Tag Archives: Colorado lawn care

7 Weed Fighting Tips

Most of us are happy for an early spring, but one ugly truth remains that the early arrival of spring, just enough natural precipitation and hand watering gets the weeds taking off like mad. If you are in the midst of battling wild weeds, here are seven strategic tips that the ALCC wants you to know:

1. You must use fertilizer. Weeds thrive in lawns that are not fertilized.

2. Drying them out, will not help kill them. Don’t let drought-stressed weeds fool you. They may look on the brink of death, but they are not.

3. Know your weed before you pull it. Make sure you get all the root out too, or it will grow back.

4. Know your weed treatment’s limitations. Weed treatments range in what type of weeds they effect from broad leaf weeds to any plant period.

5. Make sure follow the product label. You’ll want to know what the product is good for and where it might do more harm than good.

6. Is there a breeze? Be aware that the treatment can drift even in a slight breeze.

7. The best strategy in the weed war is always the offense. The best success comes from being proactive first.

How do you usually treat weeds in your Colorado lawn and/or garden?

 

 

Photo via coloradoweedbusters.com

 

 

 


 

 

 

 

 

What your Lawn Needs from You

Did you know there was a science to lawn care. It’s not a complicated science, but still science nonetheless. Take a look at these four things researchers at Colorado State University (CSU) and experienced professionals had to say about lawn care.

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1. Water – Check your soil moisture by sticking a screwdriver into the soil. Hard and resistant soil needs water, so if this is the case, allow water to soak at least at a good 3 inches into the soil, when it starts to run off or puddle, then stop watering.

2. Fertilizer – Wait until May to fertilize your lawns. You can apply it early, but only for the reason of “weed and feed”, which helps to control germination in early-season weeds.

3. Aeration – Be strategic about aerating your dry lawn. To get optimum benefits of aerating, your soil needs to be moist.

4. Mowing – Knowing how low to mow is very important. Standard Kentucky bluegrass lawn wants to be about 3-4″ tall, by nature. Set your mower height at 3″ and don’t cut off more than 1/3 of the total height of the grass.

Are you having issues with your Denver or Boulder area lawn?

Source: alcc.com

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Snow Mold: Pink or Gray

Our Colorado winter has set up ideal conditions for snow mold this year. Damage from snow mold fungi usually becomes apparent as the snow melts and exposes the grass in late winter.  There are two principle types of snow mold in Colorado, Fusarium patch or pink snow mold and typhula blight, gray snow mold.

It is best to determine if  your lawn is suffering from pink or gray snow mold because gray snow mold rarely damages more than the blades of the grass and recovers fairly quickly. However, pink snow mold can invade the crowns and roots causing more serious injury. (www.uri.edu)

Because snow mold activity is greatest beneath covers that maintain moist conditions, all leaves or other materials should be removed from the lawn. If possible, avoid piling snow deeply along sidewalks and driveways where it will form a long-lasting snow bank. In spring, rake away dead and matted foliage from damaged areas to allow the new growth to begin.

Gray snow mold on turfgrass

Characteristic pink snow mold symptoms on turfgrass

Have a question about snow mold? Leave Lifescape a comment and let us know what issues you are experiencing.

Fall Colorado Lawn Care Tips

During the fall season we need to show our lawns a little bit more care as we move into the he final throes of the growing season. Here are some fall lawn care tips that will help you give your Colorado landscape the proper TLC that it needs.

1. Reduce weekly maintenance. You want to mow your lawn less frequently and cut down on the watering.

2. Apply a final application of fertilizer.  Look for a fertilizer that has a formulation high in nitrogen and potassium. These minerals are good for the roots.

3. Core aerate the lawn. Before you have your sprinkler system winterized, aeration will pull plugs of soil and sod out of the lawn and the holes will open up the soil so the roots can take in maximum moisture during the winter.

4. Zap turf weeds. Now is the time to get after turf weeds. By ding one last round of weed control you will have fewer weeds at the start of spring.

Lifescape Associates can take care of your Denver/ Boulder area landscape from design and installation to regular maintenance, just give us a call at 303-831-8310.

Photo via ehow.com
Source: alcc.com