4 Step Fertilizer Program – Take advantage of our March special and save 20% off on our 4 Step Fertilizer Program! It’s easy to apply and designed to provide the greatest results with just 4 simple steps. For lawns that have received little or no treatment in the past, our program can provide a deep, rich color with improved turf density. For well-established lawns, it will ensure thick turf remains healthy throughout the year. You get 4 granular applications specially formulated for optimal performance. There are 2 size options at 10-12,000 square feet and 5-6,000 square feet. Each can be purchased with or without grub control. All programs include Dimension (crabgrass control). Coverages are approximate and dependent on conditions of application.
Japanese Stiltgrass Control (JSG) – This annual grassy weed (like crabgrass) germinates from seed in the spring, grows actively over the summer, sets its seed in the late summer and dies with the first frost in October. The challenge with JSG is that it germinates earlier than crabgrass and it thrives in shady areas, often creeping out from wooded areas to cover thinner lawn areas. Once it germinates, selective control with herbicides is not as effective as other grassy weeds. The key to effective control is to prevent the germination of the seeds with an early spring crabgrass pre-emergent application. Timing is critical for effective control, with the ideal window mid-February to late-March (the earlier the better). We have granular DIMENSION crabgrass control available without nitrogen fertilizer to help address problem areas without affecting the timing of your normal fertilization schedule.
Broadleaf Weed Control (Cool Season Weeds) in March – Are there weeds that can clearly be seen (some flowering, some not) in your lawn in early spring? These are cool season weeds and are typically more difficult to control than warm season weeds. They actively grow at a time when the lawn is just coming out of winter dormancy. The common culprits are hairy bittercress, henbit, garlic mustard, white clover, chickweed, purple deadnettle, curly dock, ground ivy, wild violets, etc. If you’ve been battling these pesky weeds without success, we highly recommend you give Cool Power® a try. Cool Power® is designed specifically for cool weather conditions. The premium ester formulation in Cool Power® is ideal for early season applications, effectively controlling hard to control, slow growing weeds before the growing season begins. Now is the time to spot treat these weeds as they emerge from winter dormancy, or blanket spray areas inundated by these pesky weeds before they take hold for the season in your lawn.
Seeding in March – As we have stated ad nauseum over the years, improvement type overseeding should not be done in the spring! Wait until after the heat of the summer to improve your lawn with general overseeding. In the spring, keep seeding to a minimum, focusing on thin and shady areas, damage along driveways from plow damage (or vehicle damage) or pet damage from repeated traffic on dormant turf. Use our EVERGREEN BLEND of perennial ryegrasses for the quickest springtime germination and establishment over all other cool-season grasses, and wait until fall to use our SURVIVOR MIX to thicken up thin lawns.
Fertilizing Lawns in March – We hope most of you fertilized your lawns late last fall with our WINTERFEAST Turf Food. If so, you won’t need to feed your lawns again until April. Hopefully, in combination with DIMENSION pre-emergent crabgrass control. If you did NOT feed the lawn either early on or in the late fall and would like to help struggling turf recover, use our organic-based, slow-release granular 16-2-3 fertilizer now. This will help thicken up thin areas of the lawn with an early feeding.
Mowing Lawns in March – For those of us whose last mowing occurred in late November or early December last year, there should be no mowing needed this spring until the lawn starts growing in April. Your lawns should look neat and already be showing signs of greening up. If you shut the mowing down earlier in November last year, there’s a good chance your lawns look shaggy and are still winter tan. We’ve always advised late fall mowing, because lawns look neater all winter and green up faster in the spring. If your lawn looks shaggy now, and if your mower has been serviced and sharpened, you should consider one mowing now, before the grass takes off. For this cutting, set your mower one notch lower than you normally cut it (at about 2 ½” – 3” high), and mulch or discharge the clippings and lawn debris as you go. When you’ve finished, return the mower to the normal spring mowing height and put the mower away for a couple of more weeks until the grass greens up and starts growing. Your lawn will look better immediately and will start greening quickly.
Liming Lawns in March – Regular application of granular limestone (once or twice a year) to lawns grown in acidic soils (our soils), helps to sweeten the soil, which, in turn allows fertilizers to work better by releasing the macro-nutrients (N, P, K) and allowing grass roots to absorb them more readily. Liming can be done at any time of the year (other than when snow’s flying) with Cal-Turf Pro or High Cal fast acting lime. It’s applied in an easy to handle, pelletized form, which will raise soil pH in weeks instead of months! If you don’t have the time or the inclination to apply lime yourselves, call us for an estimate on having our Turf Management group do it for you.