Mid-winter Lawn Activities (1-31-11)

Most of us are delighted that our warm-season species lawns have gone dormant and we are enjoying a reprise from our weekly, or more often, mowing chore. But with a nice weekend or two mixed in with most cold wintery days, we shouldn’t forget our lawn completely to ensure healthy and aesthetic results this spring.

With winter rains and cold wet soil we can determine poor drainage areas and begin filling these with topsoil or determine other drainage options.

Removing any remaining fallen leaves from your lawn will improve the lawns winter appearance and help prevent turf diseases.

Controlling winter weeds now before they reach maturity will be much easier to accomplish and the danger of turf injury will be greatly reduced while the turf is dormant.

If you have not taken a soil sample in the past three years now is a great time to determine the soil pH and if lime is recommended. It generally takes months for lime to react and dramatically change the soil pH so applying lime now will benefit the turf much sooner this coming growing season.

Published January 31, 2011

Dr. Wayne Wells is an Extension Professor and Turfgrass Specialist. His mailing address is Department of Plant and Soil Sciences, Mail Stop 9555, Mississippi State, MS 39762. wwells@ext.msstate.edu