Each year around Summer, we get clients inquiring about 'these weird little round growths' they are finding in their trees, commonly Live Oaks.

These 'weird little balls’ are called galls, which are plant tissue growths caused by exposure to small doses of hormone-like chemicals, which are produced by the gall makers. The gall makers can be many different things - but usually it is insects that cause them. Galls can actually occur on roots, flowers, bark, and buds, but people generally notice them when they are on leaves or twigs because they're the easiest to spot. 

Most often clients ask me about the galls that are appearing on their oak trees, as they are common in Gainesville, FL landscapes. It is usually mealy oak galls they are finding which are tan and can be roughly the size of a jaw breaker, as the photo shows.

The galls will eventually drop, at which point they are woody and hard under bare feet in your lawn. If you look closely at one you’ll note a single exit hole where the adult gall maker gnawed its way out of its home.

With mealy oak galls the gall maker is a wasp. However, most people associate wasps as an insect that can sting and in this case the wasp that has produced the gall isn’t the stinging type.

The way it works is that a mother wasp finds an appropriate live oak twig to which she attaches her egg, and the chemicals on the egg induce the oak to grow a home for the soon-to-hatch grub. That is how Mealy Oak Galls are formed. The grub dines on the interior tissue of the gall until it matures and chews its way through the outer shell. Once vacant the gall shell can persist on the twig for a long time until it eventually drops into your lawn.

While some galls can be harmful, it is important to note that oak goals are not. They don’t do much to harm you tree. And applying insecticides to manage any perceived problem is overkill in my professional opinion. If you are worried about how they look, take comfort that gall makers tend run in cycles. Some years will be heavy and others will be minimal

If you need help with a lawn or landscape problem, we would love to earn your trust. We have been helping our Gainesville, Florida lawn and landscapes for over 15 years. Give call us at 352-378-5296 or info@themasterslawncare.com.

We’ve gotten a number of calls from customers asking questions about how to improve their lawn's appearance in the North Florida dry spell. Lawns are struggling from drought stress in any area that gets sun exposure, landscape plants are beginning to wilt, and you're already watering with your sprinkler system. What can you do?

Until we begin to get normal rainfall, here are some watering tips. Notice that these tips are beyond the basics of watering early in the morning, follow the 2 day per week schedule (unless you have new sod or plants), and put down an inch of water. These tips are specifically the dry spells we have come accustomed to a couple times a year in Gainesville landscapes. These tips need to be reveresed after normal rainfall begins as you could create problems with overwatering and fungus when the dry spell ends. 

• Use the Seasonal Adjust function -On most irrigation controllers installed in the past decade, there is an option called "seasonal adjust" that has a percent in it (typically it is left at 100%). Increasing this to 150% is a simple and quick way to adjust up in dry/hot seasons and down (50-60%) in cold/wet seasons. Please note this function only increases your time of watering per zone, and not your amount of days. (For example, a zone that is set to run 30 minutes would be set to run 150% of it's set time, or 45 minutes, during the dry spell. Then, if you set it to 50% for the winter, it would only run half the normal time, or 15 minutes)
• Creatively Obey the Rules - Watering 2 times a week in a severe dry spell in full sun exposure will rarely keep your Gainesville grass healthy, but there isn't a rule that says you can only water your lawn 2 times a week. The code says you can only water your lawn 2 days per week, and only during the morning or evening. Let's say your address is an even number, so your watering days are Thursday and Sunday. You could water early in the morning on Thursday (around 5am) and then late in the evening again on Thursday (around 10pm). Repeating this on Sunday would allow you to reduce your time between waterings from 3 days to 2, and severely limit the amount of stress on your Gainesville grass.
• Apply "Moisture Manager" to your Lawn and Landscape- This is something I highly recommend for Zoysia lawns that get so drought stressed in our dry spells! Moisture Manager (click this link to watch a video) allows your soil to hold more moisture around the plant's roots due to it's microscopic water-absorption technology, and saves you on your GRU water bill. This is commonly called Hydretain by other companies in town, but it works really well to increase your waterings effectiveness. 
• Use Soak Cycles - This is something we all should use year-round, but they are difficult to set up on irrigation timers that aren't Hunter's Hydrawise Smart Controllers . These soak zones break a normal zone zycle (for example, a zone set to run for 60 minutes) into 4 seperate 15-minute cycles with a 10-20 minute break between each one. What does this do? It allows the water to soak in, rather than puddle up and run off down the driveway, and down the front curb. This is a great tip we use for watering lawns on slopes, but it really works well for most all Gainesville Florida lawns. 
• Inspect your irrigation system - This one is a fundamental tip, but you would be amazed how many lawns struggle in speceific areas during the dry season because of lack of adjustments as plants grew, trees developed, and the irrigation needs shifted - but the system didn't. Checking your irrigation system twice a year will help you avoid those "hot spots" where they always dry out in the heat of the year.

