Garden Tips

• Putting the Lawn Sprinkler System to Bed for Winter
• Late Fall & Winter Watering
• Perfect Timing - Fertilizing Lawns
• Color Me Green - Fertilizing Lawns
• Kick Bad Watering Habits
• Invading Grasses Become a Problem in Summer's Heat
• Tiny Pests Cause “Mitey” Big Damage to Turf
• ‘Real Garden Talk.. Real Garden Solutions' from 630 KHOW Gardening with an ALTITUDE
• Seasonal Checklist for Autumn Gardening in Colorado and the Rockies
• Winterizing Your Automatic Lawn Sprinkler and Irrigation Systems
• Goose Grass, Barn Yard Grass, Foxtail, and Crabgrass
• Snow Mold on Cool Season Grasses

Putting the Lawn Sprinkler System to Bed for Winter

Fluctuating temperatures, light freezes, Indian summer, warm days, cold nights, snow and rain mix, thawing, extended dry spells, ad infinitum, are common throughout the Rocky Mountain region. When cold temperatures continue for several days or weeks and the ground begins to freeze, it’s time to “winterize” or shutdown your automatic sprinkler and irrigation systems. This is done to prevent damage to weak underground piping, sprinkler heads, control valves, and the backflow preventer. This will prevent costly damage now and in the future. There are two phases to winterizing your system, fall protection and a full fledged ‘winterization’ when compressed air blows water out of the underground piping and sprinklers.

If you are not knowledgeable about the process and do not have the proper tools and equipment to do-it-yourself, contact a professional who has the know-how and equipment to get the job done correctly.

Phase One – early fall protection allows you to operate your system later into the year which enhances the viability of your lawn and landscape plants. This enhances their ability to survive the winter. Follow these steps to protect your system from early fall fluctuations in temperature.

1. Wrap backflow preventer with a waterproof insulation material. A heat tape may also be used if electrical power is nearby and/or accessible. A heavy blanket or old sleeping bag wrapped around the valves then covered with a heavy duty plastic bag works well, too. Make sure to keep the cloth from getting wet!
2. Place waterproof insulation material in valve boxes.
3. When a temporary severe freeze temperature is forecast, turn water off to backflow preventer and drain.
4. If prolonged freezing temperatures are forecast and your sprinkler system is shallow proceed to Phase Two of winterizing.

Phase Two – winter blowout protects your irrigation system from extreme freeze damage during prolonged freezing temperatures and is recommended for systems with shallow piping and those that don’t have drain valves.

Follow these steps to remove water from your irrigation system using compressed air. The blowout method is not a do-it-yourself project for a novice. If you are not handy or don’t have the knowledge, contact a professional who has the proper equipment and knowledge.

1. Turn off main water supply to the system. It is usually a valve located indoors and connected to the house’s main water supply. If the main shutoff valve to the system is in an exposed outdoor location, it should be insulated to protect it from freezing.
2. Connect the proper size air compressor to the downstream side of the backflow preventer.
3. Use the controller to open (activate) the zone control valve farthest from the point of connection.
4. Start the air compressor and slowly increase pressure.
5. When only air is coming out of the sprinklers, turn off the compressor and shut off (deactivate) the zone control valve.
6. Repeat for each zone valve in the system.
7. Set the controller to rain mode. This will shut down the signals to the valves without losing the controller programming. If you choose to turn off the power to the controller you will need to reprogram the controller in the spring.
8. Drain the backflow preventer by opening the petcocks and open any drains at the point of connection.

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Later Fall & Winter Watering

It is important to water lawns and landscapes during extended dry spells in late fall and winter! Our region is known for fickle weather with frequent warm spells and dry conditions. Have a garden hose and “frog-eye” sprinkler ready to water your lawn and landscape plants as long as the ground remains unfrozen and pay attention to south and west exposures.

