Dealing with brown spots in your lawn, controlling crabgrass and other spring lawncare tips

In terms of fertilizing, frequency depends on the quality of the desired turf. Turf requires around one to two pounds of nitrogen a season for optimal growth. Applications of fertilizer are usually spread out over the season, from four to six times.

Turf will grow without fertilizer, but may be thinner; turf grown with adequate fertilizer will be thicker and will crowd out unwanted weeds. It’s your decision on the quality of turf.

Weed control at this time of year focuses on preventing crabgrass. Thin turf is perfect for crabgrass to thrive. Thicker turf crowds out crabgrass seedlings. Crabgrass herbicides prevent it from growing.

Crabgrass germinates when soil temperatures consistently reach 55-65 degrees at a two-inch soil depth. Soil temperatures in northern Miami Valley at a depth of two inches are around 50 degrees; therefore, it’s still too early to apply most DIY crabgrass control products.

The closer you apply the product to the germination of crabgrass, the longer it lasts in the season. We typically get a second germination of crabgrass in August. If this is a problem, some turf experts recommend applying the labeled amount now and then half of the labeled amount in eight weeks.

Don’t worry about controlling dandelions and other broadleaf weeds now. The best time to control dandelions is after they finish blooming and are at the puffball or shoe fairy stage, as my grandson calls them. The honeybees can make good use of the blooms, and then you can eliminate them.

Another noticeable weed in a quality turfgrass lawn is a perennial grassy weed called nimblewill. This wiry-like grassy weed is still somewhat brown in my area, but may have greened up in the southern part of the valley.

Credit: CONTRIBUTED/Pam Corle-

Credit: CONTRIBUTED/Pam Corle-

Once nimblewill gets a footing, it takes off, especially in thin turf areas. It’s the last one to green up in the spring and the first to go brown in the fall. It is quite noticeable in the early spring.

This is a challenge to control as it spreads by stolons (stems) and forms mats that eventually spread. Cultural practices such as mowing height, increasing the vigor of the desired turf, and overseeding may prevent it from getting a foothold.

Otherwise, chemical control with a product such as glyphosate (kills all green tissue) is effective. However, this should be applied once nimblewill is green for the herbicide to be absorbed into the roots. The area can be reseeded after about 10 days according to the label.

Other products work on nimblewill, but these should be applied by a professional applicator. They are expensive and sometimes difficult for a homeowner to use properly.

In terms of mowing, mowing high allows the roots to develop so that they make it through a dry spell. Continual scalping of the lawn leads to a shallow root structure. Most Ohio turfgrasses are cool season, thus require a height of 2.5 to 3.5 inches.