Lawn Care in Utah
By Pamela Loring, SLC Office Staff
We love our lawns emerald green in Utah. It is that time of year when the weather is hot and dry. Lawn Care in Utah Tips always help. So, in an effort to keep our lawns emerald green, we water our turf grasses every day or even two times each day. Do you ever wonder if this practice is beneficial to our turf or does it just make us feel better?
Well, it just makes us feel better. We think we are helping when, in fact, we are creating a bigger problem. But, the dilemma is, how do we keep that beautiful color and still conserve water?
To build a healthy root system in the turf lawns, the turf needs roots that go deep into the soil. To get the roots deep into the soil, the roots need to search deep for the water. The closer the water is to the surface of the soil, the shallower the root system is.
Watering you lawn in the cool early morning hours, long and deep three times per week (depending on your soil type) will build a deeper, healthier root system. Also, set your mower height at about 3” higher, will help your lawn stay cool and feel less stress. The longer, taller grass blades actually shade the root system, keeping them cooler and less thirsty.
Also, with automatic sprinkler systems you’ll want to check for full coverage. Head to head coverage is the standard. What that means is the water from one sprinkler reaches or overlaps the sprinkler next to it. Head to head.
OK, so you’re watering correctly, you’ve checked the sprinkler coverage, and your lawn seems to be getting the right amount of water. But, you still have brown spots in your turf grass. And, the spots are getting slowly larger.
It’s time to check for Grubs. Oh, the dreaded White Grubs. Grad a hand full of the brown turf to see if it pulls up easily, much like a toupee would. Notice if birds visit the site to feed in the area. If so, it’s very likely it’s White Grub. They are large with 6 legs and a brown head. They’ll curl into a “C” when disturbed. As adults, they become large beetles.
Visit your local home and garden center for product that will exterminate the grub and apply as directed. If you have questions about the application, read the label carefully and/or speak with the professional on duty.
Enjoy our beautiful turf grass and be green!