The Grass Rhizome

Early spring warm up has given plenty of opportunities to finish any chores that were put off in November. Raking, seeding and fertilizing should be at the top of your spring projects list.

Raking up fall leaves and trash from the lawn clears the way for new spring plant growth. Likewise cleaning out ditches, culverts, and sewer grates will forestall overflows during spring rains. Avoid heavy raking, power raking and aerating; save these for the fall. Heavy spring raking will stir up more spring weeds, and this year there will be more than enough.

This year's dry winter will soon reveal a healthy early crop of spring weeds. Winter broadleaf weeds as henbit, chickweed and dandelions will pop up out of nowhere and frustrate surprised homeowners. When soil temperatures rise above 40 degrees, spray these cold weather weeds with Speed Zone. I like Speed Zone early in cold soils and Trimec in warmer weather. For best control add Uncle's Stikit, non-ionic spreader sticker, to your mix. Stikit will stick it to the weeds. Granular Weed and Feed will work best once soil temperatures warm up in mid-April.

Related: Controlling Broadleaf Weeds in Cool Weather

Apply grass seed to bare dirt, damaged areas, and thin spots. Choose seed mixes that will sprout in cold soils. Sports turf rye grass does especially well in March. Stadium Special, Macho Mix, and Estate Mix formulas will germinate sooner in spring soils than traditional Heat Wave or Blue Wave blends. Top-dress seeded areas with sphagnum peat or PrimeraFC. Do not use topsoil or bagged black peat as these contain weed seeds. For bare dirt, especially where erosion is a problem, think sod. Sod rolls will establish quickly and not be bothered by early spring broadleaf weeds. An application of Loveland's Golf Course Starter or Renovator, spring lawn fertilizers, will help thicken grass turf, fill in bare spots and crowd out weeds. This is especially true in cool spring soils.

Related: When to Apply PREVENT! Crabgrass Preventer

In the garden, now is the time to rake out the flower beds, prune the roses and cut back overgrown shrubs. Trash leaves and branches are home to insect eggs and disease spores that will cause mischief when the weather warms up. If leaves and buds are still tight, you can spray light dormant oil or horticultural oil. Later, when insects appear, spray the foundation of the house and any mulch beds with Uncle’s Critter Gitter bug control. Spraying early reduces ants, spiders and other nuisance pests that want to move into the house. It also interrupts the first hatch of hungry bugs lining up in your garden salad bar.

Early March is just the right time to get out last year's honey do list and get started on your spring chores.

Uncle's tip: Avoid traffic on wet soils. The winter freeze-thaw cycles help to alleviate soil compaction. Early spring traffic on saturated soils quickly leads to compaction that would be fixed until the following winter or longer.

Every year a lawn maintenance program needs a little adjustment. Some years are too dry; some years are too wet. This year has been just plain soggy. Spring grass plants are lush and green, and lawn mowers are working overtime. Ducks and crawdads like this sort of weather, but once summer weather heats up there will be a price to pay. Excessive spring rains will bring two very predictable summer problems: crabgrass and nutgrass.

Crabgrass Booster Shot
Annual summertime grass weeds like crabgrass, goosegrass and foxtail will sprout aggressively in water logged soils. The same May rains that made lawns so nice and green in the spring will break down the effectiveness of early spring crabgrass preventers. Areas around driveways, sidewalks and patios are particularly prone to this problem. Concrete surfaces absorb and intensifies summer heat and make a natural incubator for hot weather weeds along its edges.

Related: Uncle's Idiot Proof Lawn Care Program

Heavy rain dilutes the crabgrass pre-emergence barrier applied in early spring. Then, the first week of hot June weather prompts weeds like crabgrass and foxtail to sprout and begin their annual invasion of green summer lawns. Step #3 PREVENT!, crabgrass preventer, applied in late May to early June provides a booster shot to extend weed control and prevent crabgrass all summer long.

Gardens and flower beds have the same problem. Well tended beds fall victim to an invasion of aggressive summertime weeds. Garden weed preventers applied in early spring are simply overwhelmed by extreme spring rains. For best results, three booster applications spaced six to eight weeks apart will keep gardens and landscape beds clean all summer long.

Related: Uncle's Q-Bomb Post Emergent Crabgrass Control

Nutgrass Control
Nutgrass is a common problem in summer lawns, even after an average spring. Nutgrass is not controlled by crabgrass pre-emergence. Nutgrass plants can regenerate from small nutlets formed on their root system under the soil surface. These nutlets go unharmed by pre-emergent and traditional contact weed controls, making nutsedge difficult to control.

Nutgrass or nutsedge has triangular stems with leaves that branch out in three different directions. Light green to yellow in color, nutsedge grows quickly in spring and summer, outgrowing grass in just a couple of days after mowing.

