Greening the Lawn

By Jos Van Hage

Most lawns in Prince George  are looking brown and bland at this time of the year

This time of year many lawns around the Prince George area look brown and unattractive after spending the last few months under a blanket of snow. With the warming temperatures and a little work it should not take much to get your lawn looking green and attractive again.

If you have road sand or gravel on the lawn it should be removed by raking it off, and then when the lawn is dry enough to walk on it could use a good raking to remove all the old grass and any other debris that may have collected over the winter months. Check the lawn to see if you may have a thatch problem. Thatch is the layer of dead grass that lays on the soils surface. A thin layer of thatch is good as it keeps the soil moist and cool, but if it becomes too thick (1/2 and inch or more) it will prevent water and nutrients to reach the grass roots. To remove a thick layer of thatch you simply remove the cutting blade off your lawnmower and replace it with a thatching blade which has tiny springs on it and then go over the lawn just as if you are mowing it and then when you are done you take off the thatching blade and put the cutting blade back on. The thatching blade will loosen the thatch and bring it to the top so that it can be easily raked off.                                                                                                                        

Sometimes the soil on the lawn will become quite compact, especially around heavy traffic areas and so a good aerating will help relieve this problem. Aerating can be done by either using a pitch fork or poking holes in the soil or if you have a large area you can rent an aerator. If you are renting an aerator make sure that it has been sterilized as you do not want to bring in some other persons lawn disease into your lawn. Aerating the lawn will be beneficial as it will help in getting air, nutrients and water down to the grasses roots.                                                                                                                     

Salt build up can be a problem on the lawn in those areas where road sand has been placed or where a dog or cat goes to the bathroom. Too much salt is toxic to plants and after a while nothing will grow in the area. There is now a product available called ‘Salt Stopper’ which is a neutralizer that when sprinkled on the area and then watered in will make the soil good again to grow grass and plants. It is made up of naturally-mined Calcium Magnesium Sulphate and in environmentally friendly and will not pollute lakes or steams.                                                                                                                                    

This is also a good time to check the pH of the soil by doing a pH test. You can purchase a pH test kit at the garden center and it is easy to do. Make sure that when you get the soil to test you get a core of soil a few inches down so that you get an accurate reading. If the pH is below 6.5 you need to apply Doloprill lime as this will raise the pH which in turn will give you a healthier lawn. As soon as you see some growth on the lawn you can apply a lawn fertilizer such as 13-5-7 or 13-16-10. Both of these fertilizers are good ones to start with as they are balanced with all three numbers and are quick releasing. After 3-4 weeks you can give your lawn a second application of fertilizer using a slow release with a higher first number (nitrogen, which feeds the green foliage) such as 24-6-12. Following these simple steps you should have a healthy, beautiful lawn.

-Jos

Jos Van Hage owns and operates two Art Knapp Garden centres in Prince George:

• Highway 97 north at Northwood Pulpmill Road
• Highway 16 West at Kimball Road

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