Simple Tests to Check the Health of Your Lawn
Is it time to give your lawn a check-up?
There are several easy tests that will give you greater insight into the health of your lawn. They will help you diagnose problems you already have, as well as give you a heads up when things may be tilting in the wrong direction. So grab some simple tools and let's hit the turf!
Insect Invasion Check-up
If you think you have an insect pest problem in your lawn, get down to their level and check what's going on. One approach is to take a metal coffee can with both its top and bottom removed (any similar can will do) and push the bottom edge of the can into the soil about two inches. Fill the can half way with water and add more to keep it half full as you wait for about five minutes. Any bugs in the lawn sample will rise to the surface. This technique is particularly good for finding cinch bugs.
Another water-bug test involves washing them out with a gallon of water mixed with a tablespoon of dish soap. This concoction won't damage your turf, but it will irritate bugs enough to flush them out to the top of your lawn. Pour the water over a suspected problem area that is no more than two square feet. This test is especially good for flushing out armyworms, cutworms, mole crickets and sod webworms.
Soil Test
This simple test is a "must-do" whenever you suspect a lawn problem. It can detect: the need to aerate, the need to dethatch and the overall health of the turf. For this test, you will need a shovel - one with a narrow square tip is ideal but a pointed shovel is fine. Dig in where your lawn is showing some signs of distress or simply not growing as well as it should. You want to remove a wedge of soiI about three-to-four inches deep (you'll replace it when you're through).
You Need to Aerate When:
If you can't even get the shovel in the turf without jumping on it, stop right there and rent an aerator. Your soil is compacted. This is particularly common with clay-type soils, but compaction can happen over time with any soil type - especially in areas that receive heavy foot traffic.
If you can dig in, remove the soil wedge and take a look. Compacted soil will be dense and won't easily fall apart when you rub it between your fingers. What do the roots of your lawn look like? Grass roots that are short and stubby can be another sign of compacted soil. If you see these symptoms, aerate this spring.
Soil layering can also be diagnosed with this test. This problem is most common in the yards of newly constructed homes, where top soil is stripped away for construction then soil is added back before the sod is put down. If you have a sod lawn that isn't thriving, suspect soil layering. You will be able to see distinct layers of the different textured soils in your sample. Aeration will help blend the layers, allowing water, nutrients and oxygen to reach the roots of your lawn.
Thatch a Problem?
This same test will tell you when it is time to dethatch your lawn. Thatch is the dead grass layer that appears at the soil surface of your lawn. Keep in mind that a healthy layer of thatch is a good thing. You only have to dethatch when the layer is more than a half-inch thick.
When you dethatch your lawn will depend on the type of lawn you have. The best time to dethatch cool-season grasses (northern U.S.) is late summer or early fall. For warm season grasses (in the South), late spring is best.
How Sharp is your Mower Blade?
After you mow your lawn, take a look at the grass the next day. The top of the grass should show a clean cut. If the tops of the grass blades are ragged, you will need to have your mower blade sharpened. A dull blade tears the lawn rather than cutting it, opening the possibility for pests and disease to take hold.
Doing these simple tests will help you diagnose lawn problems and catch them before small issues become big ones.
