Give Your Lawn a Spring Spruce!

It was Opening Day last week for all your favorite Major League baseball teams! But how’s the turf at your home field looking? If your lawn is in desperate need of a spring cleaning, take some time between innings this weekend to get out there and give it a spruce: 

1. Rake up the remains of last fall’s leaves and grass clippings.
2. Overseed your lawn to repair any damaged areas.
3. Follow with our sensational Spot Seed Tonic: Combine 1 cup of beer, 1 cup of baby shampoo, and 4 tablespoons of instant tea granules in a 20 Gallon Hose-End Sprayer, and lightly apply the mixture to the mulch covering your newly seeded areas.
4. Remove thatch from cool-season lawns. Then spread screened compost over the dethatched turf.
5. Follow the compost with a dose of our Kick-in-the-Grass Tonic: Mix 1 can of beer; ½ cup of Epsom salts; and 1 cup each of antiseptic mouthwash, dishwashing liquid, and ammonia in a large bucket. Pour the solution into a 20 Gallon Hose-End Sprayer, and apply the tonic to the point of run-off. After 2 weeks, administer another dose.
6. Sharpen your mower blade, or replace it with a new one, so you’ll be all set for the first cut of the season.

For more ways to grow, repair, and maintain the best lawn in the league, check out our bestselling book, All-American Lawns. You can even try it out FREE for a full 21 days with our Free Preview!

Give Your Lawn Some Air

Aeration is a classic technique for loosening up compacted soil, as well as solving minor thatch problems. But even healthy lawns can benefit from a regular airing-out. The process simply involves poking holes in the soil, so that air can reach the grass roots – followed quickly by food and water. You should perform this task on a regular basis, following this simple two-part strategy:

Every few weeks, strap on a pair of aerating lawn sandals, and stroll back and forth across your lawn. Or, simpler yet, wear traditional, spiked golf shoes whenever you mow the lawn or do other yard chores. Besides improving the health of your lawn, the spikes will give you more secure footing on the grass.

Once a month throughout the growing season, combine 1 cup of beer and 1 cup of dishwashing liquid in your 20 gallon hose-end sprayer, and fill the balance of the sprayer jar with warm water. Then spray your lawn to the point of runoff to help keep the soil nice and loose and fluffy. Note: Anytime a recipe calls for dishwashing liquid, do not use detergent or any product that contains antibacterial agents. 

For more lawn-lovin’ super solutions and our famous tips, tricks, and tonics, check out our bestselling book, Green Grass Magic. Whether you’re new to the green scene or a seasoned sod-master from way back when, this book has something for everyone. And with Jerry’s help and a little grow-how, you, too, will end up with the toe-ticklinest turf in town! Just visit our Free Preview page to try it out FREE for 21 days, plus receive a free gift with our thanks!

What to Do after the Deluge

Labor Day weekend is here already, but don’t give up on summer just yet. There are plenty more warm sunny days to come — and probably a fair share of rainy ones, too. August delivered so many storms to my neck of the woods, my grass looks greener than springtime!

But a long period of steady rain can be especially hard on the grass in your yard. Your best response: Be patient until the downpour stops, then get rid of any standing water on your lawn. In most cases, you can simply dig trenches that are about 8 inches deep and 4 inches wide, and slope downward from the mini lake to a place where the water will do no damage.

If you don’t have a storm drain or roadside ditch, dig a hole downhill from the puddle, and end your trench there. The depth depends on how well drained the soil is in that spot, and how much standing water you’ve got. Start with a hole that goes down about a foot, then dig deeper if you have to. And, for safety’s sake, cover the opening with a board propped up on stones. That way, the water can run through, but nobody will accidentally stumble into the abyss.

Once you’ve sent all the surface water on its way, follow this three-step plan to put your soil (and therefore, your grass) on the road to recovery:

Step 1. Shove the tines of a garden fork into the soil, and move the fork back and forth a few times to enlarge the holes. This will help the water that’s lingering under the soil surface percolate downward.

Step 2. Apply gypsum at a rate of 50 pounds per 2,500 square feet of lawn area. This will loosen the soil to encourage better drainage.

Step 3. One week after you apply the gypsum, follow up with a premium, natural, organic fertilizer at the recommended rate.

If heavy rains hit as temps are turning cold, don’t waste any time getting standing water off of your lawn. When it remains there going into winter, it can lead to a condition called winter scald: The water freezes, and the sun shining though the ice warms up the soil so much that the grass breaks dormancy and starts growing. But because no air can get through the ice, the plants can’t survive for long. Even if the ice melts and the grass blades can breathe, the saturated soil below will cause the roots to die. And then your only option will be to dig up the dead grass in the springtime and replace it.

Drought Survival 101: Play Defense

We all know that prolonged dry spells seem to be hitting more of the country every year, and lasting longer than they used to. When a drought hits your area, follow this plan of action to help your lawn survive.

Spread the wealth. If you’re fortunate enough to have some warning that a hot, dry period is looming in the not-too-distant future, give your lawn extra protection by applying another ½-inch layer of compost. (This should be in addition to the layer you spread earlier in the spring.)

Hold the chow. Feeding your lawn during drought will only add to its stress level. And stressed-out grass is a sitting duck for pests, diseases, and weeds.

Declare a truce. Speaking of pests, diseases, and weeds, if they do show up, just ignore them until cooler, wetter weather arrives. Believe it or not, engaging in battle now will only make things worse!

Keep watering. Continue your normal watering routine for as long as your City Fathers and Mothers allow. And be sure to perform this chore early in the morning, so as little H₂O as possible is lost to evaporation. Whatever you do, don’t water in the evening because grass that stays wet after dark — especially on a hot night — is fair prey for foul fungi.

If a drought strikes, take a tip from Grandma Putt and stay off the lawn as much as possible — regardless of whether you’re still able to water, or you’ve had to let the grass go dormant. Otherwise, the added trauma of foot traffic and other activity just may put that turf over the edge, and it’ll never come back to life. As Grandma Putt used to say, “When in doubt, sit it out!”