Ask Danny | Ep. 1: Improving Your Lawn’s Health

Welcome to the first episode of Today’s Homeowner’s new podcast, “Ask Danny.”

Each week, I chat with an industry good friend to deal with your dwelling advancement concerns. We’ll share professional guidelines and sensible assistance to help you realize success! Plus, there is often a one of a kind or humorous tale alongside the way.

Right now we are talking about lawn care and sodding, with Sid Sexton. Sid is the founder of Sexton Lawn & Landscape in Daphne, Ala., and is licensed in turf and ornament spraying, landscape style and design, and environment of landscape plants.

About Sid Sexton

As the founder of Sexton Lawn & Landscape, Sid is a down-to-earth, sincere businessman with a really like for garden treatment, landscape design and style, and providing the very best products to his shoppers.

Commencing at age 16, Sid spent his summers functioning for a local landscape company and the community region club and golfing study course in his hometown of Muskogee, Okla.

Right after earning his bachelor’s diploma in business administration with a small in horticulture, Sid joined the U.S. Coast Guard and was stationed in Hawaii, where by he achieved his long run spouse, Jourdan.

He was honorably discharged soon after two years and commenced working as an account manager for a landscape organization. In January 2004, he established Sexton Garden & Landscape.

Sid is accredited in turf and ornament spraying, landscape layout, and environment of landscape plants. He is also a Licensed Landscape Experienced and continues his instruction by workshops, on the web programs and other functions quite a few occasions through the yr.

Continue to keep reading for his assistance on frequent garden problems.

Controlling Weeds

“We laid sod in our garden a few yrs back and it’s held up perfectly until eventually not too long ago. We’re starting to see a great deal much more weeds than usual. What really should we do?” 

Sid: The greatest weed regulate is a healthier garden. Grass requirements 3 key points to prosper — daylight, water and nutrition, and in that buy.

See if the sod is acquiring sufficient sunlight. Trim any branches that could be casting as well considerably shadow on to the grass.

Also, assume about the form of grass. Some kinds of grass thrive in one particular site and fail in a different. The type of sod could not be shade-tolerant. There is no serious shade-loving turf, but there are some that tolerate a sure sum of shade.

Subsequent, take into consideration irrigation. Are you watering as well substantially or as well small? The correct harmony depends on the style of turf you have.

The previous step must be fertilization and weed regulate. If weeds are the challenge and you truly feel like you have plenty of solar, water and vitamins and minerals, contact a expert for a weed command system.

Lawn Aeration

“Should all people aerate a lawn, or is that in a condition when you suspect the ground has gotten more compacted?”

Sid: The answer depends on how a lot targeted traffic you have on your garden.

Do you have some mature trees and are those people roots are having greater and larger and using up additional area down below the grass. Do you have dogs or kids? Is there a soccer match in the backyard just about every weekend? This will induce compaction.

If this is the scenario, you need to main aerate. If it is a sports turf, you should really core aerate two times a year. 

For standard home owners, after a 12 months, if that, is sufficient. 

And right before you aerate, mark the areas of your sprinkler heads.

Prepping for Sod

“What must you do before sodding your lawn?”

Sid: Just before laying sod, take 5 or 6 soil samples from the front and backyard.

Label them so you are going to know what place of your property demands soil amendment. Consult with your nearby extension office to see what therapies you must do.

Right after your soil is amended and you’re completely ready to lay the sod, start off prepping. There’s no want to do away with all vegetation, but you do need to have to get rid of the weeds. 

Prior to laying the sod, break up the soil with a until. This will produce a comfortable transition layer of soil that will make it less difficult for the grass roots to just take hold. 

Then, include some natural matter to create a dwelling soil for your sod to prosper, like Black Cow. (This is an affiliate hyperlink. If you acquire this product, we will make a compact commission at no more price to you.)

Sid Sexton’s Mowing Strategies

• Sharpen your garden mower blade at least the moment for each season. A sharp blade will make a nice thoroughly clean slash and will not tear the grass blades.
• Improve up mowing styles. Never mow in the very same course each individual time every 12 months. It can help the grass to grow a distinct way and lessens the likelihood of ruts in your yard.
• Make guaranteed you know the mowing peak for your turf form. Unique grasses expand very best when at specific heights. For example, the encouraged height for St. Augustine grass is 3-4 inches, whereas Bermuda grass wants to be slash at an inch and a fifty percent. 

Sid’s Experience with the Elusive Floor Pearl

All through the program of his horticulture reports in college or university, Sid acquired about an insect named a ground pearl. Floor pearls are living in the soil, feed on turf roots and glimpse like a pearl, as their identify suggests.

Around the several years, he’s listened to about floor pearls in seminars and go through about them in textbooks, but he had under no circumstances found one in genuine lifestyle. 

“I thought it was the Loch Ness monster — a thing you reported when you could not determine out what was wrong with a lawn,” Sid claims.

This adjusted, while, when he bought a home in 2012. For nine months, he struggled to locate the result in of why the grass’ health and fitness was declining. The answer turned crystal clear when he was digging to plant a tree and pulled out a major wad of soil.

There had been white and pink dots just about everywhere! Lo and behold, it was the elusive floor pearl.

Now, he sees them just about everywhere!

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