LOW MAINTENANCE LAWN CARE
LOW MAINTENANCE LAWN CARE
Once your ultra low maintenance lawn seed is well established in a month, you will have a beautiful dark green year round lawn. You will have the benefits of a low maintenance lawn care program. Generally the savings in mowing, water and fertilizer pays back the cost of the seeds, then you have huge savings.
Simplified Install Instructions:
Mow brutally short, rake away clippings and spread Pearl's Premium Ultra Low Maintenance Lawn Seeds at the rate of 7 to 10 pounds per 1,000 sq feet, spreading right over your existing lawn and weeds to outcompete them. If you mow your new lawn 3.5" high, you will shade the soil, to naturally prevent weeds (mow this high ideally only once ever 3 to 4 weeks in sunny areas and only once every 5 to 6 weeks in shady areas)
Always mow with a sharp blade, you sharpen every 10 hours of mowing use. Sharpen with a simple metal file at the angle of the blade cutting bevel, (after first unplugging the spark plug wire to make sure mower can not start up on you by accident. Then reconnect spark wire after sharpening) Check Soil pH and correct if needed to be between 6.0 and 7.0 pH.
Use a mulching mower or mulching blade and leave the clippings to return nutrients to soil...1/2 the nutrients your grass needs
Spread a little organic fertilizer in spring and fall or even better, top dress with 1/4" of organic compost once a year
Core aerate your lawn once a year (ideally in the spring leaving the finger sized soil plugs on the lawn to dissolve) the soil between the core holes expands, to introduce oxygen & H2O into the soil, and allows the new fine roots to easily go deep.
Water twice a day in early morning and then again at 2 pm for first month. Then slowly cut back on water over several weeks to watering only once or twice per week, depending on soil and climate. After getting established, avoid shallow frequent / daily watering to rather infrequently water only once or twice a week, with deeper watering to encourage deep root growth, to have a beautiful, thick, barefoot soft lawn that looks like this:
More Detailed Instructions for installing / Maintaining the Ultimate Green Lawn:
Mow brutally short and Surface Rake your lawn to clear clippings, stones and thatch. In spring, only rake surface (do not deep dethatch) to avoid bringing up weed seeds to the surface.
Lime or Sulphur to Make pH correct: Test soil to find the existing pH level. Ideally it should be between 6.0 and 7.0 pH. If lower than 6.0 top spread 40 pounds of pellet lime per 1,000 sq feet. If higher than 7.0 pH, use a small amount of Sulper to bring the pH down into that 6.0 to 7.0 range. This pH in the soil will encourage grass growth and discourage weeds growth.
Aerate to Loosen Soil : Use a core aerator that punches holes to bring air and water to the roots and lessen compaction of the soil. For most lawns do this once per year for compacted/clay soil lawns or lawns that do not drain well. If you use less toxic lawn chemicals that discourage microbe growth, aeration is not as necessary and may be needed only once every two years. Rent a self-propelled core aerator (not spike aerator) that pulls up finger size soil plugs onto your lawn that melt away natually. It is helpful to aerate the day after a rain (or if needed a watering) to moisten the lawn. Scientific evidence suggests core aeration and cutting tall with a sharp blade makes a measurable difference in the long term health, quality and look of the lawn. An aerated lawn favors grass and lessens weeds. A compacted lawn favors weeds!
Spread Organic Compost or Fertilizer: Spread a small amount of organic compost (a 1/4 inch layer equals 3/4 cu. yard for every 1,000 sq ft) once a year or use an organic fertilizer in spring and fall to add nutrients to your lawn and help reduce weeds and grubs. Compost requires more effort and cost but also introduces microbes to help aerate your lawn a foot deep for the year and encourages worms your soils best friend.
Spread ultra low maintenance lawn seed Ultra to outcompete your grass or weeds at the rate of between 7 to 10 pounds of grass seed per 1,000 sq feet.
Watering: To get your new grass established, water on days it does not rain in the early morning and again at 2 pm. Do this for 3 to 4 weeks then water every other day for a week. Then water twice a week for a week. Then water once or twice a week for the first summer. To promote deepest root growth and out-compete weeds and outcompete high maintenance grasses, avoid shallow frequent watering of your lawn. In hotter southern and western climates, periodic watering may be required. Also, in the first year of a newly-planted ultra low maintenance lawn seed during periods of extreme heat or drought, water deeply (1" of water) once per week. Avoid watering during noon to 2 pm - hottest parts of day. Never water before 6 am or after 6 pm to avoid mold.
Mowing: Cut your lawn high with a sharp blade (a dull blade will tear the grass, exposing it to disease). Cut once in June, once in July, optionally once in August (only if it needs it) and once in September. If you never cut it, ultra low maintenance lawn seed leans over and turns into a 4 high meadow. Blow away or rake away fall leaves once a week to not shade lawn too long. Last leave removal, mow fall leaves into lawn .
Overseed Next Seeding Season: (Mid April or Mid September), cut with sharp blade when lawn is dry in stages, 1/3 of grass height at a time, cutting back to 2 tall; rake away clippings and thatch so seeds have good contact with the soil. Overseeding not only looks great but is very important to help out-compete weeds, cover any bald patches, correct erosion/damage and thicken the lawn. Water for a month when over-seeding to thicken lawn
For Weed Control: A thick, healthy lawn, cut with a sharp blade 3, to ideally 3.5 inch tall, that was aerated, with proper pH and a Ό of top-spread organic compost has few weeds! For the first year, lower your expectations a little and expect few weeds. Aerate once per year and heavily over-seed (8 pounds per 1,000 sq ft with Pearls Premium) to help out compete weeds. Then spread corn gluten in the first week of April to selectively prevent broadleaf weeds, along with some optional hand pulling to control weeds. Over-seed again a month later. Ask a local lawn care professional for new, organic weed control techniques.
Remove Thatch (Fall only) steel rake deeply (or rent a de-thatcher for big lawns) to loosen old clippings, thatch, sticks, and above ground roots. Once the heat of summer is well-gone and you're ready for your fall clean-up, you can cut your Pearl's Premium lawn shorter (no less than 2") and bag the clippings to facilitate thatch removal and clean-up.
Enjoy your lush healthy, low maintenance lawn!
Written by: Pearls Premium World's Most Earth Friendly Grass - Mow 1x/Month, 1/4 the Water, No Chemicals, Lowers Carbon Footprint, Stays Green Year Round. 508-653-0800
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