Examining the particulars…

Our approach to regenerative topsoil development is simple - return much of what comes from our grounds, directly to the grounds. This means mulching not just the usual lawn clippings, but also a significant portion of our annual leaf fall and seasonal hedge trimmings will be finely chopped and distributed tidily as mulch where needed, layered on after a thorough fall aeration and seeding. So rather than being hauled away, and turned to compost to be sold back to Raleigh, we can just as easily process this valuable resource, and return it immediately back into our living ecosystem, in both a practical and aesthetically pleasing manner.

In addition to a focus on the long-term natural productivity of our topsoil, we must take immediate action to supplement the soil not just for nutrient deficiency, but also to correct the troublingly-low average pH of 5.5 (according to several readings I’ve taken from around the property, shown below), which means regular applications of fertilizer, but also lime until the pH reaches closer to 6.5 and maintains there. For the first few years, I recommend an application of either fertilizer or a lime product roughly every six weeks, timed carefully before a rainfall, with each application varying based on optimizing for the needs of a developing fescue lawn at any given time of year. More on that in the section on Turf.

With a reintroduction and establishment of our community’s raw organic material as a valuable and carefully managed resource worth protecting, we can expect the natural processes of decomposition to speed up further and further with each application, as healthy soil is essentially ‘alive’, and quickly turns old plant matter into carbon-storing, nutrient-dense, topsoil that is teeming with self-sustaining life and potential. When we foster an environment that creates and stores quality soil, we set ourselves up for success in every other area of practical, attractive landscaping and groundskeeping.

TameTurf proposes: 1. an application of lime and pre-emergent in late winter, 2. fertilizer and pre-emergent in the spring, 3. lime and fertilizer with iron in the early summer, 4. fertilizer with gypsum in the late summer, 5. lime followed by aeration and seeding in the fall, and shortly thereafter followed by 6. slow release fertilizer in October, and finally, 7. winterizing fertilizer in late fall. This alone should yield stunning results in the established grasses within a very short period, but when also combined with the reintroduction of mulched and composting organic materials, we’ll also be able to see formerly barren areas turned green with a lush new layer of healthy lawn.

Fertilizers vary by application based on the season, but seeding involves just one product that I’ve come to rely on over the years. After testing out various brands of seed offered at the big box stores with disappointing results over the years, I’ve found a locally crafted blend of fescue mix that’s tailored for this general area, and when properly cared for, it has proven to stay green all year round, and highly resistant to both drought and traffic. The timing of aerating and seeding is crucial. With our unique flexibility and rapid response time, TameTurf offers aeration and seeding specifically at the time most optimized for seed germination - just before a long stretch of rain. Always with a close eye on the forecast, count on attentive applications that are timed to serve the needs of the action itself, and not the scheduling limitations of the service provider. In this way, expect maximum gains for the effort expended, in terms of both the coverage and the thickness of the new grasses.

Once we have accounted for what’s going into the ground, we can account for how to handle what comes out. A healthy spread of cool season fescue prefers a height no shorter than 3 inches in order to become firmly established. Once the appropriate variety of fescue is well-established in healthy soil, a closer, more manicured cut is fairly well tolerated, and TameTurf offers the awareness and consciousness of assessing and considering what is best for what patch of grass at any given time.

This means no unnecessary mowing, and also no skipping of the job when the job needs doing - both of which unfortunately have been a common occurrence here in the community. I believe all grasses are to be kept neat and evenly leveled at all times, and this actually becomes easier as the grassy areas are transitioned from heavily infested with weeds, into a more rich and densely packed fescue lawn.

Through timely redistribution of both the seasonal fall of pine straw, and the mulches created on the property through regular maintenance, we have much of what we need for adequate coverage in the common areas, especially focusing especially on those most-visible areas immediately lining Mill Run.

Special focus should also be applied to areas where stormwater accumulation and/or runoff is a known issue, as it is for many units here. In many cases, problems resulting from heavy rains can be mitigated significantly by either the addition or subtraction of the appropriate amounts of groundcover.

So TameTurf has stormwater management in mind, and with careful consideration, can make the appropriate judgement calls regarding the correct type and amount of ground coverings to apply and maintain across the various areas of the property with a somewhat ‘diverse’ and potentially challenging topography.

Rather than applying the same ‘just take 3 inches off of everything top to bottom’ approach to anything and everything, TameTurf offers a more practical and visually appealing ideal for keeping our bushes in tip-top shape. Instead of making over-zealous cuts to the lower areas of plant that get less light and grow slower, and giving insufficient attention to the proper geometry of the top of the plant which grows the most and the fastest, the exact opposite should be done - limited cuts from the lower areas to give them the opportunity to grow and fill out, and a more effective shaping of the plant, especially top-side, making for naturally more appealing look, and easier maintenance overall.

Many of the bushes here need aggressive pruning and reshaping. Others, need to be left alone for a while. Most just need gentle, considerate correction over the next few seasons in order to be returned to a community-wide standard we can all be proud off.