The Grass Doctor

My grass is partially brown. It has been a cold wet winter. I fertilized my lawn the end of spring with winter

winterizer then again the end of Jan. with scotts turfbuilder as it says on the bag apply anytime. This is my 3rd home I have a mix of fescue and blue grass turf. 2 years old. 2nd winter. Some peoples grass around me is pure green. It is mid Feb. I watered today, should I fertilize with something else. I'm afraid to fertalize anymore as maybe Ive put too much on already?

Public Comments

1. Be patient it will green up, when it warms up.
2. try not to mow your lawn very short during the summer season and this might not happen
3. "Weed and feed" fertilizers are notorious for turning grass brown or black especially if they are not watered in immediately. Don't add any more fertilizer just water when necessary. It will turn green again, eventually.
4. You have probably put to much fertiliser on and have burnt the grass. Have you had any early morning frosts? Frost will also burn your grass. Solution: after a frost, water your lawn before the sun comes up.
5. A well fertilized lawn will have a very nice thick,plush,carpet like texture when the weather is permitting, however it will turn brown when it is hot and dry or when the weather is cold. Try cutting back on the fertilizer.
6. ok, It is WINTER, this is when most grasses go DORMANT. It is likely the bluegrass is still green as it handles the cold better than fescues. And WOW, frost will not burn your lawn. Freezing temperatures along with less sun are the conditions that put grass into dormancy. when the sun returns and the temps warm up, thesegrasses will come back out of dormancy, start taking in food and water, and will start growing again. As for mowing, you should never mow more than 1/3 of the total length of th grass blade off at a time( example, if your grass is 4" tall, you should not cut more than 1.33" off) as te nutrients are stored in the tips of the blades of grass. Dont just set a mowing schedule, mow as often as it needs it, it can be as often as 3 times a week. Mowing in spring may be as short as 2" for cool season grasses. But let it grow out to 3-4" in the hot, dry summer. Longer grass survives the heat better. Irrigation is critical as well, it doesnt matter how long you water, what matters is how much water the lawn is actually getting. Minimum to maintain health and color is 1"-1.5" per week, so you would want to water a minimumof 3 times a week at 1/2" per. You can figure this out by placing a bowl in the area being watered, water until you have at least 1/2" in the bowl. The longer you water, the deeper the moisture will go into the soil, and the deeper the root structure will grow. Deep root structures promote great summer health and drought resistance. While short watering times only allow the water to settle in shallowly(if thats a word) and the roots will develop near the surface and heat will kill your grass. Watering on hills should be done at a lesser rate, but a longer time to allow the water to soak in without excessive run-off. Never water during the day. Doing so allows disease and fungus into the lawn. You also lose some of it due to evaporation and wicking. Always water early in the morning before the sun comes up! If you just spent the money and get good fertilizers such as those that have the coatings( these coating only allow the fert to be released when they are wet; Scotts, Lesco, Bayer) and that prevents burning. Dont use the powder type ferts that are widely availble, as they stick to spreader wheels and will result in "striping"! You should use a high nitrogen granule fertilizer in the spring. This will give the grass a steroid effect and encourage rapid growth as well as a dark green color. like a 33-0-0 Lowered nitrogen rates should be applied as the temps get hotter, this is when phosphorus and potassium is useful, good fertilizers are 22-0-8, 22-2-2, 23-5-12. With the cooler temps of fall, You may increase the nitrogen and use ferts like, 33-2-12, 32-12-6. Grasses tend to "brown out" in the summer time due to the heat and lack of moisture, It is simply going into early dormancy and will come out with the appropriate amount of moisture. Halema is somewhat wrong, there is no deadline to fertilize, you should only fertilize while the grass is actively growing, fertilization done while it is dormant is wasted money as the plant is not taking any nutrients or water from the soil. And unless you are using a coated granular fert, DO NOT apply in the rain, as I said before, the powder-like ferts sold at lowes and home depot will collect on the wheels of your spreader and you will have in turn over fertilized where the tires have gone Any other questions feel free to email!
7. You might be fertilizing too often, or putting too much on, or not watering it in enough. We water 30 minutes per section and if it is terribly hot we water 40 minutes per section. Water is the most important thing for grass. For the next two years, only fertilize in the spring and let your grass recover. Then go back to spring and winterizing. Cut your lawn about 3" high and cut it once per week on the same day.
8. you need 34-0-0 fertilizer for fescue and it will green up in 7-10 days
9. You cannot apply lawn fertilizer at any time, irregardless of what the bags say. The absolute best time to fertilize your lawn is when it is gently sprinkling. Put on your raincoat and get your spreader ready. Yes, your neighbors will think you are crazy.....until they see how green your lawn is. If you cannot water immediately after fertilizing, then do not fertilize. That is how your lawn turns brown. In the fall season, you can fertilize up to 6 weeks BEFORE winter sets in for your area. In the wintertime, your lawn needs to rest, that is why there are different types of fertilizer. If you mulch your lawn clippings into your lawn, then you can avoid one fertilizing session. Do not fertilize more than 4 times during the whole lawn season.