CARE FOR This guide is intended as an overview on your lawn and what can be done to improve it. We caution that getting a perfect lawn is a lot of work that must be maintained and is not just a one-time effort. We have broken the topic into a number of interconnected topics, and it should be stressed that to get a healthy and good looking lawn, all aspects of the lawn must be addressed. Remediation Type of grass Environmental TYPES OF GRASS The most suitable grass for the Westcoast turf: Perennial Ryegrass Chewing Fescue Slender Creeping Fescue Hard Fescue Rough Bluegrass Maintenance Feeding Turf Science BCLNA Lawn Standards Watering Grass is sold as a mix and blend. A mix is composed of different genera while a blend is composed of different cultivars of the same species. Pest Weed
ENVIRONMENTAL When large strata complexes are built it is all about speed and efficiency. Often very large and heavy equipment is brought in to the site to speed up the construction process. Smaller single family homes have significantly smaller lots which often prevents the use of large equipment. This heavy equipment causes compaction of the soil coupled with construction debris, which inevitably gets compacted along with the soil, provides an environment of exceptionally hard packed soil with little or no drainage. The installation landscapers come in and often put down only about 2-4 inches of top soil and then the sod. Believe it or not the west coast is one of the hardest areas in North America to grow grass. This is due to the mild climate, that allows plants and weeds to grow year round. Grass is a very hardy plant that can withstand extreme heat and cold, and in other parts of the continent, winter will kill many of the weeds, giving the grass an advantage come springtime. Unfortunately, as we don t have the extreme temperatures and have some very evasive weeds that grow year-round (e.g. moss) the grass is left in a vulnerable position. Level 1 Well Groomed Level 2 Groomed Level 3 Moderate Requires Pest Management So when you consider the factors that effect grass growth: Soil Compaction Improper installation Weeds / moss (often exasperated with close proximity to green spaces) Sunlight (north facing lawns get little direct sunlight which is essential for all plants) Erosion (excessive rain washing soil and nutrients away) Mild winters (does not allow for weed dieback); It is amazing that we have any lawns at all! BCLNA LAWN STANDARDS The BC Landscaping and Nursery Association has developed maintenance standards for both bed work and lawn care. The standards range as shown. These standards were developed in consultation with industry experts using best practice. The BCLNA standards all call for pest management based upon the BC Ministry of Environment standards which are often superseded by the municipal bylaws on pesticides, making it very difficult to achieve the higher lawn care standards as many herbicides for weed control such as KillEx are banned. KillEx is a systematic herbicide which will kill the roots of the weed (without effecting the grass) preventing the Level 4 Open Space Level 5 Background Level 6 Industrial
weed from reoccurring. What is allowed to be used are topical organic herbicides such as Fiesta which kills the growth but not the roots, so the weeds simply come back a few weeks later. Fiesta must be applied every 3-5 weeks and therefore can become very expensive. WATERING Turf grasses need about 1" of water per week to maintain green color and active growth. It is important to give your lawn the correct amount of water to maintain its health. Your lawn requires deep watering so watering longer but less often is preferred. If you water more frequently for shorter times, you promote shallow root growth, and your grass will likely start to brown and go dormant which will allow weeds to take over. In a typical Vancouver summer, there is not enough rain during late spring, summer and early fall to provide the grass the deep watering it requires. If you want a strong and healthy turf you must water when mother nature doesn t. Remember: It is best not to water too frequently but rather water only once or twice a week for a longer period of time to allow the roots to seek out the water, thereby establishing a deeper and stronger root system. WEEDING Weed control is a contentious issue. There are essentially three ways to control weeds in your turf: 1. Herbicides a) Systemic effective but banned in many municipalities b) Organic Topical so must be applied every few weeks. Expensive 2. Mechanical removal time consuming and expensive (if outsourced) (ie. Pulling weeds by hand) 3. Healthy lawn A healthy lawn will squeeze out weeds and if the lawn is kept healthy then the invasion of weeds will be slowed down. The best way to ensure a health lawn is: Mow often, but not too short Keep your soil well nourished (Fertilizer) Water deeply but not too often (a dormant lawn welcomes the weeds) But once the weeds have gotten a foothold then options 1 and 2 are the best remedies.
JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUN JUL AUG SEP OCT NOV DEC LAWN BUDGETS In a strata situation, there is always a balance between the extent of landscaping and budgets. Great looking lawns are often constrained by budgets and local bylaws make this difficult. An average single family home in Vancouver pays between $100-300 per month for their landscaping, and stratas typically pays between $20-50 per owner per month. Surprisingly the sq. ft. of landscaping a strata has per owner compared to a single-family home is usually not that far apart when all the common areas are included. Also the design of strata landscapes is typically more complex and time consuming then most single family home (e.g. ledges, hard to access areas, etc.). If you want a lawn that you see in some single-family homes, then you must pay what they pay, which unfortunately for commercial landscapers most strata s are unwilling or unable to pay. INSECTS AND PEST The most talked about issue facing the lower mainland today is the European Chaffer. There are two methods of treatment, of which only one is allowed by municipal bylaws: NEMATODES: This is an organic biological agent that attacks the eggs of the European Chaffer beetle. This must be applied at the end of July to early August to be effective. This treatment is about 65% effective and is approved for use by Municipal Bylaws. MERIT: This is a pesticide that can be applied July and August. This treatment is banned in most municipalities in the lower mainland, but some properties have chosen to assume the risk of fines to get this applied. This treatment is about 90% effective. Life Cycle : GRUB PUPA ADULT EGG GRUB Damage : LAWN DAMAGE LAWN DAMAGE Treatment : MERIT NEMATODES Depth Above Ground : Shallow : Middle : Deep : Life cycle and general information on the European Chaffer beetle.
Both of the treatments attack the eggs. Since nematodes are a live biological agent, its effectiveness is limited and the window of opportunity is short. Weeds are a fact of life. Spores from a host of unwanted plants drift daily through the air from unkept green spaces or neighbours who simply can t be bothered to weed their properties. Seeds and spores have been known to drift for many kilometers, so accept the fact that you can t prevent the infestation of weeds. Many local municipalities have banned the use of selective and broad-based herbicides due to environmental concerns making weed control through chemical means a diminishing option. So, what can be done? The simply answer is develop a strong and healthy lawn. Your lawn is a battle ground with invasions from weeds, insects and diseases. Developing a strong lawn with grasses that are resilient to the pests is key (e.g. Fescue grasses develop very deep roots which become unobtainable for the European Chaffer beetle and difficult for skunks and raccoons to turn over; as such, it is a recommended grass for areas infested with the European Chaffer beetle). Healthy grass will reseed itself and will crowd out the weeds if conditions are created that favour the grass over the invading weed (e.g. Fertilization, Liming, etc.). FEEDING Grass needs food, which it gets from the soil. As the grass and other plants use up the nutrients, we need to replenish the soils nutrients with applications of fertilizer. The three key components of fertilizer are nitrogen (N), phosphate (P) and potassium (K). The numbers you see on a bag correspond to the N:P:K ratio of the fertilizer as a percentage of weight. (e.g. a 100-lb. bag of 20:10:5 would be 20lbs nitrogen, 10 lbs. phosphate and 5 lbs potassium.) In an ideal situation, lawns should be fertilized every 30-45 days to give the grass as much nutrients as possible. The challenge with strata s is that they often have tens of thousands of sq. ft. of lawn which would add thousands of dollars of cost which many owners find excessive. Most commercial landscapers include 2 fertilization applications as part of their standard maintenance. MAINTENANCE Strata must always balance the extent of landscaping with their operational budgets. Commercial Landscapers all hire their staff from the market of available landscaper s and all pay in the same range. You get what you pay for applies both to the landscape companies who hire and pay their workers, as it does for the strata who hires the landscaping company to perform the service. Ultimately both are paying a price per hour of work. There are no short cuts and if someone is significantly cheaper than the market, then that generally means that the quality/time you receive will reflect the price you pay.
