What Is The Secret To A Green Lawn
Why is nitrogen important for a green lawn? Grass cant grow without nitrogen. In fact, its the most important nutrient to support your lawn. Nitrogen works by encouraging new green growth above the soil line.
How do you restore a green lawn?
Gradually reduce the frequency of watering as the new lawn establishes itself. Mow about once a week to maintain grass thats a few inches long. Fertilize every four to five weeks through the fall. After the first year, fertilize your lawn once in the spring and again in the fall.
How do I get the perfect lawn?
How to Get a Perfect Green Lawn
Which Fertilizer Greens Up A Lawn Fastest
Fertilizers come in different types, and their effectiveness depends on your grass type and conditions.
Rich nutrition-based fertilizers mainly make your lawn grass healthy and increase its growth. As a result, your grass looks greener. A greenish appearance means more grass in each square feet of area.
To learn about Which fertilizer greens up a lawn fastest, first you need to know different types of lawn fertilizer.
Green Grass Tip #: Water Wisely
Appropriate watering is essential for a beautiful and healthy lawn. The soil needs water as does the grass itself. Blades of grass have a multitude of miniscule holes called stomata. Grass blades absorb minerals and nutrients through the roots. All these elements are essential for plants to produce food.
If grass does not get enough water, these things wont happen as they should and the health of your lawn will suffer. That beautiful green color is usually the first thing to go.
The type of soil you have impacts the frequency of recommended watering as well as the duration of each watering session.
Watering Grass in Sandy Soil
Sandy soil is able to absorb water applications quickly, but it will lose it very soon, too as it drains very quickly. If your lawn has sandy soil you may have to water more frequently, and I encourage you to improve your soil over time by top-dressing every other year with compost.
Watering Grass in Yards with Loam Soil
The best kind of soil for lawns is a nice loam. Loamy soil works the best because it has an effective rate of absorption and has the capacity to hold water for a longer period of time.
Watering Lawns with Clay Soil
If you have a clay soil, youll find that its difficult to water, and certain grass types will do better than others in clay. This is because it takes so long to properly absorb water. Clay does hold water well, however, so you may not have to water your yard at all.
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Why Is Nitrogen Important For A Green Lawn
Grass cant grow without nitrogen. In fact, its the most important nutrient to support your lawn. Nitrogen works by encouraging new green growth above the soil line. For anyone who remembers middle school biology, this is where the photosynthesis takes place, which helps generate enough energy so that the roots grow healthy and the grass can ward off any pests or diseases.
Perhaps even more important for you and your lawn, nitrogen is also an essential component of chlorophyll, which is what the plants use to feed themselvesand also what gives them their beautiful green pigment. Without nitrogen and all of the things that it supports, you may notice grass blades that are shorter, brittle, dull in color, and more susceptible to stress and disease .
How Much Is Too Much
Adequate nitrogen is crucial for lush, healthy, green grass. However, there can be too much of a good thing. The general rule of thumb is this: you should apply no more than one pound of nitrogen for every thousand square feet of lawn, and you should do so no more than twice per year .
So, say youre using a fertilizer with 5% nitrogen, you should use 20 pounds maximum.
What to do when youve applied too much?
Many of us have experienced a phenomenon called fertilizer burn, where we used too much fertilizer and our grass ends up with yellow and brown stripes, or patches of dying or dead grass.
Fortunately, there are things we can do to correct this:
- Leach excess fertilizer. Use a sprinkler head and a garden hose to fully saturate the overfertilized area. The water will drain through the soil, bringing the fertilizer with it. Apply about an inch of water and repeat this every day for a week.
- Remove dead grass. Use a rake to remove the fertilizer-burned areas, add to a compost pile or trash can.
- Plant new grass seed. When spring arrives, plant new grass seeds.
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How To Prepare The Soil
Before you start reseeding, you should prepare the soil well. Because everything you do before, you will not have to do later with double or triple the time.
First, mow the entire lawn. Choose the shortest cut setting on your lawnmower. This way you can easily identify small areas that need repair. Meticulously remove all root debris and plants. You should also remove moss while youre at it.
Now you can start scarifying the lawn. You can scarify the entire lawn if you wish.If you dont have any experience with scarifying lawns, there are a few things you should keep in mind. After all, when youre cutting the ground, things can go wrong sometimes.
If you have scarified the lawn, you should now apply the starter fertilizer. The best way to do this is to fill the fertilizer into a spreader. A spreader is particularly suitable for large areas. This ensures that the fertilizer is well distributed over the area. Pay attention to the quantities on the package, but about 25 grams per 10 ft² should be sufficient.
