GARDENING

Lovely Lawn

text by ANNA THORNTON and AMELIA ROSE ZIMLICH • portrait by MIKE KITTRELL

Lush, grassy lawns are one of many things Southerners take pride in, and sometimes that

pride takes shape in a not-so-secret competition between neighbors for the greenest front yard. However, if you’ve ever tried to get grass to grow under a magnolia or mown over an acorn-strewn yard, you know that keeping your grass looking its greenest is easier said than done. With so many hurdles, lawn care can be overwhelming to say the least. It can feel as if some lawns are destined for greatness, while others always seem to have bald spots and brown patches no matter what you throw at them. If you’ve been scratching your head over your lawn’s gnarly spots, look no further. We’ve got the breakdown on lawn care basics.

LOCAL VARIETIES OF GRASS

ST. AUGUSTINE Forms a thick, carpet-like sod that is more shadetolerant than other varietes.

BERMUDA Tolerates salt spray, making it suitable for coastal residences.

ZOYSIA Keeps its color longer than most grasses in winter and is among the frst to green up again in the spring.

CENTIPEDE Has the slowest growth rate of warm-season grasses and a creeping growth patern. READY TO GET YOUR HANDS DIRTY?

We’ve rounded up tried-and-true tps to help you keep your turf in tp-top conditon (and maybe win the neighborhood lawn competton).

GET TO KNOW YOUR GRASS

Before you can give your lawn the care it needs, you must frst know what type of grass you have. Warm-season grasses like bahia, Bermuda, centpede, St. Augustne and zoysia are most common in Alabama, as they thrive in our hot, humid climate. TAKE A SOIL TEST

Getng expert soil advice is as simple as purchasing SoilKit (see opposite page), flling it with soil samples from your yard and mailing it in for analysis. Labs evaluate samples for 15 diferent atributes to diagnose your soil’s conditon. Results arrive within 48 hours, so you can get to work right away. NOURISH YOUR SOIL

Fret over fertlizer no longer. SoilKit takes the headache out of choosing fertlizer. Their moto is, “We analyze. You fertlize.” No more wondering what kind of fertlizer to buy or how much to sprinkle. The test will develop a plan tailored specifcally to your grass’ needs.

TRIM IT UP

Adjust mower blades to allow grass to grow a litle taller in the summer — about 3 inches high. The extra length keeps the soil insulated and prevents it from drying out. SOAK YOUR SOD

Give your grass a drink about once a week in the morning. This allows water to soak into the soil without evaporatng and allows tme for grass to dry out as the day progresses. YANK THOSE WEEDS

The best tme to pull weeds is when you frst see them peeking through the soil. The less tme they have to grow roots, the easier they are to pull.

CHRISTINA WOERNER MCINNIS / PHOTO BY MIKE KITTRELL

LOCAL EXPERT

With four generations of farming in her blood, and now a sod specialist herself, Christina Woerner McInnis is no stranger to the toils of tending land.

Because she grew up among farmers, Woerner McInnis is well versed in agricultural lingo. But after years in the sod industry, she began to notice frustration in homeowners when it came to fertilizer. Local extension offices tend to offer information in terms and proportions intended for farmers, which often leaves homeowners confused and their yards no better off. Woerner McInnis ruminated over the problem for years. Then, in 2016, her daughter developed food sensitivities which required an at-home blood test. The experience sparked an idea: “We need the blood test. We need the diagnostic test.” That’s when SoilKit was born.

SoilKit makes treating your yard a breeze. It’s as simple as scooping some dirt into a bag and mailing it off for analysis. “We put all the puzzle pieces together and make it easy on the homeowner,” Woerner McInnis explains.

After resonating with consumers at the local level, the product took off nationally and now sits on shelves in Lowe’s stores across the country. “SoilKit was born in an independent family garden center, so it’s exciting — the nation is looking for it now,” Woerner McInnis says. MB