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.

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.

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.

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.

Cooler weather has arrived and if your located anywhere but the deep south it’s time to have your BeeSafe Lawn aerated.

Aerating is the process of inserting holes in your lawn for new seed to grow strong roots, fertilizer to help accelerate the growth, and ultimately achieve a thicker, healthier lawn. The holes (or “plugs”) allow for better water absorption, nutrient absorption and help in the process of eliminating thatch. After several hot Summer months the top four inches of soil becomes extremely hard and compact, leaving no where for new seed to grow.

When soil is compacted it keeps all healthy elements out  including water and essential nutrients. Without any room to enter the soil, thatch from lawn mowing is not decompressed and returned to the earth. It will just sit on the lawn’s surface, inviting molds, mildews, disease and unwanted insects.

Having your BeeSafe Lawn aerated also increases the amount of oxygen that can interact with your soil, which stimulates root growth and speeds up the decomposition of thatch. When the plugs of soil are removed during the aeration process the grass is stimulated to produce new shoots and roots that will fill in the new holes and increase the density of your lawn.

Additional benefits of Fall aeration include:

• Increase lawn’s drought tolerance
• Noticeable improvement in overall lawn health
• Provide new seeds time to grow strong roots before next Summer