Tuesday, May 21, 2013

Latest local news, weather and high school sports for Tri-State area

Dead or Alive: What color is your lawn?
Posted: 07.19.2012 at 5:32 PM
Kristen Aguirre

Kristen Aguirre is a KHQA This Morning Live Anchor for KHQA.

0
The drying lawn at the KHQA Studio on South 36th Street in Quincy.  / Michelle Schuckman/KHQA Interactive
Photo

What color is your lawn? If it's brown and brittle, don't worry - it may not be dead just yet.

No rain and hot weather has caused some grass to go into early dormancy.

Alan Rabe bought a new lawn mower last year. This summer, he's used it twice.

"Over the years it's been actually decent, but this year it's been really bad," Rabe said.

So bad, most lawns look dead.

"Some of them are dying and some of them are going into dormancy, but the problem is this prolonged drought ... stuff is starting to die out," Floyd Leffers with Leffers Landscaping & Nursery said.

Floyd Leffers owns Leffers Landscaping & Nursery.  He says when grass doesn't get moisture, it goes into dormancy or "goes to sleep" for the season.

"But it'll only last for so long," Leffers said. "When it gets so dry, you really got a problem and it will actually burn up because of the root structure  - it just dries up and then it's gone."

There's still time to keep that from happening to your lawn. Leffers says how you take care of it today will affect how it looks next year. He suggests you water it at least once a week in the early morning, and save any big lawn care projects until the fall.

"If you get in there, fertilize it, reseed it and do whatever has to be done, and hopefully mother nature will work for us as far as moisture goes," Leffers said.

Hopefully.

"I have faith though, that the lawn is in a dormancy and it'll come back so it's not an issue," Rabe said.

Leffers also said now is not the time to plant. He said the heat and lack of moisture will not allow plants roots to fully develop. He suggests waiting until fall.

Show us your "sleeping" lawn ... send photos to news7@khqa.com or post them on our Facebook page here.

Related Links

Popular Stories
Thumbnail
NWS: Tornado touched down near Hannibal
KHQA Newsdesk  |  Today at 7:00 AM  |  14 comments
Thumbnail
Lightning strikes downtown Quincy building
KHQA Newsdesk  |  Today at 8:00 AM  |  3 comments
Thumbnail
HLGU hit hard by Monday night storms
Ryan Delk  |  Today at 7:45 AM  |  6 comments
Follow Connect Tri-States
Get news and weather notifications on your phone by downloading the iPhone or Android app below
Sign up to get alerts and updates for breaking news, severe weather, and deals:
submit
ADVERTISEMENT
Special Features
Senior Living
Info on senior living from our experts
Expert Connect Auto
Automotive info from our experts
Beauty & Wellness
Beauty and wellness info from our experts
Home & Garden
Home and garden info from our experts
ADVERTISEMENT