Gardening Your lawn versus climate change The weather is changing, and so are lawns. Theoretical causes for erratic weather patterns such as massive snowfalls, drowning floods, deep drought and high winds are frequently debated across dinner tables and in parliamentary committees. These weather conditions all contribute to weakening a lawn and pushing it toward decline. Of all the types of plantings in our household landscapes – trees, hedges, shrub borders, ornamental beds – lawns are the most heavily stressed and vulnerable to extreme weather conditions. If we can’t control the weather, at least we can make the turf grass stronger andmore resilient. Putting aside the imagery of a high-maintenance golf green, lush and thick with tightly packed blades, we can begin to acknowledge the possibility of a healthier, stronger andmore natural lawn. How do you know when extreme weather is impacting lawn health? Watch for indicators of a faltering lawn – grey circles of snowmold in spring (a cold season fungus), bare patches in summer, overall thinning of the turf and invasive weed growth. If your lawn looked better five years ago and is now afflicted with any or all of these problems, you’ll know that it’s in decline. The good news is that late summer and early fall are the best times for lawn renovation, and you can be poised to make an impact this year. Here’s what to do. Begin by injecting oxygen into compacted soil under the lawn by core aerating the area (you can do this yourself, or hire a lawn company to do it). Let the soil plugs rest on the lawn for a week, then rake the lawn to a smoother surface. Over-seed with perennial rye grass, a soft and brightgreen grass with increased drought resistance. You can buy perennial rye grass from a seed company, or look for a grass seed mix with a high rye grass content. Cover the seed with top soil, and water it daily (germination takes seven to 14 days). Continue providing water to the newly emerging grass plants, and put off mowing the area for two weeks. Limit nitrogen fertilizer application to once or twice yearly. Excessive amounts of nitrogen provide quick results in grass growth, but set the stage for long-termproblems (thatch buildup, decreased oxygen, molds, pest invasion). If you prefer to provide fertilizer only once a year, the most beneficial time is early autumn (mid-September tomid-October). If you want a fertilizer application in spring, provide it in mid-May; earlier than that will jeopardize April root growth. Cut the lawn high (21/2 inches) during summer, allowing taller blades to shade the root zone, and let blade trimmings remain on the lawn as a mulch. Cut the lawn lower in the final autumn mowing of the season. Finally, provide regular irrigation. It’s better to water for longer periods, but less frequently. Instead of 10 minutes each day, provide 30 minutes of irrigation twice a week. Adapting any or all of these cultural changes will put your lawn in position to take on changing weather systems and withstand the blows. CSANews | SUMMER 2019 | 45
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