We hope these tips are helpful for you during this dry season! If we can be of help with your Gainesville, Florida sprinkler system, Lawn Pest Control (Gainesville Chinch Bugs LOVE dry lawns!) or Landscape Managment, please give us a call at (352) 378-5296 or email us at info@themasterslawncare.com. 

A lush, well-manicured lawn adds to curb appeal and enjoyment of your home. But lawns are susceptible to diseases and pests, especially if they're left vulnerable from poor cultural practices like underwatering or being scalped too low. Here are five common things your Gainesville lawn is trying to communicate to you, and how to spot and fix each before they get bad.

Problem #1
Problem: Brown Spots

What the Lawn Is Trying to Tell You: There are several causes of brown, or even dead, spots in your turf. Some are obvious, like a dog peeing in a certain area, but others require a little more detective work. It could be  weeds dying off from a lawn weed treatment, the soil pH could be too acidic, or even an area having too much shade or not enough water. How do you know? It may have a couple causes like the ones listed in the tips below, but I would start out looking to see if it's too shaded or not getting enough water - as that is most often the case.

If it's in full sun, check your sprinkler coverage by testing the system; you may need to adjust sprinkler head orientation to get full coverage. If it's in the shade, you need 4-6 hours of sunlight to grow a healthy Gainesville lawn. You may want to prune some tree limbs up. 

Problem #2
Problem: Grass Is Wilting or blades are folding up

What the Lawn Is Trying to Tell You: It probably needs a deep watering. Most lawns have a mix of different types of grass, and some types will start to wilt or turn brown before the others. In our area, Zoysia is the first to decline in dry weather due to it going dormant. (I know, it's weird that the drought-tolerant grass shows drought stress the qucikest - see our YouTube videos for more on this)

The folding grass blades, even when mixed with healthy green blades, are early indicators that the lawn is starting to suffer from a drought. The photo above is a St. Augustine lawn with bad drought stress. 

If you haven't increased your watering in the spring, this is the time. Check soil moisture by sticking your finger in the soil. If the soil is dry, it will feel like sand and know you need to increase your irrigation settings. You will need to water for longer periods of time to allow the water to sink deeper into the soil, and water a minimum of 2x per week.

"You want to water infrequently but longer to encourage the roots to go deeper," our irrigation manager Chuck says. "Watering light everyday is not as good as a deep watering two or three times a week." The ideal time is between 4 and 6 am. Cooler temperatures limit evaporation, but the grass will dry during the day. Watering at night leaves wet grass, which can promote Gainesville lawn fungus and disease. 

Problem #3
Problem: Circles Pop Up in the Grass

What the Lawn Is Trying to Tell You: The circles, are the result of a fungus in the soil and presents itself as Large Patch or Brown Patch Fungus.

