If you really want to fine tune your yard maintenance plan. you should identify the type of grass you have. I will give you a brief description of what I know about grass and how to tell what is in your yard. 1) Bermuda: It is a full sun grass needing at least 4 hours of direct sun light to grow. More common in southern states. It is a fast growing hearty grass. Used a lot on sports fields. should be cut at 1.5 inches. 2) St. Augustine can grow in full sun, but is more shade tolerant than the Bermuda. Downfall it does not stand up to a lot foot traffic, and even a small dog can wear paths through it by constantly running the same patterns. Mowing height 2.5 to 4 inches. Mowing to low are scalping will lead to poor health and make it more susceptible to disease and less shade tolerant. 3) Zoysia is more shade tolerant than the others. It is very slow-growing and only needs to be mowed bi-weekly during the peak of the season. mowing height is 1.5 to 3 inches. 4) Fescue grass is a cool season grass wich is sun and shade tolerant. Mowing height should be 2 to 3 inches. 5) Kentucky Blue grass is a very drought tolerant grass. Mowing height is 1.5 to 2.25 inches.
Bermuda 
St. Augustine 
Zoysia 
Tall fescue 
Kentucky Bluegrass 
Fertilizer
Kentucky bluegrass and tall fescue lawns should both receive their first fertilization of the year between April 20th and May 10th. This application is usually a combination fertilizer and pre-emergent herbicide. Choose a product containing a good amount of slow release. I would strongly recommend having a professional apply all chemicals. If you do however want to do it yourself look for these formaldehyde, sulfur-coated urea and IBDU chemicals in the active chemical label. Spring is also an excellent time to control weed problems before they get a firm foothold in your lawn. Annual weeds like foxtail, crabgrass and spurge can be controlled with a pre-emergent herbicide that kills the weed seed as it begins to germinate. Crabgrass, a very common weed, germinates when soil temperatures consistently reach 55 degrees Fahrenheit, and is usually considered the “standard” by which we decide when to apply pre-emergent herbicides. A few hours or even a single day of warmth, even with temperatures up into the 70’s, is not enough to induce germination, several days of 55 F degrees soil temperature is required. For this reason, April 20th to May 5th is the target date for pre-emergent application.
I hope this was helpful. Thank you to all 12 of you who support my blog lol. A very good place to go if you need help with any lawn questions specific to Nebraska is the University extension office. phone number Phone: 402-444-7804 Email: douglas-sarpy@unl.edu Website: douglas-sarpy.unl.edu
2018 