Control Your Weeds and Bugs
Because Test First tests your soil and sends you the prescription to optimize the nutrition of your grass, you get a thicker, healthier and greener lawn. Test First also helps you correctly identify which weeds are growing and how to control them. A thicker lawn crowds out weeds by not allowing sunlight to get where the weeds can germinate.
The secret to weed control is simple – provide conditions that favor the grass species selected for your area, which is Test First’s specialty. If your turf is healthier than the competing weeds, you will naturally have a thicker, greener canopy. You can find a full list of links to identify weeds, diseases and other lawn problems – along with how to treat them.
Weeds Identification Links
Insect ID
Sod Installation
- Remove old grass and dispose using a wheel barrow or a wagon attached to a mower.
- Ensure the area to be sodded is properly draining excess water away from the site. If the area is wet, you may need to trench in drain tile, pea gravel and sand to channel the water away from the site. TIP: Call your local utility company before trenching to locate underground utilities. It’s the law and could save your life!
- Grade the area and remove large rocks and clods. The soil needs to be raked at least ¼” down before laying the sod.
- Fertilize the bare ground with our starter fertilizer.
- Lay the sod, making sure seams are pulled tight next to the adjacent piece. Lay every other row in a different pattern so that the seams from the adjacent sod do not match up with the row of sod you are laying. This helps stabilize sod during a heavy rain. On steep slopes, secure each piece of sod with 2-3 sod pieces to hold it in place.
Watering Your New Sod
No matter what species of sod is used, sod needs LOTS OF WATER. You should water the sod immediately – as soon as it is laid. You need to water the sod until the moisture is in the soil 3 inches deep. New sod requires Test First Starter fertilizer to provide needed phosphate near the young roots for proper establishment and root development.
You should water the sod at least 2 times per day for regions with temperatures more than 75 degrees. Water more if you are in a hot, arid region. Pull up a side of the new sod after 4-5 days and see if it is rooting properly. If the grass begins to get grey or bluish colored, then it is drying out and must be soaked with a hose until it is drenched.
Watering Established Sod
Do not water your lawn everyday. Water it deeply for 15 to 20 minutes, two to three times per week. Watering times may need to be adjusted during the year to adjust to changes in environmental conditions, including air temperature, humidity and wind conditions.
A good rule of thumb for most grass is to water 1.5 inches of water per week. This can be accomplished by putting an empty coffee can in the yard when you are watering and measure the amount of minutes it takes to water to the 1.5” mark on the can.
Mowing Your Yard
The general rule to mowing is to avoid mowing more than 1/3 of the plant at one time. See the chart at right. General home lawn mowing practices should include a weekly mowing. Keeping your mower blade sharp and your mower clean will help reduce the chances for disease and weed invasion. Test First lawns grow more steadily over time, which reduces the amount of top growth, along with the need to mow weekly. Test First lawns save you money and time.
| Type | Turf Species | Height |
|---|---|---|
| Warm Season | Hybrid Bermuda | ½" — 1 ½" |
| Centipede | 1" — 2" | |
| Zoysia | ¾" — 1 ½" | |
| St. Augustine | 1" — 2" | |
| Cool Season | Fine Fescue | 1 ½" — 2 ½" |
| Kentucky Bluegrass | 1 ½" — 2 ½" | |
| Perennial Ryegrass | 1 ½" — 2 ½" | |
| Tall Fescue | 2" — 3" |