How to Have a Luscious Lawn
With fall around the corner, now is the time to start contemplating how to seed your lawn. Cooler temps combined with more rain make the perfect environment to start grass seed. Here are a few things to consider when planning to bulk up your turf.
Sunlight – Grass is a plant and therefore needs the same light conditions as the other plants in your yard. To completely know your sun exposure throughout your yard, make a rudimentary map of where you’d like to build up the grass. Make note, every 2 hours, if there is sun, dappled shade or complete shade in the areas throughout the day. This knowledge will be useful when choosing the right seed mix for the areas. If you have a full shade area with less than 4 hours of sun, know that grass will not thrive in that space.
Soil Health – Making sure to test your soil before seeding can be the difference between success and failure. The North Carolina Cooperative Extension has a thorough soil test that is free, unless you are testing at peak season (December through March). They will test for minerals specific for turf, such as the main macronutrients Nitrogen, Phosphorus and Potassium (NPK). These three nutrients are critical to the health of all plants. Nitrogen helps with healthy, green leaf growth. Phosphorus helps with root development and promotes efficient photosynthesis. Potassium toughtens the plant, helping it to stay alive during drought. If these need adjusting, a soil test will tell you. The test results may also include recommendations to add lime to lower acidic soils, which is prominent in North Carolina clay. Iron may also be suggested to help quickly green up any brown grass presently in your lawn.
Aeration – Since NC has mostly dense, clay soils, compaction can be an issue. Aeration is a great way to break up the soil while also providing air, water and nutrients to seeds and existing root systems alike. There are multiple ways to aerate your lawn including hand pulling plugs or renting an aerator that can be pulled behind your lawn mower.
Overseeding – Like mentioned above, grass is a plant and is grown for its leaves. Some are annual and some are perennial. A good mix of both can help during times of stressful weather to keep your lawn looking full. Each seed can put up to 10 leaves (also known as blades), which in the turf world, is not much. Overseeding ensures that there are more than enough seeds to make a lush carpet of turf grass.
Once you are prepared for seeding your lawn it is time to choose the right blend for your particular plot of land. The Greensboro area is considered a “Transition Zone” when it comes to grasses, meaning we are between the areas of the country that prefer cool season and warm season grasses, therefore seed blends are more important than ever for this area. Seed mixes include multiple species that do well in certain sun, heat and water conditions. Here are some blends we carry, which are specific to the North Carolina region.
Carolina All Purpose Blend – This blend from Wyatt-Quarles is tailored for the heat and humidity of the southern US. It is drought tolerant and can grow in full sun to part shade with ease. The turfs in this blend sport a vibrant green color and are soft, yet tough, making the lawn hardy and beautiful.
Shady Nook Lawn Mix – Wyatt-Quarles Shady Nook is a mixture of perennial grasses that perform well in part shade or full sun and is adaptable to the Piedmont and mountains of North Carolina. Shady Nook contains turf-type fescues, creeping red fescue, and improved heat tolerant Bluegrass.
Top Choice Landscapers Mix – This premium turf-type tall fescue blend is formulated for the Southern homeowner. It utilizes varieties that are proven winners in national and regional trials. It boasts exceptional density and color, is great for high traffic performance and is drought tolerant. This seed grows well in sun and shade. The tall fescue prefers warmer soil for germination, typically 55°F to 58°F. In the “Transition Zone” this is typically early spring and early fall.
Having a beautiful lawn that your neighbors envy is not too hard. Just follow these steps and choose the right seed blend for your sun exposure and you will have a lush carpet of green in your yard in no time. We have everything you need to get started at Guilford Garden Center!
