Keep your yard healthy by following a few easy steps. Use natural solutions instead of chemical sprays and fertilizers to combat pests and diseases in your garden.
Mow frequently at a high setting to eliminate weeds and promote grass growth, and water deeply once every week (repeated shallow waterings discourage deep roots). Fertilize according to your soil test’s results with either commercially produced compost or homemade solutions for maximum soil health.
Mowing
An attractive lawn not only adds value to your property, it also shows neighbors you take care in maintaining it. Creating lush and green landscape isn’t hard if you follow some key tips – keeping a lawn healthy and beautiful requires just some additional work throughout the year but is worth every effort for maximum curb appeal and added property values!
Start building your beautiful lawn by regularly mowing at an appropriate height. Mowing too short can lead to bare patches which invite weeds and moss growth, while using an automated mower with adjustable settings is preferable as its highest setting prevents scalping.
Grass clippings provide vital nutrients to lawns while helping prevent thatch buildup when left on them. While some opt to bag and compost their clippings, others prefer blowing or sweeping them back onto the lawn or using as mulch. It is best to avoid letting grass clippings flow into storm drains where they could contribute to clogging waterways and pollution with phosphorus pollution.
When thatch–an organic material composed of dead grass roots and stems–buildup exceeds 1/2 inch thick, it can impede grass root systems, making them vulnerable to disease and insects. Raking it away may damage your lawn; an alternative option would be aeration or applying organic materials such as compost tea or blackstrap molasses which boost bacteria that naturally decompose thatch.
Lawn care varies with weather and time of year, and should be adjusted according to these variables. Your lawn may need less frequent mowing in winter compared to summer months. No matter what the season may be, avoid cutting wet grass as doing so can damage it further and create bare spots which provide fertile ground for weeds and moss growth.
Mowing the lawn may be one of the easiest tasks in the garden, yet one of its most essential. Spending the time to properly mow can make a tremendous difference to its health and appearance – so next time you pick up your mower remember these lawn maintenance tips to maximize results from your efforts!
Watering
An ideal lawn requires careful, ongoing care from planting to watering and mowing. If despite being diligent about fertilizing and treating for pests and weeds, but still having difficulty growing lush carpet of grass that looks beautiful then something could be wrong with the soil.
Checking soil moisture by digging a few inches down and knowing the timeframe for watering sod, is the simplest way to evaluate its condition. If the ground feels damp when touched but still hard, then watering more frequently may be required – typically once or twice weekly for about one inch of rain per session is sufficient; but you need to avoid overwatering because too much can lead to fungus problems as well as wasteful spending on resources like water bills.
Watering early in the morning before the sun has warmed up the soil is best, to avoid fungus problems and promote deep root development. If you own a sprinkler system, set its timer so it simulates slow, steady rainstorms; hand watering works well for small patches such as new grass seed or container plants but may not provide you with an overview of how much of your yard you have covered.
Thatch is an accumulation of dead organic material found in lawn grass that prevents water, nutrients and air from reaching its soil and roots. To protect the lawn’s health and prevent the buildup of thatch in its entirety, scarifying is required each year by using either raking or scarifying to clear away this accumulation – best done during fall but it can also be repeated if necessary in spring.
At once weeds and grubs must be addressed immediately upon detection; otherwise they’ll take over and eventually choke out grass growth. You can get rid of weeds by hand or use an effective selective lawn weed killer without harming surrounding plants.
Fertilizing
Fertilizing your lawn is one of the key steps in yard care. Regular fertilization ensures a thick and healthy stand of grass that can outshout weeds – but too much fertilizer may create environmental concerns. A soil test will help identify your lawn’s specific nutrient requirements so you can make informed decisions regarding when and how often to fertilize.
Exeperts advise homeowners to use fertilizers specially tailored for each season. A spring fertilizer should contain more nitrogen to jumpstart growth while an autumn lawn feed should have higher levels of potassium and phosphate for water uptake and drought resistance.
Professional landscapers utilize tanker trucks to rapidly apply products to yards in an efficient manner. While you can achieve similar results using a spreader, be wary not to over-apply. Start by spreading product around the edges of your yard before moving perpendicularly – this crisscross pattern provides more even coverage and helps prevent overdosing.
Be mindful to only fertilize during your lawn’s growing season – any additional nutrients could leach into groundwater, lakes, streams or wetlands where they could promote excessive weed growth or cause algae blooms. When near water features it is wise to stay at least 6-8 feet from their edges when fertilizing to prevent potential contamination issues from leaching into these bodies of water.
As another tip for homeowners, using low-sulfur, slow-release lawn fertilizer is also beneficial to environmental wellbeing and can be applied on most varieties of grasses. Lebanon Country Club’s Humic Max 16-0-8 provides an ideal option with 35% MESA slow release nitrogen and 100% potassium; providing natural dark green hue and improving soil health through increased uptake of other nutrients. For further advice and help taking care of your lawn like an expert contact a local lawn care service expert in your area.
Mulching
Mulching grass clippings is often overlooked when considering lawn care, yet mulching is an invaluable practice that can greatly benefit and protect your yard. Too often people simply dispose of their grass clippings without giving much thought as to their importance – leaving them on your lawn instead helps reduce thatch buildup, add valuable nutrients and saves time as there’s no raking involved!
Mulching is the practice of layering natural materials over your landscape’s soil – such as flowerbeds and shrubbery – or on top of your lawn to suppress weeds, return nutrients to the soil, retain moisture for healthier turf and garden plants, as well as reducing garbage that ends up in landfills. Mulching can also be considered environmentally responsible as it reduces landfill garbage disposal volumes.
Mulch made from your lawn’s clippings is both cost-effective and eco-friendly! A basic lawnmower can be fitted with a mulching attachment that will chop grass into small pieces for even distribution over the ground surface, saving money and helping preserve our planet! Mulching also reduces environmental waste while eliminating additional expenses associated with buying bagged clippings to dispose of.
If you decide to give mulching a try, make sure you limit how much material is applied. Too much can smother grass roots by cutting more frequently or bagging when necessary and spreading mulch so some grass blades still show through it.
Mulching can help lower the amount of fertilizer necessary for your lawn. Grass clippings contain natural nitrogen that’s beneficial to turfgrass, helping reduce synthetic fertilizers from being needed. If, however, your lawn has disease or needs chemicals for such things as brown patch, dollar spot fairy rings or fusarium then bag your clippings instead and use them in your compost pile instead.
Mulching your lawn is not only eco-friendly, but can help with other yard maintenance tasks like weeding and watering as well as helping prevent soil erosion! Plus it helps make for easier mowing!