What to Expect on Your Central Texas Lawn
Hello Fall- we’re in full swing, joyfully welcoming the cooler temperatures that you bring! For months we’ve embraced solitude, pods, mastered the six-foot measurement to find our social distancing “spot”. The cancellations, the closings, the public do’s and do not’s, all forced us to be grateful for what we already got… remembrance turned reverence for the freedom and peace that quite literally lies in our own backyards.
As you enjoy your little piece of Central Texas- we want your lawn at its best, so we’ve gathered info from our team of experts so you’ll know what to expect.
We’re throwing in some bonuses that we didn’t want you to miss, a special segment weeding out common Fall-acies and season specific tips!
Here’s what we’re covering in the Central Texas Lawn Update – Fall Edition:
- Lawn Health: Down to the Core
- Lawn-Gevity: The Green Guarantee
- Winning the War: Weed and Fungus -Free
Leave behind your worries and Let us help you Fall in Love with your Lawn this autumn.
Lawn Health: Down to the Core
Breathing: vital to life, key to a healthy lawn
What We’re Seeing
COMPACTED SOIL
This occurs when the ground becomes pressed, lacks airflow, and thus often dries out and cracks because it cannot “breathe,” or properly absorb water.
This is easily noticeable when although following watering schedule, it still causes drainage problems on your lawn.
What We’re Doing
AERATION
Getting Down to the Root of it
Essential vs Inessential?
Well it might be true in many places, to consider it a luxury for those who want to “spoil their soil” by enhancing it’s richness. However, in Central Texas, our soil is a compound of rock, clay and caliche. This carries such a low absorption rate that all of the air, water, and nutrients your soil needs can’t naturally flow deep enough to maintain good lawn health. Aeration fosters a deeper, denser root system which creates a healthier turf that will repels weeds and is more drought tolerant
These two types have both proven to be beneficial but the latter definitely trending most popular and with it’s innovative design and greater impact.
Core aeration is the traditional method that employs a machine that covers about 20% of the lawn and creates holes of a significant diameter – about ½ to ¾ of an inch, creating enough space and staying open for enough time that all the essential provisions to go down deep into your lawn.
Liquid Aeration is a state-of-the-art application that covers 100% of the lawn and creates tiny, deep pathways, delivering oxygen, moisture and nutrients to the roots. This delivers a compounding effect, wherein each additional application picks up where the last one left off and does not destroy the pre-emergent barrier
Lawn-gevity: The Green Guarantee
‘Cause a Healthy Outside starts on the Inside!
Nutritionists have said for decades, “You are what you Eat”, well it applies to lawns too!
And here’s why The Grass really IS Greener with Emerald Lawns…
As part of our perfectly timed lawn program, we have you covered YEAR ROUND!
In Early Fall we apply a Harmonizer
This bio-nutritional application is a blend of potassium and micronutrients with a slow release fertilization that helps prepare the lawn for dormancy and protects against freeze damage. Additionally, in anticipation of the coming Winter and Spring, we also apply a pre-emergent weed control
In Late Fall we apply a Winter Soil Conditioner
We take both Potassium, which reduces the winter damage and promotes quicker recovery and Sulfur which reduces the alkalinity naturally in our soil to help keep the grass greener and healthier all year long.
It’s the “Emerald Way”
to treat your little piece of Texas with pride, just like we do our own
Winning the War: Weed and Fungus- free
When soil is healthy, there is a never ending microscopic war being waged between the good and bad microorganisms
What We’re Seeing
WEEDS!
The temps are dropping, humidity is rising and paired with regular watering schedule, this can be the perfect cocktail for weeds to invade! Many broadleaf weeds germinate in these cooler Fall months and then flower in the spring when they are harder to control.
Pictured above: An up close shot of grass overrun with patches of weeds. Even once mowed, the patches spread making it seem like an impossible feat to overcome. With a customized lawn program and plan this lawn could be restored to good health, green and weed-free!