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Perfect Timing

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Color Me Green - Fertilizing Lawns

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Kick Bad Watering Habits

In the heat of summer, watering new and established lawns can become a challenge. Turfgrasses that are subjected to a lack of water are quick to show symptoms of stress. Improper watering can lead to dieback and various lawn diseases.

Check your sprinkler system
When was the last time you checked your sprinkler system? Whether you are making plans to install new sod yourself or having a landscaper install it for you, be sure the sprinkler system is working and delivering water properly before the sod is delivered. As soon as you lay out the sod, water must be applied immediately; in fact, you should be drag a hose and frog-eye sprinkler right behind you as the sod is unrolled and laid down. As each area or zone is installed, start watering that zone immediately. The sod cannot wait in hot weather.

The amount of water, not the time set on the clock, is most important for the establishment of the turf.

Water needs to percolate or soak in to a depth of 4-inches, through the sod and into the subsoil. This will allow the roots to grow and knit with the prepared soil.

If grass plants could talk, they would cry out for water
Watch for signs of water stress; your lawn will show signs when water is lacking. Dehydration signs start with the grass blades shrinking and turning a bluish-gray in color. Additionally, a wilting lawn will leave foot prints in the lawn after walking on the turf. Don’t wait for this stage of crunchiness. When the grass blades turn straw colored, the lawn is under severe water stress. The grass may start to go into a dormancy mode to avoid the drought conditions.

You can also use a soil probe such as a long screwdriver to check to see how dry the lawn is. If the probe easily pushes into the soil, it is getting proper moisture. If the probe takes a lot of pressure to insert, it’s time to water and/or adjust the watering system. For more information, see our lawn care news for irrigation recommendations for lawns.

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Invading Grasses Become a Problem in Summer's Heat

As the summer sizzles in record-breaking heat, conditions are ideal for annual grasses to invade both new and old lawns. These annual invaders are what they are, ANNUALS: grasses that grow in one season, produce seed, and die with the first hard frost. They are not persistent perennials, so can easily be dealt with by pre-emergent control in early spring and with proper management practices in the summer.

Where do they come from?
Annual grass seeds are everywhere; in undisturbed soils, open fields, drainage areas, and cracks of sidewalks; seeds are airborne, carried by pets, humans and lawn equipment, and will disperse by other mysterious ways. Once the seeds find their way to lawns and newly sodded lawns, the seeds have ideal conditions to germinate and rear their broadleaf leaves that stand out over the rest of the lawn.

How to Control Annual Grasses:
There are several approaches to managing annual grasses in the home lawn. They include both cultural (non-herbicidal) and chemical (herbicidal) techniques.

In late summer, the best method is cultural or non-herbicide control measures.
Mow as high as practical during the summer months for the particular grass species present in your lawn. Mow bluegrass, tall fescue, fine fescue and ryegrass at 2 ½ to 3 inches during the summer. The seeds of some weeds require high light intensity to germinate. The shaded environment near the soil surface in a high-mown lawn helps deter weed seed germination. In addition, the higher mowing height produces a healthier grass plant. Crabgrass and other annual grassy weeds are much more common and aggressive in lawns that are mowed too short. Avoid ‘scalping’ the turf during any time of the year as this stresses the lawn. Mow often enough so that no more than one-third of the grass blade is removed in a single mowing. Letting grass grow tall and then cutting it back to a low height reduces turf density. This is especially important in the spring, when the grass is growing faster.

If you are finicky about the appearance of your lawn, consider the time-consuming task of hand-digging or pulling the annual grasses as they appear. They are best pulled when the soil is moist since their root system is shallow and plants are typically easily dislodged. Be sure to dispose of these pesky grasses to reduce future dispersal of seeds.

Late application of pre-emergent:
To prevent the late germination of seed that is close to the soil surface, you may elect to apply a pre-emergent. This will control late invasion of annual grasses. Read and follow label directions for application methods and after-care.

