Social Distancing Activity of the Month!
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Spring is here and that means it's time to get the lawn ready for summer! Lawn care can be tricky here in Central Oregon, but with a few spring time maintenance steps, you can look forward to a beautiful green lawn this summer.
1) Rake and Dethatch: Clear the ground by raking dead leaves, pine needles and other debris. One of the most overlooked spring chores is dethatching. Thatch is a layer of dead and living grass roots and stems, and the result of a healthy lawn. When the thatch layers build up to a half-inch or more, it can impede the passage of air, water and nutrients to the soil and root system below. It is best to get into a routine of dethatching every other year as the lawn greens up, which is usually April through mid-May here in Central Oregon. You can rent a dethatcher from many home improvement stores, or call a local professional.
2) Follow your dethatching routine with an application of fertilizer. If you donβt get around to dethatching this spring, you can also do it in late September or October.
3) Be sure that you are mowing with a sharp blade and at the right height for the grass type. Cutting the grass too short for any type of grass can be greatly detrimental to plant health. The most common types of turf grass here (Kentucky bluegrass, perennial rye, turf-type tall fescue and fine fescue) can all be mowed at a recommended height of 1Β½ to 3 inches.
4) In addition to dethatching, consider aerating your lawn every other year. Aeration helps to relieve compaction, remove minimal thatch and can be done any time throughout the year.
5) Following aeration, you can either rake up the plugs or leave them, but they are very slow to break down in Central Oregon. Then using a compost spreader (can be rented), follow with a quarter inch application of organic rich, very fine compost. The value in adding compost is that it will βfeedβ the soil, which will improve soil conditions by adding microorganisms (which breaks down thatch) and nutrients, all of which benefit the overall health of the lawn.
6) Enjoy your beautiful lawn!
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