How To Grow The Best Lawn In Your Neighborhood
The smell of a freshly mowed lawn is as intrinsic a part of summer as the smell of barbecue. Unfortunately, you cant get that perfectly lush, green lawn simply by planting some grass and hoping for the best. A great lawn needs some care but its also easier to achieve than you might think. If you want to know how to grow the best lawn on the block, these tips will help you.
Tips For Having The Best Lawn In The Neighborhood
Having a healthy and well-maintained lawn is not only about how it looks and feels but what it can do for your homes curb appeal and value. Properties with high aesthetic value due to excellent lawn and landscaping often sell for higher prices. A luxurious lawn also helps your home to stand out and gives you a place to enjoy the outdoors.
While you may think lawn maintenance ends after you put away your lawn mower, there is much more to getting the perfect lawn. You will need to know how often to mow your lawn, how to properly feed it, and the best watering techniques for maximum results. Lets take a closer look at a few tips to help you have the best lawn in the neighborhood.
Fixing Bare Areas In Your Lawn
Next, its impossible to improve and ugly lawn where there is no grass present. You must have turfgrass to start with. If your lawn lacks turf coverage you will likely need to introduce and establish grass.
Core aeration and over-seeding is a good method to slightly improve an existing lawn, but sometimes more aggressive measures, like slice-seeding, are required for extremely thin or bare areas. Where topsoil is rocky or absent, topdressing might be the way to go. This is a process where a layer of new soil is introduced, so that turf has somewhere to properly root.
If you are unsure of what type of seeding is appropriate for your lawn, you should consult with a reputable lawn care company about the type of seeding necessary and the timing of your seeding job. As an FYI, for Lancaster, Lebanon, Harrisburg, and York, PA, fall is the best time to seed your lawn.
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Our Secret Sauce: Shhh Dont Tell Anyone
If you are in need of some help and you live in the Indianapolis area, we would be more than happy to help you achieve lawn domination! You can reach us at 317-748-3153 or to submit and estimate request.
How Do You Maintain A Lawn Organically
Maintaining a lawn without chemicals is a balance of using high quality organic fertilizers like Synergy with corn gluten meal, proper lawn watering and proper lawn mowing. The key to an organic lawn is creating an environment that will stimulate beneficial microbial activity in the soil. An organic lawn will have beneficial microbes which are like people need air to breathe, water to drink, and food to eat.
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Ditch The Daily Lawn Watering
If you have an established lawn, dont water it every day.You want to let the soil dry out between waterings, which means water longer and less frequently.Why? You want your grass to have to search for water, sending its roots deeper into the soil. That encourages the roots to grow longer and deeper, which means your grass will be healthier.Water too often, and those roots can just hang out near the surface and get all the water they need. Shallow roots cant handle the stress of a sudden drought or a summer lawn disease as well as deeper roots. But this isnt true for new grass. It should stay wet, so it needs several waterings a day.
Controlling Pests Like Moles And Grubs
Moles digging up your beautiful yard are very unsightly and quite annoying. One of the best ways to get rid of moles is to make sure they have nothing in your yard to feed on. One of the most appetizing foods for moles is the grub. Target any grub growth and eggs before they hatch with specific grub-eliminating products.
For more advice on your lawn, give us a call or for lawn service contact us below!
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How To Get The Perfect Lawn: Invest In A Quality Lawn Care Program
By now you might be thinking this friendly competition stuff is a lot of work.No argument here. Why devote your hard-earned weekends to back-breaking lawn care when you could be in a lounge chair surveying your green healthy lawn and gloating? Looking for lawn care services in Eau Claire, WI or Minneapolis? Let us do the work. You choose from three different levels of lawn care programs, based on the results youd like, how fast you want to see results, and your budget.
- Luscious Lawn is a high-end, proactive program that will promote amazing lawn care results. This is the program to choose for the quickest and best results, particularly if your lawn needs a lot of help.
- Terrific Turf, a mid-level option, is our most popular program to grow a thick, green lawn and deal with most challenges.
- Healthy Habitat is a basic plan that includes the elements you need for a better lawn.
Prepare Your Lawn Mower
Its always a good idea to have your lawn mower serviced before the start of spring mowing. Have a good technician check the belts, spark plug, battery, air filter, and the starter, and you should also make sure that youre starting out the season with a sharp blade. Before you have your first mowing of the season, make sure to rake your lawn so that leaves and twigs can be removed. Its also a good idea to set the mowing height about 1/2 inch lower than normal for that first cutting, so that you can break up any debris which may have accumulated on your lawn.
