Take it to the Next Level: NC Tall Fescue Lawn Care

13 years ago

I have spent considerable time and expense on my lawn (~3000 sqft tall fescue) with pretty good results. I like to do yard work, so I am happy to spend lots of time on the lawn. My question is essentially, how do I take my lawn to the next level?

Folks who hire a lawn service around me routinely have a 1) quicker spring green up and thickening of turf, their 2)turf is greener and thicker through the winter months, they stay 3) greener through the dog days of summer and they 4)do not seem to have constant invasions of crabgrass and broad-leaf weeds like I do. I know I spend more time on my lawn then the lawn service guy spends on the neighbor's lawn. I should be able to get professional results with this amount of time. I am close, but not quite there yet.

We have heavy clay soils, but my top 5-7 inches have been significantly amended. I also have a sprinkler system and use it regularly (watering from about 4 AM - 7:15 AM) when it does not rain.

My normal yearly routine:

Mid-October:

-Core Aerate and apply organic fertilizer (usually Lawn Restore) at one pound N per 1000 sqft.

-Over-seed with turf-type tall fescue (various brands).

-Apply lime every 1-2 years.

-Intensive repair of bare spots (left after summer heat/drought) with seed/top-soil/fertilizer and regular watering.

Late Fall:

-clean fall debris, mow down to about 2 inches to over-winter.

Mid February:

-Apply organic fertilizer (usually Lawn Restore) at one pound N per 1000 sqft.

*This year I applied corn gluten meal (50 lbs of 9-0-0) instead of Lawn Restore hoping to prevent some weeds.

-Repair of bare spots (this year I will wait until 6 weeks after the corn gluten was applied to reseed bare spots).

-Sharpen mower blades.

Early Spring:

-Pull buckets of weeds and crabgrass by hand!

Spring - Summer - Fall:

-Mow at highest mower setting. Irrigate when rain is lacking.

The results of this program are a pretty good looking lawn in spring, although it is weedy if I can't pull them. I struggle to keep turf from thinning out through the summer months, even with significant watering. Lawn usually recovers OK in fall but needs some moderate renovation in spots. Winter months seem to thin out my lawn as well, with the grass looking pretty yellow/brown by the spring. But, most of the lawn greens up again in the spring, and I have to renovate some areas again.

So, spending this much time and money on my lawn, what can I do to keep my lawn healthier through summer and winter. My ideas:

-fertilize more...I have seen recommendations to fertilize up to 6 times per year, but NC Coop Ext says not to fertilize tall fescue after March 15?

-top-dress...I think this would certainly help, but it is expensive and intensive, and I never see any of the lawn service people out there with a shovel and wheel barrow.

-Soil Testing...I did send off a soil sample to the state in Feb. This is a component I have been lazy on. I just assumed that NC soils are slightly acidic and apply lime every couple years.

-Treating with Iron and other nutrient supplements...

-Applying anti-stress products in summer.

Well, that is a lot of information. Any recommendations would be greatly appreciated.

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Comments (4)

mrace
13 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
If you are going Organic, you really can not over do your applications. Lawn Restore is a good product, but you can also use Corn Meal or Cracked Corn, Soy Bean Meal and Milorganite (5-2-0 with 4% iron) to give you some diversity.

Used Coffee Grounds can be used, if you can find a good source. In the fall, you can mulch mow leaves others throw away curb side and add lots of organic matter for free to your yard. It usually take 3-4 passes to make them disappear. Your neighbors will think you are crazy, but you can not deny the results.

I applied 350lbs of organics / 1000 ft2 last year. Hoping to hit 500+ this year.

Now for the clay, you can use a soil conditioner and wetting agent to loosen it up. This with the organics will open up the soil over a few years.

Humic Acid, Dried Kelp and Black Strap Molasses can help energize the microbes in the soil and get things moving quickly in the spring.

NC Agronomic agency soil tests are free and get you in the ball park. Although, once you dial the soil in, you may want to use a lab that gives you more details so you can tweak the other elements in your soil (Boron, Copper, Manganese, Zinc and Iron)

Using lime (whether Calcitic or Dolomitic) is important and which one you use will help you with your pH and Calcium to Magnesium ratio (7:1 is what you are shooting for). Calcitic is usually 5x the price, but has 5x the Calcium. S

http://forums2.gardenweb.com/forums/load/soil/msg0311011017714.html

Lastly, NCState as a NTEP testing site for grasses. If you want the best results, using the best grass for this area is key. Typically the big box stores are not the best place. Online you can order exactly what you want.

http://www.ntep.org/tf.htm

Just read the results for the NC testing center and you can get an idea of which varieties you will want.

In the end, you are probably not too far off. Since you enjoy it, adding a few more pieces to your schedule should improve your results.
nickt
Original Author
13 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Thanks mrace!

I never really thought of top-dressing with mulched leaves. I already compost hundreds of pounds of leaves for my vegetable gardens, so I should be able to add to the lawn too. I assume something like AERATE, FERT, LIME, OVERSEED, spread MULCH for a fall schedule? A half inch or so on the mulch?

I will definitely pursue the soil conditioner, calcitic lime and specific grass seed items as well.

I have also been wondering for a while how folks go about correcting soil for specific (set of) nutrient(s) once you get a solid soil test. Any ideas?

Thanks again!
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mrace
13 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
I tend not to aerate mechanically anymore. Brings up to much weed seed. But I do use a liquid aeration with Sodium Laureth Sulfate (SLS, common in shampoos):
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=290478798664

Use a wetting agent like Yucca extract. Mix 10 parts SLS, 1 part yucca and 1/2 part water. Take that at about 1-2 oz per 1,000 ft^2.

Lime can be used in early spring or late fall, especially if you are using Calcitic.

For my fall fert, I use Urea 46-0-0 about 2 weeks before the ground freezes. I drop 2 lbs N per 1,000. This gives the roots time to absorb and fatten up for the winter, before the grass stops growing. Too early and you force the grass to grow. Too late and you waste it. Its something you have to watch for but its usually in early - mid Nov.

Soil tests, I use the state agronomic agency for my basics. I live 15 mins from there and can drop off my tests on the way to work. For the micro-nutrients, I UMASS:
http://www.umass.edu/soiltest/

I use Test C (organic matter) for $15 so you can see how your OM is changing year to year. Its gets very addictive, especially when you are mulching in leaves. This will also give you the micro-nutrients and more detailed information on the core elements.

PS: I also keep a few bags of leaves under my deck (from the fall) and spread out in late march. Gives me another boost of OM during the spring. :-)
smkyle
10 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Nickt, I am starting a lawn in Charlotte this fall. I am also going for an organic (mostly) program. Were you able to get your weeds under control? If so, what was your solution? If not, what have you tried that didn't work? Thanks!