Do you catch the clippings when you mow? There is plenty of evidence to show that it is best not to. The primary exception is if the grass has gotten too tall, such as during the rainy spells we experienced this spring. As long as you can follow the general rule of not cutting off more than one-third of the length of the leaf blade, there are many benefits to leaving the clippings. If weather conditions, breakdowns or other factors allow the grass to grow so tall that leaving clippings would be unsightly and possibly smother the turf, than catching is worth the extra effort. If you do have to occasionally catch the clippings, find a way to compost them for mulch.
The term “grasscycling” was coined in the early 90’s as a way to encourage more people to recycle the grass clippings and save space in the landfills. At LawnAmerica, we’ve always encouraged our customers to grasscylce. If you feel the need to catch clippings on a regular basis here are some reasons to practice grasscycling and counteract that perceived need.
1. The grass clippings make good mulch that protects the roots and reduces excessive drying. They do not contribute to thatch buildup as they are about 75% to 85% water and low in lignin. It is the higher lignin content of roots, stems, rhizomes, crowns and stolons that decomposes more slowly and causes a thatch layer. A thatch layer of up to one-half inch is also beneficial in reducing compaction and providing a cushioning effect for lawn play.
2. There are nutrients present in the leaf blades. Grasscycling naturally puts nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium and micronutrients back into the soil. Research shows that the yearly supply of grass clippings can provide up to 25% of the annual fertilizer requirement. The average N-P-K analysis is 4-.5-2 and over a year’s time can supply up to 80 pounds of nitrogen per acre.
3. Leaving the clippings can reduce the time it takes to mow by about 40%. Not only do you not have to take time to stop and empty the grass catcher, you save the cost of disposal bags and landfill fees. In those states that have outlawed the disposal of yard waste into landfills, you save the cost of additional disposal methods.
Grasscycling is another way you can show that you are a good environmental steward.
Spring Dead Spot is a very common and frustrating turf disease on bermudagrass lawns. If your lawn was infested with round dead areas earlier this spring, they have probably filled in by now with healthy grass and you don’t notice them. They will be back next spring however, often in the same areas, with more and possibly larger spots. It depends upon many factors, such as soil type, winter temperatures, grass variety, age of your turf, etc. as to the severity of the problem. Who your lawn service is does not matter, unless they over-fertilize with Nitrogen late in the growing season, which LawnAmerica does not do. We will gradually cut back on the Nitrogen rate as we get into September if your fall fertilizer is applied then. During October, warm-season turf such as berrmuda begins to grow slower, shut down, and prepare for winter dormancy. We do not want to push the turf with heavy Nitrogen rates at this time of the season, so a deep green turf is not really what you want going into late September and October.
If your lawn had severe Spring Dead Spot this year, we recommend our special fungicide treatment this fall. Up until this year, we’ve treated some lawns with a single fungicide treatment in mid-fall as the temperatures cool. This is when the fungus actually infects the berumuda turf, with symptoms of round dead spots not showing until the next spring. Okla. State University turfgrass scientists now recommend a 2-step treatment, with one fungicide applied in late September, followed by a different product applied about 4 weeks later. This is the approach we will take this year.
Fungicides are more costly, but our charge for this double-treatment is a one-time fee of 1.9 X your normal application cost. We invoice on your initial treatment, and the followup is included for no extra charge. The treatment is not guaranteed to eliminate all spots for next spring, but we have found that the spots will be fewer in number, smaller, and will fill in much quicker compared to un-treated turf. Having the service for at least two years in succession seems to help also. Call our office at 249-LAWN or visit our website to order your Fall Spring Dead Spot Fungicide Treatment.
Now is the time to set up your fescue seeding to be done in September or October this fall.
For shade areas, fescue is your best choice for turf. Bermudagrass and zoysiagrass are full-sun grasses, so as your trees become larger, you’ll need to convert or expand the area with fescue turf.
Being a clump type grass, and because Tulsa Summers can be brutal on a cool-season turf such as Fescue, we recommend overseeding every fall in order to replentish turf with new fescue seedings. We’ll start seeding sometime in early Septemeber, and continue until about Oct. 20th.
Our process usually consists of sowing a good, quality seed, starter fertilizer, double aerating the turf to provide a better seedbed, raking bare areas, and leaving you with detailed watering instructions. We then follow-up in 3 weeks to overseed any thin areas with more seed. Our pricing runs from 5-10 cents per square foot, depending upon the size and the condition of your existing turf.
Some customers like to do their own seeding, which is fine. Please be careful though as to the type of seed you purchase. Even something that looks good, like a fancy “Scott’s” brand of seed, can be a poor quality seed. Much of what you can buy at the box stores is junk, with weed seed and other crop seed in it. Our LawnAmerica blend is a blend of some of the best fescues, with NO weed or other crop seed. That makes a big difference when you use a seed that has other stuff besides fescue in it. Orchard grass especially is found in many of these blends found in the stores, and it is impossible to kill once up.
If you don’t want us to do it and are going to do your own seeding, we’ll sell you a 50 lb bag of our quality seed for $90. That’s enough to seed about 5,000’ of turf. If you don’t need that much, we can split a bag and sell you 25 lbs for $50. Now we would love to do your seeding, as we’ll do a great job and stand behind our work. But if not, we’d rather you use our seed which we know is good, compared to the junk you’ll get at the box stores. We have a special page on our website at www.LawnAmerica.com/fescue which shows you more information on fescue seeding, and the differences between types of seed.
