Lawn Care Service for Hanford and Lemoore California

Lawn Care Tips & Tricks from Juan De La Cruz

Mowing

Mowing is good for your lawn because it keeps the grass neat and promotes compact growth. The grass must be long enough to feed the roots but short enough to be manageable. For a general-purpose family lawn, this means cutting the grass so that it's about 1 inch in length. To achieve a 'bowling-green' finish on a well-laid lawn of fine grasses, you will need to cut the grass back to 1/2 inch.

Begin mowing in March and finish in October. The more often you mow your lawn the slower it grows; this is because every time the grass is cut it receives a check in growth. Mowing little and often therefore, not only produces a better finish, but it is more efficient. Ideally, cut your lawn twice a week in summer and once a week in spring and autumn.

To maintain an even sward, vary the direction of mowing from time to time. If you cut very infrequently avoid cutting the lawn back to hard because this shocks the grasses and results in a loss of vigour, allowing weeds and moss to invade. Try to only mow the lawn when it's dry. During very dry periods, like we get here in the central valley, leave the grass cuttings on the surface provided that the turf is free from weeds.

A lawn's ideal length will vary with the type of grass, but many turf grass species are healthiest when kept between 1 and 1 1/2 inches. You may have to readjust your mower - most are set too low. For a healthy lawn, mow frequently. Short clippings are tender and rot quickly. Set the mower blade high -- thicker lawns shade out weeds. Adjust the pH to 6.5 to 7.5, the range preferred by most grass species.

It is perfectly acceptable to leave the clippings on the lawn to feed the grass provided you mow the grass regularly. Remove the longer, lush growth when you cut the grass for the first time each spring or after taking a holiday. Thereafter, provided the clippings are under 1/2 inch long and they scatter evenly, then can be left. Any clippings removed from the lawn can be placed on a compost heap.

Sowing

The best time of year to sow grass seed is from mid August to late September but it can also be sown from the middle of March to early May. The progress of spring-sown lawns is greatly influenced by weather conditions, and in some years when the conditions are cooler there may be a delay in germination. If the summer is dry, like it is in Lemoore and Hanford area, watering demands will be high.

It is also important to choose the right day. The topsoil should be dry with moist soil just below the surface and the weather should be fine and calm. Mark out the area into square yards. Snake the box to mix up the seeds and weigh out the seed to cover each square yard. You can add sharp sand to the seed to make spreading easier, but ensure you mix the seed well.

Sow the seeds by scattering them first one way and then the other. Sowing too thickly gives patchy germination and seeding too thinly spread will require re-sowing. After sowing, lightly rake over the area, ensuring that you don't bury the seed.

Once the seeds have been sown, they will need to be protected. Fencing off the site from people and animals will give some protection. To discourage birds from eating the seeds or just having a dust bath in your lovely laid seedbed, tie lengths of black cotton to short sticks and criss-cross the cotton over the area, suspended 3 inches above the soil.

The late season sowing should produce seedlings that start to appear 7-21 days after sowing. During the early stages of growth, carefully weed the area by hand where possible, removing any weeds before they flower. As the grass continues to grow, it will stifle further weed growth. Seedlings are very susceptible to drought so during dry spells, although take care not to over water. When the new lawn is 2 inches high, cut with a rotary mower, down to 1 inch.

Carefully rake up the clippings. Follow this procedure for the first three to four cuts. Heavey usage should be avoided for the first 12 months.

Many of the weeds that spring up in newly sown lawns are annuals such as groundsel, goosefoot, chickweed, mayweed and shepherd's purse and although they appear to retard growth of the grass, they do not survive regular mowing. However you must not allow annuals to seed.

Perennial weeds such as plantains, dandelions and buttercups can be uprooted by hand but on new lawns avoid damage to the grass by treading on boards.

When the grass is three to four months old, a selective weed killer can be applied. Do not use lawn sand preparations until the turf is 12 months old.

To retain the lush greenness and uniform quality, a lawn should be mown and rolled when necessary, aerated regularly, brushed and raked, top dressed, weeded and kept free of pests and fungi.