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Tiny Pests Cause “Mitey” Big Damage to Turf

If you’ve noticed that your lawn is not responding to normal watering, fertilizing, and mowing practices, remaining brown and dead in large areas, you are not alone.

The past fall and winter was extremely dry and windy, and while we might enjoy the mild weather, we often forget about our lawn grasses.

As we think that the lawn is “sleeping for the winter” and on its own, tiny, yet mighty lawn pests are feeding and sucking out the plant juices from the crowns (growing points). The culprits that thrive during the warm, dry, and windy days are spider mites of turf grasses, including the “red invasion” --- clover mites.

No bigger than the head of a straight pin, heavy populations of grass mites will kill the lawn, leaving behind them large patches of dead, yellow, and brown grass. You might note that the grass is still rooted in well, but does not respond to watering and fertilizer. Other symptoms include a “salt and pepper” flecking on the grass blades, brownish-yellow leaf blade coloration, and a purplish tinge of the infested grass leaf blades.

How To Repair Mite Damage Lawns
While you may have heard to over-seed lawns infested and killed from grass mites, seeding in the spring will not guarantee satisfactory results. Seed planted during hot weather, needs constant attention to ensure germination. Light water applications 4 to 5 times daily ( 5 to 10 minute intervals) per seeded section must be strictly adhered to for grass seed to germinate.

The most reliable and cost-saving way to cope with mite damage is to cut out dead sections and re-sod those areas. Be sure to prepare the soil where the dead grass is removed; add compost and incorporate to a depth of 4-inches. Level or grade the area about 1-inch below the live, existing grass. This will allow for a good match to the existing lawn. Now, you’re ready to install the new sod and begin watering.
Water new sod twice a day; once in the morning and once in the early afternoon. Use a “frog-eye” sprinkler or your automatic sprinkler system. Within 10 to 14 days the grass will be well-rooted and presto, no visible dead sections with weeds.

Preventive Measures
To reduce and prevent mite damage this fall and winter, be sure to do “fall and winter watering” every 2 to 3 weeks during extended dry periods. You don’t have to turn on the sprinkler system, but just use the “frog-eye” sprinkler again, watering each area of the lawn for 5 to 10 minutes. Then disconnect the hose, drain and store inside for future watering. Grass and clover mites do not like moisture and move elsewhere to weeds or die. Homemade soap sprays are also effective as an additional measure to control mites. See page 319 of my book, Month-by-Month Gardening in the Rocky Mountains for homemade remedies.

John Cretti-Rocky Mountain & High Plains Horticulturist

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 ‘Real Garden Talk............... Real Garden Solutions'
from 630 KHOW Gardening with an ALTITUDE

 The key to successful gardens in Colorado and the Rockies is proper soil preparation. To build a healthy soil you will most likely need to add organic amendments. This will help to improve soil structure and drainage. Whether your soil is clay,  sand or crushed granite, add compost, sphagnum peat moss or a combination of both.  A healthy soil is the foundation for a healthy, deep-rooted lawn and landscape plants.

• Take time to do some planning before you plant. Healthy and attractive lawns  just don’t happen. Productive fruit and vegetable gardens, likewise, are a result of good planning. With a good plan you will save time, money and effort.
  
  
• Plant plenty of flowers to brighten the landscape. Whether it’s annuals or perennials, flowers are an investment that give long-lasting gratification. With the right planning, you can have a garden of all-season color using a combination of bulbs, annuals and perennials.
  
  
• As soon as the weather permits in early spring, take time to core-aerate the compacted soil in your lawn. It’s one of the best investments to get your lawn in shape before the heat of summer. Keep the urge to fertilize your lawn dormant. Wait until mid to late April. fast-release, high nitrogen fertilizers early in the season will make lawns more prone to diseases and pests.  Get the roots growing first!
  
  
• Wage war against weeds while they’re still tiny.  You can accomplish this by lightly cultivating in flower and vegetable gardens to expose weed roots to sunlight so they’ll quickly dry out. Bigger weeds can be easily pulled or dug after a good rain or irrigation. Young weeds can be recycled by tossing them into the compost pile. Use mulches to help smother weed growth.
  
