Why You Should Test Your Soil?
Far too often, the soil testing process is completely disregarded. For anywhere from $20-40, you can get your soil tested and save time, money, and aggravation by knowing exactly where your lawn’s deficiencies are. Many people in the Northeast region spend their efforts trying to figure out what type of grass they have, when the reality is that it will be treated similarly regardless of the grass type. Others keep throwing expensive products at their lawns, hoping for results. This is akin to draining and filling all the fluids in your car without considering when they were last changed and what the current state of the fluids are.
Determining Your Grass Type
Determining your existing grass type can be challenging, especially for beginners or those living in transition zones where both warm-season and cool-season grasses may coexist in different parts of the yard. To establish a successful lawn, it's crucial to consider the species best suited to the environmental conditions, intended use, and maintenance level of the specific location.
Grasses, like humans, tolerate various conditions and resist stresses differently. For example, in the Northeast, blends of Kentucky Bluegrass, perennial ryegrass, and tall or fine fescues (such as creeping red, Chewings, and hard fescues) are commonly used for lawns and athletic fields due to their high cold tolerance. Conversely, creeping bentgrass is often used on high-maintenance playing fields, like golf course putting greens.
Grass seed 101: If the grass is ass, don’t buy it.
If you walk into your local box store to buy grass seed, you’re likely going to see brands with massive marketing budgets and strong retail partnerships prominently displayed. Scotts, Pennington, and Vigoro are a few of the larger players you are likely familiar with. Most DIY homeowners walk into the store, grab what they are most familiar with, and walk out without reading any of the labels.
Seed is not cheap these days due to a number of inflationary pressures in recent years. Next time you step into the store to buy seed, I strongly encourage you to look at the label and understand what you are buying before you make a purchase.