Test Your Soil
- The pH of your soil should be between 6.5-7.0.
- If your pH is too low, you need to add lime, which acts as a gate keeper of soil nutrients.
- If you fertilize a lawn with a low pH, the nitrogen in the fertilizer won’t be absorbed by the grass resulting in an unhealthy lawn and nitrogen leaching.
Dress Your Soil
- Grass grows best with 6” of topsoil.
- If you soil is not at least six inches deep, add ¼ to ½ inch of loam each spring. This is called topdressing.
Reduce Fertilizer Use
- First, pace off the length and the width of your lawn. Assume that each pace equals three feet. Multiplying the length by the width will tell you how many square feel of lawn you have.
- Only use as much fertilizer as you need for the size of your lawn.
- After applying the fertilizer, sweep your walks and driveways to prevent the fertilizer from running off after watering or rain.
- Fertilize once in the spring when the ground is soft using slow release or organic fertilizer. Fertilize again in early fall.
Mowing Tips
- Keep you lawn mower set at its highest cutting height.
- Never cut more than 1/3 of the shoot growth at one mowing or you will damage your lawn by removing too much of the grass blade.
- Leave the clippings on the lawn. That’s right, no raking! Clippings left on your lawn add a natural slow acting source of nitrogen to your lawn.
- Plant & Grow Native Shrubs
- You can reduce the amount of lawn area by creating a naturalized planting of low maintenance native shrubs and plants.
Planting Grasses
- Select the proper grass type for new or reseeded lawns.
- Blends containing mostly fine fescues or tall fescues mixed with some perennial ryegrass are best for the Buzzards Bay watershed.
Pull Weeds
- If you find weeds, pull them out by hand. If weeds are a severe problem, spot treat them with an organic spray.
Watering
- Proper watering is essential.
- Your lawn requires only one inch of water per week. One early morning watering is best. This weekly watering will help your lawn grow deeper roots.
- How do you measure an inch of water? It’s really quite simple. Set open tuna cans (preferable straight sided) in various places in your lawn. A full can equals an inch of water.
- Leave a can out for the season to monitor rainfall. Of course remember to obey any water restriction that may be in effect.
If you have a lawn service, tell them to:
- Test your soil. This test will indicate the amount of fertilizer needed. The soil test will also indicate the need for lime, which acts as the gatekeeper of soil nutrients.
- Use slow release or organic fertilizers with at least 30% Water Insoluble Nitrogen (WIN).
- Fertilize in the spring and fall only.
- Organically spot treat weeds.
This page was adapted from Preserve Falmouth’s Bay and Ponds.
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