The fungal threads in the soil will initially cause the grass in the circle to appear orange in the outer circle  because that is where the fungus is most active. As it grows, the middle will turn brown and the outer ring will expand to take over more and more of your lawn. This disease stays in the soil year-round, but typically pops up in Gainesville grass in Fall and Spring Seasons as we transition between cold and warm weather and there is excess moisture to make it activate.

Reducing irrigation and applying fungicide is your first line of defense against the circles. You only have to treat the affected area, but lawn fungus applications aren't inexpensive. Cutting back irrigation should be a priority, and whatever you do - do not fertilize when you have large patch in your lawn. It will feed the fungus instead of the lawn. 

Problem #4
Problem: Grass Won't Grow Under a Tree

What the Lawn Is Trying to Tell You: Large trees can block the sun, while pine trees drop needles around the trunk, which also can kill the grass.

To be perfectly honest here: let it go. Trying to maintain healthy turf under the tree can be a constant challenge. You'll have to trim back branches to let the sun shine through, or continually rake up leaves and pine straw. Even then, the grass may struggle due to the fight for water and nutrients with the larger and stronger tree roots. 

You're better off not having the competition between the tree and the turf. Instead, we recommend putting mulch around the base of the tree and shade-tolerant landscaping like Hydrangea and Agapanthus to add color and create an attractive bed rather than a receding Gainesville lawn. 

Problem #5
Problem: Patchy dead spots by sidewalk, walkway, curb

What the Lawn Is Trying to Tell You: Chinch Bugs can take up residence in your Gainesville lawn quickly and cause all kinds of problems. A lawn suffering from disease or heat stress from lack of water is most vulnerable, and typically they love to attack near concrete, driveways, or walkways (such as the photo shows). The trick is to identify it quickly and treat them before they damage more of the lawn. 

Common lawn pests include chinch bugs, army worms, webworms, and spittlebugs - but the most common this time of year are chinch bugs. These ant-sized bugs feast on drought-stressed grass and typically start by the concrete. But they overwinter in your lawn, and the larva emerge there, eating and killing turfgrass roots.

You can treat infestations with insecticides, but be careful. "Knowing what you're going after is the key," Chuck said. "It's important to use an insecticide that is labeled for that insect on not just any big box store product." If you aren't experienced in this area, hire a Gainseville lawn pest control professional. 

We hope these 5 tips about what your lawn is communicating are helpful to keep your Gainesville landscape looking top notch. If we can be of service, cal us at (352) 378-5296 or email info@themasterslawncare.com.

WHY IS AERATION FOR YOUR GAINESVILLE LAWN SO IMPORTANT?

Simply put, aeration is essential to having a healthy, resilient lawn as it lets oxygen, water, and nutrients penetrate past the topsoil to reach the root zone of your turfgrass, where essential lawn nutrients can stimulate roots to grow and create healthier, stronger Gainesville, Florida lawns.

Aerating your lawn is pretty cool because it …

• Better enables oxygen to get below the topsoil
• Improves the uptake of The Master's lawn fertilizers and nutrient feedings
• Lets the soil more readily absorb the irrigation
• Reduces water runoff and puddling – and reduces the amount you need to water
• Improves drainage from heavy rains as it moves through the soil faster
• Helps strengthen your yard’s root system, the key to a healthy lawn
• Reduces soil compaction which leads to soil erosion & low grass production
• Strengthens your lawn’s ability to endure heat waves and droughts
• Makes your lawn one resilient, beautiful space for fun family time

If you don’t aerate your lawn, you risk having compacted soil. Which basically means oxygen, water, and lawn nutrients from our Gainesville lawn nutrition program can’t get past the surface-level layer (what you see with your naked eye). All the soil beneath that top layer is then at risk of starving when it’s deprived of air and water and nutrients.

HOW CAN YOU TELL IF YOUR LAWN NEEDS AERATION?

