Our Editors were out fraternizing at a Barbecue last night and got some great DIY topics from our readers. Many of loyal subscribers seem to agree that some helpful advice on how to keep the lawn beautiful all season was a most pressing topic. We spent the evening digging up some inventive and green ways to keep the grass greener on your own side, from how to rid the lawn of pests, weeds and crabgrass to repairing yellow spots from “Spot” the family dog. With hopes that our readers will continue to send us requests like these, Smithtown Today presents our Grass is Always Greener Guide to Lawn Care!
When to Water: Set your sprinkler timer for early morning, just before dawn between 4 A.M. and 5 A.M. Avoid watering the lawn at night as a lack in evaporation can cause diseased grass or fungus to grow. Also, it’s important that a lawn receives just under an inch of water at least 3 or 4 times per week.
Tip: If you do not have a sprinkler system, measure and mark a cake pan or casserole dish 3/4 inch deep. Place the pan down on the grass, at the furthest point of which the sprinkler reaches. Time how long it takes the sprinkler to fill the pan with that much water. Run your sprinker for that same amount of time at least 3 or 4 times per week.
Yellow spot Remedy: If you own a dog, your lawn most likely has a few yellow or bare spots thanks to man’s best friend. Sprinkle Gypsum on the troubled area. Saturate the problem area with water. Wait a day to plant new grass seeds along the bare area. Water daily.
Weed Prevention: Using pesticides and herbicides can be harmful to family pets, wildlife, linked to causing cancer and can lead to environmental damage. Using Corn Gluten Meal in place of harmful chemicals will prevent weed germination and adds nitrogen to soil which aids in a greener lawn. Activate corn gluten meal with water with application. This method of weed prevention will be effective for up to six weeks. Note: Avoid using weed prevention when you are adding new grass seeds to the lawn. Wait for the seeds to sprout to full growth before applying another corn gluten meal application. Corn gluten meal can be found at most organic or health food stores like Trader Joes, Fairway and Whole Foods.
Seeding the lawn regularly is an important step to keeping weeds from sprouting up. Add a little clover to a mix of grass seed with the next application. The clover will add nitrogen into the soil which is key to growing the greenest shades of grass. Clover will also retain moisture in the soil, which can pay off in a drought situation. Top the grass seed and clover application with a layer of compost (Chicken manure works the best) and water daily. Keep massive foot traffic to a minimum for two weeks after a seeding application.
Take a pitchfork to the lawn. Aerate your lawn by spiking a pitchfork into the soil where the grass looks like it’s drying up. The air will circulate to the roots of the grass, breaking up dry and compacted soil.
Sprinkle Epson Salt over grass, watering it twice a day, in the morning and at night for two weeks. Epson Salt contains primarily magnesium sulfate, which is a quick fix for dry or yellow looking grass. Note: Do not substitute for fertilizer. Besides magnesium sulfate, Epson Salt doesn’t hold much nutritional value for your lawn. But it is a fast acting face lift for a dried up yard.
Fertilizer Alternatives: Use coffee grounds for fertilizer as an eco-friendly and cost effective method for nourishing the lawn. Rake the used coffee grounds out lightly, to avoid piles on top of the grass. You can also use a seed spreader. We actually tried this out using our winter salt spreader, which doubles for a grass seed spreader in the summer!
Get Rid of Gross Grubs: They are the sole reason for turning a beautiful garden yellow and will destroy grass if too many grubs have infiltrated the soil. Apply Milky spores to areas of infestation to infect and kill grub populations. This is an environmentally friendly safe way to treat a lawn or garden, without killing off plant life.
Neem oil is also a natural and effective insecticide. Mix neem oil with the amount of water needed according instructions on the bottle and apply to the affected area.