Most homeowners want a beautiful green healthy lawn framing their home. Having the best lawn in the neighborhood ensures that all of your neighbors will envy your landscaping skills. If you want the greenest, healthiest lawn in your neighborhood, look no further than these six lawncare tips.
1. Devote lots of time in early spring
Early spring is a critical time for setting the stage for the summer growing season. The first step in your lawn care routine is to spend time tackling the trouble spots. Here’s what you need to do:
- Start with patching bare spots in your yard by adding grass seed to the areas. Then, make sure to spend the time to water those spots.
- Next, attack weeds and crabgrass with weed killer. Otherwise, weeds will overtake your lawn.
- Now you’re ready for the first mow of the season. It’s important to set your mower at its highest possible level (approximately three to four inches). This will ensure your healthy grass develops deep roots.
- Once mowed, it’s time to aerate and dethatch your lawn to minimize undergrowth and allow nutrients to get down into the soil.
Aerating is the process of puncturing your lawn’s soil with small holes, which keeps the soil from compacting. The holes also allow water, nutrients, and air to get to the roots making them grow more deeply. Deeper roots yields a stronger lawn.
2. Look for evidence of grubs
Grubs are newly hatched beetles that destroy grass roots. They will make a vibrant yard impossible. Grubs create patches of bald soil, as they eat through your lawn. Look for patches of brown grass irregularly spread throughout your lawn. And, if you can easily pull this grass from the ground due to lack of roots, the culprit is most likely grubs.
If grubs are present, get rid of them immediately with grub killer! Grubs hatch during the late spring through the summer months. You must eliminate them to protect the roots of your grass.
2. Don’t cut too short or bag your clippings
If you consistently cut your grass too short, it will affect the root growth and also makes your lawn susceptible to weeds. Over time, cutting off too much of the grass will deplete its energy reserves and the lawn will starve. This situation weakens and will ultimately kill the grass. As a rule, no more than a third of a single grass blade should be removed during a single mowing.
Many people fall into the trap of bagging their grass clippings and removing them from the lawn. But when you leave the clippings, they will quickly decompose. This returns nutrients back into the soil. Also, since the clippings are mostly made up of water, they’ll release water back into the soil. By keeping the clippings on your lawn, you’re helping the grass to grow thicker and greener!
3. Change your mowing pattern
Did you know grass develops a grain based on the direction you cut? The grain continues to lean in the direction you mow long after you’re done. It’s important to alternate your patterns so the grains are more upright. This mitigates ruts in your lawn.
Additionally, following the same tracks each mow will pack the soil particles tightly making it hard for air and water to reach the roots. So, make sure you alternate patterns each mow!
4. Sharpen your mower blade
When your mower blade is dull, it merely tears the off the top of the grass blade. Whereas a sharp mower blade cuts grass cleanly allowing for the grass to recover more quickly. This reduces the likelihood of parasites or diseases penetrating your lawn. It also decreases damage and stress, creating a healthier lawn.
5. Don’t forget to fertilize
Adding fertilizer to your lawn is very important. But heavy fertilizing, especially in the early and late fall months, keeps your grass from drying out, withering, and turning brown, prematurely. It also stimulates crucial growth that will help keep your lawn stay alive during the winter. And, it will produce food that it’s important for the lawn during the cold months!
6. Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate and then add lime
During the hottest part of the summer, your lawn needs a significant amount of water. You’ll want to ensure the water is able to reach at least five inches into the ground. That way, it will get to the roots.
A green and healthy lawn needs deep watering using the proper sprinklers for the location. Lawns generally require 1 to 1.5 inches of water per week applied over 3 to 4 day intervals. How much you need will depend on the temperature, type of grass and soil conditions.
The best time of day to water is in the morning when water pressure is higher and less water is lost to evaporation. Worst is at night. Lawns that stay web overnight could develop mold or other diseases.
As the summer begins to wind down and you’ve provided your lawn with the appropriate water, you’ll next want to add lime. Adding lime to your soil brings the PH back to optimal growing levels and makes it less acidic. It also stimulates the development of natural nutrients in the soil. The result, a greener lawn!
Follow these six tips to produce a healthier, green lawn. And you’ll be well on your way to being the envy of all of your neighbors.