  
• Don’t get in a hurry to remove protective mulches. Instead, do this in stages, removing sparingly and slowly over a period of time. Check your perennials and pull winter mulches away to check for new growth on strawberries, emerging spring bulbs, roses and various other plants. Avoid pulling all the mulch away as this is often an open invitation to freeze damage which is so common from late spring frosts.

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“Gardening and Living with an ALTITUDE” with John Cretti on 630 KHOW

Seasonal Checklist for Autumn Gardening in Colorado and the Rockies

Autumn in the Rocky Mountains and High Plains is a season when we start thinking about putting the garden to bed for winter. It’s an old adage that we should not take literally, since plants need your attention year around to survive the fluctuations in temperatures and moisture in the Plains and Mountains. Following are some garden activities to keep in mind to ensure plant survival throughout fall and winter:

* One of the most important tasks is providing your landscape plants including lawns, trees, shrubs and hardy perennials a good, deep drink during open, dry periods. This is particularly important for both established lawns and newly planted lawns and landscape plants. One of the best methods of watering is with a “Frog-eye” (twin-circle sprinkler). Set the sprinkler(s) and allow to run 20 to 30 minutes; then move to another spot and repeat the process. Apply water early in the day when temperatures are warm as this allows the water to percolate deep into the soil.

* Soil improvement is an important chore in getting the garden ready for winter. One method is to collect clean, disease-free garden debris from the landscape including fallen leaves and grass clippings and spade or rototill these materials directly into the garden. This process is called ‘composting in place’. This will help to hold the soil open in fall and winter, allowing deeper penetration of moisture while preventing crusting and gradually improving soil structure.

* Prepare to plant spring-flowering bulbs such as tulips, narcissus, crocus and hyacinths in late September through November. When you purchase bulbs, look for quality, not price. Bulbs will vary in size according to their type, but it is always best to choose the larger bulbs available. Bulb size correlates to the size of the flower next spring. Avoid bulbs that are bruised, or those that have soft spots and signs of gray mold. Since bulbs are a long-term landscape investment, they deserve good quality soil conditions. Improve soil with organic matter as needed to make sure the soil is well drained. Once planted, water the bulb bed well and periodically throughout the fall, particularly during dry spells which often occur in the autumn.

* While fall planting bulbs for spring, plant a few in clay pots for winter blooms too! Set the potted bulbs in the coldframe or in a trench near the house or other protected place. The bulbs will begin to develop roots and get the required chilling. Bring them into a cool room starting in mid-January. Flowers should begin to unfurl during February and early March.

* Keep leftover seeds stored properly. A simple way to do this is keeping seed packets in plastic containers with lids that tightly seal. A desiccant or drying agent (such as silica gel) can be placed in the bottom of the storage container. If silica gel isn’t available, non-fat powdered milk, wrapped in porous paper, will work as a good desiccant. Keep the tightly closed containers in a cool, frost-free place.

* Recycle harvest wastes by putting them in the compost pile. As you freeze and can fruits and vegetables, you end up with lots of peelings, pulp and seeds. This kitchen waste will be great for composting as it will help to generate heat quickly and are utilized by the microorganisms of decomposition. The one exception are the seeds, which you may think would be killed by the heat. Many seeds remain viable and will germinate atop the compost in spring, but can be turned into the compost when you mix the pile.

* Don’t prune rose bushes back severely in late fall and winter. Pruning now will leave cut ends that will dry out and die back even further during open winter conditions. It’s not time to put on winter mulches until the soil freezes. You can, however, stockpile loose topsoil to place around the graft union when the time is right.

* Give the water garden daily care. Clip and pull each lily pad as it yellows or matures. Water temperatures are lowering and water plants are beginning to go dormant. If allowed to rot, plant debris will form black slime or “goop” on the bottom of the pond that emits a harmful gas that can kill your fish and snails.

