Confessions
of a Lawn Princess
From
the time I was tall enough to push the mower, Saturdays were not about pools,
iced tea and hot dogs, but spent in pursuit of the seemingly unattainable: the Perfect American Lawn. Memories of
suburbia will always be filled with images of my family slaving and sweating so
only the emerald green of the lawn itself rivaled the brilliant green color of
the lawnmower. Never would a dandelion, dead leaf or dog-doo be allowed to mar
the pristine perfectness. We had two dogs, so you can imagine what my sister
and I went through before even cranking the mower! The amount of threats and
bribery that went on to get out of pooper-scooper patrol would make even Tony
Soprano blush.
After
a morning of a hearty Froot Loop breakfast and cartoons, the prodding by mom to
start the lawn chores would begin. I wanted to help mom vacuum or bake
something, anything, but there was no sexism in our house. My dad was less
subtle: “You girls get outside now or you’re going to get it!” He would already
have the “green monster” gassed and oiled, the wheels properly calibrated to
correct mowing height, and the blades nice and sharp. That sucker would gleam
in the sun and mock me. It had a persona of its own and we were a little scared
of it, especially when my uncle Fred was admiring it one day and it tried to
bite his finger off! The only thing I had to look forward to was if a “land
mine” or tennis ball was left in the yard and my sister was in the way. That
thing could spit out projectiles that would probably break the land speed
record.
Now
that I am an adult there are actually child labor laws, so I have to wait a
couple more years for my own son to take the reins of our own “green monster.”
At least this one is a riding mower because I just had to move to the country
smack dab in the middle of a couple acres of ex-cornfield, lovingly referred to
as “my meadow.” What was I thinking?
When I have my back turned while working in my flower garden, I think I
can hear the grass and weeds competing with each other to see which one can
grow faster. That’s okay, I am still the “lawn princess” and strive one day to
make my dad (aka, “The King”) jealous.
In
order to keep my title, I must share some lawn care tips with you, faithful
gardener. By the end of August, you should be prepared to start your yearly
lawn maintenance projects. By Labor Day
weekend, have your grass seed, fertilizer and lime at the ready. In the South,
this time of year is the most important time of year to renovate an
existing lawn or begin a new one. If you are planting or over-seeding, do it
now as opposed to spring. Your chances
of it surviving are doubled. Cool-season grasses like fescue and bluegrass,
which are most commonly grown here, are breaking dormancy now. These are best
for a year-round green lawn and are fairly drought tolerant. Due to our mild
winters, it will continue to put down a good root system if cared for properly
now. If you grow warm-season grass such as zoysia, Bermuda or centipede,
consider over-seeding with annual rye for winter color. Seed early for
germination before the leaves fall.
The
next step is the most important one of the year, fall fertilizer. 10-10-10 is
the usual choice, but a good winterizer that is high in phosphorus (the middle
number) is better. This will promote healthy root development. Your garden
center can also recommend a great organic fertilizer. These are slow-release
and non-chemical, so they won’t burn if overdone. Never use fertilizer leftover
from spring, as these are high in nitrogen. We don’t want too much top growth
to be zapped by early frosts. Liming should be done at the same time, but pick
up an inexpensive soil test kit to determine the acidity of your soil first.
After a couple mowings and your new lawn is off to a good start, apply a good
crabgrass preventative to keep multiple weed seeds from sprouting in your lawn
in the winter, and follow up with one more fertilizing about November 1st.
This one is the biggie, so don’t forget it if you want your lawn (and
neighbors) to be green in the spring! To increase lawn durability, disease
resistance and minimize plant stress, always mow grass with sharp blades to
avoid weak, ragged stems diseases love to attack. Never mow more than
1/3 of the height at one time for the same reasons. Leave clippings on the lawn
for an instant nitrogen fix. If they are short enough, they will break down and
disappear in a couple days.
One
product well worth a mention is granular grub killer, which always should be
applied from June to July at the latest. This product takes care of the
creepies that make your lawn a gourmet feast such as sod webworms, armyworms,
cutworms, and the nastiest of nasties: Japanese beetles. It mimics a hormone
that tells the grubs to go dormant and stop feeding so they starve to death. It
is not harmful to earthworms or wildlife that may eat these grubs.
Measure
the square footage of your lawn. If you do not know how to do this, do like me
and ask a little kid, they are better at math. Put together your new spreader,
and if there are parts leftover, just throw them in the drawer with your other
unknown leftover parts. To add to the fun, all these products have different
application rates, so take the lawn measurements and spreader instructions (if
you haven’t thrown them away) to the garden center and an employee will help
you figure out what your needs will be. Bring the little kid as well.
That’s
it! You are now ready to run barefoot through your own little slice of emerald
bliss! Just remember the poor kids who just got finished mowing it for you and
take them out for a well-earned ice cream sundae!
Dawn
Leith
Durham
Garden Center