Fall Projects - Lawn Health

Fall is a great time to improve the health of your lawn. Among the various projects that a home owner can do, or hire a professional to do, are dethatching, over-seeding, fertilizing and weed prevention.

Right now, I am going to recommend dethatching, a simple way to improve the health of your lawn. For those of you who mulch your leaves and grass clippings into your lawn, this is an important step in the care of your lawn. Mulching clippings is a great way to insulate your grass from excessive heat and cold as well as drought that can strain the lawn and open it up to disease and insect damage. Insects love to live in that thatch buildup. Even if you don't use a mulching system on your mower, you should take a look at your lawn to see if build up is occurring. Cut out a small plug of sod in several areas of your lawn. Pull them up a look to see if there is more than half an inch of clippings built up above the soil line. If there is, it is probably time to dethatch. However, years of mulching can create buildup of thatch, which keeps water from penetrating easily. Additionally, for those of you who use insecticides and fertilizers, thatch build up can decrease their effectiveness by blocking the pathway to the root zone. When water, that can not drain properly, comes in contact with these chemicals, runoff occurs. Unnecessary runoff. If you have had trouble with ineffective fertilizer and insecticide applications, this may be your problem.

The goal of dethatching is to remove the thatch which prevents proper water and chemical penetration. Dethatching machines can be rented at most equipment rental stores. I just dethatched several acres of lawn for a client in Grand Rapids. The machine cost $90.00 for a 24 hour rental. I completed the dethatching in about six hours. Not your typical yard. Using a rake, gas powered blower, and a zero turn lawn mower, I removed approximately fifteen yards of old thatch from the lawn. That's seven and a half mounded pickup trucks full. It took me twelve hours to accomplish this.

Most of you won't have such a large project on your hands. One to two hours (maybe) using the dethatcher and another hour of raking would probably do the trick. Rent the machine for under $50.00. Operation of the dethatcher is simple. If you can mow, you can dethatch. For those of you who have a tiny yard, or don't want to spend the money, but have the time, inclination, and strength to do it, you can buy a dethatching rake to do this project.

Once you have finished dethatching your lawn, including raking up the clippings and composting or otherwise disposing of the product, you can move on to overseeding, fertilizing and weed control. Tenacity, one of the newest weed control products out there, can be applied at the same time you are overseeding/seeding and still effectively control post- and pre-emergent weeds according to Syngenta. Check it out: http://www.greencastonline.com/TenacityHerbicide/index.aspx. I'll be testing that product claim this fall and next spring to let you know how it works out.

Sustainable Lawn Care: Stewardship

Sometimes, grass is not the answer. Here in West Michigan, many homes are located on heavily wooded lots. Little sun ever filters down to the ground. This means it is always a struggle in some areas to keep that grass growing. Most lawns need a minimum of three hours of direct sunlight to remain lush and sustainable. If you don't get enough light, there really are only two remedies: prune the trees to allow enough light to get down to the lawn, or forget about your traditional lawn.

It is not always feasible or desirable to prune those shade trees. Get rid of the shade, and you lose

some of the character of the lot you loved so much in the first place. Also, remember, even if you raise the tree canopy, you might have to deal with tree roots. Trees are very thirsty. Lawns that must compete with trees for water and nutrients require extra watering and nutrients to keep them healthy.

If you don't mind getting rid of some of those trees, (they are not always desirable), keep in mind, there tends to be a considerable amount of cost, either in labor or dollars. If you decide you can stand to lose some of those trees and you can afford the expense, make sure you choose a tree service company with the necessary experience to safely remove your trees. Not everyone with a chainsaw is skilled enough to remove trees located near your home or electrical/phone wires around your home.

If you decide, "this lawn is not worth the effort", there are several alternatives to be explored. I will briefly mention them here and expound later.

First, and perhaps most obvious: groundcovers such as Myrtle or Pachysandra. These are very low maintenance plants that can grow densely in both sun and shade. Once they mature, they tend to choke out most weeds, and so keep a very nice carpet like appearance. Downside: you can't really walk through the area anymore. These plants grow six to twelve inches high and make traversing somewhat difficult. Certainly, not desirable on a regular basis.

Second, there are lower growing groundcovers, sometimes called "Steppables". Among these are Irish and Scotch Moss as well as low-growing sedums. These also give a carpet like appearance to your former lawn areas, and allow a bit more access to the area than do Myrtle and Pachysandra. Keep in mind: the "Steppables" have their limits. If you expect significant foot traffic through these areas, stepping stones will be necessary to keep feet off the plants and directed through the area to limit plant disturbance or damage. In addition, not all of these groundcovers can be grown in the shade. Carefully research the various groundcovers before choosing the one for you particular needs. For a fairly exhaustive list of low-growing ground covers go to www.stepables.com

Third, you may want to consider installing mixed gardens. Mixed gardens combine various types of plants, i.e. perennials, shrubs, groundcovers, trees and annuals. Again, if there tends to be significant foot traffic through the areas, install paths to keep those feet off the plants.

 

Fourth, consider putting in a brick or stone patio. Though a project like this is significantly more expensive and/or time consuming, it does add to the enjoyment of the outdoors by creating a space in which to enjoy your gardens and woodland. In addition, properly installed patios add value to your property that lawns, gardens and groundcovers never can.