February 2010
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Over-Seeding a Lawn
Although it is still quite cold, time is drawing near to think about over-seeding your lawn.
Late February and early March is the second best time to over-seed (not total renovation) a lawn in Maryland. As the ground thaws it opens up providing an ideal seed bed for grass seed. The recommended grass to grow in the mid-Atlantic region is the “turf type” tall fescue. There are several varieties available. “Turf-type” refers to their finer textured blade as compared to the coarser textured tall fescues like K-31. K-31 is now used mostly for ball fields, along highways and still used by some homeowners.
The “turf-type” tall fescues are a noticeable improvement over K-31 in appearance. They also have very good drought tolerance, are tolerant of a lower soil pH than most grasses, insect and disease resistant (except for Brown Patch disease) and are adaptability to a variety of sites. Tall fescues have a more bunching habit of growth than bluegrass and creeping fescues, although much progress has been done with breeding efforts to create varieties that are not too “clumping”.
The first step to a successful lawn is to have the soil tested. This should be done every three years. Add the recommended lime and fertilizer following the soil test instructions. To prepare for over-seeding rake away excess leaves and grass debris. There is no need to loosen the soil as it is already loosened by freezing and thawing. For tall fescues broadcast the seed evenly at a rate of 6-8 lbs per 1000 sq. ft for bare areas or half this rate over an existing lawn. There is no need to water as the soil is adequately moist from snow and rain. The seed should germinate in April when the soil warms.
Dealing with Winter Breakage
All the snow and ice this winter has broken many shrubs and trees. The cold made the wood brittle and the weight of ice and snow caused branches and stems to snap and split. The most hard hit were foundation shrubs that got dumped on by snow and ice falling from the eves. Other plants such as Japanese red maples often were damaged by the weight of ice. It is very upsetting to have a beautifully shaped tree or shrub to be so damaged. Fortunately being broken does not mean that the plant will die, unless in the case of a tree so damaged that it has to be cut down. In most cases doing some cleaning up of the broken parts is all that is needed. Typically shrubs grow back very vigorously and sometimes end up looking even better than before.
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