The "Key" to Seeding a Better Lawn

Spring has sprung, but fall hasn't fallen as far as lawn renovation goes. People are often surprised to learn that mid-August through mid-September is the very best time of year in northern Illinois to seed for a better lawn.

Why is it the best time? Because our dominant lawn grasses, Kentucky Blue (for sun) and fescues (for partial shade) are cool season grasses. They flourish in the cooler conditions of spring and fall. They slow growth or go dormant in extreme heat and/or summer drought unless we irrigate. Fall also means dramatically less weed competition for newly seeded lawns than spring.

How to seed? The Key

A. Assess the lawn, lawn seems "thin"

Does the lawn have less than 50% desirable grass? Is it overrun with aggressive perennial weeds (tall fescue, creeping Charlie, etc.)? Consider a complete kill, then rototilling or slit-seeding* and starting from scratch.

To buy seed, determine:
1. Total number of hours of full sun and shade the site gets.
2. If there is shade, is it dappled with sun coming through trees, or is it sunlight-free?
3. Approximate number of square feet of area to be seeded.
4. Whether you need sun, part shade, shade and a dense shade mix. All are available.

* Slit-seeding involves the use of a heavy walk-behind machine that slices through soil or lawn, dropping seed directly into furrows in the soil. It's awesome as far as I'm concerned, whether you're seeding bare soil or into the thatch of a problem lawn. The best parts of my lawn are where I did a total kill, then slit-seeded with a high quality seed. Seed is an inexpensive part of the solution, so buy the best.

Grass seedlings emerging from slit-seeding

B. Seeding bare soil 

Buy 1# of seed per 250-300 sq. ft. of area.

1. Best results come by cultivating and loosening the soil to a depth of 3-6".
2. Rake level, doesn't have to be "potting soil-perfect". Large clods should be broken up.
3. Depending upon the size of the area best seeding results will be achieved with a spreader. Use the spreader setting specified for the brand and spreader type you have. Settings aren't interchangeable from one company's spreader to another!
Common mistake - Don't be tempted to apply seed too heavily. It shouldn't be clumped. You should be able to see a small amount of soil between seeds.

Proper distribution of seeds

4. After spreading the seed, lightly raking or gently tamping the soil surface is a good idea to make sure the seed is in good contact with the soil. Don't bury it. If you want, you can add a thin, thin layer of topsoil or compost, NOT peat moss.
Important - Use a starter fertilizer containing the phosphorous seed needs to develop strong roots. Phosphorous is the middle number in the analysis 24-25-4 or 3-6-3. And nope, it doesn't matter whether you put it down before or after seeding that same day.

Watering now becomes the most important thing you can do to ensure a successful seeding.
1. Gently dampen the soil surface regularly.
2. When the soil surface lightens in color you should water.
3. On a hot day with drying surface winds you might have to dampen morning and evening.
4. Don't flood- dampen means water isn't standing and seed isn't floating.

Depending upon seed type, weather and moisture conditions it will take 7-21 days to germinate and show green "fuzz". That's when you must keep up the dampening until the root system is established. Consider mowing when the grass reaches 3" or so.

C. Overseeding (seeding into existing grass to thicken it up) is done at half the rate of bare areas. If the lawn has 50% or more desirable lawn grasses you have choices.
1. Lawn is not compacted, has less than 1/2" of thatch (the spongy layer of undecomposed stems) at the soil surface. Then rake lightly, use a starter fertilizer and follow watering instructions.
2. Lawn is compacted, has more than 1/2" of thatch, is generally thin. This is where you need to consider core-aeration. A core aerator is a neat (and heavy) machine that has empty tines that pull plugs of soil as it is pushed over the lawn. The soil plugs drop onto the surface of the soil, leaving shallow holes in the soil. This allows air, water, nutrients and seed to get right into the root zone. In my humble opinion, well worth doing ... professionally. After core aeration use a starter fertilizer and follow watering instructions.

Core aeration plugs

A better lawn is just a few key steps away!
                                                                               
     

Plant Buzz Words

I recently attended a great horticultural conference in Columbus, Ohio. I was fascinated with some dry erase boards that had been put up for passers-by to graffiti their response to several questions. To be sure, the attendees were all plant geeks enthusiasts. Anyway, the responses were totally positive and some almost spiritual. "Plants make me feel: complete/at peace/connected to God" and "Plants are important because: they transform me." Pretty moving stuff, wouldn't you agree?

I started thinking about how some people new to gardening might fill in those blanks. I know people that would say "intimidated", "scared that I'll kill them", "nervous", etc. I wondered, too, what would cause that reaction in something so crucial to our survival and the quality of our lives. I realize part of it may be the terms that plant people use, making the assumption that everyone knows what they mean. Shame on us! Let's rectify that assumption and demystify some key garden terms.

Annual - n. A plant that grows, flowers and completes its life cycle in one year. Or more simply, it needs to be planted every spring. Examples: Marigold, petunia, begonia.

Perennial - n. Can be grown from seed or division of another plant. Can have a "regular" root system, or can originate from a bulb, and is often confused with annuals. Plant a perennial and it lives for multiple years. Examples: Peony, Iris, daisy, Hosta, ferns.