Different Types Of Miracle
There are two types of miracle-gro fertilizer that you can use on your lawn. The Miracle-Gro lawn food and the Miracle-Gro all-purpose fertilizer. The whole difference between these two types of fertilizer is the ratio of the nutrients. The recommended ratio of fertilizer for the lawn is 3-1-2 or 4-1-2. These numbers are the ratio of nutrients N-P-K. The N is nitrogen, P is phosphorus and the K is potassium.
- Miracle-Gro Lawn Food Miracle-Gro lawn food fertilizer is specially made for lawns but it is usually used for new lawns as it has a very high ratio of nitrogen in it compared to recommended fertilizer which is 36-0-6 or in simplest form 6-0-1. So using this fertilizer in high quantities on a normal lawn can burn the grass and ruin the whole lawn. It is used in the new lawn as nitrogen boosts the grass growth and helps the lawn to establish well and makes it very easy for the seed to germinate in the soil.
- Miracle-Gro All Purpose Fertilizer Miracle-Gro all-purpose fertilizer is as the name suggests is made for every plant, garden, and lawn. The ratio of Miracle-Gro all-purpose is 24-8-16 which reduces to 3-1-2 which is also the recommended ratio application of fertilizer to an established and growing lawn. So using Miracle-Gro All Purpose is better than using the specific lawn fertilizer.
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Use Natural Lawn Fertilizers
Why use natural fertilizers instead of synthetic lawn fertilizers? Because they are better for your grass, the environment, and they are proven to work better than synthetics! A recent study by Austins Watershed Protection and Development Review Department, with the collaboration of Texas A& M, showed that organic and natural lawn fertilizers actually produce greener lawns than synthetics. Moreover, natural fertilizers are healthier for your family and for the environment! There are a number of natural lawn fertilizers to choose from. You can browse them here.
Types Of Iron Lawn Supplements
There are two main types of iron supplements:
- Synthetic Iron Fertilizer: Manufactured iron rich fertilizers, such as Ironite, are an inexpensive and fast-acting supplement. They are usually spread as granules, with foliar sprays also available that can produce results within days. The disadvantage of synthetic iron fertilizers is that they can turn your lawn gray if over applied, and if youre not careful when spreading, they will stain your concrete driveway a rusty-orange.
- Organic Iron Fertilizer: Organic sources of iron, such as Milorganite and greensand, are slower to break down, but the iron is naturally chelated, which makes it more readily absorbed by the plants. Organic iron sources wont stain your concrete, and they contain other nutrients that naturally build up your soil and lawn.
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South Shore Massachusetts Climate Grass
So, where does that leave us in South Shore Massachusetts? Well, if you remember from our blog about hardiness zones, South Shore MA is in hardiness zone 6b. This means that the warm season grasses are generally out, but we still have several of the cool season grasses to work with.
Here are a few that wed recommend :
- Kentucky Bluegrass
- Perennial Ryegrass
- Fine Fescues, like creeping red fescue, chewings fescue, and hard fescue
Other kinds of grass that grow in Massachusetts
Because we live in a coastal region, there are also several other grasses that grow in our area . In fact, many coastal grasses are absolutely essential for preventing dune erosion and supporting unique ecosystems.
While you likely wont find these in your lawn, you can expect to see these types of grass in Massachusetts:
- American beachgrass
D& Z Lawn Services Lawn Services In Tallmadge Oh
When youre tired of mowing your yard, sweating under the sun, or cant dig out your car from a pile of snow, D& Z Lawn Services can be your affordable extra hand. We have year-round lawn care for every season. This includes clearing snow from your property after a winter storm.
D& Z Lawn Services offers various lawn care services in Tallmadge, Ohio, and both Portage and Summit Counties. We have served clients in Wellington, Regency Park, and several other places in the entire area. Our team will also drive to places bordering the city.
D& Z Lawn Services offers a vast number of lawn care services including yard work, weed control, mulching, aeration, fertilizing, lawn mowing services, edging, trimming, seeding, and more.
If you need us for a one-time thing or need ongoing landscape maintenance, D& Z Lawn Services offers affordable packages that satisfy every budget. Our packages include yard restoration, routine upkeep, and so much more. Our lawn care services dont involve signing contracts. If we agree to any long-term lawn service plan, you can cancel at any time. So, you have total flexibility and limitless options for all your lawn care needs.
Whether D& Z Lawn Services provides lawn mowing services, irrigation management, or something else, you can count on our five-star team. The lawn service experts at D& Z Lawn Services have years of experience. They bring this incredible knowledge to every job and are committed to providing the best possible lawn service.
