Burning off warm season grasses was the solution back in the day.

I remember years ago you could drive around St. Louis and notice a lot of Zoysia lawns that looked burnt with a smoky scorch across them, and I always thought those people were crazy for setting their lawns on fire. This is a way that people used to remove the dead top growth from the turf to jump start the lawn in the spring. I recently saw a yard that had done this process and wanted to explain it a lot better.

Setting your lawn a blaze was a technique used more by rural homeowners to remove dead top growth and warm up the soil temperature. It can also rid the turf of unwanted pests that may be residing in your lawn. Warm season grass usually doesn't come to life until we start seeing temperatures in the 80`s. Burning the yard increases the ground temperatures which in turn may cause warm season grasses to sprout early. There were a lot more risks than benefits I say when doing this procedure. The fire would have to be constantly watched and controlled for the fire not to get out of control. It would have to be a calm, less windy day for ideal conditions. You run the risk of burning up other things if the fire would reach your gardens and not stay in the turf areas. Air pollution is generating from the smoke from the burning of the lawn. Local authorities must be warned when doing this technique. There are now a number of ways to jump start the lawn or remove top growth from the lawn. Power raking will help to remove thatch from the yard and cutting on a lower setting in early spring will remove top growth.

Controlled burns are still a way of technique for cutting back wild prairies or large grassy areas. The burning of the areas helps to break down plant matter and ready the area for new growth the coming season. There were a series of controlled burns in Forest Park in the St. Louis area last fall to prepare prairie areas for renovation. There burns are done by qualified and trained professionals. I do not recommend using the controlled burned for your yard. Stick to the new way of doing things. The burning of yards is banned in a lot of cities and municipalities in the area. 

How beneficial is fertilizer to my yard?

Your lawn is a living breathing plant just like any other plant. It needs food, air, & water like everything else. Good sunlight, a regular watering schedule are just a couple of things that can help you have a luscious green yard. Lawns generally get a lot of nutrients from Mother Nature but a good fertilization schedule can be very beneficial just like its good for us to get a daily serving of fruits and vegetables. A general feeding will help your lawn to develop a deeper root system and a thicker density of coverage (filling in more as it develops). These two things can help the lawn survive during the summer heat, and a thicker, denser lawn is a natural defense against those pesky weeds.

The main three ingredients of a lawn fertilizer consists of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium (N-P-K). Take a look at the front of a lawn fertilizer bag. The different numbers you see on the front (10-18-32) give you the information of how much of each of these elements are present in the product.  Each of these elements has its own benefit for your lawn. Nitrogen provides the green color and thicker grass blades. Phosphate helps feed the root system.  Potassium helps the roots to develop that deep root system.

There are two forms of fertilizers on the market, liquid and granular each having its own benefits. Liquid fertilizers provide a quick feeding with helps a lawn revitalize itself in days. The downside is that it’s a lot more expensive. Granular fertilizers do take some time to feed but will last longer with a lot of products now having a slow release system.

If any help is needed in developing a fertilizer program for your yard, give us a call. We provide a complete fertilization program to fit everyone's needs.