CSU Lawncheck, a new service of Colorado State University Extension, provides onsite assessment of lawns with recommendations for improving the lawn and solving insect, disease and other lawn problems.

Contact your county Extension office for cost. Mileage costs may apply.

Why CSU Lawncheck?

Lawn problems are the number one concern brought to Colorado State University Extension offices in the counties along the Front Range and are also important in Grand Junction and some mountain areas.

CSU Expertise

The CSU Turf Program in the Department of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture provides the expert foundation for CSU Lawncheck. This nationally recognized program, under the direction of Dr. Tony Koski, offers undergraduate students the opportunity to study turfgrass production and maintenance. It also provides post-graduate and continuing education for the turf industry, CSU Extension staff and volunteers. CSU plant clinics, plant pathologists and entomologists provide further support. Because diagnosis is skill based, on-going training to build, enhance and sustain staff skills such as grass identification, irrigation assessment and disease diagnosis is part of CSU Lawncheck.

Water Issues

Lawn irrigation is highly visible, making lawns an easy target for criticisms of landscape water waste. Improper irrigation often leads to disease and brown spots, which tends to invoke over-watering behaviors causing more water waste. Diagnosing lawn problems and correcting irrigation practices can favorably impact municipal water conservation programs as well as landscape quality and customer landscape satisfaction.

Need for Unbiased Advice

Based on customer comments made in a pilot effort, there is a demand by consumers for unbiased lawn diagnosis performed by CSU Extension. Many lawn care professionals offer free diagnosis but some people may question whether companies use site calls to sell products or their lawn care services. As an educational organization that doesn’t sell products, CSU Extension is widely looked to for unbiased, reliable advice. CSU Lawncheck is designed to be supportive of lawn care companies and their customers by working together to grow healthy lawns.

Site Visits Lead to Better Diagnosis

Diagnosis of lawn problems can sometimes be accomplished by looking at small lawn samples brought in to CSU Extension offices. The diagnosis can only be as accurate as how well the samples represent the problem. Lawn diagnosis is better done and more accurate when the total situation, including irrigation coverage, is examined during a site visit.