Uncle's Nut Buster, when used with Spreader Sticker, is the most effective control for nutgrass in the home lawn. Spreader Sticker, a non-ionic surfactant, holds the herbicide to the waxy leaf of the nutgrass. Be patient and allow the herbicide to stay on the nutgrass leaf 48 hours before mowing or watering. Give the plant plenty of time to draw Uncle's Nut Buster deep into the root system and translocate into the nutlet for best control.

Timing is everything, and early control is best. Nutgrass plants allowed to mature will stress when treated, stimulating more nutlets to sprout. However; be persistent and continue to spray the new plants as they emerge, and you will be victorious. Avoid pulling the nutgrass plant by hand. Pulling nutgrass will stress the plant and stimulate even more nutlets to sprout.

See Also:Fungus Fighter Turf Disease Control

Ajuga- Attractive ground cover in colorful foliage and spikes of blue flowers in spring. Popular varieties include Bronze Beauty, Chocolate Chip, Burgundy Glow and Catlin's Giant. Very hardy and easy to get established.

Astilbe - Native to the far east, these beautiful plants and their hybrids have revolutionized the perennial possibilities of moist, shaded gardens. From tiny dwarfs to the big and tall the combinations are endless. Popular varieties include the Color Flash & Vision series, Fanal, Granat, Deutschland and Rheinland.

Columbine - The flowers are sometimes compared to butterflies and are as beautiful in a vase as they are in the garden. Excellent for hummingbirds. There are lots of great hybrids available in a multitude of colors and combinations. Popular varieties include the Barlow, Songbird, Spring Magic, and Winky Series.

Euonymous Colorata - Also knowns as Purple Winter Creeper is one of the most aggressive and hardy ground cover varieties. Tolerating shade or sun Winter Creeper is an excellent choice for hillsides when erosion control is important. Beautiful deep purple fall color.

Heuchera - Also called Coral Bells have 100's of new hybrid varieties that have been developed over the last decade, almost too many. Shade loving heuchera is excellent partner for hosta or astilbe. Popular and hardy varieties for our area include Palace Purple, Amber Waves, Blessingham Mix, Ruby Bells and Splendens Firefly.

Hosta - Probably the easiest shade loving plant to get established. Available as bare root in early spring, hosta can also be the most economical for filling shade areas. Tiny dwarf varieties to mega-monsters can make excellent borders to dramatic displays. Available in shades of green, blue and variegated leaf combinations. Hosta is the #1 idiot proof shade perennial. Popular varieties include Patriot, Frances Williams, Regal Splendor and Big Daddy.

Lamium - Often under utilized, lamium is an excellent ground cover perennial for shady areas. Thrives in shade but will grow in some sun. Varieties offer a range of flower colors in white, purple and pink with silver-variegated leaves. Popular varieties include, White Nancy, Beacon Silver and Herman's Pride.

Lysimachia - One of many forms of lysimachia, the most popular is Creeping Jenny, also called moneywort. The golden varieties seem to be the rage, however there are green varieties too. These same varieties are popular for annual planters and hanging baskets as spiller plants around the sides.

Ivy - An aggressive ground cover, ivy can be very advantageous if you need something to spread quickly in shade. Extremely hardy, can be known to climb and sometimes hard to control. Available in dark green or variegated leaf, ground cover ivy continues to be one of the most common shade ground covers.

Vinca Minor - Also known as Vinca Myrtle, Creeping Myrtle and Old-Fashion Periwinkle. An excellent evergreen ground cover for part sun or shade areas, perennial vinca bloom in early spring. This is an old fashion classic and has been around since the Pilgrams. Vinca has a creeping habit and grows 4 to 6 inches off the ground, forming a thick mat of green. Excellent for erosion control.

Cool season grasses, like bluegrass and fescue grasses may soon go dormant as a result of recent high heat. Here are five tips on how to treat your lawn during high heat and summertime stress.

Minimize wear and traffic. Mowing stressed turf can cause damage to turf. Mow when the turf needs it -- not as a scheduled routine practice.
Mow higher than normal. Taller grass plants provide protection to the crown and shade the soil surface, reducing moisture loss.
Keep your mower blade sharp. A dull blade rips and pulls the grass blades, leaving ragged tears that both weaken the plant and promote fungal growth and other grass diseases. Blades should be sharpened at least twice a year.
Keep grass clippings on the lawn, rather than bagging them.
Water your lawn deeply – rather than frequently – to promote healthier roots. This helps lawns be more drought-resistant.

5 Idiot-Proof Tips to Keep Grass Growing Under Trees.

1. Improve sunlight! Intensity and duration of quality light reaching the grass plant is important. The more time the grass plant has in full sunlight, the better it will perform. Pruning lower branches to raise the canopy will increase full sun exposure and allow more wind circulation helping to reduce humid conditions that can stimulate turf disease. Shaded areas with restricted air movement may require treatment with Fungus Fighters to maintain a healthy turf.

