DIY Network

Growing Great Grass

Master gardener Joe Lamp'l, host of Fresh from the Garden, explains how to get the best out of your lawn in the summer.

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In late spring, turf grass will either be coming into its prime or on its way to decline.

First, know your grass type

By Joe Lamp'l

In late spring, turf grass will either be coming into its prime or on its way to decline. Each type has a preferred growing season. In either case, these simple guidelines will help ensure the best chance of looking its best this summer.

Learn your Type.

First, become familiar with the ideal mowing height for your type of lawn and keep it cut to the appropriate level. Avoid cutting off any more than a third of the grass blade any time you mow. More aggressive mowing can add stress to the plant, contribute to turf disease and increase thatch buildup.

Proper Irrigation

All grass types do best when the amount of water applied in one week is between one and 1-1/2 inches. In the absence of sufficient rainfall, you'll need to irrigate. Best long-term results are achieved when water is applied all at once or no more than twice each week. In this way, deep soaking encourages grass roots to grow deeper, making them more drought-tolerant. Grass that is watered more often keeps grass roots from having to grow deeply to find moisture. Shallow-rooted turf does not hold up as well to hot, dry weather and will decline more quickly in the absence of water.

Over-watering is also a major factor of turf disease. An easy way to monitor the amount of water being delivered by your irrigation system is to set out several tuna cans and see how long it takes to fill. When the can is full, one inch of water has been applied to that area. However, be sure to note that not all areas of your lawn will be watered at the same rate, so conduct this test through all your zones.

Water your lawn between 10 p.m. and 10 a.m. This will coincide with the time that dew is present on your grass. You do not want to prolong the period of time that grass stays wet, due to the increased risk of disease.

To Fertilize or Not

Turf grass should be fertilized only during the period of active growth. Although fertilization can really green up your lawn and stimulate new growth, too much is not good. When fertilizing grass, many turf diseases are promoted by excess nitrogen, the primary chemical in lawn fertilizers combined with fertilizing too late in the season. For cool-season grasses, it's either too late or becoming too late to fertilize from the end of April until fall. For warm-season grasses, mid to late spring is the first time of the year when you can effectively start fertilizing. Never apply more fertilizer than the instructions call for.

Grass Cycle

Mulching grass clippings back into the lawn is known as grass cycling. Most modern mowers have this feature. Rather than discharging the cuttings into a bag, the clippings are chopped again before falling harmlessly into your lawn. The small clippings left behind are virtually invisible, but do promote the long-term health of your soil by adding organic material. Grass cycling can return as much as 30 percent of the nitrogen required by grasses for proper nutrition.

(Joe Lamp'l, a master gardener, hosts DIY's Fresh from the Garden as well as a gardening radio show. For more information, visit www.joegardener.com.)

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