Have you seen the movie “Good Morning Vietnam” starring Robin Williams? I don’t remember anything about the movie, except the way he started his broadcast. He yelled Good Morning Vietnam into the microphone. I had to fight the urge to yell “Good Afternoon Cherry County” to start today’s extension report. I don’t know what it is about talking into the microphone, but after a while you almost forget how many people are listening and start thinking about crazy things to say.
I hope that you enjoyed the weekend weather. Almost everyone I’ve talked to spent some time in their yard.
I want to take a couple of minutes and remind you of some things you ought to be doing to get your lawns off to a good start.
If you have had problems with summer annual grasses in the past, now is the time to apply pre-emergent herbicides. If you haven’t already made your pre-emergent application, I strongly suggest doing so by the end of this week. Common summer annual grasses that will soon be germinating are sandburs, crabgrass and foxtail.
Now is also a good time to apply a little fertilizer. The UNL Kentucky Bluegrass Lawn Calendar recommends fertilizing with 1 lb of actual nitrogen per 1,000 sq. ft. of lawn. Slow release fertilizer carriers are preferred. UNL specialists recommend using fertilizers with Nitrogen to Phosphorus to Potassium ratios of 4:1:2 or 3:1:2. Your fertilizer doesn’t have to be exactly those ratios, but should be relatively close.
Hopefully you have sharpened your lawn mower blades and are ready to attack the summer. Don’t mow too short. Two inches is a good height for lawns this time of year. Remember, to keep your grass healthy, you should never remove more than 1/3 of the height at any one time.
Finally, a reminder on irrigation, it is important that you not water too often in the spring. If you water too often, the roots will develop too near the surface. If the roots are too shallow, the grass won’t be able to keep up with the water demand when it gets hot this summer. So, avoid daily, light watering. Water deeply, every two to three days, depending on the weather and your particular soil.
If you have not already power raked, aerated or overseeded. I suggest that unless your lawn really needs it, you skip those operations for this year.
Contact the UNL Extension, Cherry County office at 402-376-1850 for more information on any of the things I’ve covered.
