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Fall is a Great Time for Aeration and Overseeding

Jealous of your neighbor’s lush and verdant lawn? The secret behind a fantastic-looking property is aeration and overseeding in tandem with a comprehensive maintenance plan. Aeration and overseeding is a two-step process designed to de-stress lawns, encourage root development, and promote new growth. The following is a more detailed look at these two essential processes and why the fall is an excellent time to complete these yard tasks.

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Why Fall is Ideal for Aeration & Overseeding

The reasons to aerate and overseed your lawn during the fall are plenty. Cool nights and short, mild fall days provide the ideal conditions for grass seed germination. Other benefits include increased lawn density and slower-growing turfgrass.

Temperature

When thinking about fall aeration, the temperature is often a significant concern. The ideal temperature for aeration is in the 60s.

As for overseeding, cool temperatures have another benefit: less chance of disease problems in newly seeded areas. 

Cooler soil temperatures mean slower growth rates. So your new grass seedlings are less likely to become infected by diseases like brown patch. In addition, the cooler air temperatures equate to warmer soil temperatures in which seeds are better able to retain moisture and thrive once their roots take hold.

hole in grassy earth from aeration and overseeding | Burkholder Brothers Landscaping
picture of soil and grass layers | aeration and overseeding | Burkholder Brothers Landscaping

Overseeding Increases Lawn Density

Whether your lawn is bare or thin, overseeding is one of the best ways to spruce up your yard.

  • Fill in bare spots: If you have bald patches on your yard, overseeding can make them look lush again by seeding them with an appropriate blend of grasses.
  • Fill in thin spots: If areas of the yard have sparse grass coverage, you can fill those spots by overseeding.
  • Add height: Lawns that receive heavy foot traffic lose their density quickly due to compaction, which a combination of aeration and overseeding alleviates.

Turf Growth Slows Down

While laying turfgrass seed in the fall may seem counterintuitive, there are several advantages to seeding at this time. First, because of cooler temperatures and shorter days, turf growth slows significantly during fall.

As a result, the newly seeded grass can properly compete for nutrients and water supplies that established turfgrasses would otherwise use.

In addition to allowing the new seed a good chance to compete with established turf, the fall also acts as natural weed control. The cool soil of the fall helps prevent weed seeds from germinating while your new lawn takes root and establishes itself.

The Aeration and Overseeding Process

Aeration is a way to de-stress lawns that have become compacted over the long, hot, and active summer days. Aerating does so by perforating your property with many tiny holes that allow air, water, and other nutrients to penetrate straight to your lawn’s root systems. In return, the grass root zone will be better able to extend more deeply and produce a more robust and vibrant above-ground look. In addition, loosening up your lawn’s compacted soil results in encouraging root development and creating an overall grass-growing environment.

Other advantages of the aeration process include:

  • Improved fertilizer uptake and use by your soil and plants
  • Improved water uptake and use by your soil and plants
  • Increased activity of soil microorganisms that are essential in soil decomposition processes
  • Enhanced infiltration of rainfall and human irrigation techniques
  • Increased oxygen movement between your soil and the atmosphere
  • Reduced risk of fertilizer and pesticide run-off that occurs from overly compacted ground

Proper aeration is also vital in setting up your lawn for overseeding. Overseeding involves planting new seeds over the top of current yards, whether they are bare, thinning, or appear normal. When done promptly after aerating your soil, the seeds can fall neatly into the holes left behind by the aeration machines and have ample space to germinate and thrive. After overseeding, professional lawn care technicians work to ensure excess seeds fall into the open aeration holes. This process is excellent for improving the density of your grass and enhancing its overall color.

Burkholder Landscaping Offers Professional Results from Aeration and Overseeding

With over 25 years of landscaping experience, Burkholder Landscaping knows how to make your lawn and landscape thrive. We have a team of highly experienced and knowledgeable lawn care professionals. Our aeration and overseeding service in the fall, followed by one of our comprehensive landscape maintenance packages, will ensure you can enjoy that beautiful lush dream yard! Contact us today for a consultation and more information about our lawn care services!

