Terry L.

Ettinger Horticulture Consulting Services

Landscape Design and Management ● Communication ● Education ● Research

Central New York Lawn Care Guide

An attractive, environmentally sensitive lawn doesn’t just Use traps or rely on natural predators including dogs and cats
happen - it requires some effort. Fortunately, in return it pro- to eliminate ground-dwelling moles that push up mounds of soil
vides many benefits to you, your family and community: in early spring. Applying grub control products won’t get rid of
moles as they feed mostly on earthworms.
Your lawn slows water runoff during rain storms, reducing
soil erosion and strain on storm sewers. Bacteria and other mi- Don't waste money on spring grub control! While you may
croscopic organisms in the soil beneath your lawn also remove see grubs at the soil surface now, they did their damage last fall.
pollutants before soil water enters underground supplies.
Overseed your lawn only if large areas are dead or bare soil is
Grass blades are natural air filters. They remove dust and subject to erosion. Instead, wait until late summer when condi-
other pollutants from slow-moving air near the ground. tions are ideal for new seedings to be successful. See the end of
this fact sheet for instructions on seeding/renovating a lawn.
During midsummer your lawn is 30 to 40 degrees cooler than
the surface of your driveway, front walk, patio or deck. Com- Late May (Memorial Day) is the best time for spring fertiliza-
bined with properly located trees and shrubs, your landscape can tion. If, however, you can’t resist the temptation to fertilize now,
significantly reduce the need for air conditioning. use "slow-release" fertilizer containing at least 25% of its nitro-
gen in a “slowly available” form. (See the Recommended Lawn
Your lawn and landscape plantings absorb and deflect sound
Care Products insert for specific fertilizer recommendations)
waves, reducing their intensity before they can reach your home
and outdoor living areas. Apply crabgrass control, according to label directions, be-
In combination with trees, shrubs, and other elements in the tween mid-March and early April along driveways, sidewalks
landscape, your lawn increases the value of your home by five to and other areas where this grass-like weed is most likely to be a
fifteen percent. problem. Crabgrass doesn’t thrive in the shade or in dense lawns
so you’ll be wasting money if you apply controls in these areas!
This month-by-month guide to common lawn care activities Again, see the Recommended Lawn Care Products insert for
will help you enhance the beneficial aspects of your lawn and recommended control materials.
reduce potentially negative effects on our environment. I hope
you’ll find it to be useful. Mow properly. It’s the single best thing you can do for your
lawn throughout the year!
March and April
Mow high - grass plants make carbohydrates (real plant
As the last snow melts, stay off your lawn! Foot traffic “food”) through the process of photosynthesis. This
compacts wet soil and even light raking will pull healthy grass process, in turn, is driven by sunlight captured by grass
plants out of a damp lawn, leaving bare spots where weed seed blades. The longer the blade, the more sunlight a grass
will germinate and prosper during the coming summer. plant will capture and use to make carbohydrates. The
more carbohydrates grass plants make, the healthier
Once your lawn is dry: your lawn will be! So, set your mower to cut at a height
of three inches. In shaded areas, raise the cutting height
Rake out gravel left by snowplows and put twigs and the re- an additional half-inch to make up for lower light levels.
mains of last years leaves in your compost pile.
Mow frequently - never cut off more than one-third of a
Flush areas exposed to road salt with fresh water. grass blade at any one time. And, leave the clippings on
the lawn where they’ll act as an organic lawn fertilizer!
Lightly rake “dead” patches of your lawn where grass blades
are light gray in color, matted down and melted together. These
Use a sharp blade - sharpen and balance your blade(s) once
areas are infected by snow mold - a common disease that rarely
a month. This will improve the appearance of your
causes permanent damage. Affected areas will recover as new
lawn and reduce the amount of wear on your mower.
growth begins in late April.
(Continued on page 2)

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May survive, they'll feed on your lawn’s root system from August into
late autumn.
Warm, sunny weather and April rain showers will encourage
lawn grasses to produce tremendous amounts of root growth this Note the italicized words in the above paragraph? Research at
month. Support this natural growth cycle by: numerous universities indicates that:

