| The greenest lawns are those that are on a regular feeding and watering schedule. Start by feeding 4 times a year (April, June, Sept. and November) with a 3-1-2 ratio of Nitrogen, Phosphorous and Potassium (the 3 numbers on the fertilizer package). For instance, use a 21-7-14 formulation in the spring. Home Depot usually has the correct formuation on sale at just the right time to apply it in your gardening region). Lush lawns need regular deep watering. You'll need to apply about one inch of water once or twice a week, depending upon weather. Deep watering will encourage deep rooting, which will help your lawn tolerate hot summer sunshine. To see how much water our sprinklers (or sprinkler system) puts out, place several empty tuna or cat food cans around the yard and turn on the sprinklers. Allow the water to run for 15 minutes and then turn the water off and check the level of water in the cans. Your goal is to have an accumulation of one inch. If it measures less than that, run the water again. Eventually you'll know how much time to run your sprinklers so your lawn gets one inch of water. That's how long you'll need to run your sprinklers to keep your lawn green. Best wishes with your lawn! |
