Turf-Grass

Turf-grass in the home landscape is most likely the plants that take up more space than any other plant. Turf-grasses for homeowners in Utah must be tolerant of wear, compaction and have good mending qualities when injured. A blend of Kentucky bluegrass is a good choice. If your lawn is in predominately heavy shade red fescue would be an alternative. Kentucky bluegrass is a cool season grass that can with stand the changing temperatures during the year where freezing temperatures exist in the winter.
Watering

1. Most turf-grasses in Utah are over watered. Most water too frequently and not long enough. In mid-summer turf-grass needs about two inches of water a week, and only ½ - 1 inch in the fall and spring. Wet the soil to a depth of about 8–10 inches.
2. Watering too frequently and not long enough will encourage shallow rooting and result in a lawn that needs more frequent watering. Water applied deeper than 10 inches is beyond the reach of most grass roots, especially in sandy soils.
3. Check water penetration by probing the soil with a stiff wire or long screwdriver. The probe will pass easily through wet soil and become more difficult to push when it reaches dry soil.
4. I recommend watering once or twice weekly depending on the temperature. If your lawn will not go four or five days in mid-summer with out requiring water, increase the duration of each watering. I water for up to one hour at each station. If you do this the roots of the turf will go deeper which will allow you to water less frequently. Adjust your watering schedule with the seasons and apply less water in cooler months.
5. Check your automatic system often, and fix or adjust sprinklers as necessary. Water during cooler parts of the day when evaporation is less, early morning is best. Plan your watering and mower times and days so that you water within twelve hours of when the lawn is cut.

Mowieng

1. Increasing the mower height to the proper setting can reduce the amount of water needed up to one-third. I recommend that you cut your lawn two to three inches long. I set my mower to the highest setting available. Raising the mower height will reduce the water you need, reduce the weeds in your lawn and prevents the compaction of the soil.
2. You should mow your lawn often enough so that you only remove one-fourth to one-third of the blade at a time.
3. Dull mower blades can leave shredded cut ends which will leave the lawn with a yellow or brown appearance. Mowers need to be sharpened frequently. Rotary mowers bi-monthly and reel mowers annually.

Fertilizing

1. Fertilizing a lawn maintains a dense, beautiful green stand of turf-grass more resistant to weeds, insects, more tolerant to heat, cold, drought and wear.
2. Fertilizers need to be applied three times a year. I recommend applications on holidays, Memorial Day, Labor Day and Halloween, with Halloween being the most important.
3. I would recommend that you do not use weed and feed type fertilizers. The best and most economical is to use ammonium sulfate (21-0-0), ammonium nitrate (34-0-0) or a slow release fertilizer such as sulfur-coated úrea.
4. Caution! Ammonium nitrate can burn your lawn if the temperatures are above 80 degrees Fahrenheit. Use the amount recommended on the label, however less than recommended amounts can be applied with adequate results. Never use more than the recommended amount.
5. Fertilize adequately, three times a year; spring(Memorila Day), late summer(Labor Day) and late fall (Halloween).
6. Aeration of your turf-grass needs to be done once or twice a year; spring and fall are the best times.

Weed Prevention

1. Weed prevention in the lawn is best controlled by, raising your mower height to 2-3 inches, adequate fertilization, watering properly and removing the weeds when they are small.
2. Low growing weeds can be controlled by pulling.
3. Chemical weed control can be accomplished by using preemergent herbicides, selective herbicides and non-selective herbicides.
4. Preemegents need to be applied before the weed seeds germinate. They are the best control for grab grass. They kill the weeds as they are germinating.
5. Selective herbicides are used to selectively kill broad leaf weeds, or weeds that are not grasses. These herbicides take up to two weeks before you see any visual effects.
6. Caution! These should only be used when the temperatures do not get above 75 degrees Fahrenheit for forty eight hours after the herbicide is applied.
7. Non-selective herbicides kill all treated plants. These herbicides are used to treating foreign grasses in the turf. They kill all treated plants so reseeding or re-soding may need to take place after the unwanted grass has been effectively treated. These herbicides take from 5 – 21 days before visual effects can be seen.
   

Insect Damage

1. Insect damage can be prevented by frequent inspection of the turf-grass. Insect damage is generally localized to small areas of the lawn. As the ground temperatures warm in the spring insect damage may be detected near driveways or sidewalks as they are the first to warm.
2. Most insects can be controlled by using a granular or liquid application of the insecticide.
   

1. Disease in lawns in Utah is very low because of the low humidity and high temperatures. The major decease in Utah turf-grass is leaf spot with a small amount of snow mold. Leaf spot can be prevented in Utah by using good cultural practices. Minimize the amount of shade by thinning out tree branches, cut the grass longer, loosen compacted soils by aeration and prevent the grass from becoming dry during the spring. Leaf spot is not localized like insect damage, but will cover the entire lawn; it is spread by the wind.
2. Snow mold can be controlled by not letting the lawn go into the winter long, by racking the area to let the ground dry out in the spring.
3. Weeds, insect damage and disease damage can all be minimized by good cultural practices. Cut your lawn 2-3 inches long. Water your lawn deep and infrequently.