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5 Common Summer Turf Issues

Do you see the same issues with your lawn every summer, such as brown grass, patches of dirt, and a whole lot of insects? You and countless other homeowners deal with these summer turf issues that happen like clockwork and lead to more work. A well-maintained, lush lawn is the pride of any homeowner, especially during the summer months when outdoor activities are in full swing. However, these problems get in the way of achieving that. So we have gathered a list of 5 common issues your yard faces every summer, what causes them, and what you can do to resolve or prevent them.

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1. Brown Patches

Brown patches are circular areas of dead grass that can appear during high heat and low humidity periods. These brown patches of grass can be the result of drought stress. Drought can be a significant issue during summer and early fall. Other issues that occur during droughts are turf wilting, thinning, and firmly rooted grass stalks.

To prevent brown patches, ensure proper drainage with deep watering and core aeration. Deep watering can alleviate stress from summer drought, which is easy to do with an irrigation system that provides consistent water. Core aeration (removing small plugs of soil and thatch to allow deep penetration of nutrients, air, and water) and fertilization can also help mitigate drought stress.

2. Thatch

Thatch is a layer of dead grass, roots, and other organic matter that accumulates around the base of grass plants on the soil surface. A thin layer of thatch (less than 1/2 inch) can be beneficial, acting as an organic mulch to help retain moisture and insulate the soil. However, excessive thatch can have negative effects on your lawn. The results are brown patches or spots and a “spongy” feeling when you walk across your yard. In

hole in grassy earth from aeration and overseeding l| Burkholder Brothers Landscaping

addition, thatch can repel water or invite fungal diseases depending on the dryness of the thatch layer.

Soil correction that targets the lawn’s pH balance will help control thatch, and aerating will help break up particularly thick layers of thatch.

3. Insects

If you like to spend time outdoors, you will know that many insects come out in hot weather seasons and can cause issues for your lawn. Insects such as grubs, chinch bugs, and sod webworms can cause significant damage to your lawn by feeding on grass roots and blades. For example, root-munching insects like white grubs can cause the grass to turn yellow and attract other animals like raccoons and skunks to dig up your property. Other insects like sod webworms eat grass blades, which causes lawn patches to be cut too close to the ground.

With so many other insects that can cause problems, the best solution is to contact a landscape or plant health care professional to inspect your lawn and devise a lawn care solution for whatever insects are currently affecting your property. These plant health care professionals can monitor your lawn for signs of insect activity and apply appropriate insecticides when necessary. Beneficial nematodes can be used as an eco-friendly alternative to chemical insecticides.

Spotted lanternfly on plant | summer turf issues | Burkholder Plant Health Care

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4. Diseases & Molds

Along with insects, diseases, and mold can cause significant problems for your lawn. In summer, many lawn diseases attack and can be highly effective due to the turf and plant life being stressed and weakened from drought or other afflictions. These diseases often occur when lawns are stressed due to poor soil conditions, inadequate watering, or improper mowing practices. Some common fungal infections in summer include dollar spot, red thread, and pythium blight. Infections also arise from consistent watering after dark and mowing with a dull blade that tears grass, creating more openings for diseases to infect the turf.

The best way to resolve insects is to meet with a landscape professional to evaluate your lawn and determine the best course of action. Some treatments may include proper lawn care practices, such as regular mowing, proper fertilization, and adequate watering. Others may require a fungicide designed for the disease affecting your lawn.

5. Bare Spots & Thin Lawn

Bare spots and a thin lawn are familiar sights during summer and early fall. Spots in your yard with little turf and exposed dirt can be caused by excessive foot traffic, poor soil conditions, grub infestation, fungal disease, and more. A thin lawn may result from soil compaction, improper watering or mowing, or insufficient fertilizer. Each of these summer turf issues has a different solution:

  • If you have a thin lawn, aerate and overseed.
  • If your yard has bare spots, fill up the areas by reseeding.

Both of these actions will help bring a thicker, more vibrant look to your grass.