A great way to test if your lawn needs aeration is with a screwdriver. Yep, a screwdriver! Flathead or Phillips, it doesn’t matter – take the screwdriver and insert the head into the soil. If the screwdriver can’t be inserted very easily when the soil is moist, then your lawn likely needs a little TLC from aeration and fertilization. You’ve come to the right place to get help with both.

Chances are your lawn needs aeration if you’ve got compacted, poor, or clay-heavy soil, or if you’re lawn is heavy used. Foot traffic and heavy equipment can turn your soil harder than concrete. Also, it’s a good idea to aerate if you’re renovating a yard (lucky you!). 

Another reason to schedule Gainesville aeration for your lawn is if your soil pH is too high. Adding milorganite after aeration will help slowly bring down the pH to make it more suitable for long-term lawn health.

The next 12-18 weeks will determine how your lawn does in 2019, so we hope these tips are helpful to you in making sure you have a lawn you love in 2019. During the winter months in Gainesville, Florida lawns, the grass is semi-dormant – growing but at a slower pace and almost barely growing at all. The soil microbes are still busy though, doing what soil microbes do – enzymatic digestion of organic matter – aka composting.

So don’t be fooled into thinking the soil and turf grass doesn’t need food and water in the winter – the turf and the soil microbes are living, sending out roots, and need nutrients to stay healthy. Without an active and healthy turf and soil microbe population in winter, the St Augustine or Zoysia turf grass lawn will lag in the spring, losing valuable time during the prime growing season.

5 THINGS TO DO IN THE WINTER FOR ST AUGUSTINE LAWNS

Water Your Lawn with proper irrigation (1x week is recommended)
Feed Your Lawn (nutrients such as Potassium and organic supplements like Sea Kelp and Humic/Fulvic soil stimulants)
Mow Infrequently but as High as the Mower will Go
Weed Control
Be Patient, Spring is coming!

Master these five activities during the winter and you’ll be rewarded with a healthy Gainesville lawn this spring and well into the summer months.

1. WATER YOUR LAWN

One persistent myth is that St Augustine needs less water in the winter. This is false. Although the St Augustine turf is semi-dormant, it is still living and growing and needs food and water to do so. The soil is teeming with soil microbes that need a moist soil to compost organic matter into plant food. Let the lawn dry out and you kill the soil microbes, starve the turf and turn your lawn into a weed patch. You can irrigate less due to having lower amounts of evaporation with cooler weather - but don't turn your Gainesville sprinklers off by any means!

So remember, the #1 determining factor for the health of your Gainesville turf and soil microbes is water – and about 90% of the water your lawn requires will come from irrigation. Therefore, the irrigation system must run, cover the entire lawn and put out enough water to “fill” the soil. If it doesn’t – then fix and repair until it does.

How Much Water?

Your lawn needs just as much water in winter as the rest of the year. The amount of water needed is not determined by temperature but by our soils. Our soils need the same amount of water whether it is hot or cold. On average our sandy soils in Pinellas County will require watering 3 times per week – even in the winter. Learn more here: How to Set Up Your Irrigation System to Keep a St Augustine Lawn Alive with 2x Week Watering Restrictions

2. FERTILIZE YOUR LAWN

The main goal of feeding a lawn is not feeding the turf, it is for feeding the soil microbes so that they can compost. Nitrogen, potassium, sulphur and iron are not readily available in our sandy soils and need to be replenished on a regular basis. – even in the winter.

My winter feeding program focuses on potassium and micronutrients - especially sulfur and iron – but I don’t neglect the nitrogen. I limit nitrogen to 0.5 pounds per 1000 square feet of lawn during the winter. One good granular application of a 16 -0-8 with a good micronutrient package is sufficient until spring.

3. MOW INFREQUENTLY BUT AS HIGH AS THE MOWER WILL GO

Winter is not the time to mow low – mowing low does more harm than good in the winter. When you mow low it opens up the canopy, exposing the soil and tender roots and stems to drying sun and winter winds. A dry soil and sun parched stems and roots does not make for a healthy lawn. These winter months are a perfect time to skip a few mowings, allowing the canopy to become even higher and reduce wear and tear.

