The Makers of STA-GREEN® Products Offer
Smart, Simple Solutions for Saving Your Yard from Summer's
Soggy, Scorching, Tough Weather
ATLANTA - Lawns across America are languishing on life support after an extreme summer with floods in the Midwest and drought in the Southeast. And with winter weather just around the corner, now is the time to give your lawn the emergency treatment it needs to survive the cold weather and heal itself in time for spring.
Since the ailments and remedies differ by region, homeowners need a prescription designed specifically for their lawn and area.
Recovering from Rain-Soaked Lawns
Rob Rogan, business director for Sta-Green® fertilizers and soils, believes that many of the homes in the Midwest are experiencing weed infestations like they have never seen before.
How does excessive rainfall lead to difficulty controlling weeds? Under normal environmental conditions, weed control products usually last for about four months. However, after excessive rainfall the weed control barrier provided by crabgrass preventers can be significantly reduced, allowing weeds to run rampant in a heat-stressed lawn. Summer annual weeds such as crabgrass, prostrate spurge, oxalis and lespedeza will emerge.
What steps should soggy homeowners take to get their lawns prepared for winter so they are picture-perfect by spring? Rogan recommends the following:
· Check for critters: Wet weather can bring out lawn-damaging bugs. Look for ants and other pests in the soil to determine if you need additional treatment. Then apply an insect killer like Spectracide® Triazicide® Once & Done!T Insect Killer to eliminate any bugs above and below ground.
· Watch for weeds: Lawns that were thinned by summer stresses provide a perfect environment for winter weeds such as dandelion, henbit, chickweed and clover. Use Sta-Green® Winterizer Weed & Feed to help build a stronger root system while controlling late-season weeds.
· Feed your lawn for hibernation: Grass needs extra nutrients to withstand the winter weather. Put down Sta-Green® Winterizer to strengthen roots while the slow-release formula delivers extended greening in the fall and early greening in the spring.
Seeding Success from Scorched Lawns
For the Southeastern United States, the problem hasn't been too much water - it's been too little. This has left lawns brown, dried out and at high risk for weeds and insect damage. And, when winter comes, these distressed lawns are even more susceptible to winterkill.
How can homeowners tell when their grass is drought-damaged?
· Grass changes from bright green to dull gray or blue-green
· Footprints in the grass don't spring back when you walk across the lawn
· When grass turns tan or brown, it has become dormant
"A lot of the lawns throughout the Southeast are on life support at this point, especially in areas where outdoor watering bans are in place," said Rogan. "Ideally, the fall rains will revive warm season grasses such as Bermuda, centipede and zoysiagrass before they go into dormancy for the winter. Tall fescue does well in cooler fall temperatures and should flourish with the return of autumn rainfall."
Rogan recommends the following steps for bringing a dry tall fescue lawn back to its former lush life. Fall is the ideal time to overseed.
· Control the weeds: Weeds tend to do well when tall fescue is stressed. Two to three weeks before the restoration process starts, kill the weeds. First, mow the grass and weeds and two days later apply Spectracide® Weed Stop® 2x for Lawns when temperatures are less than 85 degrees to prevent further damage (do not use on 'Floratam' or 'Bitterblue' varieties of St. Augustinegrass). Use additional Spectracide® Weed Stop® 2x for Lawns for follow-up spot treatments.
· Remove the weeds and dead grass: You can accomplish this best with a metal rake or by mowing your lawn as short as possible and catching the clippings. You may want to consider renting a core aerator that will poke holes in the ground and bring soil to the surface, creating an ideal environment for tall fescue to establish.
· Prepare your lawn surface: You can apply seed, fertilizer and lime all in the same day. Do one application after another and never mix them together in the same spreader at the same time. If you have not applied lime in a couple of years now would be a good time to do that. If needed, apply lime at an approximate application rate of 40 pounds per 1,000 square feet to raise the pH of the soil one point.
· Fertilize for the future: Select a starter fertilizer with a higher middle number on the front of the bag, such as Sta-Green® Seed & Sod® Starter Fertilizer 18-24-10. This number represents the amount of phosphorus, which is very important for seedling establishment.
· Sow your seed: Apply a quality "turf-type" fescue blend such as Sta-Green® Regional SelectsT Southeast Lawn Grass Seed Mixture at a rate of 3 to 4 pounds per 1,000 square feet (6 to 8 pounds for a new seeding). Don't cover the seed with wheat straw, as this introduces weeds to the site. If the area is on an incline or susceptible to erosion, use a biodegradable seed mat (available at Lowe's) to hold the seed in place.
· Water with care: Once the seed is sown, keep it moist (not wet). Lightly water twice a day until the seed has germinated. Germination may take as long as 7 to 14 days. Once the seed has germinated, cut the watering back to one inch of water per week in the absence of rainfall.
"No matter what region of the country you're in, or what summer weather has done to your lawn, Mother Nature - with a little help from Sta-Green® products - will bring back your beautiful lawn next spring," said Rogan. "Just follow the prescription outlined at www.sta-green.com and your lawn will soon be off of life support and living a lush, green life."
About Sta-Green® Products
Sta-Green® lawn care products and gardening supplies provide practical solutions for seasonal lawn and garden needs at value prices. Sta-Green products are available exclusively at Lowe's and come with a written guarantee printed on every package and label. From lawn fertilizers to insect, disease and weed control, Sta-Green products are the perfect blend of science and technology at an affordable price. Sta-Green is the Official Lawn and Garden partner of Busch Gardens and a sponsor of the American Junior Golf Association.
About United Industries Corporation
United Industries Corporation is a subsidiary of Spectrum Brands, Inc., and is a leading supplier of lawn and garden care products and household insect and pest controls. Spectrum Brands is a global consumer products company whose merchandise is sold by the world's top 25 retailers and is available in more than one million stores in more than 120 countries around the world. Headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, Spectrum Brands generated FY2007 net sales of approximately $2.0 billion. The company's stock trades on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol SPC.