Lawn Care Guide

This is a guideline for seasonal fertilizing, mowing, and care for your lawn. Using organic products in your lawn is environmentally friendly, supports your turf’s ecology, builds strong colonies of beneficial microbes and fungi, all of which reinforces the overall health of your lawn.

Following the schedule outlined below will result in less time and energy spent in maintenance of your turf (including weeding, irrigation, and disease issues) and more time enjoying your lawn!

Late Jan/Early Feb:
If your soil is hard/compacted: prior to an application of organic fertilizer, spreading Compost and/or Humates is recommended. Aeration for compacted lawns is recommended as well, either by a machine or done with biological soil stimulants such as Medina Plus or Garrett Juice.

If you anticipate weed problems, apply Corn Gluten (acts as a pre-emergent).  This will dramatically reduce the number of weeds in the lawn for the next season.

We recommend MicroLife 6-2-4 as your organic fertilizer.  If Brown Patch or other fungal issues are a problem in your lawn, use MicroLife Brown Patch 5-1-3 instead.

March/April:
This is a great time to apply Horticultural Molasses – 10 lbs per 1,000 sq ft will energize the soil microbes. Also a good time to apply Beneficial Nematodes for flea, grub, and ant control.

June:
Optional second fertilization of the year.  Just like spring, use MicroLife 6-2-4 and Humates Plus. DO NOT spread compost on your yard when it is hot because it can brown your grass. Humates Plus will not burn. For a quick green-up and boost for the lawn, spray Medina Hasta Gro Lawn Food. Consistent, deep watering through the hot summer is very important. By combining deep watering with MicroLife products, you will develop a much deeper root system. The result will be a thicker, hardier, more established and drought tolerant lawn. 

September:
If you have an issue with Brown Patch or other fungal problems, apply MicroLife Brown Patch or MicroGro Innoculant now.

October:
The most important feeding of the year! Fertilize with MicroLife 6-2-4 and Humates Plus. Time to also apply Corn Gluten (pre-emergent for weeds). This will help to reduce the weeds for winter and early spring weed production.

WEED PREVENTION

1. Water lawn first, then pull weeds whenever possible.
2. Mow weekly, even in winter. This will keep seed heads from forming on weeds (no bagging needed) giving nitrogen back to the soil.
3. Use 20% Vinegar to kill pesky weeds. Don’t dilute and spray in hottest part of day.
4. Spread Corn Gluten as listed above.

TO IMPROVE LAWN

At any time of the year, there are amendments that can be added to new and existing lawns for improvement in drainage, greening, and overall health such as:

–Humates: dry or liquid
-Molasses: dry or liquid
–Lava sand
–Soil Activator or Medina plus
–Liquid Seaweed
–Greensand
–Superthrive
–Beneficial Nematodes  

Beneficial Nematodes – Lawn Use

KEEP NEMATODES REFRIGERATED UNTIL USE!

Usage:

Beneficial Nematodes attack more than 230 kinds of soil dwelling and wood boring pests such as flea larvae, white grubs, cutworms, fungus gnat larvae, fire ants and many more!  Nematodes are microscopic worms that live in the soil and attack these pests. Nematodes are safe for children, pets, and all plants. They are not to be confused with the Root-Knot Nematode, which is a pest that this beneficial species will attack.

General Release:

1. Moisten treatment area before and after applying nematodes.
   
2. Remove any screens or filters from your sprayer before applying.
   
3. Do NOT apply nematodes during the day. UV rays damage and kill them, so apply at dawn or dusk.
   
4. You will need the following for the mix and spray method:
   cheesecloth or fine strainer, an unused hose-end sprayer, and 2 large jars with lids. 
   
   We recommend the following steps:
   A) Get 2 quart size Mason jars with lids. Empty nematode contents into jar, fill with water, and shake contents periodically for 20 mins until separated.
   B) Strain jar contents using cheesecloth or strainer. The liquid has all your nematodes inside, so make sure none of the water goes to waste.
   C) Pour that liquid into a hose-end sprayer and set it to 2 tsp to start. Keep the strained material for any area you would like to apply directly. 
   D) Spray on affected area. Shake the sprayer occasionally as they tend to settle to the bottom!
   
5. Do NOT store nematodes in the water and use them immediately. Nematodes cannot breathe in water.
   
6. After applying nematodes, water them into soil quickly.  If covering a large area, do small sections at a time; applying nematodes, then water in repeatedly.
   
7. To maintain nematodes’ effectiveness, water thoroughly once a week.

APPLICATION FOR FIRE ANTS:

Use half the contents of the nematode container, returning the remainder of container to the refrigerator. Mix them in to 3-4 gallons of cool water then saturate each ant mound. Use 1/2 gallon on large ant mounds, 1 quart on medium mounds, and 1 pint on small mounds.  Repeat procedure in 5-7 days.

APPLICATION FOR FLEAS:

There can be different stages of fleas in your yard at once: adults, eggs, larvae, and pupa. The nematodes attack the larvae of fleas, so it is best to apply nematodes in two doses. If there is a severe flea infestation, it is best to use double the amount of nematodes recommended per square foot. Using half the recommended amount of nematodes for general application, mix the following instructions. Spray according to the instructions and repeat in 5-7 days.

Heres a link to our blog post about how to prepare your lawn for spring.
For more information or answers for specific questions, please speak with a Garden Seventeen team member!