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YOUR GARDEN: Renovate your home's lawn

With three hot, rough summers, your lawn most likely needs help. Cindy Williams visits Alan, Sterling and Lothrop in Falmouth and gets some tips from general manager Shawn Brannigan.

FALMOUTH, Mine ( NEWSCENTERMaine) -- Now is the prime time to renovate your lawn, and after three brutal summers, it probably needs some help. Only cool season grasses can survive the Maine winter. They hate heat. Crabgrass on the other hand, crabgrass loves the heat. That’s why many people have had a hard time keeping up with it these last few years.

Shawn Brannigan of Allen, Sterling and Lothrop in Falmouth is a lawn care expert., and he has a system for lawn renovation:

  • Core Aerate- Use a machine that pulls the plugs out of the ground, rather than pushing them down, further compacting the soil. You can also pay a law service to do that for you.
  • Do a PH test. It’s vital for your soil to be at the right level to grow and keep grass happy. Adjust PH accordingly.
  • Water well.
  • Add 1/8 to ¼ inch of compost over the entire lawn
  • Fertilize- Note that Maine is now a no phosphorus state, meaning you cannot put down fertilizer that contains phosphorus ( the middle number in the 3 number formula) unless you have a soil test that shows you need it. It you do this now, you can do another round in 6 weeks.
  • Overseed your lawn every 2-3 years. New grass grows more vigorously and will help control crabgrass.
  • If you are overseeding, use a starter fertilizer that does contain phosphorus.

Brannigan says “It’s best to stay ahead of issues in your lawn, rather than trying to fix problem late in the game.”

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