Lawn & Garden Tips

Relieving Compacted Turf

To relieve compacted turf without excessive injury to grass plants has been a formidable chore until recent years when power driven aerators were developed. Today, aerators of many types and sizes are available. They usually have prongs or knives, which pierce the sod to a depth of two to three inches, or they have hollow tines that extract plugs of soil. In either case, the effect is to open up or “aerate” the soil, allowing water, air and nutrients to reach the turf roots.

If you are an average homeowner, you may not want to invest in aeration equipment. You will be wise, however, to give your lawn the benefits of aeration. Call your landscaper or garden centre for information on lawn services or rental companies that have appropriate units. The gratifying results achieved from aeration — plus the savings realized in water and fertilizer, will easily justify the cost.

Fall is the best time for aeration unless you have irrigation, then any time is suitable.

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Healthy turf will withstand infestation and recover faster than neglected turf. Here are some guides for healthy turf:

• Use enough fertilizer to keep grass growing vigorously — but avoid the extreme of over stimulation.
• Mow before the grass gets too tall.
• Cut no more than one inch of the leaf surface at any one time.
• Keep your mower sharp.
• Don’t allow clippings to accumulate to the extent that they form a mat.
• Remove thatch as required.
• Avoid frequent watering which tends to keep the grass wet.

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Feeding Your Lawn: Three Easy Steps

Step 1: First measure your total lawn area and calculate the square footage (length x width = square footage).

Step 2: If you’re using our 16-16-16 mix you won’t need as much. The right amount is applied at 8 lbs. per 1,000 sq. ft. Take your total square footage, divide by 1,000, then multiply by 8. This is how many pounds of 16-16-16 you need to fertilize your whole lawn.

Step 3: Now you can begin spreading. Divide the calculated amount of fertilizer in half. In a criss-cross pattern, spread one half in one direction and the second half in the opposite direction.

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Establishing New Lawns

Professional Seed and Sod Starter like 8-32-16 and 10-25-10 are good because new seed or sod thrive on high phosphorous fertilizers (middle number), while too much nitrogen (first number) could burn new roots if not careful.

Step 1: Prepare the soil by removing existing weeds, grasses and debris.

Step 2: For a light, loose seed bed, cultivate the soil to a depth of 6 inches. This is an ideal time to add organic matter — cover the area with 2 inches of BigYellowBag® Black Garden Soil and work it into the 6 inches of soil.

Step 3: Incorporate Professional Seed & Sod Starter fertilizer into the prepared bed, carefully following the directions on the bag.

Step 4: Now your soil is well prepared for the seed.

One bag of 10-25-10 will cover the area of one skid of sod. 8-32-16 is available in 25 kg / 55 lb. bags; 10-25-10 in a 2 kg / 4.4 lb. bag.

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Protecting Your Investment from Grubs

White grubs are considered the number one lawn insect pest in Ontario, with the potential to inflict serious damage when populations reach a significant level. The two main species that cause damage in Ontario lawns are the European Chafer Beetle and the Japanese Beetle, with June Beetle grubs less common but still capable of serious damage. European chafer and Japanese beetle grubs complete their lifecycle in one year, while June beetles take three years.

European chafer is the most common grub species in Ontario. These grubs typically hatch mid to late July, feed into late fall, over-winter as mature grubs below the frost line, and reappear in spring before pupating and emerging as adults in late June.

Healthy Lawns Can Tolerate a Few Grubs

Grubs feed on turfgrass roots, weakening plants and their ability to take up moisture. Damaged turf often appears as scattered, irregular brown patches that lift up easily like a carpet. Animals digging for grubs — raccoons, skunks, and birds — can cause even more severe damage. Healthy, irrigated lawns can tolerate a few grubs per square foot; damage tends to appear once populations reach 5–10 grubs per square foot.

Proper mowing, watering, fertilization, and core aeration all help defend against grub damage, though populations can still occasionally build to damaging levels despite best efforts.

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It may be necessary to over-seed on a regular basis with BigYellowBag®'s Lawn Seed (a blend that includes fescue).

Be sure that leaves and other debris are raked and removed regularly to maintain maximum air movement and available sunlight in shady areas.

A regular fertilizer program is essential in shady areas — we recommend Greenhorizons’ 16-16-16 Fertilizer applied 3–4 times a year at the beginning of each season.

Water your fertilizer in, or spread it before a good rain. Otherwise, fertilizer left on top of the grass will evaporate and may burn the blade.

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Mowing your lawn properly is one of the easiest things you can do to improve its look and health. Proper mowing makes a good lawn look better; improper mowing can ruin one in just a few weeks.

Keep the mower blades sharp — a dull blade tears the grass instead of cutting it, which lets disease in and can turn the tip of the leaf blade brown.

Never take more than 1/3 of the leaf blade off at one time; taking more stresses the plant, makes it more susceptible to disease, and can thin the lawn over time. Kentucky Bluegrass is best mowed around 2 1/4 inches tall, no lower than 1 1/2 inches and no higher than 3 inches.

Mow based on how much the grass has grown rather than a fixed weekly schedule — this way you’ll rarely need to rake clippings, and you may mow less often during dry summer stretches.

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Turf renovation through vertical mowers and aerators was once largely limited to golf courses and athletic fields; it's now common for home lawns too.