2. Traffic Management! Shade stressed grass plants are less tolerant of heavy wear. Traffic management may be required. Active dog runs along shaded fence areas may require physical barriers to alter their traffic patterns. A runway of mulch along the fence could be your best option for large active canines.

3. Use the Best Grass Seed!Uncle's Premium Shade grass seed is the ideal blend of elite grass seed varieties with lower water and nutrient requirements showing improved shade tolerance and increased disease resistance. Reseed shady areas three times a year (spring, summer, and fall) rotating youthful, vigorous, low light tolerant grass plants into the maturing turf stand.

4. Deep Water Shade Areas! In the spring, with frequent rains, the shade tree and grass are good neighbors, plenty of moisture for everyone. However, when spring rains stop and summer heat sets in, the trees get very unfriendly. A large shade tree can use hundreds of gallons of water a day leaving very little moisture for turf grass. Discourage turf disease in summer with heavy but infrequent waterings to reduce wet foliage.

5. Release Compaction! Condition the soil under your shade trees. Increase the soils water holding capacity and improve drainage by core aerating and raking PrimeraFC field conditioner into the aeration holes. PrimeraFC is a natural porous ceramic granule having incredible air and water holding capacity. PrimeraFC helps to relieve compaction and improve drainage when incorporated into the soil

What about large tree roots?

Unchecked over the years, soil erosion, can expose shallow tree roots. Bare soil erodes quickly with no grass roots to hold soil in place. Top soil can be hauled in to cover exposed roots, but too much soils can be damaging for the tree. Gasses must pass from the air to the roots and from the roots back to the air. Too much, soil pack can create real problems for the tree so, be careful! Some surface roots can also be removed. Large surface roots are more for anchorage and with expert help, you may be able to remove a few. Always contact an arborist for advice on removing tree roots.

If all else fails, start a shade garden. Hosta, astilbe, hydrangea love the shade.

Are you a new homeowner eager for the satisfaction of working on your own lawn or maybe you're just not happy with your existing lawn service and ready to do-it-yourself? Taking care of that first lawn is a lot like changing a diaper for the first time. It can be a little intimidating, sometimes overwhelming and even a little messy, but once you get a little practice you eventually figure it out. Dealing with turf grass and weeds takes practice and with the help from Grass Pad’s Idiot Proof Lawn Care Program you’ll get it figured out faster than a Huggies Pull Up.

It’s April already, where do I start? The beginner’s guide to Grass Pad’s Idiot Proof Lawn Care Program starts with recognizing two different types of weeds we deal with in the mid-west and how to control those weeds. In addition, the relationship between those weeds, bare spots, and healthy turf grass.

Annual grassy weeds, like crabgrass and foxtail germinate from seed each spring. Low growing and prostrate to the ground forcing out weak, and summer stressed turfgrass for prime real estate in your front yard. Annual grassy weeds form seed heads in late summer then die at first frost leaving bare spots for winter hardy broadleaf weeds to move in and take hold. Allowing plenty of room for the next generation of grassy weed seeds to sprout next spring.

Control annual grassy weeds with Grass Pad PREVENT. Preventing crabgrass starts in early spring before the soils start to warm, and dormant crabgrass seeds germinate. Apply PREVENT In Mid-March to Mid-April and again in Late May to early June. Grass Pad’s two application pre-emergent formula has been tested and proven to outperform other one-step pre-emergent formulas available at box stores and hardware stores. PREVENT contains slow-release spring turf food for green up plus crabgrass preventer. Apply ½” of water within 48 hours after application. A vapor barrier is created at soil level, controlling ugly summer grassy weeds before they emerge.

Related: Start Early to Prevent Crabgrass

Broadleaf weeds, like dandelions, henbit, and plantain will survive the winter and are not controlled by PREVENT. As soils warm in spring, broadleaf weeds fill in and stretch out in those same bare spots left by dead crabgrass. By eliminating crabgrass in spring, you will reduce the broadleaf weed invasion in the fall.

Control broadleaf weeds with Grass Pad WEED and FEED. Uncle calls them “the salad bar” weeds, having wide leaves make them an easy target for granular WEED and FEED, a professional strength broadleaf weed herbicide plus turf food. For best results, apply anytime April to June as needed, on a sunny day when temperatures are above 70°. Apply over a wet lawn or a morning dew. Do not apply if rain expected within 48 hours and no mowing 48 hours before or after application.

Related: Control Broadleaf Weeds in Cool Weather

A wise man once said, “Weeds don’t make a lawn bad, bad lawns make weeds.” Think about that statement and let it sink in, and it is precisely the truth. Weeds can only move into a lawn if there is room for the weed seeds to grow and spread. The best weed preventer for your lawn is thick, healthy vigorous grass. Eliminate the bare spots, and you will eliminate the weeds. The secret to an idiot proof lawn is to start early and get good turf grasses to fill the bare spots before the weeds do.