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Cut Your Grass Correctly And To The Recommended Cutting Height
Knowing what height to cut your grass is an important way to get your grass to grow healthy and strong. Setting your lawnmower to the highest or lowest setting is not necessarily the best thing for your grass. In fact, different grass species have different needs in terms of grass cutting height. Check out this guide to grass cutting height. Additionally, you should keep the blades on your lawnmower nice and sharp so that it cuts your grass effectively. Also, consider buying a reel mower, which actually cuts the grass like scissors rather than tearing it like traditional rotary lawnmowers. This makes for healthier grass in general. Read this guide to reel mowers for more information on the benefits of reel mowers and how to select one for your needs.
Getting Your Christmas Lawn Ready In A Hurry
In a perfect world you have time to tend to your lawn and have it looking its best for Christmas when you need it to be.
But we all know life throws us curve balls and things arent always as well planned and organised as we would like. What can you do to get it looking great in a hurry?
Now first off, I think its important to note that its not a good idea to undertake the get green quick fix very often. A healthy lawn will be provided with a balanced amount of slow release nutrient in order for it grow healthy roots and become a thriving plant. If time permits, dont take short cuts.
But if it doesnt, then here are some tips for a quick improvement
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Why Is A Healthy Lawn Important
It is very easy to overlook the importance of a healthy lawn and the benefits it can have not only on the environment but on our own personal wellbeing.
When lawns are well kept and aesthetically pleasing, they contribute to an overall sense of personal pride. Lawn maintenance can further improve your mental health and offer benefits such as increased property value. It helps create a harmonious landscape as it brings together and compliments other plants and shrubbery.
There are also numerous environmental benefits. Many people do not realize that lawns contribute to reducing noise and air pollution whilst simultaneously increasing oxygen production. These are just a few of the benefits of maintaining a lush lawn.
Greener Grass Step : Apply Iron
Iron is a key ingredient for making your lawn thick and green without giving you more work. While many people use nitrogen on their lawn, it not only makes your grass greener but also makes it grow faster. Iron helps you get your grass strong, but without the growth nitrogen adds. Both are necessary for a healthy green lawn.
Its ideal to apply iron on your grass in the spring and fall, when the temperatures are still cool. This applies to all types of grass.
However, cool-season grass like Kentucky bluegrass and fescue grass are especially receptive to iron. Youll see cool-season grass thriving with iron during the summer months when it doesnt actively grow.
Itll get back to growth in the fall season, and in the early spring.
How To Apply Iron To Your Lawn
Before you get started on applying iron to the grass, you have to pick the type of nutrients that work for you and your lawn. You can find iron in liquid, powder or granular form, of which we recommend granular for its easy application. You can also pick between organic and synthetic iron supplements for your grass.
These are some of the basics for applying iron to your lawn.
What I Use
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Spring Lawn Care Tip #5 Fertilize Your Lawn
Despite your grass being dormant, your first fertilizer application to your lawn will help stimulate the root system and lead to lush green grass in the summer.
If youre like me and love to look at your nice green grass in the summer its best to start following these spring lawn care tips as early as possible. For more landscaping tips on mostly lawn care, visit the Colorado Arborist and Lawn Care Professionals website. Share your tips on .
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How To Fix Dirt Patches In Lawn
Say youve overfertilized or have become the target of some pesky dandelions. Whatever the reason, tending to a dirt patch is easy and will have your lawn looking lush and green in no time.
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How To Get A Green Spring Lawn Fast
Yesterday was St. Patricks day and the color green was on everyones mind. So, speaking of the color green, why not turn your yellow yucky winter lawn into a lush dark green fairway!?!
My husband Dan is a PRO when it comes to making our lawn a dark healthy green. I have heard it dozens of times from our friend and neighbors, How does Dan make your lawn such a DARK GREEN color!?! There are many important steps to maintaining a healthy lawn throughout the year.
Step 1: Helping your lawn revive from the winter starts with a good Fall fertilizer. At the end of the year he always fertilizes before the first freeze will do.
Step 2: When the temperature is on the up where ever you live, start by aerating your lawn in the Spring.
Step 3: On the same day that you aerate your lawn, put a good dose of Ever Green 18-5-0 fertilizer down on your lawn. Dan likes this brand because it has the right amount of iron and nitrogen to bring your lawn back to a lush dark green color quickly and safely. Dont hesitate to put an extra heavy dose as it will not burn your lawn this early in the season.
Step 4: Turn on your sprinklers to activate the fertilizer. In the early Spring its only necessary to water once every five days.
Step 5: Wait about 1 month and apply another good dose of the same fertilizer and your lawn will thicken up nicely and stay dark green for several months.
These pictures were taken yesterday.
