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Hello everyone, and happy spring.

Spring ephemeral flowers including daffodils, Lenten-rose and snowdrops have begun blooming. Their blooms bring a seasonal reminder that our cold and snowy days are limited before the buzz of lawnmowers return.

If you want to have a great looking lawn this year to make mowing a little more enjoyable, here are several tips to get you off to a great start.

The foundation of a good lawn is your soil. Nutrient levels, drainage, and composition all influence the growth of grass lawns. For starters, I always recommend soil testing as a first course of action. Although grass lawns require lower nutrients relative to most other types of plants, you still want to make sure you have an adequate supply of phosphorus and potassium. Soil testing is an easy and straight forward process — collect soil from the top 4 to 6-inch in 15 locations, combine the samples, and submit to a soil testing lab following their instructions.

One of the biggest benefits of soil testing is knowing your soil pH, which is included as a standard measure of all soil tests. Northeast Ohio has acidic subsoils so our lawns will tend to have a soil pH of less than 6.0. Grass prefers a soil pH of 6.2 to 6.8 for successful growth, so your lawn may benefit from an application of lime to raise the pH. A mistake many homeowners make is applying fertilizer without correcting pH first. Acidic soils tend to make it harder for plants to use nutrients, and raising the pH will release those nutrients that may already be in your soil.

Sure where to get a soil test? You can purchase them at various garden centers, feed stores, or other retailers throughout the county. We also sell them in our office for $14, and we also have a convenient online ordering process at trumbull.osu.edu. No matter where you purchase your soil test kit, I can help you interpret the results to make fertilizer application easy.

Drainage, or lack of drainage, is a common problem in our area. Waterlogged soils will prevent root growth, which in turn can lead to bare spots in your lawn. There are no magical cures for drainage- you just need to get the water to move to a different location by surface or subsurface drainage. It’s also important to make sure that your gutters and downspouts are functioning properly so that the additional water from rainfall isn’t adding to any existing drainage problems you may have. Many times, a shallow surface drain of one to two inches deep may be enough to quickly move excess water away. This is a quick and economical option and can be done with a simple shovel. For severely flooded areas, subsurface drainage may be a better option, but this will require excavation of your property and a significant investment.

Phosphorous and potassium fertilizer applications should be made based on soil test reports. Nitrogen fertilizer on the other hand can be applied without a soil test. Nitrogen will really make your grass grow, so the more you apply the more you will mow. A good rule of thumb is to apply one to four pounds of nitrogen per 1,000 square feet. If you are using readily available area (46-0-0), that equates to approximately 2 to 8 pounds of actual fertilizer per 1,000 square feet. If you use a different fertilizer, and need help calculating rates, give me a call, and I can get you the correct rate.

If your lawn has good soil fertility, pH, and drainage but still looks a little rough, it may be time to investigate in lawn rejuvenation. This process can be as simple as hand spreading grass seed over the existing lawn, or much more involved, including killing off the lawn and starting new. If you choose to over-seed by hand you will have better results by scuffing up the dirt with a rake in small areas or using an aerator on larger areas. You goal with over-seeding is to make sure the seed makes contact with soil, making it more likely to germinate. You can even rent over-seeding tools, which will take out much of the guesswork in this process.

These tips are just scratching the surface and are suggestions to get you started. If you have further questions, or need help with your specific issue don’t hesitate to call our office at 330-638-6783, and we can direct resources your way.

If you are a cattle producer, new or seasoned, be sure to attend our upcoming cow/calf school April 14 at Novak Town Line Farm. This free program will discuss cattle nutrition and includes a walk-through of handling facilities. Dinner will be provided, and this program is made available through generous donations from the Hertzer family and the CMT Cattlemen’s Association. Call OSU Extension Trumbull County at 330-638-6783 to register.

Stay safe.

Submitted by Lee Beers, an Agriculture & Natural Resources Educator for OSU Extension-Trumbull County.  He can be reached by email.

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