Tips for maintaining a (man’s) turf

  • By Steve Smith Special to The Herald
  • Tuesday, March 17, 2015 4:03pm
  • Life

For the most part the lawn is a man’s domain.

It is literally his “turf,” and when left alone he can spend endless hours mowing, edging, aerating, dethatching, feeding, reseeding, watering and weeding. Not to mention the time it takes to keep his trusty John Deere steed in good running condition. If this man is also a golfer then his passion for his lawn is even more intense.

Some would say it is obsessive, but I submit that the lawn is probably the safest place in the garden for the man to be — and all the wives say “Amen!”

We have the British to thank for the evolution of the modern day lawn. Originally reserved for the aristocracy, lawns slowly trickled down to the working class. In the United States, after World War II, they became synonymous with suburbia.

With the advent of the modern-day mower, synthetic fertilizers and pesticides, homeowners (mostly men) spend countless hours and dollars maintaining their pride and joy. Depending on how the turf is maintained this can either be an ecological disaster or a valuable bio-filter and climate moderator. Here are some thoughts to consider:

A healthy lawn starts with good soil preparation. This seems obvious but the reality is that contractors leave homeowners with an abysmal mess when it comes to soil. Three inches of topsoil on top of a compacted base causes lawns to have shallow root systems, which in turn increases the need to irrigate and also encourages disease. This leaves the lawn usually saturated and squishy all winter.

If there was only one thing a homeowner could afford to do in the garden it would be to rip out the lawn and build up the soil so there are 6 to 12 inches of good friable soil. While this might seem expensive at first in the long run the upkeep will prove to be much easier and less costly.

The second thing I would recommend would be to kick the synthetic fertilizer habit and adopt an organic lawn food. Again, this might cause sticker shock at first but as the organic fertilizers build up a residual of nitrogen in the soil less and less will be needed.

A synthetic fertilizer typically needs to be applied four to six times a year. With organics, once you are on a program, twice a year is usually adequate. And as a bonus the organic fertilizers also encourage healthy soil microorganisms, which in turn result in deeper root systems.

Thirdly, I would avoid all weed and feed products like the plague. It’s fine to spot spray an occasional weed but to apply an herbicide over the entire lawn is shear lunacy (and costly).

Finally, I would mow my lawn around 2- to 3-inches tall year-round and only water in the summer when the soil is dry 2 inches down (I water my lawn once a week believe it or not and it does just fine).

For more on how to control bugs, weeds, moles, diseases and all the factors that stand in the way of a perfect lawn, come to a class by Trevor Cameron at 10 a.m. March 21 at Sunnyside Nursery.

Cameron is a certified professional horticulturist AND a golfer, so you know he has a passion for the perfect lawn. Please RSVP.

Steve Smith is owner of Sunnyside Nursery in Marysville and can be reached online at info@sunnysidenursery.net.

Talk to us

> Give us your news tips.

> Send us a letter to the editor.

> More Herald contact information.

More in Life

Brandon Hailey of Cytrus, center, plays the saxophone during a headlining show at Madam Lou’s on Friday, Dec. 29, 2023 in Seattle, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Lynnwood-based funk octet Cytrus has the juice

Resilience and brotherhood take center stage with ‘friends-first’ band.

FILE - In this April 11, 2014 file photo, Neko Case performs at the Coachella Music and Arts Festival in Indio, Calif. Fire investigators are looking for the cause of a fire on Monday, Sept. 18, 2017, that heavily damaged Case’s 225-year-old Vermont home. There were no injuries, though a barn was destroyed. It took firefighters two hours to extinguish the blaze. (Photo by Scott Roth/Invision/AP, File)
Music, theater and more: What’s happening in Snohomish County

Singer-songwriter Neko Case, an indie music icon from Tacoma, performs Sunday in Edmonds.

Sarah Jean Muncey-Gordon puts on some BITCHSTIX lip oil at Bandbox Beauty Supply on Tuesday, Jan. 9, 2024, in Langley, Washington. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
Bandbox Beauty was made for Whidbey Island locals, by an island local

Founder Sarah Muncey-Gordon said Langley is in a renaissance, and she’s proud to be a part of it.

Dominic Arizona Bonuccelli
Tangier’s market boasts piles of fruits, veggies, and olives, countless varieties of bread, and nonperishables, like clothing and electronics.
Rick Steves on the cultural kaleidoscope of Tangier in Morocco

Walking through the city, I think to myself, “How could anyone be in southern Spain — so close — and not hop over to experience this wonderland?”

chris elliott.
Vrbo promised to cover her rental bill in Hawaii, so why won’t it?

When Cheryl Mander’s Vrbo rental in Hawaii is uninhabitable, the rental platform agrees to cover her new accommodations. But then it backs out. What happened?

Byrds co-founder Roger McGuinn, seen here in 2013, will perform April 20 in Edmonds. (Associated Press)
Music, theater and more: What’s happening in Snohomish County

R0ck ‘n’ Roll Hall of Famer Roger McGuinn, frontman of The Byrds, plans a gig in Edmonds in April.

Mother giving in to the manipulation her daughter fake crying for candy
Can children be bribed into good behavior?

Only in the short term. What we want to do is promote good habits over the course of the child’s life.

Speech Bubble Puzzle and Discussion
When conflict flares, keep calm and stand your ground

Most adults don’t like dissension. They avoid it, try to get around it, under it, or over it.

The colorful Nyhavn neighborhood is the place to moor on a sunny day in Copenhagen. (Cameron Hewitt)
Rick Steves: Embrace hygge and save cash in Copenhagen

Where else would Hans Christian Andersen, a mermaid statue and lovingly decorated open-face sandwiches be the icons of a major capital?

Last Call is a festured artist at the 2024 DeMiero Jazz Festival: in Edmonds. (Photo provided by DeMiero Jazz Festival)
Music, theater and more: What’s happening in Snohomish County

Jazz ensemble Last Call is one of the featured artists at the DeMiero Jazz Festival on March 7-9 in Edmonds.

Kim Helleren
Local children’s author to read at Edmonds Bookshop

Kim Helleren will read from one of her books for kids at the next monthly Story Time at Edmonds Bookshop on March 29.

Chris Elliott
Lyft surprises traveler with a $150 cleaning charge

Jared Hakimi finds a $150 charge on his credit card after a Lyft ride. Is that allowed? And will the charge stick?

Support local journalism

If you value local news, make a gift now to support the trusted journalism you get in The Daily Herald. Donations processed in this system are not tax deductible.