Maintenance & Feeding Sod

Feeding Your local extension agent can be a valuable help in giving recommendations for your individual lawn regarding fertilizers and fertilizing practices.  We recommend fertilizing your lawn in the Fall and not in the Spring.  This will build a strong root system and stronger plants.  Always water fertilizer well into the soil to prevent burning the tops of the plants. 

The amount of fertilizer for any particular lawn depends on the fertility of the natural soil, the degree of growth you want, and the type of grass that you are growing.

Mowing

Mowing is one of the most important operations in the maintenance of a fine lawn. Proper mowing will make a good lawn look better.  Improper mowing can ruin a good lawn in just a few weeks.  The most important point to remember is to keep the mower blades sharp.  Nothing defaces grass more quickly than a dull mower.  Remove all objects from the lawn before you mow, to prevent injury to others, and to prevent damage to the mower. 

Don't let your lawn grow so tall that it falls over, for it will be difficult to mow and it will smother out.  Never remove more than one-third of the leaf height at any one time.  We recommend mowing Bluegrass at a height of 2-3 inches.  You can determine the height of your mower blade by placing it on a driveway or sidewalk, and measuring the distance between the blade and the sidewalk. 

You should remove clippings that clump so that they don't smother the grass and leave brown dead patches.

Watering

In the summertime, lawns generally require about an inch of water every week.  Bluegrass, however, does go dormant during dry seasons - the grass may turn brown, but it will green up again when it is watered.

A good rule to follow is this:  If you water, do it regularly.  Apply an inch every week (including rain) at one setting of the sprinkler.  To gauge watering, simply place an empty can about six feet away from the sprinkler.  When there is an inch of water in the can, it is time to move the sprinkler to the next area.  Water evenly and slowly enough so that it penetrates without runoff.

Too much water can be as harmful as not enough.  Soil that is continually soaked does not allow air to reach the root zone where it's required.

Frequent light waterings WILL result in shallow rooting! Deeper roots will result in better drought resistance.