These are the stories of Stacie and Lori.
Stacie’s lawn looked . . . well . . . tired over the summer, and Lori’s looked about the same. Weeds had taken over some areas, and their disease-prone grass types were not thriving. In a few places the soil had gotten packed so tightly that nothing could grow.
They knew it was time for a renovation.
Stacie acted decisively in the fall, when the cooler weather encouraged new grass growth. She called in By The Blade, and the friendly Ambassadors employed the following steps to kick-start her lawn renovation:
1. Herbicide application. As the weeds in Stacie’s lawn prepared themselves for winter, they absorbed weed killer more readily and were easy to get rid of.
2. Verticutting. The Ambassadors used a special machine to cut ¼-inch slices all through the soil, preparing the ground to receive new seed.
3. Scalping. They cut the existing grass very short so that it could grow up with the new grass and not require mowing for several weeks.
4. Seed application. A combination of 90% fescue and 10% bluegrass, designed to deal with Kansas City’s unique temperature range, was applied.
5. Core aeration. The team from By The Blade used an aerator to remove plugs of sod from all over the surface, loosening the packed soil so that air, water, and nutrients would be able to reach the roots of the new grass.
6. Second verticutting. To sow the seed in the ground and chew up the aeration plugs, the Ambassadors verticut a second time in a different direction.
7. Fertilization. A starter fertilizer was put down that used phosphorus to promote root growth.
8. Watering. Finally, by giving Stacie careful instructions and regular checkups, By The Blade helped her keep the soil moist at all times for 6 weeks, thus ensuring that the seeds germinated properly and a beautiful lawn was in place, ready to mature its root system over the winter.
But what happened to Lori and the other lawn during the fall? Well, Lori was distracted and put off her lawn renovation until it was too late for that year. So all through the winter her lawn was the same ragged mess.
In the springtime, the two lawns made quite a contrast with each other, and the two women were doing some different activities as well. While Stacie was out enjoying the weather with her family on her lovely green lawn, Lori scrambled to make up for her procrastination. Because there was not much grass cover, she lost time battling with thriving spring weeds. And after she finally applied some seed, she was forced to stay off of the tender shoots in her lawn for many weeks of the refreshing spring.
But the most drastic difference appeared in the summer. While Stacie’s full lawn thrived in the heat because of its more mature root system, Lori’s lawn with its young root system struggled—and some of it died.
So what’s the lesson in all this?
Simply put, in lawncare terms, fall is the time for action.
If you have been hesitating about starting that lawn renovation for next year, don’t hesitate any longer. Get going on these 8 steps before it’s too late, or if you need some help, be sure to connect with our specialists at By The Blade. Our Ambassadors are eager to assist you in preparing your lawn for an amazing 2015.