Mowing correctly - even if it means mowing every three or Lawn areas in full sun, less than 20 years old, and seeded pri-
four days! Mowing incorrectly will reduce root growth which, in marily with Kentucky bluegrass are most likely to contain damag-
turn, will increase your lawn’s susceptibility to damage during the ing numbers of grubs.
hot, dry summer ahead.
Conversely, shady lawns more than 20 years old rarely host
Core aerating your lawn between the beginning and middle of damaging numbers of grubs.
the month. Core aeration machines pull small plugs of soil out of
the ground and drop them on top of the lawn. Aeration reduces Japanese beetle traps are very effective at attracting beetles and
soil compaction, increases water and oxygen penetration into the may actually increase the number of eggs laid in your lawn!
soil, and allows carbon dioxide released by grass roots to escape
into the atmosphere. And, as the cores break apart, countless Grub control products are most effective when applied between
thatch-eating microorganisms will spread across your lawn. late July and late August only to lawn areas where more than eight
grubs per square foot have actually been counted.
Applying slow-release fertilizer during the third or fourth week
in May to maintain an adequate supply of nutrients in the root zone Milky Spore Disease, an "organic" Japanese beetle grub insecti-
of your lawn through the summer. See the Recommended Lawn cide, isn’t effective against European Chafer beetle grubs - which
Care Products insert for specific recommendations. are often more common in Central New York lawns than are Japa-
nese beetle grubs.
You may notice tiny four-petaled flowers - three white and
one purple - covering parts of your lawn during the first couple of Research has now confirmed that only relatively small areas in
weeks this month. They belong to creeping veronica, an extremely less than 20 percent of all lawns contain enough grubs (more than 8
invasive weed that was originally introduced as an ornamental to 10 per square foot) to cause significant damage. Therefore, if
groundcover in the early 1900’s. If you don’t enjoy the dainty you’ve regularly applied grub control products over your entire
flowers of this plant as much a some people do, the best time for lawn, you’ve most likely wasted a lot of money and needlessly
controlling it won’t arrive until early October. So, be patient and added a lot of pesticides to our environment!
make plans now for controlling all broadleaf weeds - including
dandelions - in the fall. If the weather is hot and dry this month, your lawn will grow
very slowly. This will give you a break from having to bring out
June the mower every couple of days! However, to avoid spreading
weeds when you do mow:
If dry weather arrives this month your lawn will grow more
slowly and may even start to turn brown. Fortunately, if you’ve Mow weed-free areas first.
cared for your lawn properly, there’s nothing to worry about as it’s
Wash your mower to remove stolons and seeds of potentially
simply entering a summer dormancy.
invasive weeds before putting it away.
When dormant, lawn grasses can survive extreme heat and
drought. While their leaf blades may die, growing points located at Insist that your mowing service wash their mowers before
or just beneath the soil surface remain alive and ready to grow as bringing them onto your property!
soon as rain and cooler temperatures return in late summer. And finally, if you’re planning to start a new lawn, or renovate
To help your lawn survive hot, dry summer weather: some or all of an existing lawn, apply Roundup herbicide accord-
ing to label directions four or five days after watering your lawn
Do not cut your lawn shorter during the summer. Leave your thoroughly in mid-July. The Roundup will kill all actively growing
mower set to cut at a height of 3” to help shade the soil surface. weeds and grass in your lawn, allowing you to make a fresh start
toward an attractive lawn in mid– to late August.
One inch of water - through rainfall, sprinklers, or a combin-
ation of both - each week will keep your lawn from going dormant. August
To keep water within your lawn’s root zone, apply one-third of an
inch of water every two to three days if it doesn’t rain. Mid-August through early September is the only effective time
of year to control grubs. Apply grub control products according to
Remember, if you’ve cared for your lawn correctly you don’t label directions and only in those parts of your lawn where you find
need to water it to keep it from dying during dry weather! more than eight grubs per square foot.

July It’s also the best time to renovate an existing lawn or start a
new one. Warm soil encourages grass seed to germinate quickly.
Japanese and European Chafer beetles may lay large numbers Cooler weather and more frequent rain in September and October
of eggs in parts of your lawn this month. If they hatch in early will reduce stress on tender grass seedlings. And, seed of relatively
August, and if the tiny grubs - several fit easily on top of a dime - few difficult-to-control weeds germinates in late summer,
resulting in fewer weeds popping up among new grass plants. December, January and February
You’ll find step-by-step instructions for seeding/ renovating a It’s not likely that you’ll be using your mower during a mid-
lawn at the end of this page. winter snowstorm. Therefore, use this time to clean it thoroughly -
including the deck, engine, spark plug, fuel and air filters, etc. Also
And, to help an existing lawn take full advantage of ideal au- sharpen and balance the mower blade(s). In fact, you might want to
tumn growing conditions, keep mowing your lawn at a height of buy several sets of blades and sharpen them now to make it easier
three inches right through then end of the season. to keep mowing with a sharp blade next summer!
September Finally, and possibly quite surprising, mid-winter can be an
acceptable time to sow grass seed - providing that the area to be
This month’s weather is ideal for root growth, making it an seeded is almost perfectly flat and was properly prepared (i.e., po-
important month for preparing your lawn for the coming winter. tential weed problems controlled, rototilled, raked, etc.) in late au-
Apply a “winterizer” fertilizer during the Labor Day weekend. tumn before the ground froze!

