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For the homeowner who wants an attractive green lawn
all season, Southern Maryland and its hot, dry summers offer a host of
unique challenges.
According to Pamela King, Extension Agent, Agriculture and Natural
Resources with the Charles County Extension Office, Southern Maryland soil
can make growing a green lawn challenging." Soil in this region can be
very hard and dry during the summer, and stays wet during other parts of
the year," said King.
So what can the homeowner do? King recommends that when starting a new
lawn, it is important to prepare the soil so it can keep the grass healthy
during stressful weather. This means adding 6 inches of compost or other
organic material to rebuild the topsoil. Then the soil is ready for
seeding. The time to start a new lawn is in September.
King advises folks with newly built homes to keep in mind that soil
preparation may not be done when a new home is built.
What about established lawns? In the springtime, most lawns only need
regular mowing. King recommends cutting the grass to 3 inches high. "The
lawn grows best during the spring. You should only take one-third of the
grass blade off at a time," she said.
Summer is when most Southern Maryland lawns become dormant, turning brown.
This is simply the lawn's method of self-preservation. The grass typically
recovers when rain and cooler weather arrive in the fall.
If you want to water your lawn in the summer, wait until you see signs of
stress. Stressed lawns will turn a blue-gray color and will show
footprints in the turf. "Unfortunately, the length of time between stress
and total dormancy in Southern Maryland is about two hours. You're
fighting the natural sequence of events," King said.
According to King, the best time to water a stressed lawn is in the
morning. "If you water in midday, it evaporates," she said. "And we don't
recommend watering after 5 p.m. because that promotes fungal growth."
Water for about 45 minutes, which will soak the soil to about 6 inches
deep. This will help the roots grow deep enough to keep the lawn healthy.
A good way to measure the watering is with empty tuna cans. When the cans
are filled, the lawn has received enough water.
But once you start watering in the summer, you have to maintain a regular
schedule or risk damaging the lawn. "And if we get into a severe drought
and Maryland restricts outdoor water use, that can cause very substantial
damage," King said.
"You can get your lawn green all summer but there's a cost to it," King
said. "You can stress the turf very badly if you just quit watering after
you've constantly watered it."
Once cooler weather arrives in the fall, home owners can reseed and
fertilize their lawns. To repair bare spots, overseed and keep well
watered to make sure the seed germinates. For fertilizing, Maryland
Cooperative Extension offers a soil testing service. This helps home
owners know when to fertilize and how much to lay down.
"We encourage people not to fertilize when they don't need to, but to do
it when it's most effective," King said.
King cautioned that improper fertilizing can add to the nitrogen levels in
the Chesapeake Bay. "We encourage people to think more globally about
their lawn," she said. "The lawn is part of a larger environment. This is
an important aspect (of lawn care) because how we treat the land matters,
even if we only treat the back 40 feet."
For recommendations on the types of grasses to plant in your lawn, contact
your local Maryland Cooperative Extension office. Extension Bulletin 171,
"Lawn Care in Maryland," is available for $1. For more information, call
410-535-3662 in Calvert County, 301-934-5403 in Charles County and
301-475-4477 in St. Mary's County. Or visit Maryland Cooperative
Extension's Home and Garden Information Center at
http://www.agnr.umd.edu/users/hgic/.
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