Contact Burkholder Brothers for Turf Care Services & to Resolve Summer Turf Issues

Is your yard suffering from any of these summer turf issues? If so, contact Burkholder Brothers. We have a team of passionate, knowledgeable, certified landscape professionals, each of whom has years of experience in turf care. Our team offers many different turf care services to address your needs. For more information on our services, request a free consultation today.

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Turf Maintenance and Spring Landscape Checklist

Spring is here! When the snow melts, and the sun shines its soft, bright light on our Pennsylvania landscapes, we want them to look their best! However, those green, manicured lawns and brightly colored planting beds require planning and nurturing. Burkholder offers some tips for turf and lawn care maintenance and a spring turf care checklist to get your spring and summer landscape off to a great start.

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What is Turf Maintenance?

Turf maintenance encompasses all of the soil preparation, such as aeration, fertilization, seeding and watering that takes place to jumpstart a lush green lawn. Some aspects of turf maintenance include:

Soil Testing and Correction

One of the first steps to spring turf care is soil testing. A turf care professional would conduct a soil test to determine the pH level, nutrient content, and soil structure. This information helps to determine what type of fertilizer and soil amendments are needed to produce or maintain a healthy lawn.

After receiving the soil test results, your turf care expert would take steps to improve the soil quality. These include adding lime or sulfur to adjust the pH level, adding organic matter to improve soil structure, and applying the appropriate fertilizer.

section of soil showing layers - Spring Turf Care Checklist - Burkholder Landscape
lush manicured grass in front yard of home - Spring Turf Care Checklist - Burkholder Landscape

Lawn Seeding/Overseeding

Lawn seeding is the process of seeding bare ground. Overseeding is the process of adding seeds to sparse areas of lawn, or even to healthy lawns to thicken the existing grass. Soil or lawns that have been prepared by aeration will see the best results. Using quality grass seeds and fertilizer also optimizes positive growth.

Using the right type of grass seed is crucial for a healthy lawn. Various types of grass seeds are available, each suited for particular environments. For example, cool-season grasses are ideal for Pennsylvania residents because of our cold winters. When choosing grass seed, we consider sun exposure, soil type, and foot traffic. A turf care expert can help you choose the right seed for your lawn.

Lawn Aeration

Aeration can be performed using two basic methods, spike or core aeration. Core aeration is more effective than spike aeration because the aerator pulls plugs of soil out of the lawn, allowing better water, fertilizer, and seed penetration. Annual aeration benefits your lawn’s overall well-being because compaction is reduced, and roots have more space to spread out. Grass seeds are also better protected from blowing or washing away when sheltered in the holes left by plugs.

Pre-Emergent Weed Control

Pre-emergent weed control should be essential to your spring turf care checklist. Rather than removing any weeds that pop up, this treatment helps prevent weeds from germinating and taking over your lawn in the first place. A landscaping professional would apply pre-emergent weed control early in the spring before the weeds have a chance to grow.

Sprinklers in front yard landscaping - Spring Turf Care Checklist- Burkholder Landscape

Irrigation

Another crucial part of any spring turf care checklist is ensuring your lawn receives proper watering. Water your lawn deeply and infrequently rather than shallowly and frequently. This promotes deep-root growth and helps to prevent disease.

A smart irrigation system can help ensure your yard is properly watered. If you have an irrigation system, ensure the heads are intact and set proper watering intervals. In addition, ensure that the sprinkler elements are free of overgrown plant life.

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Lawn and Vegetation Control

The best lawns in the neighborhood are well-maintained lawns. Maintenance means keeping the grass mown, the beds weeded and trimmed, shrubs pruned, and seasonal flowers planted and fertilized. High quality timed-release fertilizers are best because they remain in the soil longer.

Choosing the right fertilizer for your lawn is important for healthy growth. Factors to consider when selecting a fertilizer include soil type, grass type, and nutrient deficiencies. High-quality timed-release fertilizers are best because they remain in the soil longer.

Also, apply fertilizer where needed for plants, trees, and shrubs. If someone applies too much fertilizer to their yard, they risk burning the grass and causing damage to the lawn.