Fall renovation makes sense for turf that's been abused but is still in reasonably good shape, since roots grow best in fall and early spring — loosened soil and fertilizer are most needed at those times.

The best approach is a continuous management program that prevents deterioration in the first place: eliminating compaction, applying fertilizer and moisture as needed, and good weed control.

How to Seed Your Lawn

Step 1: Measure your total lawn area and calculate square footage.

Step 2: Vigorously rake areas to be seeded to remove debris and expose soil for good seed-to-soil contact.

Step 3: Spread starter fertilizer — Greenhorizons’ 10-25-10 for areas under 700 sq. ft., or 8-32-16 for areas over 700 sq. ft. — at 8 lbs. per 1,000 sq. ft.

Step 4: Generously spread seed — 1 kg covers about 450 sq. ft. in shade and 750 sq. ft. in sun.

Step 5: Lightly rake for good seed-to-soil contact, keeping seed depth between 2–5 mm.

Step 6: Roll the area with a lawn roller.

Step 7: Cover with a light layer of soil, compost, or burlap blanket, not burying the seed more than 1/2 cm.

Step 8: Water thoroughly at first, to the point of puddling, then water lightly and frequently, never letting the surface fully dry out.

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How to Over-Seed Your Lawn

Step 1: Measure your lawn area — 1 kg of BigYellowBag® Lawn Seed covers 400 sq. ft. in shade and 600 sq. ft. in full sun for over-seeding.

Step 2: Vigorously rake to remove debris and expose soil.

Step 3: Spread starter fertilizer — 10-25-10 or 8-32-16.

Step 4: Mix 40 parts BigYellowBag® Garden Soil to 1 part BigYellowBag® Premium Lawn Seed.

Step 5: Spread the mixture about 1/4 inch over the area, ideally in two passes to avoid running out of seed.

Step 6: Lightly rake the mixture in, then roll the entire area.

Step 7: Water frequently — about 1/4 inch daily for two weeks, then every other day for two more weeks, as seed germinates over four to twelve days.

Best planted in late April/May or the last two weeks of August through the first two weeks of September, when temperatures are cooler and rainfall is more frequent.

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Grey or pinkish circular patches of snow mold have become a common sight on homeowners’ lawns in recent years — and can look very similar to dog urine damage.

Once you notice these rings, rake them out right away so air can reach the crown of the plants; otherwise the grass can be smothered and may die.

A heavy raking over the affected area is recommended. Your lawn should bounce back within a month or so; if it doesn’t, over-seeding can repair it, or sod can be used for instant results in heavily infested spots.

It’s a good idea to rake in early spring even if you’re not sure you have snow mold, to get thatch out and let the crown of the plant breathe, and to stand grass blades back up after heavy snow and ice have flattened them.

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The best weed control is a good, healthy turf. When your lawn is thick and vigorous, weeds simply have no place to get started and you have fewer problems.

1. Prepare the ground before ordering! Your sod needs to be laid within 6–12 hours of delivery. Options include rototilling and raking, applying a glyphosate product on a thin lawn before raking, renting a sod harvester, or mowing very low and topdressing thinly before sodding.

2. Grade Surfaces. Carefully level all surfaces — soil should sit 1 inch below walkways, patios and driveways to accommodate sod thickness. A light rolling reveals depressions to level out.

3. Order Your Sod. Call 905-389-1515 or order online at OrderSodNow.com. 24 hours’ notice is needed for delivery, excluding Sundays.

4. Fertilize the Area. Turf starter fertilizer can go on the soil surface or on top of the sod after it’s laid — apply evenly at the recommended rate and rake in lightly.

5. Lay Sod Within 6–12 Hours. Begin as soon as possible, especially in spring, to avoid heat damage. Lay the first strip along a straight line using string as a guide, butting joints tightly and staggering rows like bricks.

6. Water. Water. Water. Start within 15 minutes of laying the first roll — don’t wait until the whole area is down. On a hot day, don’t leave laid sod unwatered for more than an hour; on a cooler, overcast day, no more than two hours.

7. Roll New Sod. Rolling evens out turf joints and improves root-to-soil contact while eliminating air pockets. Keep new sod well watered for 2–3 weeks so edges knit and roots establish.

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Top dressing adds a thin layer of a blended soil mixture to your lawn. The sandy texture of BigYellowBag’s Top Dress mix improves water, air and nutrient movement into the soil and root zone, while its organic component feeds micro-organisms that carry nutrients like nitrogen, phosphate and potash into the soil.

Top dressing is best done in fall, when grass has time to grow through three or four mowings before frost. Spread a thin layer — about half an inch or less, no more than an inch — and work it in until grass pokes through. Water afterward to help everything settle, and smooth out any hollows or bumps after a day or two. On your last two mowings of the season, set blades to the lowest setting so more sunlight reaches the crown of the grass.

Step 1: Mow your lawn short.
Step 2: Remove clippings and debris.
Step 3: Distribute the Topdress Mix evenly in rows, working it in with the back of a rake.
Step 4: Brush the soil through the grass blades with a broom or garden rake.
Step 5: Make sure grass pokes through — don’t smother it.
Step 6: Water lightly three times daily for seven to ten days, or until seed germinates.

Optional: Over-seed for thicker growth and better colour, and add fertilizer to replace nutrients lost over winter.

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