For a strata to get the level of service they require at a price that they can live with, it is paramount to ensure good communication and to engage in a partnership approach with their landscaping maintenance provider. A quality landscaping company will cut the grass weekly when needed. Grass should not be cut just for show. Grass should also be generally cut high at about 3 and often (about every 5-7 days) to ensure a lush lawn and to allow the grass to shade-out weed seed, preventing them from germinating. Most quality landscaping companies will generally provide 2 fertilizations per year as their standard. Beware of companies throwing in extras into the quote, such as soil amenders into their quote as this typically is not significantly beneficial for the lawn and ultimately someone will be paying for this, and it is in all likelihood not the landscaping company. The lawn should have a moss control applied and be aerated in the spring and should receive a lime application in the fall. Some companies apply lime in the spring based on the erroneous belief that the lime is needed to help the grass grow. Lime is not applied to the grass, rather to the soil to adjust the ph of the soil to make the environment more hospitable for grass and less friendly for moss and other weeds. Applying the lime in the fall allows time for the lime to penetrate the soil over the winter preparing the soil for the spring growing season. Any lime applications more than once a year should be confirmed with a soil sample prior to application. REMEDIATION Lawn remediation is a process of the following steps. A. AERATION : Process of mechanically removing small core of turf and soil. This essentially creates a passage for oxygen, water and nutrients to penetrate the soil and reduces compaction of the soil. B. POWER RAKING : Power raking is a process using a gas powered machine to tear up moss and thatch. By removing the thatch and moss, seeds that are planted will grow their roots into the soil which increases their survival rate. Power raking removes thatch and moss that can become nests for insects. Removal of thatch and moss prevents fungal and bacterial diseases from developing in your lawn. C. RESEEDING/ OVER SEEDING: Reseeding is done when areas are bare and very thin with little to no grass. Larger amounts of seed will be needed to ensure complete coverage over the areas. Over seeding is done when you have an existing lawn that is thin, or are adding to an otherwise healthy lawn newly genetically modified grass seed that is less prone to disease, drought stress, heat stress and insect issues. It's a great way to keep your lawn looking youthful.
D. ORGANIC TOP DRESSING: Organic top dressing is used to cover the grass seed up to a depth of 1/8 inch to protect the seed from birds and direct sun light. It acts like a light blanket and helps keep seeds moist. When peat moss starts to dry it changes from dark brown to a lighter shade of brown. This is a good indicator that watering is required. E. STARTER FERTILIZER: Applying a starter fertilizer to the soil before or after spreading the seed gives the plants a boost by helping with root establishment. Starter fertilizer is high in phosphorus to benefit the root system of the germinated seed. This helps establish the grass before the major green growth occurs. F. REPEAT: After the first seed and top-dress application, a second application should be applied about 2-3 weeks later. This will ensure that sparse areas are filled in ensure a healthy and lush lawn. Lawn care can be a complex and time-consuming luxury. If one is committed to invest the time and resources needed, your lawn can be the envy of the neighborhood. One may be tempted by short-cuts that can sometimes be taken (e.g. use of selective herbicides) but local municipal bylaws and/or concern for the environment may make this a path not worth taking. Education is the best tool. Talk to your local landscaper or research reputable sites to arm yourself with as much knowledge as possible to get your lawn happy, healthy and sustainable. Donnelly Landscapes Ltd. is the Lower Mainland s (Vancouver, BC, Canada) premiere commercial landscaping company since 2002. Specializing in strata, commercial, industrial, and rental property landscaping, Donnelly offers a comprehensive list of services including maintenance, hardscaping, softscaping, irrigation, drainage, lawn remediation, integrated pest management and snow and ice management. At Donnelly Landscapes we will not compromise on quality. We take a partnership approach with our clients working with them to achieve their landscaping goals within their budgets and time constraints. We pride ourselves on our work and professional approach in our dealings with our customers, suppliers and employees. Our commitment is to provide every customer with the very best service and highest quality workmanship at a fair price.