Is your once uniform and lush lawn now looking rusty or being invaded by crabgrass? A wet June into a dry July may have you wondering how to make your lawn green again.
On this horticulture day edition of Talk of Iowa, host Jason Burns tackles lawn care with Nick Christians, turf grass expert and Professor of Horticulture at Iowa State University.
"Crabgrass is definitely the big issue this summer," Christians says. "It loves wet weather so the conditions have been perfect this year."
This year's unusual weather has also caused an uptick in diseased lawns, which Christians says is typical of a very wet spring.
There are a number of ways to treat your lawn before summer comes to a close, but if you're in despair over a diseased, too dry, or crabgrass-ridden lawn, Christian recommends waiting until around August 15th to establish new grass. Then, apply a pre-emergence herbicide the following spring to stop weeds in their tracks before summer.
Later in the hour, Richard Jauron, Iowa State University Extension Horticulture Specialist, joins Christians to answer listener questions.
