Time again for yard work: Augusta, here's when to fertilize, when to mow, when to water
jbrotton
Campbell Vaughn - Columnist
After three days of 300 miles per hour winds following seven inches of rain last week, my grass finally dried up enough to mow it yesterday. It is coming out of dormancy nicely and I am hoping this year to have a lawn that an Extension Agent should have. We get a lot of questions about lawns this time of year because people are enjoying the warm weather and itching to get out and do summer-type activities. Messing with grass is, a lot of times, high on many yard dwellers’ lists. So, what should we be doing to our turf this time of year?
I want to break down what to do and when for each type of our warm season grasses in the Augusta area as much as possible, and I am going to simplify as much as I can.
When to fertilize
One of the top questions I get this time of year is when do I fertilize? On all four types of our area turf, do not fertilize until after May 1. If you can wait until sometime between May 1 and May 15 for the first dose, your grass will thank you later. I like to start slow with a medium-rate nitrogen level with plenty of potassium like 16-4-8 or 15-0-15. Apply 6-7 pounds per 1,000 square feet of turf. Make sure to water it in thoroughly after applying to make sure the fertilizer doesn’t burn the leaf blades.
When to apply weed control
I am also not recommending post emergence weed control right now until after the grass has completely “greened up” in about 3-4 weeks. A little bit of spot spraying weeds is OK with the right chemical, but be cautious. Lawns coming out of dormancy can be weak and susceptible to herbicide damage – enough so that major stunting or even a kill can happen. The heat will kill most of the rest of the weeds in mid-to-late May. The best weed control this time of year is to get that mower out and get to pushing.
It is probably too late to get out a preemergence for major control of newly emerging weeds, but if you have the time and don’t mind the expense, you might have some good result attacking later-germinating annuals seedlings. Applying this preemergence is only for bermuda, St. Augustine and zoysia grasses, not centipede grass. Centipede will decline with consistent use of preemergent products.
How to mow
Start the season off with a nice sharp blade on your mower. Dull blades tear grass, which leads to stunted growth and possible pest infestations. When mowing, start moving your blade down gradually as you are doing your weekly cutting making sure not to cut off more than a third of the blade at a time. Bermuda and zoysia grasses need to be maintained at about 1.5”. Centipede should be cut at 2” and St. Augustine about 3”. All of these heights should be raised by about ½” during really hot weather.
When to water your lawn
Understanding when to irrigate this time of year is pretty easy. Basically … don’t.
With spring rains and mild temperatures, we have plenty of water below the top layer of soil. When we get consistently above 80-85 degrees and haven’t had a good shower in four or five days and don’t have any rain in the forecast, it would be fine to irrigate. Make sure to water deep and less often. That means once a week is probably more than enough.
Green grass and summer time are on the way so get out and enjoy the landscape. This time change has me outside until it is time to go to bed.
Reach Campbell Vaughn, the UGA Agriculture and Natural Resource agent for Richmond County, by e-mailing [email protected].