First off, our mantra here is always about your state of mind.  You certainly should not lose any sleep over the state of your lawn, especially when it isn’t even growing.  If there is one certainty when it comes to the weather it’s the fact that you have absolutely no control over it whatsoever so why bother stressing over it.   However, there are a few things that you should keep in mind during the awkward transition that we are having this year between Fall and Winter.  There is nothing wrong with your lawn experiencing a little inclement weather.  If your in the transition or cool season turf grass areas of the country it’s only logical that your lawn consists of turf types that have become acclimated to cold and wintry weather.

First off, when your lawn is exposed after either freezing or being covered with snow and subsequent melting of that snow it’s important that you do the best you can to stay off of it if it’s frozen solid.  Two things can happen when a significant amount of foot traffic is present on frozen grass.  First off, the cellular structure of the plant can literally be shattered and although this wont necessarily cause permanent damage to the turf it can definitely cause some issues with green up and the emergence from dormancy come spring time.

Secondly, if the turf becomes matted down while exposed to the elements it can remain that way when snow returns.  Matted turf is a sure way to stifle oxygen flow thus allowing for certain diseases to begin to take hold.  Pink or Gray Snow Mold in particular can cause significant cosmetic damage come spring time and in rare cases cause actual permanent damage.

Typically in mid November turf shoots (blades of grass) stop growing.  You’ve obviously noticed that your not mowing much after Halloween.  However, even though the tops stop growing that doesn’t mean that the root system is done for the year.  For transition and cool season turf types there is a significant growth spurt by the root system of your lawn from the end of August right on through until the ground freezes, or drops to the point where the turf goes completely dormant.  Leading up to that point the root system of your lawn is doing everything it can to find a final source of nutrition.  It knows it’s about to go dormant and wants to be sure it’s ready.

So, yes it absolutely makes sense to apply a final application of fertilizer some time between when the shoots of grass stop growing and when the ground freezes.  Your lawn will thank you by being the greenest on the block next spring when it begins to come out of dormancy!

While your BeeSafe Lawn is about to become a dear old friend until next spring there are still a few chores to be done.

• Rake, Rake, Rake- Don’t allow dead leaves to stay on the lawn for too long.  If they get moldy or wet air circulation can become a serious issue which leads to winter kill and disease.
• Did Aerate Yet?-Late fall  is the best time of year to aerate the cool season grasses often found in most parts of the country.  Even if your grass has slowed way down or has even stopped growing a heavy core aeration will allow for excellent moisture and nutrient penetration while allowing oxygen to flow freely to the root zone.
• One final mowing- The ideal length for your lawn for the winter is 1.5 to 2 inches.  It’s about time to get out there for the final cut before things go completely dormant and, well—–you know, snow arrives.
• Leave it alone-As much as possible, keep objects cleaned up off your lawn, such as benches, planters and outdoor furniture. Keep walkways, paths and driveways free of ice and snow to prevent people from constantly walking on your lawn and never allow anyone to park on the grass especially for extended periods of time. This will certainly kill the lawn beneath, not just damage it, and allow for pesky crabgrass, dandelions and other weeds to quickly move in next spring.

Recently, we’ve spent a good deal of time talking about the impact of leaves on your lawn.  Like everything else confusion can reign when it comes to most lawn care chores but the fact of the matter is that you can’t “leave” them there……can you?  Heck no.  It would create a terrible mess and your yard would look terrible.

So other than the way your property looks,  why should you even bother to  rake the leaves off your lawn? Well, you don’t necessarily have to rake the leaves off your lawn, you can choose to blow them off with a leaf blower or mulch them with a lawn mower, like we discussed in previous entries.  The idea here is to simply to get rid of leaves that have fallen onto your lawn.  Not terribly complicated right?  But why bother in the first place?  Well, the main reason other than the fact that your property would begin to look like the abandoned one down the street is the fact that your lawn needs to breath.   Leaving a thick, heavy layer of fallen leaves on your lawn can quickly smother it over the winter and the result is often turf diseases like “snow mold” which is a lawn fungus that thrives under the cover of snow.

Another reason is that most lawns, except for those in the deep south consist of one or more types of cool-season grasses.  Turf types like bluegrass, rye grass and all the various fescue types get their name because they are most active during the cooler seasons of the year.   If you don’t consistently make an effort to remove (or mulch) the leaves on your lawn you are essentially robbing the turf of air, water and sunlight that it requires to continue it’s growth right up until dormancy.

So, we are sorry to say that you are not off the hook this weekend and you have to remember that the kids love those giant leaf piles!

It’s that time of year where the questions about leaves on the lawn start pouring into lawn services around the country.  Questions like, “Is it okay to leave the leaves, or should I mulch them or how often should I rake them?” You would think that the answer is pretty self explanatory but we tend to make things difficult on ourselves and the great leaf debate is no different when it comes to your lawn.

