaging pests away from your landscape. These products come in liquid, granule, and powder forms to match your needs. Liquid treatments are ready to spray right from the bottle and can be used with your hose or sprayer; powders and granules require spreading by hand or using a spreader. Different types of insects may require a specific type of insecticide.

For example, a granular insecticide product is effective for surface-feeding insects like fleas and ants. A powder such as diatomaceous earth, which is often sold for ant treatment, works by dissolving an insect’s exoskeleton and drying it out. This is not a permanent solution, however, and you will need to use reapplications to continue to kill the pests.

Other options for surface-feeding insect control include nematodes and neem oil. Nematodes are microscopic worms that eat the larvae of insects such as caterpillars and grubs. They can be used in place of chemical treatments and are environmentally friendly. Oils such as neem and garlic can also be applied to the soil surface to kill off insects.

Biological pesticides are also available and can be used as part of an integrated pest management (IPM) strategy. These products are more targeted than traditional pesticides and primarily target the specific pest without harming other beneficial organisms or plants. These can be used in combination with other strategies such as removing thatch and limiting moisture to prevent an insect problem.

A good IPM program starts with a careful look at your landscape and the insects that are a threat to it. This will guide your choice of controls and prevent you from overusing or even purchasing unnecessary chemicals.