Pest Control and Plant Health Care (PHC)

Plant life attracts pests. Plant health care includes treating or removing diseased plants as well as watching for and treating any pests that negatively impact your landscape. You will want to be sure that beneficial insects remain and that the products and methods used to care for your landscape are the right ones.

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Spring Landscape Checklist

Now that you know a little more about turf maintenance, what do you need to do for your spring landscape to make sure your yard is on the “Best Looking Lawns” list when onlookers compare? Burkholder offers a checklist of general landscape and turf care actions to take.

Landscaping backyard turf, plan your 2020 backyard paradise, Burkholder

Yard Maintenance

  • Make sure mowing equipment is in good shape to avoid damaging your grass or other plant life.
  • Weed and remove dead or diseased plants and fallen leaves from your beds.
  • Edge plant beds and walkways.
  • Apply weed control and fertilizer where needed for plants, trees and shrubs.
  • Add hard wood bark mulch to plant beds and around trees and shrubs.
  • Dispose of grass clippings and shrub trimmings so that grass growth is unimpeded.
  • Have trees and shrubs pruned and trimmed for safety and aesthetics.
  • Clean and seal natural stone walkways and patios so they maintain their beauty and functionality.

Irrigation and Lighting

  • Make sure that your irrigation system heads are intact and set proper watering intervals.
  • Check that lighting fixtures are clean and that bulbs are all working.
  • Ensure that all sprinkler and lighting elements are free of overgrown plant life.

Cap and Under Cap Outdoor Lighting Options | Burkholder Landscape

Call Burkholder for Turf Maintenance and Seasonal Lawn Maintenance Care

We all want our lawns to be beautiful and well-maintained, but many homeowners lack time to cultivate the look they want. Professional maintenance with a spring turf care checklist is one way to ensure a beautiful landscape. Burkholder provides skilled and comprehensive grounds and turf maintenance for residents and business owners in the Main Line communities of Pennsylvania. For a consultation about the lawn care services you need, contact us today and get your lawn ready for summer!

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4 Elements of Professional Turf Care to Help Your Lawn

Everyone will attest to the beauty of a well-cared-for, healthy lawn in a landscape. And while homeowners know the general principles for maintaining a lawn, professional turf care can elevate a lawn from okay to excellent with carefully customized lawn treatment programs.

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4 Elements of Professional Turf Care

The process of turf care is a combination of science and art. As professionals, we are familiar with the scientific aspects of turf care, and we apply the principles through practical knowledge of the art of turf grass management. Today, Burkholder discusses some elements of professional turf care that can improve your lawn’s condition, aesthetics, and value.

1. Irrigation

One of the significant elements of professional turf care is installing a smart irrigation system to keep a lawn watered properly. Homeowners often take care of watering their trees and plants, but yards are too large for homeowners to ensure the correct amount of water to all areas. For best results, a landscape professional will advise the installation of an irrigation system.

Pennsylvania summers can scorch and dry up grass. Maintaining the right soil saturation across a landscape is another factor of keeping a lawn healthy, along with watering at the right time of day consistently. A landscape professional working on lawn and turf care will understand all of these factors and can design an automatic sprinkler irrigation system to save money, water, and hassle.

2. Mowing and Fertilizing

Irrigation sprinkler in flower bed | professional turf care | Burkholder Landscape

Mowing reduces the work required by the lawn’s root system, and a freshly mowed lawn greatly increases curb appeal. In addition to watering and mowing, other tasks are performed regularly by professional turf and lawn care specialists.

Lawn fertilizing is one of those tasks. The frequency, rate and timing of fertilization depend on the species being grown, site conditions (e.g., sun or shade), and other factors such as soil type and pH (acidity or alkalinity). Fertilization increases the amount of nutrients in the soil. These nutrients, such as nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium, provide numerous benefits. For example, nitrogen is a very beneficial element to add to the grass, helping the lawn recover from environmental stresses, sustaining plant health, and assisting in the production of genetic material that allows plants to grow and reproduce.

