Page 8 - New England Condominium April 2022

8 NEW ENGLAND CONDOMINIUM
-APRIL 2022
NEWENGLANDCONDO.COM
ddlevy@roofmaxx.com
5 0 8
-4 4-4
7
66
3
DON’T REPLACE YOUR ROOF…
REJUVENATE IT WITH ROOF MAXX!
30 Huntoon Memorial Hwy Leicester MA 01524 | (774) 402-4670
info@Kingsofpressure.com | www.kingsofpressure.com
POWER
WASHING
SERVICES
THAT COMPLETELY RESTORE
THE LOOK OF YOUR MULTI-UNIT HOA
PROPERTY MANAGERS
WE WOULD LOVE TO
HELP
YOU!
HOUSE WASHING • ROOF CLEANING • DECK CLEANING
APARTMENTS • CONDOS • DUPLEXES
GET A FAST QUOTE
can go dormant in the hot summers, which
Carnovale explains is a normal seasonal pat-
tern for these grasses if they are not irrigated.
(They’ll come back to life when the weather
turns cooler; just don’t fertilize dormant grass,
he warns.) “Each species is best used under
certain conditions,” he continues. “You need to
select the right species and/or a mix of species
for your location.”
Matt Lindner, Lawn Care Program Direc-
tor of national landscape stewards SavATree,
agrees. “Different varieties thrive under dif-
ferent conditions,” he says. “You can’t just
drive to your local Lowe’s and pick up a bag
of mixed grass seed. You need to consider cli-
mate, precipitation, light, pests, maintenance,
and the degree of wear your turf will undergo.”
Given the size of many housing cooperatives
and associations he works with in the North-
east, he continues, different parts of the same
complex might have different growing condi-
tions. For instance, if one area of the property
gets full sun and has adequate irrigation, he
might choose a bluegrass for that part of the
landscape; if another parcel on the same prop-
erty is shadier and drier, he’d plant fine fes-
cues, “which can survive on much less water,
around 3 to 4 hours of sunlight, and go dor-
mant during times of stress.”
A professional lawn care company can also
conduct a soil test. “This is the ‘blood test’ for quality by slowing stormwater runoff and fil-
the needs of the lawn—or, for that matter, the tering it into the groundwater supply. Healthy
landscape,” says Lindner. “The results of the roots help anchor soil to the ground, protect-
test will determine what inputs are required ing the beneficial top soil from erosion. A
to keep your plants and lawn growing and healthy lawn can also be up to 30º cooler than
healthy.” Clay soils, which the pros say are exposed soil, concrete, or asphalt on a hot day.
prevalent in New England, require more fre-
quent core aeration, for example. This process, in urban and high-use settings, can be chal-
necessary for all lawns at least once a year in lenging—and expensive. Grass has a lot of
early autumn, helps loosen up soil compaction factors working against it. Climate is already
to allow water, nutrients, and air to flow down a consideration, but the extreme temperatures
to the roots.
Carnovale contends that as long as the brought about by climate change wreak even
grass aligns with the conditions, “generally, more havoc on a lawn’s longevity and care
maintenance is easy: mow once a week, sup-
ply one inch of water per week, and fertilize storm surges burns grass and interferes with
as needed”—generally about four to eight soil pH, say the experts. In colder climes, the
times per year, depending on conditions and compounds used to melt ice on streets, side-
the lawn’s particular needs, as well as the spe-
cific fertlizer’s directions. Weed control also Where lawns fail to thrive, weeds and pests
depends on a few different factors: “For small take over, causing even further problems. All
areas,” says Carnovale, “you can hand-pull of this leads to more care and upkeep, which
weeds, or consider applying a pre-emergent translates to higher water usage, more herbi-
and/or post-emergent herbicide to control cide and pesticide applications, and increased
grassy and broadleaf weeds. Lawns can always gas usage and emissions. Suddenly, a lawn
be improved with core aeration, top dressing doesn’t look so environmentally friendly.
with compost, and overseeding in the fall to
increase grass density and to help fill in thin Landscaping LLC based in Wharton, New
areas where weeds can grow and take over.”
The Pros on the Pros—& Cons
Real lawns have real benefits. According to sions and fungi, particularly during the humid
information provided by SavATree, grass can summers. And then there’s the bugs. White
even improve air quality by absorbing carbon grubs, chinch bugs, cutworms, and sod web-
dioxide, car exhaust, soot, dust, and other air-
borne pollutants. It can also improve water iners. “Their infestations can be hard to iden-
But maintaining a healthy lawn, especially
and frequency and severity of weather events
needs. In coastal regions, salt from the air and
walks, and pathways adds to the damage.
Kevin Dulio, president of Native Fields
Jersey, confirms this. He adds that lawns in his
area are particularly susceptible to weed inva-
worms are all common Garden State lawn-ru-
BETTER GRASS...
continued from page 1