I always laugh when I see that commercial on TV from a popular
hardware store chain.
I always laugh when I see that commercial on TV from a popular hardware store chain.
It’s the one where a woman in a big floppy hat is marching around her lawn, scrunching down with her feet while wearing golf shoes. The commercial goes on to say that walking around on your grass with golf shoes will help aerate your lawn. Hogwash!
For one thing, most golf shoes these days are “spikeless,” meaning instead of metal cleats they are made from plastic.
Even if you were to march around your lawn with metal spikes, the spikes are only a quarter-inch long. That’s nowhere near the two to three-inch plugs that one gets when aerating a lawn with machinery.
As a sidebar, there’s a nifty tool called a Hound Dog that lifts two cores out at a time as you go around pushing the device into your lawn with your foot. It’s a great way to aerate small lawns and get your exercise at the same time.
Caring for lawns as our local weather heats up isn’t rocket science. You water, mow and fertilize, and usually you’re home-free.
Ah, but there is a bit of science involved to make sure your lawn isn’t stressed and is looking it’s best.
One of the easiest things you can do this time of year is raise the height of your mower. During the fall and winter, it’s fine to mow your lawn low. But during the heat of summer, your lawn is less stressed when cut at about three inches in height.
Usually this means raising the height of your mower to it’s highest or nearly highest point. Cutting too short translates to the roots drying out faster and the need to water more and more.
Basically, longer blades of grass mean longer roots, which makes for a thicker canopy. If your lawn doesn’t hold moisture well, this gives weeds the opportunity to take hold.
Three inches may seem high, but your lawn will thank you for it.
If you’re not sure just how high three inches of grass is, try dropping a golf ball in your grass. If it nearly disappears, that’s the proper height.
Even when you mow the lawn can make a difference. Did you know that mowing late in the day, such as dusk, reduces the stress on the grass?
It’s also a great idea to water after you mow to lessen the stress on the lawn, too.
Of course, it’s best to make sure you’re watering enough, too. Most lawns probably need water about every other day in our area during the summer. But if we’re in the midst of a heat wave, go ahead and water every day.
For the most part, it’s best to water in the early morning or late in the day when evaporation is lowest.
Also, when you do water, do so deeply. Don’t tease your lawn by sprinkling it. Sprinkling encourages shallow roots and an unhealthy lawn. I would say 15 to 20 minutes per station should be sufficient most of the time.
Fertilizing is needed during the peak summer season, however, you do have to be careful about how much you apply.
Always use some sort of fertilizer spreader to apply rather than distributing by hand. Drop spreaders or hand-held whirlybird applicators are fine.
Also try not to fertilize when it’s really hot. Wait for the weather to cool somewhat, and water after applying.
Keith Muraoka lives and works in Gilroy. His award-winning column has been in this newspaper since 1984. E-mail him at ga********@*ps.net, or write him in c/o The Dispatch, P.O. Box 22365, Gilroy, CA 95021.
