Mowing
|
| March 20 to April 10 |
Clean lawn of debris (i.e. rocks, sticks, etc.). Mow lawn as short as possible and remove clipping debris. |
| April 10 to June 15 |
Mow lawn at 2.0 inches. Mowing frequency should be dictated by growth rate, never removing more than one-third the mowing height at any mowing. |
| June 15 to Aug. 30 |
Raise mowing height to 2.5 inches. |
| Sept. 1 to Oct. 15 |
Lower mowing height to 2.0 inches. |
Oct. 15 to Nov. 15
(or last mowing) |
Lower mowing height to 1.5 - 1.75 inches. |
| March 29 to last mowing |
Maintain 2.5 inch mowing height throughout season to promote rooting and stress tolerance. |
Fertilizing
|
| April 20 to May 10 |
Fertilize with 1.0 lb of actual nitrogen per 1,000 sq. ft. Slow release fertilizer carriers are preferred. |
| June 11 to July 1 |
Fertilize with .5-1.0 lb. of actual nitrogen per 1,000 sq. ft. |
| July to Aug. |
Avoid fertilizing. |
| Sept. 1 to Sept. 15 |
Fertilize with 1.0 lb. of actual nitrogen per 1,000 sq. ft. Slow release fertilizer carriers are preferred. |
| Oct. 15 to Nov. 15 |
Fertilize with about 1.5 to 2.0 lbs. of actual nitrogen per 1,000 sq. ft. Phosphorus and potassium can be applied with fall fertilizer formulations. |
Watering
|
| April to Nov. |
Water as needed to prevent wilting and drought. About 1.0 inch of water is needed per week in spring and fall, and 1.5 inches per week in summer. Deep water every two to three days. Avoid daily, light watering. |
Herbicides
|
| April 20 to May 5 |
Apply preemergent herbicides for crabgrass, goosegrass and foxtail control. |
| May 1 to May 20 |
Control dandelion and winter annual broadleaf weeds if they are a problem. |
| May 25 to June 20 |
Apply second preemergent herbicide application (i.e., six weeks after initial application) to areas where spotted spurge has been a problem or areas with a history of severe crabgrass infections. |
| Sept. 15 to Oct. 31 |
Apply perennial broadleaf weed control. This is the preferred time for controlling dandelion and clover (see NebGuide G91-1045, Lawn Weed Prevention and Management). |
Insect Control
|
May 10 to
May 20 |
Control adult billbug, particularly on lawns with a history of injury. |
June 15 to
June 30 |
Check for sod webworm larvae and control if necessary (see NebGuide G75-231, Sod Webworm). |
July 15 to
Aug. 15 |
Check for sod webworm larvae and control if necessary. |
Aug. 1 to
Sep. 30 |
Check for white grubs and control if necessary . |
Disease Control
|
April 10 to June 15
and
Sep. 15 to Oct. 15 |
Control leafspot on common Kentucky bluegrass lawns. Apply according to label directions (see NebGuide G89-925, Leaf Spot and Melting Out Diseases of Turfgrass). |
| May 30 to July 30 |
Apply preventive summer patch control on lawns that have had this problem in the past (see NebGuide G90-970, Summer Patch and Necrotic Ring Spot Diseases of Turfgrasses). |
| Aug. 15 to Oct. 15 |
Leaf and stem rust may be a problem on susceptible cultivars (see G92-1119, Rust Diseases of Turfgrass). |
Thatch Removal
|
April 1 to April 30
and/or
Sep. 1 to Sep. 30 |
Power rake if thatch layer exceeds 0.5 inch (see NebGuide G85-751, Thatch Prevention and Control). Apply leafspot fungicide control to common Kentucky bluegrass lawns after power raking. |
Aerification
|
April 1 to April 30
and/or
Sep. 1 to Oct. 15 |
Aerify lawns that are on clay soil to minimize compaction and improve rooting. |
Overseeding
|
| April 1 to April 30 and/or Sep. 1 to Oct. 15 |
Overseed thin Kentucky bluegrass lawns with improved cultivars at .75 to 1.0lb. seed per 1,000 sq. ft. (See current NebFact Recommended Cultivars for current cultivar recommendations.) |
