Lets Grow Together! Eggs Among the Blue Grass – Shelbynews

Getting ready for Easter required a quick walk around the yard to scan out the best lawn sites to hide the golden eggs. Some eggs can be placed anywhere. But, the Golden Eggs must be strategically in a location eliciting the most effort to be found. While on my search for the perfect hiding spot, I confess to multitasking and included a review of my lawn care basics for the upcoming season.

Golden Egg in Grass

Another confession, we do not have a Kodak Moment lawn. We have a yard. Our yard tolerates an array of stressful conditions; a Great Pyrenees named Betty, grandchildren having bonfires, ash trees dying, utility vehicle trails, and a collection of incomplete visions in various stages of development to name just a few. We have challenges but we love them. Ill take a fire scare any day if it means I get to hear the laughs and see the smiles of my family.

Many seed choices are available. We choose Kentucky Blue Grass. Two considerations for grass seed selection are maintenance and site. I like to mow. I have a zero turn mower that takes me to a place of rainbows and unicorns. Our yard site is both sun and shade with areas of wet and dry. We do little maintenance outside of mowing. Yards are subject more to seasonal grass growing cycles and less with advertising schemes. Spring is here and is known as the rapid growth and greening cycle. We do not fertilize this time of year, usually. Nitrogen is naturally being released into the soil and will be sufficient for growth. The other seasonal grass cycles are Summer with slow growth and focus on irrigation. Fall is the cycle of root development and optimum for adding fertilizer. The Winter is when the grass becomes dormant and nutrients are stored for Spring. Our yard is an established yard and requires no significant seeding.

We always have dandelions or broadleaf weeds. I am one who is not particularly bothered by this, but there are many who are and this is the time to research the pre-emergent applications. I refer you to this site for recommendations. https://gddtracker.msu.edu/ Other methods that may impact weed control are proper techniques with mowing, irrigation, beneficial insects, and companion planting practices. Our mower deck height is set to cut at 3 inches. The blades are balanced and sharpened near a 45 degree angle and free from chips and bends. My mowing season begins as soon as the grass turns green. I am not one who bags my cuttings. Cuttings are beneficial when turned back into the soil.

Being on the look-out for disease and insect damage to our yard is a simple scanning exercise. I know the typical look of our yard. My eyes scan for what is not right. Visuals that cause me to ponder disease or insect damage may be brown or bare patches, patterns with different color shades, unlevel terrain; too tall or too short, too wet or too dry. Odor is another trigger of concern. Sometimes, Betty (our Great Pyrenees) does not venture into the field and has been known to contribute to a brown or green spot in our yard. She has also been guilty of digging a familiar yard spot for comfort and relaxation. Not all scanning disturbances are disease and insect related. At our house, spilled ice melt salt, end of season mulch bags left outside, sand box lids left unattended and similar findings have led to false assumptions. Once human interference has been ruled out there are some disease and insect conditions that may require intervention: https://turf.purdue.edu/homeowner-publications/ As for now, my yard has its typical look and one golden egg has not been uncovered for this year.

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Lets Grow Together! Eggs Among the Blue Grass - Shelbynews