Front view of house and lawn | professional turf care | Burkholder Landscape

3. Weeds and Pest Control

Another significant component of professional lawn and turf care programs is the removal and management of unwanted aspects, such as weeds and pests. Removing weeds is effective, but prevention is a weed control focus among landscape professionals. Pulling out unsightly weeds can be the first step, but professionals may use more extensive solutions such as herbicide and other treatments.

Pest control is another essential piece of good lawn care. While some pests can be annoying, others can cause damage to plants and a landscape, especially ones with gardens. Landscapers have a number of pest control solutions, and the best solutions are those that effectively control pests while maintaining the health of the turf.

4. Plant Health Care and Maintenance

Good turf care is an ongoing, long-term process. That process requires ensuring that your turf and soil get the right amount of nutrients. One way to keep your lawn healthy is to aerate periodically. Aeration involves perforating the soil with small holes to allow air, water, and nutrients to penetrate lawn thatch. As a result, grass roots grow deeper and produce a healthier lawn.

The ultimate goal of a professional lawn care company is to keep the entire ecosystem of a lawn healthy. and the payoff of a beautiful, lush yard is more than worth the effort.

Contact Burkholder for Professional Turf Care Today

Burkholder Brothers has been serving Main Line communities for decades, providing a wide range of landscaping services. Our landscapers and designers have years of experience helping many homeowners turn their lawns into beautiful, vibrant landscapes. To see how our professional turf care can help your lawn, contact us today for a consultation.

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Fall Lawn Care Tips for 2021

The hot weather of summer has given way to the cooler temperatures of fall. And with fall comes time to keep your lawn maintained and prepared for winter. Homeowners have options for maintaining their lawns, and professional lawn care can elevate a lawn’s appearance and health to another level. Here are a few fall lawn care tips to help prepare your property for winter.

4 Fall Lawn Care Tips

Burkholder’s team members are landscape experts at lawn care and offer 4 recommendations for keeping your lawn in shape throughout the cold season and for enjoying your outdoor space.

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1. Schedule Winterization

A major fall lawn care tip is to schedule winterization for your property, especially if you have a sprinkler or irrigation system. Winterization is important to keep your lawn, irrigation system, and other areas of your property healthy and functional by the time snow start falling. For irrigation systems, you want to schedule winterization in mid to late fall, before December. On an important note, you should get your irrigation system winterized before you experience several days of freezing temperatures (below 32 degrees Fahrenheit.) When temperatures are below freezing, the water in your irrigation lines can freeze, expand, and damage your sprinkler system.

Get your lawn winterized during the same timeframe: around late November to early December. Winter lawn fertilizer strengthens the roots and helps the grass survive cold weather. A winter lawn treatment keeps your turf strong and green through the fall and ready to perk up again once spring arrives. How your lawn should be winterized can depend on what grass type you have, so reach out to a landscape professional to determine the best winterization plan for your property.

Backyard of house | fall lawn care tips | Burkholder Brothers

2. Have Trees and Shrubs Mulched

Mulch keeps plants insulated, keeping soil cooler during summer and warmer during winter. In addition to protecting plants from extreme temperatures, mulch helps soil retain water and prevents weed growth. If you have trees on your property, you can even use fallen leaves as mulch. A landscape professional can ensure that your plants have proper mulching to protect them during the upcoming cold weather.

3. Trim Shrubs

Getting your shrubs trimmed in the fall will help prepare them for winter. All of the dead, damaged, or otherwise unwanted branches should be cut during fall so that the shrubs can maintain their shape in springtime. For certain species, trimming shrubs during the fall can even prevent the spread of diseases since the shrubs will have more energy to use on healing rather than growing new stems or branches.

Firepit in landscape at night | fall lawn care tips | Burkholder Brothers

4. Make Your Lawn a Gathering Place

No list of fall lawn care tips would be complete without mentioning how to make your landscape hospitable for family and friends to gather during the cool months as well as all year long.