4. WEED CONTROL IS EFFECTIVE AND SAFER

Winter is the best time for weed control. Focus on the persistent perennial weeds like Dollar Weed, sedges, and Day Flower. There are other annual weeds that pop up - but they will melt away with the rising temperatures - so focus on the perennials. I suggest Manor and Basagram as good herbicides to use on a St Augustine lawn in the winter months for control of dollar weed, sedges and day flower.

Be careful with the Weed-N-Feed formulations, as they may have high nitrogen content which could cause a lawn to fail in cold temperatures.

5. BE PATIENT

This semi-dormant period is natural and very important for the health of the turf – let it do its thing. Pushing the Zoysia or St Augustine turf grass out of semi-dormancy with excess nitrogen will create a false signal to the turf that spring has sprung and cause havoc with your lawn. I have heard from many homeowners so anxious for a green lawn they over stimulated their winter lawn with nitrogen, say "My lawn was so pretty - it was the greenest lawn all winter and now it is dead." Don't be tempted to make the lawn green with a parlor trick of high nitrogen fertilizer. Be wise, be patient, and let the grass progress from semi-dormant to spring in the right way for a great lawn in 2019.

QUICK NOTE ABOUT LAWN SPRAYING

The Master's Gainesville Lawn Spraying combines year round feeding of your lawn with insect and weed control so you don’t have to experiment with different brands and formulations. We know what to do and when to do it – that is what makes lawn spraying such a good service at a good price. If you are overwhelmed by the massive amount of choices for fertilizers, insecticides, and herbicides, you may want to consider hiring a professional Gainesville lawn pest service. Call us at (352) 378-5296 if we can be of service. 

Many of our clients recognize a black moldy soot covering their hollies in their landscape and wonder what it is. The 'black sooty mold' isn't a fungus, although it is a symptom of a Gainesville lawn pest. It is the secretion from a pest known as scale that releases a sticky substance that dirt sticks to, causing the black fungus-like appearance. The scale pest can be treated with a contact or systemic insecticide as well as organic treatments.

To reduce insecticide use, our team will use horticultural oils in the cooler months to control this common landscape pest. In the warmer months, the best method is systemic insecticides that are soaked into the plant and kill the scale as they Feast on it's nutrients.

If you come across a Gainesville lawn pest or Gainesville, Florida landscape pest, please don't hesitate to let us know if we can help. Contact our office at (352) 378-5296 and one of our technicians would be glad to assist you. We are a locally owned and operated lawn pest control service proudly located in Gainesville, Florida.

The Angie's List award reflects The Master's consistently high level of customer service and professionalism in the lawn care industry. They have earned the home service industry’s coveted Angie’s List Super Service Award for the 5th year in a row for 2018. This award honors service professionals who have maintained exceptional service ratings and reviews for the Gainesville, Florida Lawn and Landscape market.

“Service pros that receive our Angie’s List Super Service Award represent the best in our network, who are consistently making great customer service their mission,” said Angie’s List Founder Angie Hicks. “These pros have provided exceptional service to our members and absolutely deserve recognition for the exemplary customer service they exhibited.”

Angie’s List Super Service Award 2018 winners have met strict eligibility requirements, which include maintaining an “A” rating in overall grade, recent grade, and review period grade. The SSA winners must be in good standing with Angie’s List and undergo additional screening for proper licensing, insurance, and background checks.

"We are blessed to have a team that is committed to exceeding our client's expectations and profesionalism in our industry," said Rusty when asked about the award. "It's one thing to see your job as to do just lawn spraying, or yard mowing, or planting - but it takes it to another level when you have team members see everyhting they do as a way to serve our clients better- and that's what our team does every day."

