Lawns are the issue

Lawn care has been on the minds of gardeners for weeks. Here are some of their questions.

Q. The lawn planted this year around my new home is full of crabgrass. What can I do about it? R.S., Appomattox
A. You can dig it up, spray it with a weed killer or wait for frost to kill it. The next step is to replant with grass seed or sod. In spring, you may need to apply Dimension pre-emergence weed killer to keep crabgrass seeds from germinating.

Q. We read about a new variety of Kentucky bluegrass that is very tolerant of stress. It is supposed to be tough enough to grow in the heat and humidity of Central Virginia. Do you know the name of this grass? A.M., Amherst
A. There are quite a few bluegrass varieties adapted to our area. They are listed on an Extension publication called 2009-2010 Virginia Turfgrass Variety Recommendations. Some examples are Award, Brilliant, Courtyard, Diva, Everglade, Excursion, Impact, Juliet, Midnight, NuGlade, Raven, Skye and Touche. Many of them are aggressive and dark green in color.

Q. My customer’s lawn has large patches of bermudagrass (wiregrass) and she wants to control the weed now. I told her that fall is too late to spray weed killer on it, but she is not convinced. What do you say? T.M., Lynchburg
A. There is only one way to take care of wiregrass in a lawn. Stop mowing in June, because the weeds will take in more weed killer if they are extra leafy. Spray once in July and again in August. Replant at Labor Day or shortly after. It takes a 2 percent solution of glyphosate (Killzall, Roundup, etc.) to kill wiregrass.

Q. I have a question about our lawn, which is not in good shape. We were thinking of having it aerated and putting down lawn seed. Would this be a time to do it or would it be better to wait until spring? I’d appreciate your opinion and advice on this matter so that we don’t waste our money on this expenditure. A.I., Lynchburg
A. Aerating is done before and during periods of rapid grass growth, so the whole month of October is ideal for this cultural practice. Grass seed needs to be planted by the middle of October, or cool weather may cause problems. Spring is a less desirable seeding time.

Q. Tru Green is coming to put lime on my lawn and reseed it. Is that the right thing to do? J.B., Lynchburg
A. Overseeding is good for most lawns. So is lime, but many lawns already have enough of it. Before spending money on lime, I recommend that you stop by the Lynchburg Extension Office to pick up the cardboard box and form needed to submit a soil sample to the soil testing lab at Virginia Tech. Ten dollars spent on a soil test could save you hundreds of dollars on lime.

- Davis is an Extension Agent for the Virginia Cooperative Extension. He can be reached by calling 455-3740.