Cool Season Cultural Practices

Cool season turf types typically do best when mowing decks are brought up to a higher setting; 3 to 3.5 inches is recommended for most cultivars. To achieve this height, it’s important to regularly mow during the growing season (at least once per week). Keep in mind - cut no more than 1/3 of the turf blade height in a single mowing session.
Make sure blades are sharp as a dull cut can leave the plant more susceptible disease and stress.
Different climates present unique challenges when it comes to soil. As different precipitation falls throughout the year, the elements slowly erode your existing soil. When composition of your soil gradually changes, its important to conduct a regular soil test to determine what amendments might be needed.
The land will also shift with time causing uneven surfaces in certain areas. We recommend using a lawn leveler with sand once a year to fill in any low lying areas to prevent puddles and improve overall aesthetic appeal.
It’s important to dial in your watering schedule appropriately with your lawns existing wet and dry cycles. Problems typically arise when disrupting the plant’s normal cycles. To prevent these issues we recommend watering in the early morning, preferably right before sunrise.
When it comes to how much water, we tend to stick to a deep,infrequent schedule. It’s important the water permeates the soil to a depth of at least 3-5 inches per irrigation. A total 1-2 inches per week of water is generally a good rule of thumb to follow.
The saying goes, “the best defense against weeds is a thick, healthy lawn.” And, it’s True! Much of the time weeds will pop up in areas of the lawn that are thin or bare. We also find it common for weeds to thrive in compacted soils. Scheduling an annual aeration and regularly over seeding to encourage new growth will do wonders in creating a strong barrier preventing growth.
Thatch is the layer of organic matter that accumulates between the grass and soil surface. A small amount of thatch is actually healthy for the lawn as it helps to insulate and cushion the turf. Although in some cases, the thatch will start to build and end up restricting water.
In these situations, action is often taken as the turf will begin to show signs of stress.
To break up the thatch, we recommend scheduling an annual aeration with a core (plug) aerator. Top Dressing treatments will also help break down the organic matter even further.
One thing can be guaranteed when dealing with turf types - you’re going to run into problems. The first step is to properly diagnose the cause of the stressed area. Many times a fungus can imitate a common pest infestation and vice versa.
Here in the PNW we deal will different ground rodents as well as
Depending on your geographic location, you may need to prepare your lawn for winter dormancy. During this preparation, an application of a nitrogen rich fertilizer is recommended as the roots nutrient requirements increase during this time to sustain the increase of growth. Another adjustment we typically recommend is slightly lowering the mowing deck to help prevent injury to the turf blade from winter precipitation.