Related: Spring Spot Seeding and Preventing Crabgrass

Grass Pad's Idiot Proof Lawn Care Program

Grass Pad makes lawn care idiot proof. If you want your lawn to be thick, lush, and green with fewer weeds follow the Idiot Proof Lawn Care Program. Each application is formulated to help eliminate weeds and encourage healthy vigorous turf grass to resist weed pressure.

Come on down to the Grass Padand let our Green Shirt Team show you how Uncle’s Idiot Proof Lawn Care Program will make lawn care quick and easy. We’ve got all the tools to help you to be successful in maintaining a healthy lawn. You can’t screw it up; even your husband can do it.

March is the time to start your lawn's engine so that it is ready to give you a smooth ride all season long. Just like your car, a good Spring Lawn Tune Up will give your lawn top performance and keep grass problems to a minimum as the season goes along. In your lawn, your good turf grasses are in a race with the weeds and insects that will sprout and hatch in the next eight weeks.

Feed it! In hot weather weeds and bugs can simply run rings around your lawn's desirable cool-season grasses. It is important to get your lawn started now so your good grasses have a head start on the competition. Feeding the lawn in early March with Loveland's Renovator or Golf Course Starter formula fertilizer will encourage your lawn grasses to grow healthy tops and roots. Roots, tillers and rhizomes spread and thicken your lawn turf. Vigorous roots and rhizomes help fill in bare spots to give the lawn a more uniform appearance and prepares the grass plant to receive sunlight that will in turn also promote root growth.

In the spring established lawns can look uneven and clumpy. Different grass types, different soil types, variation in moisture, sunlight, pet traffic, all contribute to an uneven appearance that is the lawn hangover from winter stress. An early spring lawn fertilizer will give grass plants the extra boost they need to green up and all start growing at once.

Feeding your lawnearly has an obvious aesthetic benefit as the green lawn will frame springtime’s flowering trees and shrubs. It also has the practical benefit of crowding out bare spots and mud patches before weeds can sprout. Weeds and bugs need heat and sunlight. As the grass grows and thickens, bare spots disappear and soil temperatures are dramatically reduced by the shade and insulation provided by the thick green grass carpet.

Seed it! Those lawn areas where bare spots or turf damage are larger than a silver dollar will need to be over-seeded in order to fill in before summer. Start early to get a jump on summer weed competition. Fine leafed bluegrass lawns may be overseeded with special attention to bare spots. Choose newer bluegrass strains that are adapted to the Kansas City areas and do better in hot weather. Some of these include Corsair, Rock Star, Gibraltar and our elite blend Blue Wave. In most cases, these bluegrasses will outperform fescues ten months out of the year. Hybrid bluegrass mixes such as Estate Mix containing perennial sports rye will germinate much more quickly in cold soils and will be well established by summer. Topdressing seeded bare spots with PrimeraFC seed dressing or sphagnum peat will speed germination.

Related: March is the Perfect Time to Help Your Lawn

In Kansas City, fescue lawns are becoming more popular. But turf type tall fescue does best in warm weather. As such turf fescue lawns can be sluggish and slow to start in cold spring soils. If overseeding fescue lawns in the spring avoid coarse bladed pasture varieties such as K-31. New hybrid fescue varieties include Cochise 4, Falcon 4 and Bullseye as well as a number of popular mixes and blends such as Heat Wave and Macho Mix. Containing 5% perennial sports turf rye, Macho Mix seeded in early March sprouts one to two weeks sooner than fescue held until warm weather before sowing.

Related: Turf-Type Tall Fescue vs Kentucky 31 Tall Fescue

Weed it! Controlling broadleaf weeds in cold spring weather can be a real headache. Weeds that will curl up and die in two days when the temperature is eighty degrees will seem unaffected at fifty degrees. Winter weeds such as henbit, oxalis and even small dandelions can be seen on the lawn and are hard to kill in cold weather. Speedzone, a liquid broadleaf weed control, will kill springtime broadleaf weeds at lower temperatures than ever before.

Related: Best Control for Broadleaf Weeds in Cool Weather

The most important weed control application for the spring is Loveland's PREVENT!, a pre-emergent for crabgrass, foxtail and other ugly annual grassy weeds. PREVENT! will give best results when applied in two applications, once in Mid-April and again June first. PREVENT! will damage new grass seed so do not apply them to new seeding until the new grass has matured and mowed two times.

