Tips for Turf Renovation

Turf has a tough job, and it sees a lot of action whether it’s part of a landscaped property, sports field, or anything else that requires professional attention. Turf has to look good and be healthy, even after a season of inclement weather, summertime activity, or an unfortunate outbreak of pests. For lawn care professionals, these are the real obstacles to keeping turf looking great. 

At Scott’s Power Equipment, we’re tackling turf today. We want our customers to have everything they need to do their job, whether that’s general landscaping, lawn care, or just clearing overgrown brush. For professional success, you need the commercial tools like the mowers we carry, but you also need the knowhow for tackling some persnickety problems that can take turf in the wrong direction. Read on for more information or visit us at one of our locations in Bridgeton, Arnold, and Wentzville, Missouri.

Low Sunlight

Some grasses do much better in low-sunlight areas, but even these shade-loving varieties can find themselves starved for sun in certain situations. The go-to solution here is trimming and pruning surrounding trees and bushes to let the light through, but this can be a exercise in futility. Prune too much, and you damage trees and bushes. It’s often a better idea to replace these patches with different ground cover. 

Bald Spots

Bare patches of turf are an open invitation for weeds to spread and muck up your perfect landscaping. Overseeding is a great way to deal with these ugly splotches of bare ground or dead grass. It will fill in bare spots and strengthen the turf overall. Unfortunately, overseeding takes a lot of prep work and is best done over an entire lawn. For smaller patches, you might need to dig in and solve the problem at its source. 

To patch small spots, dig up the damaged section and some surrounding turf that’s still in good shape. Level the soil and add some ready compost or starter fertilizer. If you’re using grass seed, give it some light ground cover and keep the area extra moist for 2-4 weeks, until the grass germinates. For sod, simply cut a section to fit the excavated area and water frequently until the sod takes root.

March of the Crabgrass

Invading grasses muck up the uniform aesthetic prided in lawn care. Fortunately the most common invader, crabgrass, isn’t primed to survive colder months, usually dying off after the first frost. Unfortunately, this can leave bald spots and even encourage soil erosion. Taking care of crabgrass and other alien grasses early will save you in the long run. While herbicides of all types can take care of this problem, you’ll want to select one that you can use to target the offending grass without damaging the rest of the turf. Whatever method of weed removal you use, follow it up with a few mowing practices to keep future offenders away, including a higher cut to discourage new growth from having a chance to outgrow the grass. We suggest a 3 ½ inch cut as a balance between a close-mow and discouraging future crabgrass growth.

Fear the Grub

Gross, bugs! Worse than the knowledge of these fellows wriggling around in your turf is understanding the damage they can do. They eat grass roots, and that leads to dead grass. And to make matters worse, grubs can attract grub-eating predators that can do even more damage to turf, like moles, raccoons, and even birds (that will then leave crabgrass seed for you as a present!). While healthy turf can handle quite a few grubs, it can’t handle even one or two of these other vermin.

If you find signs of grub damage, or spot one yourself, talk to your cooperative extension office for the best treatment. You’ll need their help, since a proper fix will come down to the species of grub as well as soil condition and grass type. Usually some preventative pesticides can help reduce grub levels, and these are best applied early in the growing season. Active measures are best left until the end of the season, since it will likely do some collateral damage to the turf.

Please note that there are a lot of herbicides that are illegal to apply to the ground or else must be applied by a certified professional. 

Thin and Patchy Grass

Sometimes turf needs a lot more than a good mowing and watering. So much of turf success can be planted squarely on soil quality. Even the most enduring, virile grass varieties can’t grow if the ground isn’t suitable. A soil test will answer all questions in this department. If you don’t have access to the equipment necessary, you can pick up a small kit for relatively little. Of course, your local cooperative extension will also be helpful here, and they can help you determine soil pH as well as identify missing chemicals that act as plant nutrients. Solutions here depend on the specifics of the problem in the soil, so the first step is always to get the soil tested.

A lot can go wrong with turf to make it look less than professionally cut, which can be disastrous if you’re the professional responsible for the cut! Fortunately we’ve put together a few solutions to common turf problems. If you’re still in need of turf tips, or you’re just interested in checking out some great new and used commercial mowing equipment, head into Scott’s Power Equipment. We have locations in Bridgeton, Arnold, and Wentzville, Missouri, and we proudly serve our neighbors in Illinois. Come by today and talk with our experts ready to answer your questions and help you find what you’re looking for.