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Winterizing Your Automatic Lawn Sprinkler and Irrigation Systems
Richard Hanlen – Scien-Turf-ic

Fluctuating temperatures --- light freezes, warming and thawing, hard freezes, prolonged warm days, ad infinitum,  are common throughout the Rocky Mountain region. When cold temperatures continue for several days or weeks and the ground begins to freeze, it’s time “winterize” or shutdown your automatic sprinkler and irrigation systems. This will prevent costly damage now and in the future. There are two phases to winterizing your system, early fall protection and winter blowout.

If you are not equipped to do-it-yourself, contact a professional who has the know-how and equipment to get the job done correctly.

Phase One – early fall protection allows you to operate your system later into the year which enhances the viability of your lawn and landscape plants. This enhances their ability to survive the winter. Follow these steps to protect your system from early fall fluctuations in temperature.

1. Wrap backflow preventer with a waterproof and insulation material. A heat tape may also be used is electrical power is nearby and/or accessible.
2. Place insulation material in valve boxes.
3. When a temporary severe freeze temperature is forecast, turn water off to backflow preventer and drain.
4. If prolonged  freezing temperatures are forecast proceed to Phase Two of winterizing.

Phase Two – winter blowout protects your system from freeze damage during prolong freezing temperatures.
Follow these steps to remove water from your irrigation system using compressed air.

1. Turn off main water supply to the system. It is usually valve located indoors and connected to the houses main water supply. If the main shutoff valve to the system is in an exposed outdoor location, it should be insulated to protect it from freezing.
2. Connect the proper size air compressor to the downstream side of the backflow preventer.
3. Use the controller to open (activate) the zone control valve farthest from the point of connection.
   
4. Start the air compressor and slowly increase pressure.
   
5. When only air is coming out of the sprinklers, turn off the compressor and shut off (deactivate) the zone                control valve.
   
6. Repeat for each zone valve in the system.
   
7. Set the controller to rain mode.This will shut down the signals to the valves without losing the controller programming. If you choose to turn off the power to the controller you will need to reprogram the controller in the spring.
   
8. Drain the backflow preventer by opening the petcocks and open any drains at the point of connection.

Winterizing your automatic lawn sprinkler and drip irrigation systems is worth your time and effort. It will save you headaches and money, now and in the future.

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Snow Mold on Cool Season Grasses

By John Cretti-Rocky Mountain & High Plains Horticulturist/Scien-Turf-ic

Drifts of snow are gradually melting as warmer temperatures and longer days return to the region. The garden will soon spring back to life. As the snow recedes you may eventually discover some side effects, some good, and some bad.

Turf grasses are very prone to diseases when the snow persists for days on end. Snow mold on grasses is common with melting snow, cold, and wet periods.  It will attack the weaker grasses that have little or no disease resistance.  Gray snow mold and Pink Snow Mold can be found throughout lawns and may occur singly or side-by-side.  Patches of snow mold will show up as roughly circular bleached areas up to 24 inches in diameter. In my yard, it was very apparent with the whitish thread-like mycelium of the fungus in patches where the snow was receding.

If you do see signs of snow mold in the lawn, don’t be too alarmed. This lawn disease will subside as the lawn dries out with warmer, sunny weather. In most healthy lawns planted on well-prepared soil, these areas infected with snow mold will come back to life.  You can help to speed up the recovery by lightly raking the matted turf. This will increase air circulation around the grass plants and allow the grass to grow and fill in. As soon as the soil begins to thaw out, it is a good idea to core-aerate the lawn to encourage root and rhizome growth.

If your lawn is older and thins out from a severe infection of snow mold, it will be necessary to replace the turf in those areas. You can either re-seed with disease resistant lawn grasses or for more immediate results, cut out the dead areas and re-sod with disease resistant sod. Scien-Turf-ic sod is a revolutionary blend of disease-resistant grasses.

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