Keeping a Home Lawn Healthy
Keeping a healthy home lawn can be difficult for those who are not well versed in horticulture and lawn care. K-State Research and Extension has some tips for maintaining a healthy lawn in Kansas.
The Cottonwood District lies in a transition zone where it is too warm to grow cool-season grasses well, while also being too cold to grow warm season grasses well.
Some examples of cool-season grasses are fescue and Kentucky bluegrass; and warm-season grasses are bermudagrass, zoysia and buffalo grass. While buffalo grass may not always grow well in Kansas, it is one of the most popular turfgrass species in the state. Fescue is the most popular cool-season grass in the state. Buffalo grass has become more popular in recent years due to its reputation as a low maintenance grass.
One concern with buffalo grass is that it can be over managed which causes problems with its growth.
Here are some tips and things to look out for in home lawns in fall, winter, and next spring.
Fall
• Get ready to fertilize in September and early November for cool-season grasses.
• If broadleaf weeds are an issue, spray for them in late October. Treat on a day that is at least 50 degrees Fahrenheit and do not irrigate within 24 hours.
Winter
• Winter is the time for dormant overseeding, if there is a need to fill in bare spots that were not overseeded in the fall.
• Dormant overseeding can be effective for cool-season grasses when done in small areas of a lawn from December through February.
Spring
• Crabgrass preventer can be applied between April 1 and April 15. If using a product that contains prodiamine, the preventer should be applied two weeks earlier.
• For crabgrass preventers to work, they must be watered in, meaning the product must be washed into the soil either by rain or watering.
• If broadleaf weeds are still an issue in the spring, spot treatment can be helpful