Lawns
Selected Readings and Content
UMaine Extension Bulletins
- White Grub information UMaine Home and Garden IPM
- Establishing a Home Lawn in Maine, Bulletin #2367
- Maintaining a Home Lawn in Maine, Bulletin #2243
- Steps to a Low-Input, Healthy Lawn, Bulletin #2166
UMaine Extension Videos
- How Do I Care for My Lawn in an Environmentally Friendly Way?
- How to Establish a Home Lawn in Maine
- How to Maintain a Home Lawn in Maine
Additional Resources
- A Homeowners Guide to Environmentally Sound Lawn Care, Mass.gov
- Grass Seed Sources, Maine Yardscaping for a Healthy Maine, Maine.gov
- Lawn Care, University of Minnesota
- Lawns, Maine Yardscaping for a Healthy Maine, Maine.gov
- Maine’s Great Grass Experiment, Maine Yardscaping for a Healthy Maine, Maine.gov
- North Country Organics Turf Program: www.norganics.com/applications (click on Turfcare, listed under Technical Articles)
- Tick Identification Lab, Resources
- Which Type of Grass Is Best for My Lawn?
Master Gardener Volunteer Training
Core Competencies
At the end of these sessions you will be able to articulate and explain:
- Sustainable lawn establishment practices
- The advantages and disadvantages of using seed or sod
- Proper site preparation
- Selection of appropriate grass varieties
- How and when to seed a lawn
- Low-input lawn maintenance
- De-thatching
- Aeration procedure and timing
- Proper mowing techniques
- Water and fertilizing
- Over-seeding
- Managing weed, insects and diseases
- Common seasonal practices in Maine
- Alternatives to Turf
- Advantages and disadvantages of reducing turf-grass
- Methods for removing turf
- Alternatives to turf with a focus on groundcovers and native species
Practical Skills Gained and Strengthened
- How to select appropriate grass varieties for a Maine lawn
- How to effectively maintain a healthy lawn through proper mowing, fertilization and watering