Care and How-To - Lawn and Turf
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Learn how to manage and repair lawn damage caused by skunks and raccoons searching for grubs. Explore effective strategies including grub control, exclusion methods, repellents, and lawn repair techniques.
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Effective methods to get rid of ground ivy in lawns and gardens. Discover non-chemical options, herbicide recommendations, and lawn care tips to manage this persistent weed and maintain a healthy landscape.
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While spring is the traditional planting season in Iowa, late summer and early fall (mid-August to early October) is an excellent time to plant many landscape plants. Below is advice on fall planting of trees, shrubs, perennials, annuals, sp
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When Kentucky bluegrass and other cool-season grasses begin to green-up in spring, some home gardeners are dismayed to see brown spots in the lawn. In some cases, the brown spots are dead patch.
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Bumpy, rough, uneven lawns are annoying, difficult to mow, and potentially dangerous. Learn about the factors that cause rough, bumpy lawn and how to manage them.
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Tall fescue is a popular, low-maintenance grass choice in Iowa. It has the highest heat, traffic, and drought tolerance of the cool season grasses. It is well adapted to wet soils, partially shaded sites, and is often used where a low-maintenance lawn is desired. This type of grass turns green in mid-spring and maintains color into late fall.
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Overseeding improves lawn density by sowing grass seed into thin established turf. Best done in late summer or early fall, it involves good seed-to-soil contact and proper care post-seeding.
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There are many species of ants that occur in lawns or along and under sidewalks. Most ants are beneficial and do not require control. However, ants may become a nuisance by constructing mounds or small hills in the lawn, landscape, prairie planting, pasture, CRP field, roadside, or on the sidewalk or patio, or by invading the home in search of food.
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Crabgrass is a warm-season annual weed that germinates from seed each spring and thrives throughout the summer if not controlled.
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When a summer heat wave arrives, it can be stressful for the plants and gardeners alike. The plants of your landscape will require a little more TLC to make it through periods of extreme heat. Below are a few tips to protect your lawn, garden, and landscape when temperatures soar.
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A lush green lawn is a goal for many homeowners, but getting a lush green carpet of turfgrass requires a lot of money and time spent on chemicals, mowing, watering, seeding, weeding, and other chores. While a well-maintained lawn provides a great space for recreation as well as a perfect backdrop for your home and garden beds, turfgrass is not the only option. Beautiful landscapes can also include a lawn created from many other plants that can provide a more interesting mix of color and textures as well as food and habitat for pollinators. All of this while requiring fewer inputs!
Below are several alternative lawn options to consider.
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Every garden has weeds and dealing with these unwanted plants is an ongoing task in any landscape. Control of weeds is important. Weeds are strong competitors for available water, nutrients, and sunlight.
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Core aeration is a great way to improve the health of your lawn. Aeration relieves soil compaction, improves water and nutrient movement in the soil, and prevents thatch accumulation. Aeration improves the growing conditions for the turfgrass plants and results in a healthier, more vigorous lawn.
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Weed management requires persistence throughout the entire growing season removing weeds when they appear and preventing them from getting large, flowering, or setting seed.
There are many different techniques for weed management and effective control often comes from using a combination of different techniques.
Weeds can be divided into several major groups. Some species can be classified in one or more of these groups, and others cannot be classified in any of these groups. Understanding how the weed is classified will help with control as the management of weeds in each group looks similar.
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Watering is one of the most frequent tasks performed in any garden or landscape. Proper watering utilizes water responsibly, reducing evaporation and runoff. There are many ways to make the process easier and better for the gardener and the plants. Use the tips below to water the perennials, annuals, containers, hanging baskets, lawns, trees, shrubs, and vegetables in your landscape.
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Pollinator Lawns, Bee Lawns, Freedom Lawns
All of these terms refer to the same idea - creating a lawn that is more friendly for insects. -
The establishment of a new lawn requires careful planning and hard work. However, it is time well spent. The effort devoted to site preparation and turf establishment will be reflected in the quality of the turf for many years.
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A thick, dark green lawn is a beautiful sight in spring. Kentucky bluegrass and other cool-season turfgrasses thrive in the cool temperatures and frequent rains of spring.
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There are several options for creating a lawn using turf-like alternatives to the traditional grasses grown in lawns.
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In spring, the cool-season lawns common across much of Iowa turn a vibrant green. Occasionally, you will notice large "dead" patches of grass. Often the brown patch of grass seems to get larger every year. Upon closer inspection of the grass, one can see that there are no spots on the blades (from fungal fruiting bodies) or darkening of the roots or crowns (the part of the plant at the soil line). These brown spots are typically caused by a couple of different environmental issues.