Building
a Beautiful Lawn
Barretta Garden Center has the quality
products and the expert advice that you need to build a
thick, healthy and dark green lawn. Whether you are improving
the existing lawn or starting over with a total renovation,
Barretta Garden Center can help you do the job right the
first time!
To help you and other gardeners in northern Virginia and
the surrounding metropolitan area build healthy and dark
green lawns, Barretta Garden Center has custom blended our
own grass seeds and lawn fertilizers that have been specially
formulated for this area. Having a handsome lawn will not
only add a striking appearance to the residence, but it
will better accent the surrounding landscape as well.
We encourage you to stop by either Barretta Garden Center
location today and speak personally with one of our turf
experts about how to build a beautiful, weed-free, dark
green lawn. From thatching and aerating to insect and weed
controls, our knowledgeable staff can assist you with all
aspects of lawn care.
Barretta's Blends of Grass
Seeds and Lawn Foods
Grass Seeds
Barretta Garden Center has formulated our own custom blends
of grass seeds for the conditions we face here in Connecticut
and the surrounding areas. We have chosen varieties that
have performed well in local and regional turf trials. These
bags are packaged in 1 lb., 5 lb. and 25 lb. bags and can
be purchased at the garden center or online in the shopping
section of this web site.
• Tuff Play – is a blend that consists of top
performing tall fescues with just a touch of Kentucky bluegrass.
This all-purpose mixture can be used in conditions ranging
from full sun to 70% shade and tolerates drought, wear and
tear, and disease problems for a beautiful, low-maintenance
lawn. This blend is great for high traffic areas, especially
for children and pets.
• Sunny – is a blend that consists of top performing
varieties of Kentucky bluegrass and perennial ryegrass.
This mix provides a superior quality lawn of finer bladed
grasses that perform well in full sun and part shade conditions.
Also provides good traffic tolerance.
• Shady – consists of fine-textured fescues
for use in moderate to heavy shade conditions. Like most
shade grasses, this makes for a soft, fine bladed grass
that is not quite as traffic tolerant as other types of
grass. If you have shady conditions and a need for traffic
tolerance, try mixing some perennial ryegrass into this
blend.
For more specific information about these custom blended
grass seeds or any other lawn care questions, please see
one of our turf specialists at our Garden Center location.
Lawn Foods
Barretta's custom blended lawn fertilizers have been specially
formulated for turf grasses in Connecticut and the surrounding
areas to produce a thick, healthy and dark green lawn. These
two product blends, 26-4-12 and 14-18-14, will both provide
a controlled, balanced feeding of the lawn and provide the
nutrients necessary for healthy growth and development.
26-4-12: A slow-release, high nitrogen
formula that feeds the lawn for approximately 10-12 weeks.
Ideal for both spring and fall applications, this product
will provide significant green-up to the turf and maximize
turf growth.
14-18-14: A high phosphorous formula that
aids in root development and seedling germination, this
product is ideal when seeding or sodding. This formula also
contains slow release nitrogen and can be applied in the
spring or fall and as a root-building winterizer. Both products
are available in 5,000 sq. ft. bags.
When to Apply Grass Seeds and
Lawn Foods
Building a thick and healthy lawn is easy when you follow
a few simple steps from time to time, and give the lawn
adequate time to benefit from periodic applications of quality
lawn products. Spring and fall are the ideal time periods
to sow grass seed, although dormant seeding can also be
done during the winter months. For your convenience, Barretta
Garden Center has detailed informational bulletins on proper
steps to take for spring and fall lawn care available at
no charge at our garden center.
To provide the nutrients necessary for healthy growth and
development and optimum turf color, lawns should be fed
a least three times per year with good quality lawn fertilizers.
Timing of lawn fertilization depends upon whether you have
cool season turf or warm season turf. Most of us in this
area have cool season turf such as bluegrasses, fescues
and ryegrasses, which maintain their green color throughout
the entire year. The ideal time to feed these lawns with
26-4-12 and 14-18-14 is with a program consisting of two
applications each fall between the months of September,
October, November and December, and one application of either
product each spring between the months of March, April and
May (See guidelines below).
On the other hand, warm season turf such as zoysia, which
goes dormant and turns brown in this area over the winter
months, should be fed with 26-4-12 and 14-18-14 between
the months of May, June, July and August when it is actively
growing.
For a healthy lawn, regardless if it is cool season grass
or warm season grass, we recommend a minimum of three applications
of fertilizer each year, using 26-4-12 and 14-18-14 as needed
any time during these periods.
Established Lawns (Cool Season Grasses)
• September or October- 26-4-12
• November or December- 14-18-14
• Spring- 26-4-12
Newly Seeded Lawns (Cool Season Grasses)
• September or October- 14-18-14
• November or December- 26-4-12
• Spring- 14-18-14
