Lawn Care | Walter Reeves: The Georgia Gardener

Zoysia – Watering

The best time to water a lawn is in the morning, preferably before noon. This allows the grass to dry before nightfall, reducing the risk of disease. Take into account recent rainfall when deciding how much to apply. Watering restrictions...

Turfgrasses – Selection

There are usually several varieties of each turfgrass from which to choose. Which is the best for your situation? The information below, taken from a University of Georgia publication should help. COOL SEASON GRASSES Cool-season grasses grow well during the...

Centipede – Fertilizing

Centipedegrass is a warm season grass. It does its productive growth between April and September. For this reason, fertilizer applications should be done in the late spring, after green-up and in mid summer. The amount of fertilizer to apply should...

Zoysia – Fertilizing

Lawn fertilizer is manufactured by many companies. Each manufacturer uses a slightly different blend of plant nutrient chemicals to arrive at a final product. • Chemicals such as urea, ammonium nitrate, urea formaldehyde and ammonium phosphate provide the nutrient nitrogen...

Bermuda – Fertilizing

Lawn fertilizer is manufactured by many companies. Each manufacturer uses a slightly different blend of plant nutrient chemicals to arrive at a final product. • Chemicals such as urea, ammonium nitrate, urea formaldehyde and ammonium phosphate provide the nutrient nitrogen...

Lawn Fertilizer – Choosing

My son came home the other day complaining about his math assignment. “Why do I have to solve all these word problems?” he protested. “I’ll never need this long division when I grow up. I’ll use a calculator!” I thought...

Fescue – Fertilizing

Fescue grass is a cool-season grass. It does the majority of its productive growth between September and June. For this reason, fertilizer applications should be concentrated in the fall, winter and early spring. The amount of fertilizer to apply should...

St Augustine – Fertilizing

Lawn fertilizer is manufactured by many companies. Each manufacturer uses a slightly different blend of plant nutrient chemicals to arrive at a final product. • Chemicals such as urea, ammonium nitrate, urea formaldehyde and ammonium phosphate provide the nutrient nitrogen...

Lawn – Growing in Shade

OK. I admit it. I have given up. I came to the conclusion last fall that grass just would not grow in the corner of my lawn near the ornamental cherry trees. The shade there is so dense that my...

Lawn – Leveling Low Spots

Despite your best efforts, your lawn may have spots that are lower than their surroundings. The best time to level lawns is while they are growing rapidly (fescue: fall; warm-season grasses: early summer). There are two ways to correct low...

Lawn – False Advertisements

The advertisements are colorful and seductive: “Lush green lawn guaranteed!”, “Miracle sod!”, “Even grows in impossible spots!”. Is there any truth to the claims? As with a lot of advertisements, there is usually some truth to be found. The four-color...

Lawn – Soil Preparation

There are three distinct aspects of turfgrass establishment. The first, soil preparation, is probably the most important. The second, planting, may involve seeding, sprigging or sodding. The final step is the care and maintenance for two to four weeks after...

Lawn – Aeration

According to The Lawn Institute, over two-thirds of American lawns are growing on compacted soils. The signs of compaction are tricky to detect: grass seems to be off-color, thinning and shows signs of stress in high temperatures. Because the grass...

Lawn – Choosing the Best Grass

The first and most important question to ask is how much sun will be available to the grass. It is much better to use a grass that will grow in the conditions available rather than fighting the environment year after...

Sod – Installed in Fall or Winter

In the Southeastern United States, horticulturists routinely recommend transplanting trees and ornamentals when they are dormant during the late fall or early winter. The root-ball is typically buried deep enough so that soil temperatures are conducive for continued root growth...