Have a Custom Firepit or Fireplace Added

A firepit makes a great addition to a backyard if you want to enjoy cool autumn nights outside with friends and family. Firepits are often the centers of attention and make great spots to gather and enjoy others’ company. The heat from the fire makes outdoor gathering in winter temperatures feasible, and seating such as chairs or benches can help accommodate large groups. You can even incorporate other features such as tables for fireside dinners or a speaker system for more entertainment options. Firepits can use propane, natural gas, or be wood burning.

Install Outdoor Lighting

Outdoor lighting is popular as a safety measure, but lighting also creates the opportunity to enjoy your outdoor space even when the days get shorter. Different types of lighting create different atmospheres as well. An outdoor lighting designer can help you decide what types would meet your needs.

Contact Burkholder Brothers for Fall Lawn Care Tips & Services

Do you want to ensure your lawn is as healthy and beautiful as ever this fall? If so, contact Burkholder. Burkholder Brothers Landscape has been designing and maintaining beautiful landscapes for Main Line residents for decades. We have a team of highly experienced and qualified landscape professionals to keep your lawn vibrant, healthy, and valuable. In addition, our account managers will work with you to turn your dream landscape into a reality. For more fall lawn care tips or information on our services, request a free consultation today.

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Fall Grass Planting Tips

While every homeowner wants their lawn to be lush and vibrant at all times, some issues like drought, disease, and pests can lead homeowners to need new grass planted on their properties. With fall just around the corner, the time to plant fresh grass is now. We will share some advice on fall grass planting, such as why fall is an excellent time to plant grass, which grass types you should plant, and more.

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Why You Should Plant Grass in Fall

Many homeowners struggle with figuring out the best time to plant grass seed for their lawns. Generally, planting grass or sod in early to mid-fall is ideal. The cool temperatures and relatively frequent rainfall will provide enough water for your grass to prevent damage by excessive heat or dryness. In addition, by planting in the fall, you will ensure that the roots have enough time to develop before winter.

Best Types of Grass for Fall

If you need or want to revitalize your lawn with new grass during the fall, you will need a cool-season grass species, like the following:

  • Kentucky Bluegrass: Kentucky bluegrass is a fine-textured, dark-green grass that withstands cold winters and hot summers and spreads fast, making this species a great choice to fill in bare spots.
  • Perennial Ryegrass: Perennial ryegrass germinates and establishes quickly. This species has a dark green color, medium-fine texture and is suitable for erosion control.
  • Fescues: Fescues are a popular grass choice (mainly mixed with other grasses) due to their ability to thrive in the shade, tolerate heat and drought, and grow quickly.

Landscaping backyard turf | fall grass planting | Burkholder Plant Health Care

Fall Grass Planting Tips

Now that you know why you should plant new grass during fall and which grass types you can plant, here are a couple of tips on how you should go about planting and seeding your lawn.

Repair Bare Spots

One of the best things you can do for fall grass planting is cover up any bare spots on your lawn. Over the summer, your yard has likely dealt with kids playing, parties, and other outdoor activity. Heavy foot traffic and dry, hot weather can leave bare spots in your lawn, or areas that have exposed dirt without grass.

Take note of all the bare spots of your lawn, and use the fall (which has better growing conditions than summer) to cover these bare spots with grass before winter. These newly seeded patches need deep and thorough (and likely daily) watering. Try to prevent anyone or anything from stepping on the freshly planted seedlings until the grass is at least 3 inches high.

Front yard of house with trees | fall grass planting | Burkholder Plant Health Care

Overseed a Thin Lawn

Another good reason to plant grass in the fall is to correct a thinning lawn. In addition to bare spots without grass coverage, you may also see areas of your property where the grass is thin. Overseeding, which is planting grass seed directly into existing turf without tearing up the turf or the soil, can make your lawn thicker and enhance color before winter.

Ensure your lawn is regularly watered until the seeds are established and the grass has grown at least 3 inches. An irrigation system will help ensure the amount of water your property receives is consistent to facilitate proper and healthy growth.

What to Do Once Your Grass Is Grown

Here are a few tips for what happens after your new grass has been seeded.

