{"id":105,"date":"2019-03-12T23:10:32","date_gmt":"2019-03-12T23:10:32","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.forsea.org\/lawnmain\/"},"modified":"2023-04-02T03:06:46","modified_gmt":"2023-04-02T03:06:46","slug":"lawnmain","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"http:\/\/www.forsea.org\/lawnmain\/","title":{"rendered":"Lawn Maintenance"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n\n
\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
<\/a><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n<\/map>\n\n\n<\/map>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
<\/a><\/td>\n\n\n
\n\n\n\n
\n

  Lawn
\nMaintenance<\/font><\/p>\n

\n

Most of
\nus have a lawn of some description already established. Proper
\nmaintenance practices must be followed to keep the lawn healthy.<\/font><\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
<\/a>Mowing<\/font>
\n<\/font>

\n<\/font>The
\ncorrect mowing height is probably the single most important
\nfactor in the formation of healthy turf. Correct height is important
\nbecause of two opposite growth patterns in grass. On one hand,
\nthe taller the grass, the deeper the roots penetrate, tapping
\ninto a larger volume of moisture and nutrients. On the other
\nhand, as the height of grass increases, the density of shoots
\ndecreases, which can contribute to weed infestation if the mowing
\nheight is then lowered. Cut your grass frequently enough so
\nthat no more than 1\/3 of the grass blade is removed at one mowing.
\nWeekly mowing increases shoot density. Mowing should always
\nbe done with a sharp blade. Grass clippings do not require removal
\nunless they present an aesthetic problem. They usually break
\ndown quickly, do not contribute to thatch buildup, and actually
\nadd nitrogen to the soil.<\/font><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n

<\/a>Cultivation
\n<\/font>

\nLawns
\nrequire cultivation by aeration and thatching. Aeration removes
\nsmall cylindrical cores of soil from the lawn, allowing water
\nand air to penetrate. Home lawns usually require aeration
\nonly once every two to four years. <\/font><\/p>\n

Thatching
\nremoves the mat of old grass rhizomes at the surface. The
\nmat prevents the penetration of water and fertilizer. Thatching
\nmay be done with a thatching rake or machine when the layer
\nexceeds about 1\/2 inch.<\/font><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

\n

<\/a>Fertilization
\n<\/font>

\nApply
\nfertilizer at the proper time and in the appropriate quantities.
\nLook for fertilizers with a 3- 1-2 ratio of nitrogen, phosphate,
\nand potash such as the commonly available ’15-5-10.” Avoid
\ncombination fertilizers\/weed killers whose application amounts
\nto indiscriminate broadcasting of herbicides whether or not
\na problem exists. <\/font><\/p>\n

Soil
\ntests, generally recommended every two or three years, are
\nuseful in determining the necessity of fertilization. Excessive
\nfertilization is a waste of resources and can damage plants.
\nAlways follow label directions and consult WSU Cooperative
\nExtension publications for general recommendations. Timing
\nis very important. If you only fertilize once in the Puget
\nSound area, do it in mid-November. Since timing of this application
\ncoincides with the start of the rainy season, it is especially
\nimportant not to over-fertilize as the excess fertilizer may
\nbe carried away in stormwater runoff where it can decrease
\nlake clarity and promote excessive algal growth, robbing the
\nwater of oxygen. If you fertilize twice, do it in late June
\nand again in November. Such timing encourages strong root
\nsystems which can support vigorous top growth through the
\nspring and summer. <\/font><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

\n

<\/a>Watering<\/font><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Over
\nwatering causes runoff, wasted water and sets the stage for
\nlawn problems. Infrequent, long irrigation cycles allow moisture
\nto penetrate, encouraging deep roots and drought resistant
\nplants. Frequent, short cycles encourage shallow roots which
\nare easily stressed. <\/font><\/p>\n

Our lawns
\nabsorb water at a rate of 3\/10 inch per hour. Unfortunately,
\nmost irrigation systems deliver up to 1 1\/2 inches per hour.
\nWhat the lawn cannot absorb pools in low areas or becomes
\nrunoff that can carry pollutants into stormdrains, creeks,
\nrivers, lakes and Puget Sound. <\/font><\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n

Lawn
\nWatering Guide<\/b><\/font><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n\n
\n
Average
\nDepth

\nin Test Cans<\/font><\/div>\n<\/td>\n
1\/8″<\/font><\/td>\n1\/4″<\/font><\/td>\n3\/8″<\/font><\/td>\n1\/2″<\/font><\/td>\n5\/8″<\/font><\/td>\n3\/4″<\/font><\/td>\n1″<\/font><\/td>\n1
\n1\/8″ <\/font><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Minutes
\nto Water Every

\nThird Day in Spring<\/font><\/td>\n		30<\/font><\/td>\n15<\/font><\/td>\n10<\/font><\/td>\n7
\n1\/2 <\/font><\/td>\n		6<\/font><\/td>\n5<\/font><\/td>\n4<\/font><\/td>\n3
\n1\/3 <\/font><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Minutes
\nto Water Every

\nThird Day in Summer<\/font><\/td>\n		60<\/font><\/td>\n30<\/font><\/td>\n20<\/font><\/td>\n15<\/font><\/td>\n12<\/font><\/td>\n10<\/font><\/td>\n8<\/font><\/td>\n6
\n2\/3 <\/font><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Minutes
\nto Water Every

\nThird Day in Fall<\/font><\/td>\n		24<\/font><\/td>\n12<\/font><\/td>\n8<\/font><\/td>\n6
\n<\/font><\/td>\n		4
\n3\/4 <\/font><\/td>\n		4
\n<\/font><\/td>\n		3
\n1\/3 <\/font><\/td>\n		2
\n1\/2 <\/font><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

Use
\nthis chart as a guide. Decrease watering times and frequencies
\nduring cool or humid weather. Skip at least one scheduled
\nwatering after any substantial rainfall.<\/font><\/p>\n

*This
\nchart was prepared by the Washington State Nursery and
\nLandscape Association and WSU Cooperative Extension.<\/font><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

Your
\nlawn needs about 1 1\/2 inches of water per week. To find out
\nhow much water your irrigation system produces, place several
\nflat-bottomed tuna fish or cat food cans around your sprinkler.
\nTurn on your sprinklers for 15 minutes. Measure the amount
\nof water in each can and add the amounts together. Divide
\nthis total by the number of cans to find the average amount
\nof water sprinkled in 15 minutes. Refer to the chart on the
\nright and read the number of minutes you should water, every
\nthird day.<\/font><\/p>\n

Finally,
\nwater in the morning before 10 a.m. for maximum uptake. Evening
\nwatering is an acceptable second choice, while mid-day watering
\nwastes water and can stress plants. Adjust your sprinklers
\nto avoid watering the sidewalk, driveway, or street. Low cost
\nwater timers to shut off flow are readily available in garden
\nand hardware stores and will prevent over-watering if you
\nforget to turn off your sprinklers. <\/font><\/p>\n

The last
\ncomponent in your lawn care maintenance program, pest management,
\nis treated in the previous chapter. <\/font><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

\n

\nSpare That Shrub – Do Your Part
\nto Control Erosion<\/font><\/a><\/font><\/font><\/a><\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

  Lawn Maintenance Most of us have a lawn of […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":9061,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"template_6.php","meta":{"footnotes":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.forsea.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/105"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.forsea.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.forsea.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.forsea.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.forsea.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=105"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"http:\/\/www.forsea.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/105\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":9223,"href":"http:\/\/www.forsea.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/105\/revisions\/9223"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.forsea.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/9061"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.forsea.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=105"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}