- Spring Lawn Care Program (Part 2)
     - New: Rosy Returns

Crabgrass Prevention
Crabgrass is an annual weed grass that germinates from seed produced by the previous year’s crop before it was killed by frost. Crabgrass is difficult to selectively kill once it has started to mature. However, it is quite easy to prevent the seeds from germinating if you apply the proper product at the right time. The product of choice is Dimension applied when the Forsythia shrub shows it’s peak of yellow blooms. Most crabgrass prevention products require two applications to do a thorough job.

One application of Dimension works over a longer period and even kills young crabgrass seedlings. This is important because crabgrass seedlings do not all germinate at once. Germination like Forsythia bloom is triggered by soil temperature. Thus the first crabgrass to germinate is seed that is on the soil surface in a sunny place with reflected heat from a house, driveway or walkway. Crabgrass will still be germinating in cooler areas many weeks later. Caution: you cannot seed your lawn this spring wherever you applied Dimension. This product does not differentiate between various grass seeds; it kills all grass seed (desirable or not) and even a few weed seeds as they germinate.

Before you apply crabgrass preventer, you should determine if this is necessary. One crabgrass plant leaves thousands of seeds for next year, so if you had even a light infestation of crabgrass last year, you need to use Dimension. If you carefully applied Dimension for the last two – three years, you probably had no crabgrass left to produce seed for a new crop; unless you used a grass cutting service that did not clean their equipment between mowings or you had a neighbor with a crabgrass-infested lawn adjacent to yours.

Many people confuse crabgrass with another grassy lawn weed: wild Bermuda grass. It is important that you determine whether you have crabgrass or wild Bermuda grass because Dimension has no effect on wild Bermuda grass. Crabgrass remnants you find in your lawn will be totally dead -- even the stems, runners and roots. You should find some remnants of seed heads if you look carefully. Some crabgrass has runners, some does not. When there are runners they radiate from a central rosette (usually about a foot; never more than 2 feet) and are right on the surface, sending roots into the soil. Wild Bermuda grass is a perennial that comes back from live runners that run all over, above and below the soil, often for yards and yards. It has virtually no remaining seed heads.  When in doubt, bring a piece of the questionable grass to Carroll Gardens or mail it to us.  Be sure to include a self-addressed, stamped return envelope and your phone number.

Weed Control
The best time to kill broad-leaved weeds is just as they sprout in the spring with tender green leaves. Easy-to-control weeds such as dandelion, henbit (light purple blooms in the spring), and the various plantains are sprayed with a liquid lawn weed killer, such as Gordons or Tiger brand. To increase efficacy, add a little spreader sticker, such as SeaWet, that makes the weed killer adhere to the leaves. You can spot treat just the weedy sections of the lawn if you desire. Apply liquid lawn weed killer on a windless morning or late afternoon to dry foliage. Choose a day with no forecasted rain for 24 hours. A second application, 5 weeks later, will give more complete control. Our experience is that, with one exception, granular lawn weed killers, especially “weed and feed” type products, are often ineffective or worse and we do not recommend them.

For difficult-to-control weeds such as “Creeping Charlie” and violets, granular Confront is the most effective weed killer. Until recently, CONFRONT has been for professional use only. It is now available to consumers. Click here to learn more about Confront.

Grub Control
Beetle grubs are best controlled with an application of Merit in June – July. If you see a heavy infestation in the spring, these grubs can be controlled with Dylox applied when the grubs are still visible in the soil.

Seeding
Spring is the time for weed and crabgrass control and you cannot satisfactorily establish new grass seed in the spring in conjunction with a weed and crabgrass control program. Incidentally, all the other spring applications can occur simultaneously, in no particular order. Major lawn renovation is best accomplished in late summer – early fall. This is also the best time to establish a new lawn. Included in a late summer – early fall lawn renovation program is liming, lawn aeration, thatching and re-seeding, if necessary.

Where weed and crabgrass control are not essential, it may be necessary to do some spot seeding of bare and almost bare patches. Also where leaf fall is heavy, spring may be the only time a lawn can be established. Fortunately, shady areas tend to have less of a weed and crabgrass problem.  The grass seed of choice for shade is Shady Nook – a blend that has different grasses that will do well in wet or dry shade. Use at the rate of 1 lb. for every 750 square foot for overseeding and 1 lb. for every 375 square foot for bare areas. Some areas are too shady for any grass to persist. If Shady Nook will not establish after two seasons of trying, GIVE UP.  You need to redesign the landscape, perhaps to include shade tolerant ground covers and perennials.

The grass seed of choice for sunny areas is Black Beauty, applied at the rate of 10-12 lbs. per 1,000 square feet for bare areas and 5-7 lbs. per 1,000 for overseeding. Click here to obtain more information on Black Beauty and click here for more information on Shady Nook.

The earlier the grass seed is planted in the spring, the better -- as soon as the snow melts and the soil is workable (re-freezing will not hurt the grass seed). Throwing grass seed on hard, unprepared ground is just a waste of good grass seed. The soil needs to be loosened with a rake, fork or cultivator. (Hopefully you know someone who has a wonderful old hand tool called a Gardevater, which is no longer made)  Poking holes, an inch or so deep, with a pitchfork also helps.  Spread the seed at the recommended rate, rake it lightly and cover it with Chesapeake Green or Leafgro -- just enough to cover the seed and keep it moist. We do not recommend using either hay or straw – too many weed seeds.

Rosy Returns (Daylily)
Rosy Returns, the first rosy pink ever-blooming Daylily, is one of the newest creations of master breeder Darrel Apps, who is also know for “Happy Returns” and “Big Time Happy”.  “Rosy Returns” has the flower power of the fabulous “Stella D’Oro” – the most popular daylily ever.  It features 4 inch plus blooms in vibrant rose, a deeper rose eyezone, and yellow throat.   

Slender in foliage and short at 14 inches, it quickly forms a neat cluster.  Adaptable to most any climate in the Continental U.S., Rosy Returns begins to bloom in mid-May and continues until hard frost!  Performs best in full sun and moist, normally-fertile soil.  Click here to learn more about Rosy Returns.