Too Much Rain for Your Lawn?

What do the recent heavy rains mean for my lawn this spring?

The recent copious amounts of rain in the Southeast have in some cases set historical records. This heavy rain fall can impact our lawns and turf areas as we enter spring. This blog will cover some of those topics and answer questions about products that may have already been applied or may be applied as we move forward. Let’s also talk about some proactive measures all homeowners need to take to lessen the impact of these late, heavy, winter rains.

What about the pre-emergent herbicide that had been applied prior to all this rain?

One great attribute of the pre-emergent herbicide Waynes uses, is its ability to bind with the soil particles. In fact, this is key in its ability to control weeds for the entire season. We recommend watering in the application and that is because we need this binding to take place. So, while we did not need 8 inches of precipitation in two days to make this happen, the first ½ inch moved it into the upper root zone for us and it will remain there.

What if I had a lot of weed seed wash into my lawn from flooding?

This can and usually does happen. Many of our neighborhoods are surrounded by wooded or agricultural areas. These spots are full of weed seed waiting to be deposited in our lawns and grow. The good news is our pre-emergent herbicide works equally as well on the rogue weeds as it does on crabgrass and dandelion. Now if you do not have a lawn service or have not had your pre-emergent application yet, get that down ASAP to ensure we stop those uninvited visitors.

Will the heavy rain cause my lawn to be slow coming out of dormancy?

The rain will not directly cause this, but the flooding or washing of water across our lawns can cause dormant turf to “mat over”. This means last years dormant leaves got pushed over by those waters and have formed a mat. This can make some areas of our lawn slow to come out of dormancy since this blanket will hold the soil temps down even after Spring sunshine starts to warm things up. The best thing we can do is go out with a rake and fluff these areas up and get the leaf blades standing back up again. Then when dry enough go ahead and scalp your lawn to remove as much of last years growth as practical. While we recommend this every year, it is particularly needed after very wet winters.

Is there anything else I should do as a result of the heavy rain?

Maybe the most important thing to do this season is aerate. One thing these heavy rains do is cause our red clay to stick together. This eliminates pore space and leaves no room for roots and oxygen in the soil profile. Aeration this season will be essential in allowing the soil structure to get back into balance.

As always, we at Waynes are happy to discuss this and any other questions you may have about your lawn care. Give us a call anytime you have a question.