Lawn Irrigation

MANAGE LAWNS NATURALLY

For lawns, mowing also trains the native grass to be more water efficient. Mowing is performed often enough that only one-third of the grass blade is removed. Use a mulching mower and leaving the grass clippings allows the plant material to breakdown adding organic matter and nutrients to the soil. The preferred mowing height for most lawn grasses that grow in our region is 2.5” to 3”. Such short-cut grass needs more water and are also more susceptible to weeds. Using a native lawn alternative, that grow in clumps, interplanted with ground cover and other landscaped material or decorative rock can be a suitable xeriscape solution.

Aerating lawns in the spring is one of the most important ways to improve water efficiency. Aeration lessens soil compaction. It creates space, softening the soil medium, allowing air, nutrients and water to be more readily absorbed into the soil, lessening pooling or runoff. Aerating is easiest when soil is moist, such as in spring or fall. We make sure to leave the soil plugs, loosened by the aeration, on top of the soil. As they breakdown they add organic matter and nutrients.

Back in the day, composted manure was the only organic fertilizer available. Now there are organic fertilizers that are also environmentally friendly. These fertilizers have uniform nutrients and are easy to apply.

We use an alfalfa-based organic fertilizer made in Loveland. It’s high in organic matter, has all of the nutrients a lawn needs and is adjusted for our region’s soils. So as you start looking around, you may notice that the flowers and shrubs are blooming, the plants look green, and nature’s in full swing.

Bluegrass/Fescue LAWNS: Recommend Zone Run Times

The ecology of the foothills of the Rocky Mountains is a high tundra or alpine desert with lower moisture than the plains or sea level. With that in mind, here are some recommended watering times for your areas of irrigation.

Mowing & Lawn Care

99% of all LAWN PROBLEMS are due to IMPROPER WATERING, not by an exotic disease. The good news is that you CAN control your watering!

TOPICS: • Your Soil Health • Helpful versus Unhelpful Fungus • Fertilizer Choices • Thatch Issues + Prevention • Power Raking Challenges • Mowing Techniques

Your Soil IS Alive
Dirt is depleted. Soil is teaming with life, which nourishes the plants that live in it. When bio-diversity is present, such as microbes, helpful fungal networks, and a combination of heat, moisture, air, water, and food, your soil thrives.

Organic Fertilizers are Environmental and Kid/Pet Friendly
Organic fertilizers are a kinder, gentler way to give plants the nutrients they need. Organic fertilizers usually come from plants, animals, or minerals and contain a variety of nutrients to enhance the soil ecosystem. Synthetic fertilizers don’t enhance soil life or add organic matter.
Other benefits for using organic fertilizers over synthetics are:
• They release their nutrients more slowly in the soil, when the plants need them,so they last longer.
• The nutrients are contained in complex molecules that won’t leach away with the first rain or watering.
• They are less likely to burn the young roots of seedlings. Synthetic fertilizers are made from mineral salts that can kill roots as well as soil microbes if applied improperly.
• They enhance soil health by nurturing the natural soil microbes that help make soil nutrients available to plants.

Synthetic Fertilizers are Bad like Steroids
The problem with synthetic fertilizers is that while they feed your lawn quickly and produce a quick greening effect, they do not nourish the soil and, in fact, actually kills off some of the good micro-organisms and reduces the ability of the soil to nourish the lawn long-term. Synthetic fertilizers are the plant world equivalent of steroids. Much like in humans, the recipient appears healthy on the outside but underneath things aren’t as healthy as they seem.
Children and pets are especially at-risk for negative health consequences due to their size, physiological development and proximity to the ground. Plus unused fertilizers can get into the water system through runoff and hurt the eco-balance. So choose organic fertilizers for the true health of your lawn, soil and family members.