Related: Spring Seeding and Preventing Crabgrass

Comment: I’ve noticed over past few days especially after last mow yesterday yellow blades mixed in after finished mowing. I do the idiot proof plan, but was at Lowe’s and saw fungicide on sale and so thought I would be proactive this year. I applied it last Friday but now see signs of fungus that I didn’t notice last Friday. So wonder if it’s made things worse now. It was Scott’s granular with azoxystrobin. I have attached some blade picture. Maybe it hasn’t had time to work yet or maybe it’s made it develop fungus. You have fungus fighter but was too lazy to make the drive. Any thoughts? Didn’t know the chemical of your fungus fighter or if I need to give existing application more time. Just seems odd that now I have fungus when I thought I was being proactive. I don’t water at night too. Have a blue grass fescue blend and appears to be the fescue w issue. Thank you.

Response: I agree that what you are seeing is fungus on the fescue. The Scott’s product is a good product, the question has always been the rate on using the Azoxystrobin. We feel their rates are on the lower end of the manufactures recommended rates and do not post a curative rate which is double the preventative rate. What I am saying is we feel the product should cover closer to 4k preventative and only 2K at the curative rate. That being said it is possible the disease was breaking out last week and now is getting a little more prolific. We would suggest you treat at the curative rate with our Fungus Fighter now and let it get rained on over this weekend.

Azoxystrobin is good chemistry and it is in the rotation of products we use in Fungus Fighter. We used it about 3 years ago. We feel it’s important to rotate fungus controls annually. This year the active in Fungus Fighter is Fluoxastrobin, trade name Fame.

Controlling fungus is a little different than controlling dandelions. When you spray dandelions you see them wilt and go away. When you control lawn fungus your goal is to not have it spread any further. The blemish will only disappear when the grass grows enough to allow the damage leaf tissue to be removed with your lawn mower.

I doubt if your watering scheduled is to blame for this but be reluctant to irrigate too soon or too much. The lawn’s root system will be stronger if the lawn dries out some in May. Research has shown that roots will grow deeper in search of water if they need to. If the water is close by they will enjoy the drink and not go looking for it. In May and June consider watering heavily when you water and let it really dry out in between. Setting the timer this early is fun but wait until we see frequent 90 degree days and it is sunny until 9 PM before you go into auto program mode.

Thank you for the question.

Thank you,

-Uncle

913-764-4100

913-765-9200 fax

Dormant Oil Sprays On Fruit Trees

Fruit trees are dormant now, but not for long. Control scale and mites in late winter to early spring with dormant oil or horticultural oils. Applied when fruit trees are in winter dormancy, hence the name, dormant oil sprays suffocate scale and mites along with their eggs that nest on the branches. Apples, crabapples , plums, and pears will all benefit from dormant oil spray. Horticultural oils work the same way, the difference is the lower oil viscosity allowing horticultural oils to be sprayed during the growing season for aphids and scale on shrubs and evergreens.

When to Use Dormant Oil on Fruit Trees

Watch the weather to determine when to use dormant oil. Spray fruit trees early, before the buds on the trees begin to swell. Spray on a calm day when the temperature is at least 40 degrees and no rain for 24 hour period. Learn more about fruit tree pest control on our website. Always read and follow label directions.

The fall armyworm feed on a host of different crops, but they really have a preference for lush green, well-fertilized tall fescue and rye grasses. Armyworms feed on the bottom of a plant first and move up the stem, quickly stripping foliage from the leaves.

In a typical fall season, armyworms are not a big concern for our region, the last major infestation was in 2010. Unusual weather patterns may have played a factor. Cooler than normal summers or the brief heat wave may have confused the armyworm moth's biological GPS. The only thing we know for sure is, they are here now!

Armyworm moths lay egg masses reaching 1500 to 2000 individual eggs hatching in just a few days. The larval stage tends to last about 14 days in the heat of summer to almost a month in cooler weather. Ferociously feeding on the best looking fescue lawns. The young are a greenish caterpillars with a black head maturing to a dark brownish body with hair like spines. The face of the mature larva is marked with a white inverted "Y".

After larvae have fully grown, they bury themselves into the soil and form a pupae. The moths will emerge in about 10 to 14 days. Damage can come in waves with multiple generations, monitoring your lawn for the rest of the season is advisable.

Signs you may have fall armyworm invasion:

Brown patches resembling drought damage.
Brown patches with all tender green leave removed, leaving only tough stems.
Birds digging near those brown areas.

Timing is crucial and early treatment is the most effective. Small fall armyworms are easier to control than the mature. Apply Critter Gitter granules, Cyonara, or Bifen I/T liquid control early or late in the day when armyworms are the most active. Fall armyworms will spend the hot part of the day deep in the soil. When using Critter Gitter granules use plenty of water to allow for good penetration.

Repair any damagedareas following Uncle's Steps to Fall Lawn Renovation and using extra grass seed in damaged areas. If used as directed, the controls for armyworms and fall renovation can be done the same day. Using Critter Gitter, Cyonara, or Bifen I/T will not affect seeding.

