3 Steps to a Green & Healthy Lawn in St Petersburg
Many St Petersburg homeowners look for that one simple thing they can do to make their lawn great. Often, they turn to “magic lawn elixirs” and “snake oils” to simplify lawn care.
The ones that promise beautiful, green, lush lawns – just use our product and everything will be great. Rarely do these efforts do more than empty wallets.
Then there are homeowners who overcomplicate lawn care. They have dozens of dusty and chemical-stained bottles of lawn care chemicals and half-empty bags of fertilizers, and several expensive pieces of lawn care equipment taking up most of the space in the garage.
They work hard, spending weekends working on their lawn. Often frustrated that even with all their efforts, their lawn isn’t the best on the block.
Then there is the homeowner who with little or no effort has a great lawn. How does that happen? No magic elixirs, no shelves of lawn care products and no expensive equipment and never seen working on the lawn.
Most likely, the homeowner has discovered the three simple steps to a great St Petersburg lawn.
Step 1: Fix and Repair the Irrigation
In St Petersburg, to have great lawn you MUST have a great irrigation system. Not just a working irrigation system, or even a good irrigation system – it must be a great irrigation system.
A lawn, with anything less than a great irrigation system, will not survive the dry seasons – months without rain while baking in the harsh Florida sun and draconian water restrictions.
Spending time and money on improving the irrigation system will do more to improve your lawn than lawn care products. Fertilizers, insecticides, and herbicides do not fix water stress caused by a broken or low-functioning irrigation system; they will make it worse.
However, a lawn with a high-performance irrigation system will be greener, stronger, and have fewer weeds and damaging insects (needs less fertilizer, insecticides, and herbicides).
Maintaining your irrigation is not rocket science, and neither is it simple. The irrigation system is outdoors, exposed to mowers, traffic, kids playing, etc., and needs regular care. Regular monthly maintenance, such as inspecting, cleaning, and adjusting heads, is good practice. It is recommended that you have a professional irrigation company fix, repair, or upgrade your system.
Consider Upgrading Components of the Irrigation
- Pumps and Valves – These require replacement due to wear and tear.
- Timers – Internet-connected timers provide reports and alerts.
- Heads – Use commercial-grade heads – they cost more but are worth it.
The better your irrigation system, the better your lawn. However, there is a high minimum threshold for an irrigation system to keep your lawn healthy.
Just because your irrigation is running does not indicate you have met or exceeded that minimum function threshold.
If your system is below that minimum threshold, your lawn will fail. Meeting or exceeding that threshold, and you will havea greener, healthier lawn with fewer weeds and other problems.
Step 2: Raise the Mower
In St Petersburg, you lawn MUST be a tall lawn. I use “tall” because the taller your lawn, the hardier/durable/stronger/thicker – you name the superlative, and it increases with height. And the opposite is true – shorter lawns are sickly/fragile/weak/thin – full of weeds, and when damaged, they die.
Many believe that the lawn must be short to look good. But, St Augustine, Zoysia, and even Bahia look their best at 4”, 5”, and even 6” or taller. There are several reasons for this “taller looks better” effect.
- Tall lawns are greener. More leaves provide more photosynthesis and greener leaves.
- Tall Lawns are Hardier – The tall canopy acts like an insulating cover, keeping soil, stems, and roots cool, preventing midday wilting and browning.
- Tall Lawns are drought resistant – the tall canopy acts like a thick layer of mulch, reducing evaporation, preventing drought stress and damage.
How tall is tall enough? The taller the better. After mowing, the minimum canopy height – measured from the soil surface to the top of the canopy – should be no less than 4”. Higher is better.
Note: This height should be maintained all year long. There is no benefit from lower mowing in the winter.
Step 3: Hire a Good Local Lawn Care Company
Your lawn is outdoors, exposed to the elements – sun, wind, rain – that erode nutrients, spread seeds, bugs, and disease that weaken and damage your lawn.
The nutrients need to be replenished with fertilizers, and the bugs, weeds, and diseases must be controlled.
Of the three steps, step three is the most technical. Lawn care requires a deep knowledge of St. Petersburg’s climate, soils, turf, insects, weeds, and fungi, and how to use fertilizers, insecticides, herbicides, and fungicides effectively.
It is an extensive knowledge base that takes years to build. A good lawn care company provides all four services – replenish nutrients, control insects, weeds, and disease.
The company will deliver to your lawn the products to replenish the nutrients and control insects, weeds, and fungi, and spread the products evenly over your entire lawn. This should be done 6 – 9 times per year. The more frequent the service is, the better the results.
Barefoot Grass is one of the top-rated lawn care companies in St Petersburg. Barefoot Grass yearly lawn care program is formulated by our Staff Agronomist.
Each of our nine applications provides your lawn with a steady supply of nutrients and excellent insect, weed, and disease control. Barefoot Grass also provides shrubs, palms, and tree care.