I once worked with a coworker who liked to make himself sound much smarter than he really was.  He would latch onto certain things that he knew other people may have a hard time understanding if he used really big words and created complexities that didn’t need to exist.  Leaves on the lawn were one of those things and when a homeowner or even an employee asked him if they could mulch their leaves into the lawn he would answer in a very confident manner, that mulching leaves into the lawn was a terrible idea.  He would go on to say that leaves contained tannic acid and that we would never want to allow tannic acid to accumulate in the lawn.  We would always take him at his word, because he was naturally much smarter than all of us, and we would not mulch leaves into our lawns and we would tell our customers the same.

Tannic acid?  Please with the tannic acid!!!!  Mulch those leaves…..MULCH THEM ALL DAY LONG!!!!!

Numerous university research reports have detailed how leaf mulching affects turf performance. In almost every instance, the results show that chopping up deciduous leaves as part of a regular mowing schedule is an effective means of managing these leaves without harming the turf.

Once the leaves start falling, elevate your mower deck to the highest setting and mow the leaves as you would your lawn, crossing over the leaves once or twice. If the leaves are falling at a slow, but steady pace you may get away with only one mulching per week, but if there is a heavy wind, you may find yourself mowing twice in one week. There will be an obvious leaf residue on the surface of the lawn that only lasts for a few days. The tiny pieces will eventually sift down through the turf and provide future weed control and essential nutrients that can save you money and time. Come spring, you won’t even notice the tiny leaf particles.

Are your roots deep?

When it comes to fertilization we’ve made it relatively clear that fall is the absolute best time to make some progress with turf quality.  Fall is the best time to fertilize to develop and strengthen those roots. With cooler temperatures and shorter days, the top growth begins to slow and the nutrients are diverted to the roots. Roots will actually continue to grow until the ground freezes.

Fertilization during warmer temperatures in September elicit a wonderful response above ground in that your grass turns a dark green.  You have to mow with a little bit more frequency and the color can be stunning against the fall foliage.  Fall is an awesome time for your lawn.

After we have the first frost or when temperatures become a little bit more brisk your lawn begins to understand that the top growth should slow down.  But the root system really wants to stretch out in order to find as much nutrition as it possibly can.  The picture above is nice and colorful but it doesn’t tell the whole story.  Roots can extend much deeper than is shown and with an organic approach, if the soil’s micorherd is humming along your BeeSafe Lawn can develop a root system that could approach 8 to 12 inches very easily.

The microorganisms in the products that your BeeSafe Lawn Care Applicator applies are designed to “UNLOCK” the phosphorus that is stored in your soil but isn’t available to the plant due to issues with pH or solubility.  When phosphorus is abundant to your turfs root system it become much more strong and virile.  It absorbs and stores much more moisture and nutrition and the end result is a very healthy BeeSafe Organic Lawn.

1. Keep Mowing — continue to mow your lawn for as long as it is growing. Growth may slow down as temperatures and available daylight fall, but you should still continue to mow.

2. Spot Seed — grass seed germinates well in the fall. Mix some seed with potting soil and cover bare areas. Keep damp until seeds germinate.

3. Fertilize — fall fertilization is critical. If your lawn is looking good it’s because you’ve had it treated it all along. Don’t skip treatments just because things look okay.

4. Aerate — this is the single best thing you can do for your lawn. Aeration allows oxygen and nutrients to reach the roots. It breaks up compacted soil and it cuts through thick thatch. Your lawn will thank you.

Lawn care is like anything else in that it’s a continuous and ongoing process. Your lawn may look great now and that is a good thing.   But you need to continue to do the things that got it looking that way in the first place.

Your BeeSafe Lawn wants to breathe!

From the time you make your first cut of the year until you put the mower away for the winter  your lawn may become compacted.

Aerating in the fall can be a vital step in correcting this problem.

The aeration process includes removing small plugs of soil to allow air, water and nutrients to reach the roots helping them grow deeper and stronger.

The cores pulled from the soil leave holes which create a beneficial environment for fertilization.   After you’ve aerated and the plugs of soil have dried out, mowing the grass at a slightly lower level than usual will break up and distribute the soil.   The loosened dirt creates a good place for seeds to take root.

How can you tell if your lawn needs to be aerated?   Well, if it gets a lot of traffic from pets or children, dries out easily or has a layer of thatch, aeration can be a lifesaver for your grass.

Not sure if your lawn would benefit from aeration?  Your BeeSafe Lawn applicator can certainly help you out with this and many other lawn care solutions.

But the intelligent lawn lover begins to consider exactly when that final mowing will be well in advance of it actually happening.

You’ll want your grass to be the shortest of the entire season by the time it begins to go dormant so the base of the grass can receive as much sun exposure as possible.

Getting to that lower than usual height should be gradual to reduce the stress on the grass plant.  Begin the process by lowering your mower blade by 1/3” each time you mow until you reach a well-cropped height (not below 2 ½ in).   Make sure your mower blade is clean and sharp for the best results.