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With proper care, grass can be greener on other side of chillier seasons

Set the mower at its highest for a healthier lawn, WVU Extension Agent J.J. Barrett recommends. Longer blades have more surface to allow for nutrients and shade the soil. (Photo by Jess Mancini)

PARKERSBURG — While the prolonged heat and dry spell took a toll on yards, homeowners can prepare their lawns for fall and winter so the grass will be greener on the other side in the spring.

Step No. 1 is knowing what nutrients are needed in the soil, J.J. Barrett, West Virginia University extension agent in Wood County, said. Autumn is an excellent time to apply soil amendments, he said.

“The first thing to do is to get a soil test,” Barrett said. “You want to see what your nutrient level is.”

The WVU Extension Service will test the soil for free, Barrett said. In Ohio, soil test kits are available for about $12 from the Ohio State University Extension Service.

Residents can borrow a soil probe to collect a soil core sample from the Extension Service at the Wood County Courthouse, Barrett said. If the soil probe isn’t available, samples can be taken using a garden trowel, scooping soil from about 3 to 4 inches down into the dirt, he said.

WVU Extension Agent J.J. Barrett displays the soil probe residents can use to take samples from their yards to determine what it needs. Soil tests for residents are free through the Extension Service. (Photo by Jess Mancini)

Soil testing forms and other information are available from the Extension Service at https://extension.wvu.edu/natural-resources/soil-water/soil-testing.

Barrett recommends taking several samples from different areas of the lawn or garden.

Measured from 0 to 14, with 7 as neutral, a pH test will show the acidity or basicity of the soil, Barrett said.

An alkaline soil with a high pH can lack many nutrients such as iron or zinc that grass and plants need, he said. A low pH may show a need for lime, Barrett said.

“You have to know what the soil needs before throwing any fertilizer on it, spending that money on something that may not be needed,” Barrett said.

Brown grass is not uncommon during times of drought. Much of this region in West Virginia and Ohio have been designated D-3 on the U.S. Drought Monitor. The highest level is D-4. (Photo by Jess Mancini)

It could be all the lawn needs is the nutrients from cuttings returned to the soil, he said.

“Sometimes compost is a great thing for the yard,” Barrett said.

Lawns have been stressed this summer, he said. High temperatures, prolonged heat and no rain has hurt yards, drying grasses and stopping or slowing the growth cycle, Barrett said.

Many of the bluegrasses, ryes and other cool season grasses will go dormant, Barrett said. After it cools or there is a prolonged rain, the grasses will come back, he said.

However, when the grass needs to be cut, Barrett recommends the mower be set at its highest height. Longer blades of grass offer more area for nutrients to be absorbed and shades the ground, he said.

“If you cut that grass tall enough, it throws shade on the soil,” Barrett said.

During a prolonged hot spell, lawns can be kept green by weekly applying at least an inch of water, which can get expensive, he said.

An alternative during a drought is to apply about a quarter to a half inch of water every two to four weeks after the grass goes dormant. That won’t green the grass, yet it will help its long-term survival by keeping the grass hydrated, Barrett said.

If areas need to be reseeded, Barrett recommends a species that will produce a more resilient turf. Usually from mid-August to mid-September is a good time to reseed and make sure the seed comes in contact with the soil, he said.

Kentucky 31 is “the old standby,” he said. It is drought- and disease-resistant and, while it can be used for lawns, it is a favorite for football and athletic fields, Barrett said.

However, newer turf-type tall fescues have the resiliency of Kentucky 31, but are designed for lawns, he said.

“You’ll see a big difference,” he said.

Most lawns this summer went a month, perhaps longer without needing to be mowed, Barrett said.

That’s true, said Lyndall Jones, a retired 4-H extension agent in Wood County who takes care of the lawn at Emmanuel Baptist Church on 23rd Street in Parkersburg. Jones’ crew of volunteers didn’t have to cut the grass, mowing once in about eight weeks, Jones said.

“It hasn’t needed it,” he said. “It’s just not growing.”

Jones also recommends first getting a soil test to determine what may be needed. A test is important to administer the nutrients the lawn needs and is as equally important for gardens, too, he said.

Returning organic matter into the soil is good for the garden for this time of year, Jones said. Just tilling the soil over can also put seeds from weeds into the ground, he said.

“My No. 1 thing is to get rid of all the weeds to make sure they won’t go to seed,” Jones said.

Jess Mancini can be reached at jmancini@newsandsentinel.com.

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