Biennial - n. As you might suspect, falls sort of in between annual and perennial. Good to know, but there aren't a lot of them. Grows from seed and makes a mound of leaves one year, flowers, produces seed and fulfills its destiny the second year. Then, it's gone. Examples: Some foxgloves, hollyhocks.

Deadheading -  v. The removal of spent flowers and part of the stem. If the flowers are allowed to stay on long enough the plants will set seed. Once that happens new flower production slows or stops. Deadheading encourages rebloom of annuals and those perennials that have rebloom potential. You also enhance the aesthetics of your garden when plants aren't cloaked in discolored, water-soaked, petal-dropping flowers.

Cosmos before and after deadheading

Deadleafing - v. The removal of unattractive, diseased or dying leaves. You could deadleaf a rose with black spot-infested leaves or a daylily that was losing leaves after summer bloom is finished. Again, serves a hygiene function as well as an aesthetic one!

Disbudding - v. Is different than deadheading. It's an optional practice that increases flower size. For example, dahlias, tuberous begonias and peonies have a large center bud flanked by smaller secondary flowers on either side. Careful removal of the secondary buds (as soon as you can handle them) directs energy to the remaining central flower, making it larger. Want more color? Leave all flowers on and don't disbud. Want larger, but fewer, individual flowers? Disbud.

Dahlia not disbudded, left. Disbudded, right

Tuberous begonia not disbudded, left. Disbudded, right

Amendment - n. Any material (preferably organic) that is incorporated into soil to improve structure and enhance microbial activity. Examples: Compost, dehydrated manure, leaf mulch, cotton burr compost.
     
Mulch -  n. Any material (preferably organic) that is applied to the soil surface to: reduce weeds, watering and compaction, buffer soil temperatures, improve soil structure (as it breaks down) and frankly, look good. Examples: leaf mulch, shredded: hardwood, cedar or pine bark, compost. You're right, the answer is yes, some materials can be used for both amending and mulching.

Feeling less intimidated? Good, because plants and planting make you feel ______________________ . What would your write-in be?
    

Plant Life-Saving 101

Soggy soil and rotting roots

It's an understatement to say that spring rainfall has been more than adequate. This year even the River birches and willows are looking longingly toward higher, drier soil. While you can't stop Mother Nature there are actions to take to save plants after the recent downpours:

1) It seems obvious, but do override the in-ground sprinkler system. When air spaces in soil are full of water rather than oxygen, roots become stressed, roots may die. Even lawns, with their comparatively shallow root systems, have had enough for the time being. Save the water, save the money, save the plants.

2) Consider pulling mulch away from root systems to encourage surface drying. This might be a particularly keen idea for any soft-stemmed annuals, perennials or veggies. It may prevent rotting at the soil line. Pots of succulents should probably be brought under cover.
  
3) Water-compromised plants may show symptoms that include yellowing of lower, older foliage. Leaves may show unusual colors at the edges, or between the veins, which might indicate a nutrient deficiency. Compromised root systems don't transport nitrogen and "minor" elements efficiently.

4) Don't be surprised if plants with big soft leaves (Hydrangeas, for example) wilt even when you know soil is saturated. Yes indeed, your plants may wilt in both cases, whether they're too wet or too dry. So, be sure to check soil moisture levels before adding water to wilted plants that may already be floating.

5) Remember that plants in containers have more positive drainage than plants in beds. Most potting mixes are "soilless" and contain large amounts of bark or coarse peat to promote positive drainage. The minimal nitrogen content these mixes provide can be leached out of the bottom of the pot with heavy rainfall. You can apply: water solubles (Dyna-Gro), earth-friendly naturals (Dr. Earth, Espoma) or timed-release (Osmocote) to maintain optimal growth and beauty.

6) If you have hanging baskets or containers with saucers (either attached or otherwise) be religious about pouring off the drainage water within 30 minutes. After that, roots are drowning.

Drain those saucers

7) Slug populations will be exploding soon. Protect hostas, lettuce, spinach, cabbage and other slug favorites with Sluggo, which is indeed safe around edibles. Slugs will eat the bait, lose their appetite, stop feeding and die within a few days!

Slugs in the rampage

8) Fungal problems (black spot on roses, tomato blights, powdery mildew, leaf spots) will undoubtedly blossom with the abundant rainfall, heat and humidity. Remember that fungicides must be applied ahead of an infection. They will not reverse symptoms that are already present.

9) As the summer wears on we will reach a time when the soil is dry again. Rainfall is not cumulative. So,be sure to do regular checks of newly installed trees and shrubs even after measurable precipitation. Any plant that was container grown or had a small root ball will dry out more quickly than an established plant. Don't be lulled into thinking you don't have to water "new" plants for the rest of the summer. You will at some point in time.

10) Few plants tolerate standing surface water for long periods of time. If your garden has areas that flood and you aren't planning to correct the drainage (for whatever reason) research and use plants that are "flood tolerant". Even if those areas are bone dry later in the season you must plan and plant for worst case scenario. Baldcypress, River birch, Swamp white oak, 'Huron' gray dogwood, winterberry and a number of hardy ferns will endure challenging moisture conditions.

Rain, rain, it will go away. In the meantime, are any of these actions you can take right now to save lives in your garden?