How to have a standout lawn this year
How do you define a healthy lawn? Is it a weed-free swath of tightly clipped emerald blades of grass? Or a mix of turf and weeds where kids and dogs can play without worrying about chemicals? For most people, it’s somewhere in between.
Lawns absorb rainfall, minimize runoff, provide an unmatched surface for play and foot traffic and improve the appearance of a home. Regardless of whether you use chemicals or avoid them, there are other ways to improve your lawn, help the grass outcompete common weeds and resist pests and disease.
Begin with a soil test. It’s the best way to determine what your lawn needs. Soil test kits with detailed instructions can be obtained at your local Penn State county extension office and some garden centers. Allegheny County residents can download forms at https://extension.psu.edu/soiltesting or pick up a test kit at 1435 Bedford Ave Suite A, Hill District (15219). The cost is $9 and checks should be made payable to Penn State University.
Soil pH, which is part of the test report, should be between 6.0 and 7.5. Pittsburgh area soils frequently have a lower pH, indicating more acidity. The application of lime is often recommended.
Proper fertilization makes the biggest difference in lawn quality. Complete fertilizers contain nitrogen for good color, phosphorus or phosphate for root development and growth, and potassium or potash (K) for tolerance to drought stress. Fertilizer ratios, written as NPK, are listed on packages and indicate the percentages of those nutrients. Fertilizers listed as 16-88 and 10-5-5 both have the same ratios of nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium (2-1-1).
Soil tests provide data on your soil’s phosphorus and potassium content but not nitrogen. However, the report will include the amount of nitrogen your lawn needs annually. If no phosphorus or potassium addition is recommended, and you have not fertilized your lawn by mid-May, you should apply 1 pound of nitrogen per thousand square feet. More is not better. Look for fertilizers that contain some slow-release nitrogen. Over-fertilization can leave your lawn susceptible to more disease problems, and rainwater runoff laden with excess fertilizer creates dangerous algae blooms in local waterways. Make a second application in late summer or early fall.
One-quarter inch of well-aged compost can be broadcast on lawns in the spring to provide small amounts of nitrogen and beneficial micronutrients. It is best to apply compost while aerating, a process described below.