As summer kicks in, many people become concerned about climate change and want to know what they can do about it.

Well, from our little corner of the world, we’d like to offer some suggestions on improving your lawn – and your carbon footprint – at the same time.

The fact is that turf grass – because of its density – is much better at absorbing and storing carbon acre-for-acre than trees. Carbon is taken in through the blades of grass and stored in the roots.

Here are a few tips on how improve your lawn’s capacity to capture and store carbon:

1. Grass Type: Some grasses, like fescues and bluegrass, have a higher potential for carbon sequestration because they have deeper root systems and can store more carbon in the soil.

2. Soil Quality: Healthy soil is crucial for carbon sequestration. Implement practices like regular aeration, top dressing with compost or organic matter, and using soil amendments to enhance soil fertility and structure. Healthy roots allow the soil to hold more carbon.

3. Mow High, Mow Often: Maintain a minimum height of 3” on your lawn and mow it frequently. Leaving more blade length maximizes photosynthesis; mowing often will force the turf into accelerated growth mode, thus absorbing C02 at a faster rate than a lawn that isn’t mowed.

4. Water Deep (but less often): Overwatering can lead to shallow root growth and decreased carbon sequestration. Adjust your irrigation system to water deep every few days. This will help control fungus too!

5. Avoid Soil Compaction: Limit foot traffic and heavy equipment use on the grass. Compaction reduces the soil’s ability to store carbon and can hinder root development.

6. Plant Trees: Integrating trees and shrubs into your turf grass areas not only provides cool shade, but they also add another layer of carbon sequestration by absorbing and storing carbon through their leaves, stems and roots.

Above all, the best thing you can do is to make sure your lawn is thick and healthy with our nutrient-rich, 7-step lawn care program. Not on it yet? Give our office a call at (603) 505-8587.

Crabgrass is one of the most prevalent and challenging weeds to control in New Hampshire.

It is a hearty annual plant that will grow in any soil condition including sandy soil. It is highly drought-tolerant and produces hundreds of new seeds per plant each year. Those seeds are viable for a hundred years or more! This creates an environment full of active or potentially active plants.

Because crabgrass is a grass, most broadleaf weed controls will not impact it.

There are several post-emergent controls that will control crabgrass after it has sprouted, but their effectiveness is limited. The most effective way to control crabgrass is with a pre-emergent weed control; however, there are some things that you need to know before applying your control:

Pre-emergent crabgrass controls will kill grass seed.

Are you going to be seeding your lawn in the spring? You may want to hold off on that. Pre-emergent controls are essentially root pruners. Once the seed pops, a root that root is killed off and the seed dies. There are pre-emergent lawn products that claim they will control crabgrass while you are seeding but effectiveness is moderate at best. Standard pre-emergent controls last in the soil for up to 90 days so seeding will have to wait for three months.

Timing of pre-emergent applications is critical.

Crabgrass will start to germinate once soil temperatures reach 55 degrees. It is important to understand that air temperature is not soil temperature and though it may be 60 degrees outside the soil may still be in the mid-forties. Pre-emergent can be applied anytime before the soil gets to 55 degrees but remember the 90-day clock is ticking as to how long it will last once it is applied. A good phenological indicator to watch for is the bloom of the forsythia. The flowers bloom around the time soils are reaching 55 degrees.

Know your pre-emergent weed controls.

Some controls are better at controlling crabgrass at the seed pop stage (early in germination process) and others are better once a tiller or two have popped (later in the germination process). Be sure to choose accordingly.

Here at Groundhog Turf Care, we monitoring soil temperatures is a standard practice with our lawn care services. We apply the first of two crabgrass pre-emergent weed controls at the correct time. The first control is one that is made for the early season control of crabgrass. We follow up with a second application approximately 5 weeks later that is designed to control crabgrass in the later germination stages. The combination of two overlapping applications provides the best pre-emergent crabgrass control available for your lawn.