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How to Have the Greener Grass
Flower gardens are planted and blooming. The vegetable garden is planted and harvesting of lettuces, spinach and other greens has begun. Shrubs and trees have been trimmed from winter and spring wind damage. We’re getting ready for the summer barbeque season and entertaining friends and family in our yard. However, the lawn is not ready. It’s still droopy and spotty. It definitely doesn’t look like a wonderful, green golf course. There is still time to get your lawn in spit spot shape before the hosting season begins. Do you know the type of grass is in your lawn? When you look for lawn care supplies be sure to get the proper ones for your type of grass. In our area of northern Oklahoma, our warm-season grasses are usually Bermuda grass and possibly some Buffalo grass. These grasses go dormant in the winter and turn beige brown and green up in the spring. If your lawn stays green all winter long or you have shady spots where the grass grows well, you may have cool-season grasses such as Kentucky Bluegrass, Ryegrass or Fescue. Regardless, for treating your lawn in May, the maintenance for warm-season or cool-season grasses are much the same. rainfall, wind, direct sunlight versus cloud cover and temperature. Frequent, light watering and overwatering lead to shallow rooting, Fertilize your grass. Just as new animals and birds born in the soil compaction, thatch accumulation and weed growth - all of which spring need to be fed to grow, so does your lawn. A good quality fer- are not attributes of a healthy lawn. If your grass looks a little wilted tilizer contains Nitrogen, Phosphorus, and Potassium. These natural and has a bluish-gray appearance, it is time to water. Enough water chemicals should be listed on the packaging with their percentage should be applied in one application to wet the soil to a 6-inch depth. ratio with the suggested area of coverage. Two examples of what you You can check this by probing the soil by inserting a screwdriver into might find on your fertilizer are a 20-5-10 in a 5lb bag. This means it the ground. If it goes in easily and comes out with some soil sticking is 20% Nitrogen, 5% Phosphorus, and 10% Potassium and a 5-pound to it, it is pretty well watered. If it is difficult to insert the screwdriver to bag will cover an area of 1000 square feet or a 50-foot by 20-foot the proper depth, continue to water. If the water begins to puddle or lawn. A second example is a 10-5-5 in a 10lb bag. This has 10% Ni- run-off, stop watering and allow the water to soak into the soil. Then trogen, 5% Phosphorus and 5% Potassium and is formulated to also continue watering. Water only in the morning. Watering in the day cover a 1000 square foot lawn. Notice the bag is twice as large as promotes evaporation and wastes water that plants could otherwise the previous example. Always follow the directions, as over-fertilizing absorb. Watering in the evening allows water to stand, collecting baccan kill your grass. The proper fertilizing and watering will establish teria which lead to rotting your grass. a deep root system, healthy grass, and a beautiful lawn. Be sure to thoroughly water your lawn as soon as it is fertilized. Proper fertilizing at the beginning of May and watering throughout the spring and summer mornings will help give you a beautiful, Watering your lawn regularly is also important to its health. Check healthy, green lawn you can be proud of. your irrigation system is functioning well with no leaks. Ensure that it is watering uniformly and not wasting water on hard surfaces such For more tips to a healthy green lawn, check out the Oklahoma as sidewalks, driveways and walls. Deep watering your lawn as de- State Cooperative Extension website at extension.okstate.edu and termined by need, rather than a set schedule helps establish deep click on “Publications” for lawn care fact sheets or contact the roots, creating a healthy, durable lawn. Determining factors include Garfield County Extension Office at 580-237-1228. ENID MONTHLY | MAY 2022 | 25
