{"id":104,"date":"2019-03-12T23:10:32","date_gmt":"2019-03-12T23:10:32","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.forsea.org\/lawncare\/"},"modified":"2023-04-02T03:29:39","modified_gmt":"2023-04-02T03:29:39","slug":"lawncare","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"http:\/\/www.forsea.org\/lawncare\/","title":{"rendered":"Sound Lawncare"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n\n
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\n

  Sound
\nLawncare<\/font><\/p>\n

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The American
\ndream house usually includes the American dream lawn. A healthy
\nlawn not only makes your home more attractive and valuable, it
\ncan also have important environmental benefits. When coupled with
\ntrees, shrubs, and groundcover, your lawn helps prevent erosion
\nand acts as a filter for rainwater from roofs, downspouts, and
\ndriveways. A healthy lawn also benefits the soil by adding organic
\nmatter to improve soil structure and infiltration. Local streams
\nand ultimately Puget Sound benefit from the reduced runoff and
\nincreased filtering capacity provided by our lawns and landscaping.
\n<\/font><\/p>\n

Our
\nlawns can be a source of delight or a cause for despair. We often
\nset ourselves up for failure by trying to maintain uniform, dense,
\nclose-cropped and geometrically edged lawns. These expectations
\nmake us easy victims of advertisements promoting lawn care chemicals
\nor lawn service companies which rely on regular applications of
\nchemicals. Such indiscriminate use of fertilizers, herbicides,
\nand pesticides can pollute our waters. The following tips will
\nhelp you have a “healthy” lawn; one which is attractive, healthy
\nand environmentally sound.<\/font><\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n\n
\n

Environmentally
\nSound Lawncare The premise of environmentally sound lawncare
\nis that a vigorous stand of grass will out-compete most weeds
\nand be able to withstand damage from fungus and insects. Sound
\nlawncare begins by selecting appropriate lawn types for your
\narea and applying the correct horticultural practices to maintain
\nhealth. An Integrated Pest Management (IPM) system accepts
\nthe presence of “pests” as a natural part of the plant\/animal
\necosystem and does not seek to eliminate them. The Washington
\nToxics Coalition outlined the typical IPM lawn care cycle
\nshown on this page. <\/font><\/p>\n

An IPM
\napproach to lawn maintenance begins with an understanding
\nof the physical conditions a lawn requires to thrive. The
\nlawn area must receive adequate light and the soil must drain.
\nTest your soil before planting a new lawn or before seeding
\nor fertilizing an established lawn. Call your local WSU Cooperative
\nExtension agent for assistance, or purchase a soil test kit
\nat your local garden store. The soil test will tell you if
\nyour soil needs fertilizer and\/or lime. <\/font><\/p>\n

The pH
\n(acidity\/alkalinity) of the soil should fall within a range
\nof 6.0 to 7.0 (slightly acidic). Puget Sound soils are usually
\ntoo acidic. Limestone is added to lower the acidity. The soil
\nmust contain adequate nutrients. If tests show low nutrient
\nlevels, the correct amount and type of fertilizer should be
\nadded. Finally, a source of water is needed to maintain adequate
\nmoisture levels. <\/font><\/p>\n

For new
\nlawns or reseeding, the selection of the proper grass seed
\nor sod is important. In the Puget Sound basin, varieties of
\nperennial rye grass and turf-type, fine-leaf fescues are the
\nchoice. Seeding a new lawn is initially less expensive than
\nsod, but takes longer to grow and may require weed control
\nmeasures. September is the best time to seed. The next best
\ntime, though a poor second choice, is March. Sodding provides
\nimmediate erosion control and can be used at least a month
\nsooner than a seeded area. Purchase sod fresh, avoid the stacks
\nsitting in the sun in front of your garden center. Detailed
\ninformation on varieties and installation may be found in
\nthe WSU Cooperative Extension publications listed in the resource
\nbox at the end of this chapter.<\/font><\/td>\n

\n

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The
\nIPM Lawncare Cycle<\/b><\/font><\/p>\n

\n

1.
\nLearn the pests in your area. <\/font><\/p>\n

2.
\nEstablish threshold levels for these pests. <\/font><\/p>\n

3.
\nMonitor the pests to determine levels and potential problems.
\n<\/font><\/p>\n

4.
\nMaintain a healthy lawn by following prescribed maintenance
\npractices. <\/font><\/p>\n

5.
\nIf pest problems appear to be approaching the threshold,
\nadjust maintenance practices to improve lawn health. <\/font><\/p>\n

6.
\nIf adjustment of maintenance practices is not effective,
\nuse the least toxic biological or chemical control. <\/font><\/p>\n

7.
\nEvaluate and record all treatments. <\/font><\/p>\n

8.
\nReview records and current WSU Cooperative Extension literature
\nto fine-tune maintenance practices.<\/font><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

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\nLawn Maintenance<\/a><\/font><\/font><\/a><\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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