There seems to be something in human nature that attracts us to green grass. Ancient hunter-gatherers were attracted to abundant game on the vast grassy prairies, and the early herdsmen searched out the greenest valleys for their livestock. Even the 23rd Psalmassociates a sense of peace, protection and prosperity with lying down in green pastures. While most of us no longer hunt or farm, other than for recreation, we are still instinctually drawn to green grass as it cools our environment, filters out pollution, and feels good between our toes.

Keeping a thick, healthy lawn is a great way to have a safer, natural surface for dogs and kids to play on, as well as reducing weeds and increasing curb appeal. Understanding the basics of when, and how, grass grows, repairs and repopulates itself is critical to keeping your lawn healthy. If we can mimic nature, we can use the grasses’ natural characteristics to maintain the lawn we desire more easily.

Most Kansas City area grasses naturally reproduce through seed production. If left uncut, grass plants come out of winter dormancy, using the rainy spring weather, and stored up energy, to quickly push up a seed head. After this seed head matures in mid-summer, the seeds are then battered by late summer thunderstorms, knocking them to the ground, where they sprout in the warm moist soil. The young plants focus on growing deep roots and storing up nutrients to help get through the winter, and to be strong enough to survive the heat that will be coming the next summer. Since we mow our lawns, the seeding cycle is interrupted, and we don’t get the advantage of young, vigorous plants, or the genetic diversity of cross-pollination. That’s why we encourage planting HeatWave™ turf-type fescue blend, or BlueWave™ Kentucky bluegrass blend, in the late summer and early fall. Grasses are genetically predisposed to sprout and establish quickly because of the warm soil, and by supplementing the fall rains. Frequent irrigation cycles and adding Loveland Renovator turf fertilizer your new grass will establish faster now, than any other time of the year.

Some grasses also spread with runners called rhizomes. These runners are sent out by the parent plant when it senses a bare spot nearby. BlueWave™ Kentucky bluegrass blend has these runners and will create the prettiest lawn in Kansas City. The varieties selected for BlueWave™ have a deep blue-green color, and fine texture, which make it very desirable for those seeking a distinctively luxurious lawn. Do not dismiss bluegrass as being too ‘delicate’ in the heat of the summer. Decades of plant breeding and selection have created varieties that are more vigorous, heat and drought tolerant, disease resistant and visually appealing. Because of its spreading capability, and the fact that there are about 2 million seeds in every pound (10 times more than a pound of fescue), BlueWave™ Kentucky bluegrass blend is one of the most economical grasses to grow in our area.

In areas that expect a lot of traffic, like sports fields, and lawns with dogs and kids, we like to mix the BlueWave™ with sports turf ryegrass, creating Estate Mix™. This mix gives you all the benefits of the runners in BlueWave™, and adds the quick starting, dark green, and fine texture of the same sports turf ryegrasses that are used to repair golf course fairways and athletic fields.

See Related: Uncle's Best - Top Rated Grass Seed

Come on down to the Grass Pad, and ask Uncle about upgrading your lawn with BlueWave™ Kentucky bluegrass blend along with his Fall Renovator Program. It’s not too late! Yesterday was better than today, but today is better than tomorrow!

As many of you know, there are two types of common weeds we talk about at Grass Pad. The first type is annual grassy weeds, like crabgrass, foxtail and goosegrass. These annual grassy weeds sprout from seed each spring, living only for one season and will die at the first winter freeze. Annual grassy weeds are controlled using PREVENT!, a pre-emergent, applied in early spring. Killing the weed seed as it starts to germinate in the warm soils of spring.

Post emergent control for annual grassy weeds can be done in early summer using Uncle's Q-Bomb. As fall comes around, don't worry so much about controlling an annual grassy weed that will die at first frost. Concentrate more on overseeding and fertilizing your turf followingUncle's Fall Lawn Renovation program.

The second type of weed is the broadleaf weed. These are the wide leaf weeds you will see in thin areas of the lawn blooming with white, yellow or purple flowers in early spring. Weeds like dandelion, clover and chickweed that look like they could be on the salad bar at Price Chopper. Most of these broadleaf weeds are perennial and will live through our winter here in Kansas City.

Broadleaf weed invaders are revitalized with cool weather and fall rains. Growing, spreading and filling thin and open areas in turf created from summer abuse, heavy traffic and weather. As days get shorter, Mother Nature is sending a signal to her plants; the winter is soon to come. Plants begin an energy storage phase in order to survive the long winter. It is the same for trees, bushes, perennial grasses and weeds.

