Mowing

Mowing affects growth and development of your lawn. In southwestern BC,
mow to a height of 1 1/2 inches (4 cm) to 2 inches (5 cm). Although most
improved varieties can be mowed down to a height of 1 inch, remember the
shorter you cut your lawn the more often you will have to mow it.

Good Mowing Practices:

• Never mow more than 1/3 of the total grass height. Cutting too much off
  the plant will send it into shock.
   
• Do not lower the mower during the year if at all possible. Grass does not respond well to abrupt changes in mowing height.
   
• Keep mower blades sharp. With rotary mowers only the outward 1/4 inch
  of blade does the cutting.   A sign of a dull mower blade is fractured or shredded looking grass blade tips.
   
• Change direction of mowing from one time to the next to ensure an even cut.
   
• Whenever possible use a bag catcher to collect clippings.

Watering New Lawns

First Week: Keep sod soil moist at all times. During dry spells, you should
water the lawn daily or as often as necessary throughout the first week. Water
in sufficient quantities to maintain moist soil to a depth of at least 4 inches.
Water during the heat of the day to prevent wilting.

Second and Subsequent Weeks: Water the turfgrass sod to maintain adequate
moisture in the upper 4 inches of soil This is necessary for the promotion of
deep root growth.

Note:  If roll seams are opening, your turf is shrinking. This is a sign that the
lawn requires more water. Check that water is penetrating well into the subsoil
by lifting a corner of a roll.

If your lawn is sodded during the dry season, for the first two days you should
saturate the grass until it is soggy. Water once a day for the next ten days.
 

Watering Mature Lawns

Water to a depth of six inches. This will probably be necessary every 4 to 7 days, but may vary with the time it takes your lawn to drain. Avoid evening or late night watering as this can as this can cause conditions for disease.

Do not water on a predetermined schedule, but only as needed, when the first signs of water stress are detectable. When water stress occurs the grass begins to turn slightly blue and footprints persist when you walk on the lawn. Another term for water stress is wilting.

If water is in short supply and the grass is allowed to go dormant, do not water to restore growth unless the water can continue in adequate amounts. Once new growth occurs it will suffer serious injury if allowed to dry out again.

Note:  You can measure the amount of water delivered by a sprinkler by setting out an open can within the sprinkler pattern. Measure the depth of the water collected in the can. When the water reaches a depth of 1" the lawn has had enough water.

Weed & Insect Control

Most weed and insect problems can be prevented by properly mowing and
fertilizing your lawn. If you need a herbicide or a pesticide, we recommend
Killex for weeds and Diazanon for insects. These products are available at
most garden centers. Always use proper care in handling.

Fertilizing:

Over fertilization is worse than not at all. Here are some tips on good fertilizing.

• Measure your lawn exactly to determine the amount of fertilizer required.
   
• The most important thing about fertilizing your lawn is to make sure that
  you apply the fertilizer evenly.  One way to achieve this is to divide the fertilizer needed into two parts and apply in two different
  directions.
   
• Do not fertilize wet grass. The fertilizer will burn the grass when it dissolves on the leaf blades.
   
• Do not use more fertilizer than necessary to maintain attractive growth. Over fertilization, especially
  with nitrogen, results in excessive succulent growth that requires frequent mowing, and leaves the
  lawn with no resistance to stresses of heat, drought, and disease. Excess fertilization can seriously
  damage your lawn.
   
• Avoid fertilizing during the hot summer months. Slow growing grass is more resistant to stresses
  of heat and drought. Use only enough fertilizer to maintain color, do not force growth.