Rusty Thompson founded The Master's Lawn Care in 2004 after a negative experience with a couple companies as the president of a homeowner's association, and knew that there was a need in the market for a customer-focused company. The Master's Lawn Care has been listed on Angie’s List for over 8 years, and this is the 5th year in a row to have been recognized with this award.

Service company ratings are updated continually on Angie’s List as new, verified consumer reviews are submitted. Companies are graded on an A through F scale in multiple fields ranging from price to professionalism to punctuality. For over two decades Angie’s List has been a trusted name for connecting consumers to top-rated service professionals. Angie’s List provides unique tools and support designed to improve the local service experience for both consumers and service professionals.

Brown Patch or 'Large Patch' Fungus runs rampant in Gainesville grass, usually in the fall when temperatures tend to start dipping below 80°F and spring as they head back up into that mild range. Irrigation heads are putting out the water and watering times get pushed to their limit as homeowners each compete for bragging rights of the best lawn in the neighborhood. As we all learn, there’s a balance between being efficient and being effective especially when it comes to watering. As we all envy the plush green lawn.

Turfgrasses Affected
All warm-season grasses, especially St. Augustine & Zoysia.

Occurrence
Brown Patch Fungus usually occurs from November to May when temperatures tend to drop between 75-50°F. Infection is triggered by rainfall, excessive irrigation, or extended periods of high humidity resulting in the grass blades being continuously wet for 48 hours or more.

Signs & Symptoms
Brown Patch Fungus usually begins as small patches that turn yellow and then reddish-brown, brown, or straw-colored as the blades start to die, as you can see in the video on lawn fungus. Patches can expand to several feet in diameter. It is not uncommon to see rings of yellow/brown turf with apparently healthy turf in the center. Turf at the outer margin of a patch may appear dark and wilted. Brown Patch Fungus in Florida tends to get mixed in the Chinch Bug category so inspect the grass closely before attempting treatment.

Gainesville Lawn Fungus Treatment Recommendations
To rid your turf of Brown Patch Fungus, you can do it yourself or hire an expert. Before you try doing it yourself, read up on the chemicals and treatment procedures available to a residential consumer (University of Florida’s Guide) since most of the preferred chemicals might not be available at Home Depot or Lowes. Obviously, we strongly recommend hiring an expert that can guarantee results.

Please note that for the diseased turfgrass to recover, it must be actively growing. Symptoms will not disappear until new blades develop and the old blades are removed by mowing or natural decomposition. As this is a cool-weather disease, the turf may be nearly dormant at the time of infection and recovery is often very slow. Proper fungicide treatments simply help stop the disease from spreading; they DO NOT promote turfgrass growth while it is affected by current weather conditions.

Proper applications of fungicide consist of a minimum of two (2) applications, which is necessary for control of the disease. We usually schedule these applications roughly 2 weeks apart. These applications will prevent the spread of the fungus to other areas of the turf while new growth fills in the damaged areas, weather permitting. This will not prevent the disease from returning completely in later months, in some cases, additional treatments are required.

Bottom Line
Properly schedule irrigation run-times to promote health and growth in the cooler seasons, but keep in mind that irrigation is only a supplement to natural rainfall. If you’re experiencing cooler temps and the rain is still coming, dial down your run-times on your Gainesville irrigation system or turn it off altogether. If you find this cumbersome or time-consuming, consider hiring an all-inclusive Gainesville landscape company so you can forget about it - like our team at The Master's Lawn Care.

If we can be of help in any way to control your lawn disease, repair your sprinkler system, or help solve another problem - don't hesitate to cal or text us at (352) 378-5296.

Timing is critical when it comes to Gainesville lawn weed control. The mistake most homeowners make is to wait too late to treat winter weeds. If you plan to use a pre-emergent herbicide in your lawn to control weeds, you need to apply the product during October when nighttime temperatures drop to 55° to 60° for several consecutive nights. This is when their seeds need to be protected from germination. 