Fall is an ideal time to control perennial broadleaf weeds like dandelions and clover. Perennial weed plants are busy collecting energy to store for winter survival creating a window of opportunity to apply granular Loveland Weed and Feed, liquid Speedzone or Trimec. The herbicide is quickly translocated from the leaf tissue deep into the root for maximum kill. Controlling broadleaf weeds in early fall, will open space for fall overseeding. Furthermore, broadleaf herbicide applications made in October and November have very little chance of affecting trees and shrubs that are near dormancy. Fall fertilizing with Loveland Renovator or Golf Course Starter stimulates new seed and existing grass plants to quickly spread and fill in. No bare spots, mean no room for weeds.

Uncle's What Ifs:

If you have already applied new seed to your lawn, avoid using herbicides until the new seed has germinated, filled in and mature enough to have been mowed at least twice.
If you have already applied any of these herbicide products, wait 14 days after application to broadcast new seed in to those areas.
If you are the procrastinator and suddenly notice it's late fall, your best choice may be to get your seed and fertilizer down first and control broadleaf weeds later.
If you have any questions call your nearest Grass Pad or just come on down!

As the bounty of your spring planted garden winds down with the changing leaves and colors of autumn don’t forget your living soil. The living soil requires living plants and roots to maintain the diverse biological populations below the surface. In fact, the adage of “use it or lose it” applies when it comes to soil. Maintaining living roots in the soil for the microbes year round will produce healthier soil, less compaction, and higher water infiltration. Mother Nature is an excellent soil conservationist and when she sees a bare spot she fills it, with weeds. So keep your garden from filling with winter annual weeds like henbit, and chickweed by using a beneficial cover crop.

Cover crops in your garden will increase the available nutrients to your garden. Cover crops will mine or scavenge for nutrients in the soil. Nutrient mining is a concept of up taking nutrients from deep in the soil and depositing them closer to the surface for absorption by shallower rooted crops. Eco-Till, tillage radish, does this in spades with the very deep growing tap root of the radish penetrating the earth like a spear aerating the soil and loosening compacted soils at the same time. Groundhog radishes will pull these nutrients from deep in the soil and use them to grow leaves that cover the ground reducing erosion and preventing weeds. When groundhog radishes die, the leaves are deposited at the surface of the soil returning nutrients to the earth and the radish decomposes into a column of excellent organic material. That vertical column of decomposed organic material is the perfect highway for water to travel through and infiltrate our heavy clay soils.

Other crops are capable of pulling nutrients from the air. Nitrogen fixing is a biological activity that occurs with plants in the legume family. Winter peas and clover are plants capable of this activity. Using winter peas, and clover in your garden as a cover crop will pull nitrogen from the air and put it in the soil for other crops to use. Farmers have known this for years, and that is why they rotate crops between soybeans (a legume) and corn (a high nitrogen user). When it comes time to plant your tomatoes and peppers next Mother’s day just turn under the winter peas or clover with a shovel, and it becomes green manure under the surface of the soil. Anytime you can add organic material to the soil of your garden, increased yields will be your reward.

Don’t leave your garden soil a barren wasteland all winter; feed the living soil with a cover crop. Come on down to the Grass Pad your fall seeding headquarters and we can figure out what kind of cover crop suits your needs the best. By introducing crop rotation and the use of cover crops, you are creating diversity that will support the life beneath the soil. The time to plant is now, the longer the plant has to grow before winter sets in the more roots and foliage it can produce. Healthy soil is dark in color and crumbles in your hand, if your garden is not that way you need the added organic material that a cover crop can provide.

Revive worn out planters and flower beds using colorful fall blooming garden mums. Fresh hardy garden mums in brilliant yellow, oranges, pinks, purples and reds are available. Mums planted now will have the best chance for winter survival.

Planting Instructions:

Choose a well-drained location where the mums will receive at least five hours of sun per day.
Dig a hole twice as wide and only as deep as the container. Space blooming garden mums in the fall based on plant size.
Remove from the plastic container and place the mum into the hole onto undisturbed soil. The top of the root mass should be level with the soil grade.
Backfill with a mixture of soil from the hole and Grass Pad’s Max Mix landscapers mix. Pack the soil mixture firmly around the root mass.
Cover the planting area and the top of the root mass with mulch of your choice.
Fertilize with Uncle’s Root Accelerator, every two weeks until buds crack open. Repeat monthly in the growing seasons.
Water thoroughly at planting, amount and frequency will vary by size, weather and soil conditions.

Pinching
Encourage branching and development of a compact plant habit, it is critical to pinch back your garden mums in the following spring season. Soon as new growth is four to six inches tall, use your thumbnail and index finger to remove or pinch off about ½ of the new growth. Do this at the top of each and every shoot.

Repeat this procedure through the summer whenever new shoots are four to six inches long. Stop pinching around the Fourth of July.

Division
Chrysanthemums sometimes become crowded in the garden. The old, center portion of the plant dies back, and new growth occurs around the perimeter of the clump. Renovating chrysanthemum clumps every three or four years will encourage healthy growth, neat plant habit, and continued flowering.

