Our Turfgrass Program by Back 40 Landscaping is a year-round planned approach to growing healthy turfgrass. This year after year program is designed to combat the summer heat and winter frost. This is completely different from a lawn care service, which is a short-sighted, single service approach.
Anyone can grow good grass in the spring when the weather conditions are favorable and easy. Not everyone can keep the grass thick, dark green, and healthy during the summer months, unless they have a well - managed Turfgrass Program.
There are a lot of variables and nearly as many cultural practices for growing healthy turf. The extreme stress in the summer months is the sole driving force behind my yearly Turfgrass Program.
Backed by decades of research, experience, and trials, I can help you cultivate and maintain the best lawn in the neighborhood.
To be successful we both need to be on the same team.
For your part, Cultural Practices (the daily/weekly care) are very important. I can teach you about:
Bagging lawn clippings actually strips the soil of nutrients whereas mulching or side discharging helps to keep the nutrients in the soil. Mowing often allows for smaller clippings. Who wants to bag, and dispose of clippings anyways? If mowing is done when dry (and often), you will not track clippings around and into your home.
Our first and most important step is to have a proper soil test done. Without a soil test, we don’t know what nutrients your soil needs, or in what quantities.
I use a lab test to test your soil for the following:
Along with testing your soil’s Ph levels we also test the organic matter content and CEC - Cation Exchange Capacity (how much fertilizer or lime is needed to make the correct changes in this specific soil). See “Lawn Fertilizing” below.
Years ago, I hired a local company to provide a plan for my own lawn. I was told we needed lime and if we wanted to apply it heavy, we could put down 2 bags (100lbs).
Without a soil test however, they had no way of knowing exactly what, if any, we needed.
After I had conducted my own soil test, we discovered we needed over 2500 lbs of lime to achieve perfect pH levels.
We added that amount and now have perfectly adjusted pH, which won’t have to be adjusted for a long time now.
Fertilizing 5 times a year with a slow release product allows for a constant food source. This avoids stressing the turf and provides a nice dark green uniform color.
Typically, after a few years the moss is gone and rarely has to be treated for again. If moss is growing there is an underlying turf problem that we will need to address. This could be thin grass due to shade or improper mowing. Moss is not growing just because we live in the Pacific Northwest. Fix the problem and we get rid of the symptom.
Weed control applications are best timed for 2 days after and 2 days prior to mowing. The grass should be healthy and not drought stressed. Oftentimes, weeds grow because the grass has been mowed too short. Mowing at 3-4” physically shades out the weeds, and half of them die. Weed control applications are a 2nd alternative to healthy cultural practices.
Everything we have done up to this point and what we do after summer are specifically for these few critical months. The summer heat is very hard on lawns and without water, your lawn will die.
Mowing high at 3.5” - 4” will shade the soil and slow evaporation. A healthy turf-stand will not look long if it is thick. You can only tell a lawn is mowed high if you can see it from the side. Bare spots or thin spots are places that make the lawn look overgrown. With thick grass you lose the depth perspective.
Mowing - Mowing promotes grass growth however, in summer when your lawn is drought stressed, you will want to mow less frequently to help your lawn survive.
Watering - Water is very important. If you can, water deep and infrequently. Water somewhere in the neighborhood of 1.5” every 7-12 days. Wind, and temperature will determine exact amounts. When you see the lawn look a little dull, or your footprints in the lawn don’t spring back up, it’s time to water.
If you can’t water, then you need to conserve water by mowing High. This will help leave the water and dense clippings to decompose back into the soil. We also recommend topdressing with compost every spring. Compost, just like mulch, retains a lot of water and acts like a reservoir. It also shades the soil and provides very valuable slow release nutrients.
Once summer is over and the temperatures have cooled, it’s time to do most of our work. Fall lawn care is the most important time to repair and rebuild from the damage of summer. Your lawn will have time to grow and become strong to take on next summer, approximately in 9 months.
The type of lawn seed we use matters. Most commonly used seeds would be:
Our mixes contain several types of creeping grasses that grow sideways as well. This fills in bare spots and over time contributes to a thick turf-stand. Ryegrass and Bluegrass perform best when mowed at 3-3.5” high, while Fescue performs best when mowed at 3.5-4” tall.
Fall fertilizer for your lawn is the final application of the year and provides food through the winter. It is stored in the plant and used as needed. Fall fertilizer gives you a head start on next spring and ensures quick green up.
This is a stand-alone lawn care service designed to revive an old lawn and clean up after construction, etc.
It does not include grade changes. (I.E fixing high or low spots, or correcting drainage slopes)
Back 40 Landscaping can also do a soil test at this time to determine what nutrients your soil needs.
The test results will also be useful if you have signed up for the Yearly Turfgrass Program as we will need to know what fertilizer your soil needs going forward.
Lawn renovation can include spraying off the entire lawn or weeds prior to the Aeration, Seed, and Fertilizer application.
We can also Top-dressing with compost for its nutrients, and for seed to soil contact.
This stand-alone service is an extension of the Lawn Renovation Service.
A New Lawn is designed to revive an old lawn and clean up after construction, etc., but it includes grade changes such as fixing high or low spots or correcting drainage slopes using our Harley Power Rake.
Harley Power Rake Benefits:
The New Lawn service can include adding large quantities of sand (for drainage) or compost (to add nutrients). It can also include spraying off the entire lawn or just the weeds prior to Aeration, Seed, and Fertilizer applications.
Back 40 Landscaping can also do a soil test at this time to determine what nutrients your soil needs.
The test results will also be useful if you have signed up for the Yearly Turfgrass Program as we will need to know what fertilizer your soil needs going forward.
We can also Top-dressing with compost for its nutrients, and for seed to soil contact.
As you can tell, with our Turfgrass Program we put a lot of time and effort in to growing healthy turfgrass. It’s a huge passion of mine, and I look forward to working alongside you to grow great healthy turfgrass for you and your family!
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