Tips and Tasks  
Fertilizer Facts
Fertilizer labels always display three numbers in the same order, (i.e. 10-6-4). They represent the % by weight of three important nutrients:

Nitrogen (N) — for green, leafy growth.

Phosphorus (P) — for root and bud growth.

Potassium (K) — promotes disease tolerance and drought tolerance.

Example: A 40 lb. bag of 10-6-4 fertilizer has: 10% nitrogen (4 lbs.), 6% phosphate (2.4 lbs. of P), and 4% potash (1.6 lbs. of K)

 
Time to Lime
Our abundance of beautiful oak trees, means very acidic soils in our mountains.  That often means a low soil pH.  We recommend getting a soil test to determine how much lime you need.  If you guess too low, you will be wasting money because your fertilizer won’t work efficiently.  Keep mind that while one 40lb bag of 10-10-10 may give you and adequate fertilization rate, one 40 lb. bag of lime may have little effect on raising you pH to an adequate level.
 

Lawn Mowing Tips

What is lawn aeration?
Turf care in the Mountains of North Carolina can be a very rewarding job if a few simple rules are followed. Basic fertilization, irrigation and mowing will help to ensure a beautiful lawn. The Potting Shed uses a 7 step program to ensure the best results in your turf program. Six of the steps are shown below. The final step is an annual lime treatment to bring the soil ph to a more optimal level. Our program controls broadleaf weeds, crabgrasses and invasive species by utilizing pre and post emergent herbicides applied at the proper time. Turf damaging insects, including grubs, are controlled by using a insecticide.

LawnMowing_Chart

Along with proper fertilization, irrigation is also necessary for optimal lawn growth. Most mountain grasses will be happy with one half inch of water twice a week. Avoid frequent light watering and go for longer deeper watering. Use a screwdriver to make sure that the top four inches of soil is damp. Water between 2 am and 8 am for optimal growth.

One factor to consider when maintaining lawns is the age of the lawn. New lawns require time to establish themselves and root in before you can mow. If you’ve seeded your lawn, it may be as long as two months before you can mow. Sod, on the other hand, you can mow within three weeks of being laid.  Plugs, stolons and sprigs can take as much as six weeks to become firmly established. If you’ve seeded your lawn, all seeds should have germinated before you mow. Plugs, sprigs, stolons and sod must have firmly set roots to prevent damage… just remember that mowing is the most often incorrectly performed part of lawn care.

There are two types of grasses in North Carolina that homeowners run into. Cool season grasses like Fescue, Blue grass and Rye are most common in the mountains of western North Carolina. These grasses prefer to be cut between 2.5 and 4.0 inches in height. Fescue seems to perform best at around 3.5 inches in height. Blue grass tolerates lower cutting, but don’t go lower than 2.5 inches. The other type of grass is warm season grass such as Bermuda, Zoysia and Centipede; these grasses will tolerate a very low cut. Golf courses typically use a lot of Bermuda and they usually cut it very low. Here are some more general rules to prevent lawn damage.

  • Never cut more than 1/3 of the grass height.
  • Make sure the lawn is completely dry before mowing to prevent damage.
  • Keep your blades sharp.
  • Keep the underside of your mower clean.
  • Make sure your mowing deck is set at the proper height.
  • Mow your lawn weekly during the growing season to prevent clumping

The final touches to mowing a lawn are weed eating and edging. They make the lawn look crisp and well defined. Avoid scalping the lawn while weed eating to prevent damage. If lawn maintenance does not fit into your lifestyle or schedule then consider allowing The Potting Shed to perform regular lawn maintenance for you.