Core aerate your lawn at the same time that you fertilize to en- To prevent seed germination, “dormant seed” lawn areas after
courage vigorous root growth and enhance nutrient uptake. the chance of four or five consecutive days of 50°F weather has
passed - roughly early to mid-December. Ideal seeding conditions
While big media promotions for weed control products occur in occur early on clear, frosty mornings when moisture from melting
April and May, late September through mid-October is actually the frost will “grab” the seed and settle it into the moist soil. Seed can
best time of year to control dandelions, clover, ground-ivy (also also be sown on top of a couple of inches of snow. As the snow
known as creeping Charlie), and other broadleaf weeds. melts, the seed will settle into the prepared soil surface.

Why? Once the seed is sown it will remain dormant throughout the
winter months, germinating only when air temperatures reach into
The seeds of many weeds, including dandelions, germinate the 60’s and 70’s often enough to raise soil temperatures to 50°F
in July and August. It's much easier to control seedling weeds for a week straight - usually about the middle of April.
now, rather than more mature weeds next spring.
Summary
Bare spots left after weeds die this fall will fill in with de-
sirable grasses before hot weather arrives next June. However, All of the practices described in this guide - mowing, fertiliza-
be patient with fall weed control applications. Some weeds tion, core aeration, pest management and watering - interact to cre-
will look healthy until next spring, then die suddenly as they ate an attractive lawn. Therefore, if you consistently neglect one of
start to grow! them, no amount of money or time spent on the others will allow
your lawn to look as good as it can!
October
Lawn Seeding/Renovation Guidelines
Falling leaves can make mowing at this time of year difficult.
Despite the nuisance, however, keep mowing right through to the 1) The key to successful lawn establishment or renovation is to
end of the month - and possibly even well into November! identify, understand, and address factors (poor drainage, dense
shade, etc.) affecting your lawn. If your old lawn didn’t thrive be-
The good news is that studies at several universities indicate neath the large maple tree in your front lawn, for example, your
that dry, shredded leaves pose no problem when left on lawns in new lawn won’t either!
late autumn. In fact, leaves shredded in several directions by a
mower and left on lawn areas resulted in an appearance similar to 2) If you plant the wrong grasses now, your lawn will never look
areas where leaves were removed! great despite the time and money you spend on it later! So . . . . .
At the same time, it’s still a good idea to rake and compost If you don't plan to water your mostly sunny lawn during mid-
thick layers leaves if they become wet and matted together! summer and aren’t going to fertilize more than once or twice each
year, use a mixture of 70% Kentucky bluegrass, 20% fine fescues
November (creeping red and hard fescues) and 10% perennial ryegrass. See
the Recommended Lawn Care Products insert for details regarding
When your lawn finally stops growing, lower the height of the “Terry’s Best” Sunny Lawn Mix.
last mowing to two inches. A shorter cut may reduce snow mold
damage throughout the winter (see the March - April entry). If most of your lawn gets no more than about three hours of di-
rect sun each day, you’ll want to use a mixture of 60% fine leaf
Research has also shown that grass plants use “late fall” appli- fescues (creeping red, chewings and hard fescues), 30% Kentucky
cations of fertilizer more efficiently than fertilizer applied in bluegrass and 10% perennial ryegrass. See the Recommended
March, April or early May. Therefore, if you want to have the most Lawn Care Products insert for details regarding “Terry’s Best”
beautiful lawn in your neighborhood and/or you shredded a lot of Shady Lawn Mix.”
leaves into your lawn, make a second application of “winterizer”
fertilizer between Veteran’s Day and Thanksgiving. Finally, those parts of your lawn that are under the dense shade
of large trees throughout the day should be planted with shade- applied. Therefore, until the new grass seedlings become estab-
tolerant groundcovers as even “shady lawn” grasses will never lished - a period of three to six weeks - it's absolutely critical that
grow well. See the link to a list of dry shade-tolerant plants on my you keep the seeded area moist, but not wet, at all times. This
website at the bottom of this page for additional information. likely will mean watering in the morning, and again in mid-to late
afternoon almost every day if it doesn’t rain!
3) Prepare the seedbed when the soil is dry to slightly moist, but
not wet. Begin by spread four pounds of LESCO 18-24-12 6) When the new lawn reaches a height of four inches let the soil
Professional Starter Fertilizer over each 1,000 square feet of lawn dry slightly then mow with a very sharp blade. Dull mower blades
area to be seeded. Next, run a core aerating machine over these will pull young seedlings out of the ground instead of cutting
lawn areas at least six times. Finally, rototill and rake new lawn them off!
areas smooth.
7) Six weeks after seeding, fertilize your new lawn with a
4) Spread half the seed in one direction and the remainder per- “winterizer”-type fertilizer if seeded in late summer, or a slow-
pendicular to the first application. This will insure uniform distri- release fertilizer if seeded in the spring or early summer. See the
bution of seed over the entire area. Lightly rake seeded areas to Recommended Lawn Care Products insert for fertilizer types.
improve contact between the seed and soil before spreading
LESCO’s “Seed-Starter 3” mulch (see the Recommended Lawn 8) After mowing three or four times, your lawn will be ready for
Care Products insert) over the freshly seeded lawn. normal traffic. It will also be well-enough established to tolerate
5) Once the first seed germinates, usually in five to ten days, let- an application of broadleaf weed herbicide to control unwanted
ting your new lawn go dry just once will kill half the seed you weeds. Twelve to eighteen months after seeding, your lawn will
be completely established.
References used in preparing this fact sheet:

