Lawn Care: Something Old, Something New
By Mary Anne Michael, KCMGA
The average lawn care program has four parts: 1-fertilizing, 2-weed control, 3-mowing, and 4-watering. There may be disagreements about how best to carry out these tasks, and even arguments about the value of an expanse of turf grass, but one thing is certain: anyone wanting a lush, uniform lawn must pay attention to these items.
However, there are two procedures, one well known and one unfamiliar, that can help homeowners achieve an attractive and healthy lawn. Plus, they are environmentally friendly and easy to do.
The well known procedure is correcting the soil's pH. Although this is probably the most important part of establishing a good lawn, it's surprising how often it's overlooked. A quick survey of popular magazines on home and garden care convinced me of this: of ten lawn care articles, only four mentioned checking the pH level.
West Virginia soils tend to be acidic, and turf grasses prefer more alkaline conditions. Their growth is stronger and healthier, since they use soil nutrients more effectively. In fact, applying fertilizer on lawns with acidic soil is a waste of time, money, and fertilizer. Our native soil usually has a pH between 4.0 and 7.0; grasses grow best in pH levels between 6.5 to 7. (Remember, 7.0 is neutral. Numbers below 7.0 indicate acid levels, or "sour" soil; numbers above 7.0 indicate alkaline, or "sweet" soil.) Even established lawns need to be checked, since the soil can become acidic through use of fertilizer, organic compost, acid rain, and leaching of alkaline elements.
Soil acidity is altered by spreading lime over the surface. This can be done throughout the year, but the best times are in the fall, winter, or early spring. It takes a while for lime to be effective, since it penetrates the ground at a rate of about one inch per year. Rain showers and alternate freezing/thawing make penetration quicker. One interesting fact is that lime only moves down, not sideways. This means care must be taken to apply it evenly, and a spreader is the best method of doing this. It's good to have a thorough pattern of coverage, first walking back and forth across the whole area, then going up and down.
Agricultural lime comes in the form of pellets or powder. Pellets are a bit more expensive, but they are easier to handle and work better in a spreader. Plus, there's no dust to contend with. However, some people prefer the powdered form because it's easier to see where it has been applied.
I've sometimes seen references to dolomitic lime as being better, but there was no explanation. However, dolomitic lime comes from limestone with a higher percentage of magnesium carbonate, so it adds magnesium, an important element, to the soil.
Anyone who's gone through the Master Gardener program knows the mantra: take a soil sample and have it analyzed. Don't rely
on commercial kits. We also know that soils should be checked every three years. And by the way, when did you last check your
soil's pH?
The newest procedure for improving the appearance of your lawn is more exciting. It's the use of corn gluten meal to combat weeds. Corn gluten meal is a natural byproduct of making cornstarch and corn syrup. It is used mainly as an ingredient in pet foods, farm animal feed, and fish food.
Although the process isn't fully understood yet in scientific terms, it apparently stops germinating seeds from developing secondary feeder roots. Thus the germinating seeds wither and die. Corn gluten meal doesn't discriminate between weed and desirable seeds, so it shouldn't be used on newly planted lawns or ornamental borders where self seeding is desired. But it can be applied to grass areas anytime after the first mowing.
Corn gluten meal must be applied in either spring or fall, before weed seeds have germinated. Although we tend to think of spring as the right time for weed treatment, fall is the best time to attack seeds of hardy weeds such as dandelion, chickweed, and violet that make strong growth over the winter, ready to bloom and seed in the spring. In our area the best times are after the hottest period of summer, probably from the end of August through mid-September.
Application recommendations vary from 20 lbs. to 40 lbs. per 1000 sq. ft., depending on the product and whether the area is sunny or shady. Follow the directions on whatever brand you use. If rain isn't expected, water deeply and then allow the surface to dry for a few days, since these conditions help the meal to work best. Nitrogen is also made available to established plants through corn gluten meal, so it's best not to apply fertilizer at the same time. If you do fertilize, use a low nitrogen product.
Corn gluten is currently available only in meal form, although research is working on developing a sprayable form. So far the sprays have been too unstable for commercial use. Corn gluten meal is sold under a variety of brand names. Our local garden centers should begin carrying it, but if not, you can order it through catalog businesses specializing in organic or natural garden products.