Care and How-To - Lawn and Turf
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Establishing a new lawn requires careful planning and effort. Learn the best seeding times, turfgrass selection, site preparation, and maintenance tips for a thriving lawn!
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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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Crabgrass is a difficult to manage weed in the lawn. Learn about control of this annual weed, including when to apply preemergent herbicide for the best control.
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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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Spring yard care in Iowa includes mowing at 2.5-3 inches, using slow-release fertilizer, applying preemergent herbicide for crabgrass, and watering deeply but infrequently. Avoid seeding in spring to minimize weed issues.
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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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Corn gluten meal is an organic herbicide and fertilizer that prevents weed seed germination. To be most effective, proper timing and use are essential. Learn more about using corn gluten meal as a herbicide.
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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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As winter fades and spring arrives, several things can be done to prepare the garden for the upcoming growing season.
Below are tips for the perennial garden, vegetable garden, annual containers, trees & shrubs, houseplants, and 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.
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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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Most of the time, when we see ants, there is no need to worry; they are quite beneficial. However, if their mounds become a nuisance in the lawn or garden, then there are some steps you can take to manage the mounds (and keep the ants).
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Managing a lawn looks different than managing the plants in other parts of the landscape. Below are all the resources you need to grow a beautiful lawn.
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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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Recommended fertilizer rates can be used to determine the amount of fertilizer to apply to a garden area . Use these simple calculations to determine the amount of fertilizer needed.
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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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Choose the right turfgrass for your Iowa lawn based on sunlight, usage, maintenance, and quality needs. Different grasses suit varying light levels and usage types.
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Trees provide many benefits but unfortunately, trees and turfgrass are not very compatible. Large trees cast considerable shade. Trees also compete with turfgrass for water and nutrients. As a result, most turfgrasses have a difficult time growing in the vicinity of large shade trees.
If the grass growing in shady spaces is not looking good, you have a few options to improve the appearance of these areas in your landscape. You can remove the turfgrass and plant an alternative species that will tolerate the shady conditions better. You can also remove the turfgrass and lay down mulch. Finally, if you want to have turfgrass growing in the area you have to change the way you maintain and care for the turfgrass to get it to grow more successfully
Each of these options has its advantages and challenges. Consider each to determine which will work best for your landscape.
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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.