Problem Areas to Plant
Natural Bug and Insect Control :
Fleas: Try 1 cup mouth wash in 10 gallons water. Fleas hate any mint so you can also plant mints around house, yard or fields to reduce the pest.
Mosquitoes: Since they breed where there is standing water, then you have 2 options - make sure there is standing water or spray standing water with vegetable oil (which will spread over the water and stop lava from breathing). Another method is to use vegetable oil in wooded and grassy areas in lesser amounts (a little goes a long way).
Dust area with Diatomeceous Earth to reduce insects.
Flies: I have not tried this since I am allergic to stringing nettles but several web sites claim you can make a nettle tea by soaking 1 cup nettles overnight and mixing the resulting tea to 20 gallons water. Comments on this are welcome. Please use caution when handling any plant you maybe allergic to.
Whenever planting grass:
- Prepare the area (s) by removing weeds so they do not compete with your new grass.
- Do not add seed starters to our seed as it encourages taller growth. (Seed starter is often a hormone.)
- Try to stay off newly planted lawns until a healthy root system is established.
- Read your labels on any products you buy & use- some herbicides on the market are now "season - long" and will not let anything grow for entire season
- Grass seed will sprout any time the ground temperatures are above 60 degrees so there are many planting times to consider. Do what works best for you- When it works best for you to do it.
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Clay Soil is very nutrient rich and holds micro-organisms that are beneficial to grasses. The problem with clay is it will either shed water too quickly or retain it too long. Amend clay soil with sand by working it into the top 4". Lawn aerators do this easily. Roll over the area and cover with sand to fill in the holes.
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Sandy Soil can be amended by adding compost in the top 4" and work it in lightly. Peat can be added to help retain moisture. Polymere pellets will brown most grasses.
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Slopes -smooth slopes as much as possible. Plant at a higher rate and use Annual Rye the first year or cover with burlap or other mulch to hold seed down while establishing roots. Leave any mulch there as it will deteriorate and help feed the soil.
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Erosion Control -as with slopes, plant with annual rye wherever possible to reduce washing off of seed. Try to slow any wash areas with hard-scape materials like stones or rocks.
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All Sun -Plant full sun areas in early spring or mid-fall for best results.
or All Shade -most grasses need some sun so if the area to be planted is the north side of a building or under dense shade trees or pines, it would be best to not try to fight mother nature and plant shade loving plants.
NoMowGrasses do well when they get 2+ hours of sun a day.
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