  • If your cool-season grass has yet to sprout after roughly two weeks, your lawn might need reseeding.
  • Make sure your lawn is fertilized in early fall and again 6 to 8 weeks later.
  • Once your grass is tall enough to mow, focus on watering deeply and less frequently than when the grass was still germinating.

Contact Burkholder Landscape for Overseeding & Turf Care Services

Do you want to revitalize your lawn with fall grass planting? If so, contact Burkholder Landscape. Our team of passionate, certified landscape professionals has years of experience in turf care. In addition, we offer many services that will benefit your lawn, from plant health care to irrigation and more. For more information on our services, request a free consultation today.

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Lawn Watering For Different Grass Types

Keeping a lawn watered is vital and seems simple enough on the surface. But yard and grass care encompass many factors that, when understood, that can help ensure your lawns’ watering needs are met. One factor, grass type, can significantly impact when and how you should water your lawn. So to help keep your property beautiful and healthy, here are tips on lawn watering for different grass types.

What Are The Different Grass Types?

To ensure that your watering efforts are most effective, you will have to know what your grass type is. Grass types break down into two categories based on the temperatures each seed thrives in: cool-season and warm-season grasses. Most of the grass types in Pennsylvania are cool-season, but many homeowners (particularly in southeastern PA) have warm-season grass seeds in their lawn instead. If you are unsure which grass type you have, reach out to one of our landscape professionals.

Determine Your Grass Type

Tips on Lawn Watering For Different Grass Types

Once you know your lawn’s grass type, you can better understand how to water your lawn properly. We will share some valuable advice on how much water you should use based on grass type, how to tell when your yard needs water, and the best time of day to water.

How Much Water You Should Use

A common issue for homeowners is how much water to use when watering their lawns. Lawn watering for different grass types requires knowing how much water each grass type requires.

  • Cool-season grass: Cool-seasons grasses, for the most part, need moderate to high amounts of water, and their drought tolerances are mixed, with some being great (fescue) and others less so.
  • Warm-season grass: Warm-season grass types generally require less water than cool-season grasses while also being more drought-resistant on average.

The majority of yards need around 1 to 1.5 inches of water per week. Watering can come from rainfall or homeowners manually watering lawns, and can occur in a single watering session or small spurts throughout the week.

Sprinkler irrigation system spraying front yard | lawn watering for different grass types | Burkholder Brothers
Irrigation system spraying flower bed | lawn watering for different grass types | Burkholder Brothers

When Your Lawn Needs Water

Another essential piece of knowledge about lawn watering for different grass types is knowing when your lawn needs water. Your lawn will show a few different signs of needing water. For example, if your grass appears to be gray or dull green, that means they lack sufficient water. You can also walk on your lawn, and if your footprints remain visible for a while due to the blades of grass springing back slowly, your yard probably needs more water.

The Best Time to Water Your Lawn

Many homeowners water their lawns during various times of the day, but certain times are better than others. Early mornings are the best times to water your lawn. The cooler temperature and calm winds allow grass roots to absorb the water before evaporation. If you have to water later in the day, try to wait until the heat of the day has dissipated. Also, if you had rain, you may be able to hold off on watering your lawn until a later date.

Contact Burkholder Brothers for Sprinkler Irrigation Design and Installation

Lawn watering for different grass types can be complicated for homeowners to manage themselves, especially without an irrigation system. To make sure your lawn is watered and your grass is lush and vibrant, contact Burkholder Brothers. Burkholder works with each homeowner to design and install Sir Sprinkler irrigation systems to meets all of their watering needs. Our sprinkler and irrigation company also provides sprinkler irrigation system maintenance to help you save time and money. Contact us today for a free consultation!

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Add Some Beautiful Color to Your Lawn Care This Spring

By Mary Bowe, Burkholder Landscape Designer

Spring is here, and beautiful lawns are on the minds of many homeowners. Having one of the most attractive lawns on the block takes planning and time. You might even be wondering if you should make a call about landscape maintenance services. Burkholder Landscape offers great lawn care programs for all size landscapes and we have some beautiful flowering plant and shrub options in our Outdoor Living & Design Center that can help make your lawn stand out.

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