The Grass Doctor

Where can I find a lawn care guide?

I'm trying to gather some information regarding what treatments to give my lawn. It is a dry and weed-infested lawn. I have heard of the Scott's treatments...four or five cycles maybe. Does anyone have a calendar of sorts and a recommendation of what products to use and when? Thank you. BTW, I live in Virginia. It's a wonderful state.

Public Comments

1. Sunset magazine puts a schedule of what needs to be done in the lawn and garden every month by region in its magazine. LOL that is how I know what I should be doing both to my lawn and in my garden. That being said, I also found a wonderful lawn care book at Lowes by Ortho that does about the same thing and more. Scotts Lawncare also puts one out but it is not as comprehensive as the Ortho one because it doesn't have non-chemical means to treat common pests, a troubleshooting section (to tell if you have a grub problem, what to do about moles, rabbits, squirrels, etc.) and maintenance tips. You can also find a handy guide for your zone on the HGTV website that is very general in nature.
2. If re-turfing is a option I would recommend a grass more well suited for your area. Many colleges that have Agronomy classes will test your soil. 1. Early Fall is the best time to renew or redo a lawn. 2. You can always get a professional to do it. That's the easy way! 3. If there is less than 50% good grass, maybe it's better to start over. Find a list of steps at: http://turfgrassmanagement.psu.edu/turfest.cfm For best results, the first step is to get a soil test done. Do that right away because it takes almost two weeks for the results to come back. The "Turfgrass Establishment" series of instructions assumes that you're going to dig up the area, which means you can dig in the fertilizer components that don't move quickly through the soil. 4. If there is enough good grass to want to try to save it, then you're trying to renovate. There is a list of steps at: http://turfgrassmanagement.psu.edu/lawnren.cfm This series of instructions assumes that you are not going to be able to dig in the phosphorus and potassium, and that all of the fertilizer will be put on at once. Notes: (continued) *When you fill out the papers to send with the soil test, you will have to tell them whether you will be "establishing" or "renovating" your lawn, because their recommendations will reflect the differences in fertilizer application methids. *There will be differences in methods of weed control depending on whether you decide to "renovate" or "establish" a lawn. If you're renovating, you use selective methods of weed control because you are trying to save the grass you have. If you are "establishing", then everything can be killed. *One advantage to digging up the lawn is that if your organic matter levels are low, you can dig in lots of soil amendments. Good soil with adequate organic matter gives you a healthier lawn which is better able to withstand stress and crowd out weeds. This REALLY helps over the life of the lawn.