Drought.... Yet still doing Apps???

Just wondering if anyone that is suffering from drought (like we are) are still putting down slow release fertilizers to make an attempt to stay on schedule?

This sounds nieve on my part, but we have not had it this dry in my 12 year lawn related career.

Do you put all of your lawn care applications on hold until rain moves in? What do you do with your insecticide treatments(Merit) where apllicable?

Can a slow release fertilizer cause any additional harm to a dry/dormant lawn?

Thank you -

ChicagoLawn

 

It's very dry in Ontario as well. We've had 1" of rain here in six weeks (and over 30 Celsius almost every day for three weeks!). When we get to a property that is well irrigated we do the service as usual. If the property is very dry and the grass is dormant we leave a note that the lawn is too dry to fertilize and if they would like us come back and fertilize it, to water at least 2 inches (we leave them a rain guage) per area and then call the office. If they don't call by the time we are done the current round, they get skipped into the next round. We still apply merit as needed and ask them to water it in. I don't think it will harm the grass. We also spot treat weeds and crabgrass if needed, so the only thing the customer is missing out on is the fert. Most of them can appreciate the fact that you are doing what's best for their lawn.

 

This is what I do too.

 

I also notify customers who have dry lawns that they need to start watering, and skip apps until the lawn is ready to receive fertilizer or rainfall meets the lawns watering needs.

 

we conduct business as ussual

 

depending on the condition of the lawn's dryness, i'll turn down the amount needed on a lawn showing mild drought stress, but a severe drought stressed lawn can't handle slow release fertilizer if is not seen any water or rain recently. out there in the desert climate, you'll get a LAWN HAVING DROUGHT STRESS if they don't water for 4 or 5 days in a row. for those customers who lawn are not looking the best, i'd skip untill watered properly, and just move onto the next.

 

how do you spot treat crabgrass

 

Drive.

Do you guys that skip fert apps make up for it by increasing your rates or visits in the fall?

 

Can you actually kill the lawn by applying a slow release granular fertilizer to a dormant/heat stressed lawn? Or will the application simply be wasted into the soil if and when rain comes? I know this question sounds very "basic" but we have never encountered such a dry season as we are currently.

Would you worry about grub control applications if the lawns are this dry also?

 

drive?????

is that a product name?