What We’re Seeing
FUNGUS!
This lawn fungus is most common during the heavy dew seasons of Fall when daytime temperatures are in the 80s dropping to the 60s at night. It is not uncommon for these brown patch areas in the fall to also be victims of the winter, so this is something you want
Pictured above: HELMINTHOSPORIUM OR “HELMINTH” Symptoms typically appear as small leaf spots near the collar area of the leaf blade. Severely affected leaves turn reddish-brown, then wither and die.
What We’re Doing
RELAX, WE’VE GOT IT UNDER CONTROL
Our Expertise of how to wrangle the threats to Central Texas lawns is what gives us the advantage in these dire situations.
We not only take the time to properly identify the issues on every visit but customize a “battle” plan employing a variety of fungicides and weed control products to ensure order is restored and that your lawn is not defeated in any season!
FALLacies DEBUNKED
Weeding out the seasonal myths about Fall Lawn Care
COMMON TEXAS LAWN CARE FALLACIES
“GRASS IS GRASS, IT’S ALL THE SAME”
Essentially but NOT Exactly…
There’s over a dozen species of grass and a common top 4 in Central Texas, some lawns even have more than one type mixed together! With each season they have their own watering, nutrition and mowing regime. So it is important to know what you’re dealing with so that you can care for it properly.
” OH NO, MUSHROOMS!”
OH Yes!
Mushrooms are a actually part of a harmless fungus that grows beneath the soil within the ecosystem of your lawn. Having a few of these is helpful for breaking down organic material into nutrients and their presence indicates good soil health. Welcome this sign of success!
* “Fairy rings”/ Fields of mushrooms could mean you’re giving them a little too much of a welcome with excessive water.
LAWN CLIPPINGS HELP MY GRASS GROW
Careful though, Misery loves company
Grass-cycling small amounts is good, but thick thatch layers > 1 inch become barriers instead of benefits. Blocking water and nutrients, choking grass roots from lack of air and providing a breeding ground for lawn disease and pests, like chinch bugs.
So your dead grass ultimately creates more of the same demise unless you dethatch your lawn!
BEER IS A NATURAL LAWN FERTILIZER
Hold my Drink…AND yours
Beer has yeast in it, yeast makes things grow. Simple logic, right? Yeast is a fungus, and when added to your soil, it WILL grow…more fungus!
Okay so beer is made up of about 90% water, plants need water, yes? Unfortunately, beer also has simple sugars, alcohol and other ingredients that hinder grass health (think beer belly for your lawn).
Seasonal Lawn Care Tips
In all Seasons, Maintenance Matters
1. Water with the Weather
Utilize seasonal adjust setting on irrigation to reduce watering times, 80 degree average high = 80% setting on seasonal adjust
- Avoid watering in the evening, watering is best done after midnight when nature begins to naturally introduce moisture through dew
- Smaller lawns with fewer zones should push watering back as far as they can, just make sure it is complete by around 8am
2. Maintain Mowing
Before your grass goes into dormancy, you’ll want to be sure you haven’t cut it too short or let it grow too high
- Mow your grass regularly every 5-10 days per the recommended heights below
- Bermuda 2inches, Zoysia 3 to 3 1/2 inches, St. Augustine 4 inches
- Mow between mid-morning and early evening when the grass is dry from any dew
3. Rake and Remove
Leaves though beautiful keep your grass from getting even sunlight and as they deteriorate, drain the moisture from your soil and attract lawn damaging insects/disease.
- Rake weekly as needed (you don’t want more than 10-20% coverage)
- Don’t leave them in a pile, this could leave you with brown spots in the Spring that put you at high risk for weed invasion.
Before We Let You Go…
Did You Know? We’ve Got Webisodes!!
We love getting inquiries from new and existing customers wanting to know more about ALL of the services we offer. These Webisodes are not only a great resource of information explaining the why and way that we do things here in Central Texas but as they feature some of our most charismatic experts, we can almost guarantee they’ll make you smile.