When new shoots appear in the spring, dig the entire clump. Use a sharp spade or knife to cut the clump into wedge-shaped sections, like a pie. Remove and discard the point of the wedge (this is the oldest part of the clump). Plant the new plant (wedges) eighteen to twenty-four inches apart at the depth they were growing.

This spring, when planning your landscape designs think of these five Idiot Proof Plants for a great multi-season color in the garden or landscape. Uncle's Idiot Proof shrubs have proven to be the most reliable, plants to use in your next landscape project. Woody shrubs and trees can bring brilliant color to the fall season.

Fothergilla: Mt. Airy is a dwarf fothergilla growing 2' to 3' tall and about the same spread. They prefer full sun to part shade but will flower the best in full sun. Bottlebrush like spiked flowers bloom in spring (April-May) before leaves appear. Oblong green leaves have a toothed edge at the point and turn brilliant shades of yellow, orange and red in the fall.

Itea: Little Henry's Sweetspire, a dwarf Virginia sweetspire. Extremely hardy for the midwest region and growing 2'-3' tall and near the same spread. Best grown in full sun to part shade; Sweetspire can tolerate some wet soil conditions. Fragrant spires of tiny white flowers cover the shrub blooming in late spring to early summer. Oval green leaves turn shades of orange, red and purple in the fall, can be shaped and trimmed for foundations or borders.

Clethra: Ruby Spice clethra is a deciduous shrub growing best in full sun to part shade, can tolerate heavy shade and wet soils. Growing 4'-6' high and 3'-5' spread. Fragrant rose-pink bottle-brush like flowers bloom from July to August and perfect for butterfly gardens. Oval dark green leaves turn an elegant yellow/gold in fall.

Viburnum: Uncle's favorite Idiot Proof Plant. Many good varieties, just too many to list. A few of our most popular are the Juddi, Leatherleaf, Double-File, Eastern Snowball and Korean Spice. You can find a viburnum in all shapes and sizes to fit almost any growing conditions. Most varieties will have fragrant spring blooms in white or pink tones. Dwarf viburnum varieties are available; however, the most common viburnum varieties will average 6'-8' high and wide.

Oakleaf Hydrangea: Bold fragrant conical white flowers with pink overtones at the ends of the branches from early to mid-summer. The flowers are excellent for cutting. It has dark green foliage which emerges grayish green in spring. The large fuzzy lobed leaves turn an outstanding brick red in the fall. The peeling brick red bark and spectacular fall color make the oakleaf hydrangea the perfect choice for a large garden or mass planting.

"When is the best time to plant a tree or shrub?" It's a popular question at Grass Pad nurseries. A light-hearted response would be "20 years ago" but, the very next best time is today. Fall is the perfect season for new shrub and tree installations. Trees and shrubs suffer less transplant shock when planted during dormancy in the fall. Think about planting a dormant tree or shrub, like a removing a sleeping child from the back seat of the van after a long trip. You can pick the kid up move them around, take them out of the van, change their clothes and put them to bed without ever waking till the next morning, or in the case of a tree or shrub, next spring.

Brown mud muck? At the Grass Pad, we receive plenty of phone calls and emails on lawns turned to brown mush. Dogs and kids running over waterlogged backyards and play areas turning lawns into a muddy mess. If you have the mud muck in your backyard this fix comes from major league grounds keepers. Use PrimeraFC field conditioner a natural calcine clay that can absorb water.

PrimeraFC, field conditioner works great for drying up muddy areas around the patio or along dog run. PrimeraFC is beneficial for the soil, pet friendly and 100% weed free.

Uncle's tip: For early germination in cool spring soils, over seed those same areas with Estate Mix, Macho Mix or Stadium Special.

Related: March is the Perfect Time to Help Your Lawn

Related: Spring Seeding and Preventing Crabgrass

Old Fashioned Chores

Excessive Spring Rains Bring Crabgrass and Nutgrass

Shade Tolerant Perennials and Ground Covers

Five Tips on How to Treat Your Summer Lawn During High Heat

Idiot Proof Tips to Keep Grass Growing Under Shade Trees

5 Idiot-Proof Tips to Keep Grass Growing Under Trees.

What about large tree roots?

Beginner's Guide to Idiot Proof Lawn

Spring Lawn Tune Up

Fungus Fighter 5/22/2020

Dormant Season Insect Control on Fruit Trees

Fall Armyworm Invasion

The Green Green Grass of Home

Control Broadleaf Weeds in Fall

Beneficial Cover Crops Add Nutrients to Garden Soil

Hardy Mums or Garden Chrysanthemums Care and Cultivation

Fantastic Five All Season Shrubs

The Muck Stops Here!

Spring Lawn Tune Up