Beard, James B. and Robert L. Green, 1994. The role of turfgrasses in environmental protection and their benefits to humans. Journal of
Environmental Quality, Vol. 23, No. 3, pages 452-460.
Gussack , Eva and Frank Rossi. 2000. The homeowner’s lawn care and water quality almanac. Cornell Cooperative Extension
Information Bulletin 141S2. Cornell University, Ithaca, New York. www.gardening.cornell.edu/lawn/almanac/almanac.pdf
Minner, David D. 1993. Mowing requirements of turfgrass species. Grounds Maintenance, May 1993, pages 12-17.
Neal, Joseph C. 1993. Weedfacts - turfgrass weed management - an IPM approach. Cornell Cooperative Extension, Cornell University,
Weed Management Series, No. 8.
Nikolai, Thomas. 2001. When leaves turn to litter. Grounds Maintenance, October 2001.
Rossi, Frank and others. 2006. 2006 Cornell Guide for Commercial Turfgrass Management. Cornell Cooperative Extension,
Cornell University, Ithaca, New York. http://ipmguidelines.org/turfgrass/ (accessed 8/6/07)
Rossi, Frank. 2001. 2001-2003 turfgrass species and variety guidelines for New York State. Cornell Cooperative Extension
Information Bulletin 247. Cornell University, Ithaca, New York.
Rossi, Frank. 2005. Lawn care without pesticides. Cornell Cooperative Extension Information Bulletin 141IB248. Cornell University.
http://ecommons.library.cornell.edu/bitstream/1813/3574/2/Lawn+Care+without+Pesticides.pdf (accessed 8/6/07)
Watschke, Thomas and others. 1993. The effect of nutrients and pesticides applied to turf on the quality of runoff and percolating water.
Environmental Resources Research Institute, The Pennsylvania State University.
Watschke, Thomas L., Peter H. Dernoeden, and David J. Shetlar, 1994. Advances in turfgrass science - Managing turfgrass pests. CRC
Press, Boca Raton, FL.

Internet/World Wide Web Resources:

“Lawn Talk” - University of Illinois Cooperative Extension Service

http://www.urbanext.uiuc.edu/lawntalk/index.html (accessed on 8/6/07)
A set of thirty fact sheets addressing lawn care issues across northern Illinois that are similar to those throughout upstate New York.
“Sustainable Lawn Care Information Series” - University of Minnesota
http://www.sustland.umn.edu/maint/maint.htm (accessed on 8/6/07)
Possibly the best lawn care-related site that I’ve found on the Internet. Part of the University of Minnesota’s “Sustainable Urban
Landscape Information Series.” While written for Minnesota conditions, information is equally useful across upstate New York.
“Grubs in Your Lawn” - New York State Agriculture Experiment Station
http://nysipm.cornell.edu/publications/grubs/default.asp (accessed on 8/6/07)
An excellent overview of white grubs and their management in home lawns.
“Turf Tips” - Purdue University
http://www.agry.purdue.edu/turf/tips/index.html (accessed on 8/6/07)
Short, easy to understand tips offered every week to every other week throughout the year.
“Plants for Dry Shade” - Terry L. Ettinger Horticulture Consulting Services
http://tlehcs.com/Special%20Topics/Leaves%20Arent%20Trash/dry%20shade%20plants.htm (accessed 8/6/07)

Copyright 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2003 and 2007 by Terry L. Ettinger Horticulture Consulting Services.