Learn / Ask The Landscape Professional
Hello Linda. We have a lawn sprinkler system which was turned on the third week of June. In spite of regular watering since then, the lawn is still fairly brown and has many weeds. Do you have any thoughts? Jim
Answer
Hello Jim. Yes, here's what's going on. Virtually all lawn grasses in this
part of the country are cool season plants. What that means is that grass
flourishes in the spring and fall when the days and nights are cool and
the rain is plentiful. Cool season grasses go dormant and turn brown
in the summer when the temperatures rise and the rainfall diminishes.
That's nothing to get alarmed about; it's just Mother Nature at work.
Weeds are just the opposite, they are warm season plants that grow
strongly in the heat of the summer and diminish in the fall. The strong
grass growth in the spring and fall helps to crowd out weeds. When you
have a lawn irrigation system, it "tricks" Mother Nature by keeping grass
growing right through the summer and not letting it go dormant. In your
case, this year was different. Since your irrigation system didn't get
going until several weeks ago (and we are in the throes of a
pretty significant drought) your lawn started going dormant and the
weeds began to flourish. Unfortunately, once that happens,
it's virtually impossible to reverse. Keep watering and know that in
September things will be back to normal and your lawn will
look great, but for now you'll have to grin and bear it.
Speaking of September, whether you have an irrigation system or not,
your lawn will never look better than it does in the month
of September. If you don't like the way your lawn looks in September
or were not happy with the amount of weeds you had in
2016, September is the month to take action and get your weed control
for 2017 started. Strong, healthy lawns with dense grass
crowd out and shade weeds so they will be minimized next year. Strong
lawns start with proper soil chemistry and good microbial
activity. Sprigs & Twigs is particularly proud to have ten staff
members who are Accredited Organic Lawn Care Professionals by
NOFA (Northeast Organic Farming Association) which means they have
been trained, passed rigorous testing and understand
organic lawn care and turf management practices. We have more
accredited NOFA professionals than any other company in the
country. We do not use unnecessary and harmful products like
"Weed-and-Feed" or chemical fertilizers. If we can be of service,
give us a call.
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About Linda Lillie
Linda K. Lillie is the President of Sprigs & Twigs, Inc, the premier
landscape design and maintenance, tree care, lawn care, stonework, and carpentry
service provider in southeastern Connecticut since 1997. She is a graduate of
Connecticut College in Botany, a Connecticut Master Gardener and a national
award winning landscape designer for her landscape design and landscape installation work.
