NJ Lawns Community

Hey everyone, I'm totally stressing out here. Just closed on my first house in Ridgewood back in March and figured I'd just mow when it needed it. Got a notice from the HOA yesterday saying my front lawn is too long and I've got 7 days to fix it or face a fine. The grass is literally everywhere right now - some spots are almost knee-high. I think the previous owners let it go before they listing. My lawn is probably a mix of tall fescue and some KBG that was already there. I mowed it yesterday but it looks awful - uneven, patchy, and honestly I think IScalped it in some places because I didn't know what I was doing with the mower height. Can anyone tell me what products actually work fast to get this thing looking decent? I'm willing to throw money at it at this point, I just don't want to keep getting notices. Are there any local places in Bergen County where I can get good advice? I'm near Ridgewood so anywhere in that area would work.

LawnLover - take a breath, you've got this. I've been doing lawn installs in Bergen County for about 12 years now, mostly in Ridgewood, Glen Rock, and Wyckoff areas. First things first - what height did you set your mower? For tall fescue and KBG, you should be mowing at around 3-3.5 inches, never cutting more than 1/3 of the blade at a time. If you're cutting too short, that's called scalping and it's actually making your problem worse by stressing the grass and letting weeds take hold. For immediate recovery, I'd hit it with a starter fertilizer high in phosphorus - something like Scott's Turf Builder Starter Food (the blue bag). That'll help root development. You can find it at Home Depot on Route 17 in Paramus or the Lowe's in Garfield. Water deeply but infrequently - aim for about 1 inch per week total. Right now in late May your grass should be actively growing if you're watering right.

SoilScientist is spot on with the mowing height advice - that's the #1 mistake I see from new homeowners in this area. LawnLover - if you really want fast results, here's what I'd do: 1. Raise that mower deck ASAP. No lower than 3 inches. 2. Hit it with Scott's Green Max or Vigoro Ultra Turf - you'll see green up in about 3-5 days. The iron in those products works fast. 3. For the bare patches, get some overseeding done NOW while we're in ideal planting window. Use Jonathan Green Fast Grow Grass Seed - it's specifically formulated for NJ soils and handles our clay pretty well. Mix it with some topsoil and rake it in. 4. If you haveshady areas, check what seed you use - don't put sunny lawn seed in shade spots or it'll all die. The HOA won't know what hit them after 2-3 weeks if you do this right. And honestly? Show them the notice and say you're working on it - most HOAs in Ridgewood will give you a grace period if you can show you're addressing it.

I'm gonna push back a little here on the quick-fix chemical approach. Don't get me wrong, I've got nothing against ferts, but dumping a bunch of synthetic stuff on stressed grass isn't always the answer. You've already scalped it, so you're basically chemically burning plants that are already weak. Instead: - Grab some Milorganite from a local nursery or even the hardware store. It's slower release but won't burn, and it's made right here in the Milwaukee area so it's widely available. You'll get results in about 2 weeks instead of 5 days, but it's way better for long-term soil health. - For real fast help, grab a bag of Humichar - it's a humic acid product that unlocks nutrients already in your soil. You can find it at Arena's in Ramsey or order online. - And PLEASE stop cutting so short. That HOA rule typically says 4-6 inches max, not that you need to buzz it down to 2 inches. Tall fescue actually does better longer in our NJ summers - it shades the soil and keeps moisture in. I've been organic for 8 years in Franklin Lakes and mylawn looks way better than my neighbors who dump Scotts products every 6 weeks.

Wow, thanks everyone. I genuinely had no idea I was cutting it too short - I thought shorter = better looking. Obviously very wrong lol. Quick follow-up: what about irrigation? I don't have a sprinklersystem yet, just a regular hose with a sprinkler attachment. How often should I water and for how long? Also - is late May too late to fertilize? I keep seeing conflicting advice online. Some sites say you shouldn't fertilize tall fescue after early May because it promotes fungal growth in summer, but others say late May is fine.

Great question on timing, LawnLover - and CompostQueen brings up a good point about going easy on the synthetic ferts in summer heat. Here's the thing with fertilization in NJ: you've still got a small window for a light feeding. I'd stay away from heavy nitrogen applications after mid-June because that'll encourage lush top growth right when we're hitting brutal August humidity and fungus season hits hard. But a light application NOW with slow-release nitrogen is fine - the roots will still develop before summer stress. Watering: deeply 2-3 times per week, NOT daily light sprinkling. You want moisture to go down 6-8 inches to encourage deep root growth. Put a cup or empty tuna can on your lawn and run the sprinkler until you collect about an inch of water - that's usually about 20-30 minutes depending on your pressure. Do it in the early morning (before 8am) to reduce evaporation and disease risk. And yes, get some seed down ASAP. We're in the second half of the ideal seeding window - you've got another 2-3 weeks before it gets too warm for good germination.