Summer is prime time for you and the landscapes you maintain to shine—from graduations to Fourth of July parties, the warm season means more people spending time outside and on the lawn.
How can you help get your customers’ lawns ready for their next big party or help them enjoy their backyards all summer long? Here are four recommendations from Ewing managers across the U.S.
Late spring is an ideal time to get in a fertilizer application in most regions before the heat of summer hits.
In Central Texas and other warm season turf regions growing St. Augustine, Bermuda or zoysia grasses, Ewing Austin manager Caleb Crane recommends GreenTRX for an awesome green up. GreenTRX is a
partially organic fertilizer that provides rich green color with a low of burning/overfertilizing. It’s also similar to a slow release fertilizer—65 percent of the nitrogen is released in the first two weeks for fast green up, while the rest is slowly broken down over six to eight weeks for continuous green color.
In Florida, Ewing Kissimmee manager Jerrod Jesso recommends a potassium-rich fertilizer (10-0-30 for Zoysia grass or 15-0-15 for St. Augustine) to survive the southeast’s summer heat and humidity.
For spring repair of cool season turf grasses like bluegrass, ryegrass, and fescues that are popular in the northeast, pair a starter fertilizer with additional grass seed and CoverGrow Mulch (a seed accelerator) or shredded straw, said Chris Rhodes, manager for Ewing Franklin Lake.
And in climates where bluegrass lawns are typical, a fertilizer like HJE’s 28-3-10 is a solid pick for a quick green up, said Ewing Denver manager, Ryan Green.
In addition to providing a good green-up, Crane recommends GreenTRX for overall turf health.
“It not only does a fantastic job of greening up the lawn but each granule contains 16 percent organic matter that contributes to improved soil and plant health,” said Crane.
Green also recommends Holganix' lawn products to boost turf stress-resistance and durability to withstand the increased foot traffic from outdoor entertaining by adding beneficial microbes to the soil for improved turf health.
Since it’s past the time for applying pre-emergent for controlling spring or summer weeds, a post-emergent herbicide, a fertilizer/herbicide combination product or a spot weeding product can all be useful this time of year, said Rhodes.
And while weeds may be irritating, nothing can put an end to an outdoor party faster than a swarm of pests.
“This time of year, the bugs are out and on a mission to be annoying,” said Crane.
For an alternative to traditional pesticides, try Mirimichi Green Pest Control for preventing mosquitos, tick, fleas, roaches, aphids, and many other pests, said Crane.
“It’s made from organic and natural ingredients and is safe around kids, pets and plants. The sprayed area can be used as soon as it dries, and reapplication is recommended every two to four weeks.”
Jesso warns that overwatering lawns can be one of the easiest mistakes to make during the summer. It not only wastes water, but it can lead to poor quality turf.
While the warmer temps do justify an increase in water, don’t go overboard! Most lawns need about 1-inch of water per week, but this varies by turf type and region.
Check your irrigation schedule to see how much water is being applied each week to avoid overwatering.
For more turf product recommendations for your region and turf type, reach out to your local Ewing store for help!