At Santa Fe College, where this video was taken, we did our first pre-emergent weed control application in October but these weeds popping up were tubulars leftover from the year before that had to be treated with a post-emergent weed killer.

Most winter weeds are annuals. Common winter annual weeds include annual bluegrass (Poa annua), chickweed, henbit, hop clover, lawn burweed, and wild geranium.

These and other winter annual weeds germinate from seeds during fall as the soil temperature cools and the day length shortens. The seedlings usually go unnoticed but continue to slowly grow through the colder winter months.  Approaching spring, as the day length becomes longer and the soil temperature warms, these previously inconspicuous weeds put on a growth spurt.

During February and March, the winter annual weeds become very noticeable in our Gainesville turfgrass. They quickly begin producing many flowers followed by thousands of tiny seeds. By late spring or early summer with the onset of higher air temperatures, the parent plants die. But they’ve left behind multitudes of seeds. These will last the hot summer months dormant in your lawn awaiting the cooler temperatures of autumn to begin the next generation. This is the cycle of life for these winter weeds.

Treating them with a combination of pre and post emergent lawn weed controls at the right time is key to your success. 

If you have a history of problems with winter weeds in your lawn, attempt control measures before the weeds go to seed. If you intend to use a preemergence herbicide, apply it during October, just before the winter weeds germinate. Then you'll only have to do clean up on a lot less tubular weeds that come back up.

If you need help with Gainesville lawn weed treatments and fertilizer programs, give our team a call or text at (352) 378-5296. We're local and have been serving Gainesville for over 15 years. We look forward to working with you!

Mowing your lawn properly is one of the easiest ways to fight off Gainesville lawn weeds and diseases. Cutting grass at its recommended height helps it get the sunlight and vital nutrients needed to be lush and healthy. Mowing too short ('scalping') can have some pretty serious negative effects; it can weaken and even kill your lawn. Additionally, cutting too short will limit the grass’s nutrient supply, giving weeds the opportunity to take over your Gainesville turf.

How Scalping Affects Grass

Grass is able to survive thanks to photosynthesis, which is the process of taking in sunlight and using it as energy. Cutting too much of the leaf blade limits the lawn’s ability to store this energy, restricting its nutrient supply and ultimately choking the grass. Not sure if you’re scalping your lawn? If your grass is so short that its stem is exposed, it’s too short. This stem is usually brown in color. Typically, most warm-season grasses should be at least 1 inch high and most cool-season grasses should be at least 2.5 inches high. You may also be scalping if you regularly cut the grass at your mower’s lowest setting.

Things That Make Scalping Worse

One of the worst contributing factors to scalping is mowing with a dull blade. The next time you mow, take a look at the grass afterwards. If it looks torn and frayed, your mower blade needs sharpening. You can buy a blade sharpener at most home and garden centers. Additionally, scalping the lawn in the heat of summer will seriously hinder the grass’s ability to recover. Since hot weather already stresses lawns, scalping will most definitely make matters worse.

Tips for Quality Mowing

It’s better for your lawn to be too long than too short, especailly with St. Augustine turf. Aim to keep your grass about three inches long throughout the growing season. It’s also helpful to leave grass clippings on your lawn instead of bagging them. Decomposed grass will return precious nutrients to the soil through a process called “grass-cycling.” This system works much better when mowing during the driest period of the day, as excess moisture could otherwise cause the clippings to clump up and block out sunlight from the lawn. Overlap your mowing path by two to three inches, as this will keep the lawn at a consistent height and ensure that it all gets cut.

Repairing the Lawn

If you realize you’ve been scalping the lawn, let your grass grow gradually back to its proper height, never removing more than 1/3 of the grass blade length at a time. Additionally, you’ll want to water deeply and infrequently. Proper irrigation will help the lawn recover properly. Check out our lawn watering tips for advice. If scalping has killed large areas of your lawn, The Master's Lawn Care can help you resod those bare and brown spots, or use our Gainesville fertilization programs to get things back on track.