Almost all grass varieties produce seed at some point throughout the spring season. This is a normal part of their life cycle. It does, however put the lawns under a bit of stress during that period. Lawns tend to get a little more coarse and the stems are more prevalent. It looks like we are almost through this period and lawns should soften out with adequate water and our slow release fertilizer applications kicking in.
They are forecasting 90 degrees for some of this weekend through early next week so make sure you are watering sufficiently. Lawns will burn up fast in that kind of heat and may even show heat tracking from our equipment or your mowing traffic. See an article on heat tracking written by Dr Kevin Frank from the MSU Extension here: http://msue.anr.msu.edu/news/warm_dry_weather_causes_heat_tracking_in_lawns . Most rotor sprinkling zones should be set at a minimum of 20 to 30 minutes per day EVERY DAY right now to prepare for this weekend and keep up with the heat. Depending on soil conditions some zones will need as much as 35 or 40 minutes during extreme heat and lack of rain. Remember that these are averages and every site is different. One good way to track watering is to put a shovel in the ground and check the soil profile. If you can take the soil from 1″ deep and rub it in your hands and it turns to powder, you are much to dry. It typically takes 20 minutes of watering just to soak through the leaf and thatch layer and begin penetrating the root system. There needs to be some moisture in the soil to sustain healthy root systems. Properly watered soil will stick together slightly when rubbing between your hands.
If you have any questions please don’t hesitate to call us at 616-813-3135 or email us at office@myturfllc.com
“I treat your turf like it’s My Turf”