Underwatering Creates Ascochyta Leaf Blight or Dollar Spot
This is a fungus caused by too little watering and the absence of beneficial microbial activity and is nitrogen deficient. There is noticeable patchyness and the bright “straw like color” which are indicating features of the fungus. Another trigger for the fungus is heat and drought stress. The fungus is active when daytime temperatures are above 85°F. particularly in turf that is nitrogen deficient and lacking beneficial microbial activity. Ascochyta is found where poor sprinkler coverage occurs.
The water cure: Water the lawn deeply 3 times a day for 3 consecutive days. Then return to watering 2-3 days per week. Also it is important to water early in the morning as instead of late at night or even worse in the daytime.

Overwatering Creates Necrotic Ring Spot Fungus
Necrotic Ring Spot is a fungus that attacks lawns that are being over watered or poor drainage. The fungus is easy to control as long as the excessive water is corrected. Check your water sprinkler head for proper positioning or if one of the watering zones isrunning too long.

What Causes Thatch?
Thatch will accumulate if the production of dead material exceeds the ability of the microorganisms to break down the material into elemental components. Thatch build-up increases when there is an absence of beneficial microbial activity. This happens if there is poor soil aeration and drainage, improper watering practices, cold temperatures, the use of some pesticides, and the excessive use of fast release nitrogen fertilizers especially in a non-organic or water-soluble form. When a thatch layer is greater than 3/4 of an inch thick it may need to be physically removed because then it can become a breeding ground for insect pests and for various fungi.

Grass Clippings – Good or Bad?
Clippings often get blamed for thatch, and people rake clippings because they don’t want to contribute to thatch build-up, but this is a false problem with a non-solution. Clippings only contribute to thatch if they are excessively long, or if the thatch layer is so deep that it keeps clippings from decomposing.

Power Raking – Not Worth the Damage
For more serious thatch buildup, you may need to rent a vertical mower. It is a
specialized machine that works vertically to break up and remove buildup. This
approach can be so hard on the rest of your lawn that you’ll often need to reseed after using one. Anything that hard on the lawn should only be used in spring or fall, when grass recovers more quickly than it can in the stress of summer heat. Additionally, spring and fall are also the best times for overseeding.

Lawn Health: Four Thatch Prevention Tactics Mowing
– Never cut more than 1/3 of the blade o f grass at one time. Mulching does not
increase the tendency to build thatch. Change the mowing height to 2.5 inches in the spring and fall and increase the height to 3 inches in the summer.

Fertilizing – Fast-release nitrogen applications will result in a decrease in thatch decomposition and an increase in thatch production rates. Always avoid high dosages of synthetic nitrogen sources like ammonium nitrate and urea. Irrigation – Avoid light and frequent watering. Always irrigate the turf deeply and infrequently. This entices the roots of the grass to grow deep into the soil instead of the thatch layer.

Pesticides – Pesticides negatively affect desirable microorganism and earthworm populations. Pesticides should be avoided unless absolutely necessary. Natural approaches such as vinegar or other alternative solutions can also be considered where applicable.

Over-cutting Triggers a Trauma Response
Short-cutting triggers the plants response system to go into a survival mode – like post-traumatic stress for your plants. This means that your lawn won’t build roots and effects the overall health. Likewise, trimming edges too short causes crabgrass and weeds to take root and grow.

Mowing Made Simple
• Mow once per week
• Set your lawn mower so it is on the highest setting
• Sharpen the blade once every 5 mows
• Mulch the clippings as long as they don ’t clump up all over the lawn

We Use Organic Fertilizer

Conventional lawn chemicals can pollute our water, harm wildlife and have adverse health effects on people and pets. Using pesticides to tackle weeds and pests can actually damage your lawn, too. They kill good organisms that help produce the nutrients plants need to grow, weakening the grass, fostering thatch, and encouraging diseases.

We use an alfalfa-based organic fertilizer. The best way to view it is that we are fertilizing the soil and not the plant.

We have been using “Alpha One” fertilizer exclusively since 1995, helping Mother Nature to build a healthy environment for your lawn as well as your pets and children!