For the past 5 years or so, our recommendation has been to lightly fertilize turfgrass stands in the Halloween timeframe to bolster root growth heading into winter. That recommendation still stands, however, due to recent extended periods of cool, wet weather, we’re encouraging that an adjustment be made for this year. Instead of strict adherence…
The Benefits of Fallen Leaves
It’s too bad autumn’s fallen leaves are seen as a nuisance, something to be gotten rid of as soon as possible. In truth, they are a boon to landscapes, serving as mulches, benefiting soils, and boosting our compost piles. Not only are leaf piles fun to jump in and make for great leaf fights, by…
Lawn To Do Late September
What’s there to do in late September in the lawn? Plenty. First, keep mowing. There’s a natural human tendency to slack off or give up being a tender of the landscape in mid fall; fight it. Continuing to mow will encourage expansion of turf grass plants, fill in voids and chew up falling tree leaves. …
Pollution – Who Wants It?
This seems like an easy question to answer – No one, right? Well, this is probably true, but really, it’s more like some are anti-pollution and some are well…apathetic about it. Right here, smack dab in the middle of Pollution Prevention Week aka P2 Week, my goal is to try to convince the folks who…
Lake Friendly Lawn Care
Preamble: “Lake Friendly” lawn care is very similar to “regular” common sense lawn care. The difference is two-fold – 1. The presence of an obvious target, and 2. Heightened sensitivity of the owners of the site. That said, the practices that will prevent pollution are: Encourage infiltration, not runoff. Seven ways: -soil modification -core aeration…
Puffballs
They are oddly shaped, can smell funny and look like an alien life form arising from the soil. These oddities of nature are puffballs, fungi that appear in late summer and early fall. Puffballs can range in size from 1 inch across up to 24 inches and weigh up to 10 pounds. They can be…
Fertilizer in Fall
Is your lawn hungry? After a long summer of bugs and fungus, it could be. September is an ideal time to feed turfs, because the cool nights and warm days favor its growth and development. Because bluegrasses naturally send out more rhizomes in fall than in summer, lawn recovery is enhanced with fall fertilization. Apply…
Late Summer in the Landscape
Late summer/early fall brings us a host of “to-do’s and not to-do’s” in the landscape. First, a couple of not to dos: *Avoid fertilization of trees, shrubs and perennial flowers. Fertilization at this time tends to promote new growth, which would likely be injured by upcoming fall frosts. *Don’t water with the same frequency and…
Goldenrod & Ragweed
Most of you know that goldenrod (Solidago sp.) is Nebraska’s state flower. A late summer perennial that thrives in full sun with some species doing well in dappled shade. Goldenrod is a beacon for many of our pollinating insects feeding on the nectar and collecting the pollen. It isn’t uncommon to see a wide array…
Weeds in Late Summer
By now, it’s possible that your lawn is overrun with weeds of all types….warm season annuals, warm season perennials, cool season broadleaves and of course, that “doesn’t fit into any group” weed known as yellow nutsedge. What should be done? Let’s run down a reasonable approach to each. Warm Season Annuals Plants such as…