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Another Key To A Great Lawn Trust Rainmaster In Eau Claire Wi & Minneapolis
A perfect lawn is a pretty tall order.Weeds are tenacious. Bare patches creep in. Weather can turn against you. Grubs are hungry.Get close to perfect with RainMaster.Want to have the best lawn on the block? Request a quote today! Well review your lawn care options together so you can make a great choice. Then, you can finally enjoy your lawn and stop worrying about it.
What Kind Of Grass Do I Have In My Lawn
First, lets start with the basics. Grasses in North America generally fall into one of two categories warm-season grasses and cool-season grasses. Warm-season grasses grow best where the climate is warm, like in Florida, Mississippi, and Texas.
Cool-season grasses grow best in cooler climates, like we typically experience here in Central Pennsylvania, and in New England, Michigan, and Wisconsin for example. These are the types that grow best here in Lancaster, York, Harrisburg, and Lebanon, PA. Well be dealing with cool-season grasses in this article.
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Test Your Lawn Soil Ph
No matter how much fertilizer you give your lawn, if your grass doesnt have the proper, balanced soil pH, it wont do much good. Important nutrients for grass are available in soil when the pH is at the right level not too acidic, not too alkaline. If your pH is off, your grass wont get the nutrients it needs, no matter how much you fertilize. That’s not going to get you the best lawn in the neighborhood.The right pH unlocks your lawns ability to take in nutrients and thrive. If your soils pH level is out of whack, we can add the right soil amendments to bring it to the right level.
For Healthy Grass Adjust Your Soil Ph
Soil pH is very important, and just because your dirt looks rich and black doesnt mean its the right pH for grass. Take samples around the yard and get them tested. If the pH is too low or too high , the grass isnt happy to be there. But you can fix the problem by adding lime to raise the pH or iron to lower it. Most grasses prefer a pH of 6.0 to 7.2. Note: Lawn and garden centers sell do-it-yourself pH testers more accurate tests can be performed by extension services.
Lutai Razvan / EyeEm/Getty Images
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Water At The Right Time
Watering your lawn in the middle of the day, especially if you live in a hot climate, is generally a big waste of water. Thats because much of the water you put on the lawn will evaporate into the atmosphere, leaving you with a hefty water bill and a brown lawn as the result. The best times to water are either in the early morning before the sun comes up or the late evening, right before or right after the sun goes down.
Mow At The Right Time
Attaining the status of the best yard in the block is dependent on more than just having basic mowing skills. Knowing the right time and height to trim is key during this quest. It makes a significant difference compared to those who mow every time the grass appears tall. Different grass types have different optimum heights.
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Use A Sprinkler In The Morning
The next key ingredient to a healthy lawn is adequate water. Its not necessary to water your lawn every day unless you have new grass seeds growing. The ideal watering schedule is about two or three times a week.
To get the most out of your watering routine, use a sprinkler that covers the entire area of the lawn. Time your watering to occur in the early morning, between 6 and 10 AM. Watering during the middle of the day or at night may not produce the best results.
Fill In Any Bald Spots
Make sure that any bald spots or patches on your lawn are attended to by covering them with seed or sod, because if you leave them untreated, weeds will certainly take over. Make sure to prepare the soil properly before seeding or laying down your sod, and if necessary remove any weeds. If youre seeding the area, sow your grass seeds and then cover them up with just a few handfuls of fresh top soil. If you have a larger patch that requires sod, make sure to cut a patch which fits the bald area and press it firmly down onto the patch. Either seeding or sodding will require good contact between the soil and your seeds or sod.
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Use Premium Grass Seed
Theres a saying, You get what you pay for, and that is certainly true when it comes to grass seed. When you use premium grass seed like Scotts® Turf Builder® grass seed, youll know that it will sprout fast, provide even coverage, and stay in place. Coated with WaterSmart® PLUS coating that absorbs 2X more water than uncoated seed, Turf Builder® grass seed feeds to jump-start growth and protects seedlings against disease. Lawn pros know that planting a lawn with premium grass seed allows you to start with a thicker lawn so its easier to keep it looking lush and full.
Tips On Maintaining The Perfect Lawn
Showing off a lush, green lawn is possible if you take the time and put in the effort for a solid lawn maintenance routine. Lawn care involves a combination of simple daily and weekly tasks that you can do yourself, or get a little bit of help from a landscaping professional. Our nine tips on maintaining the perfect lawn between landscaper visits will keep you at the top of your lawn game.
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Taking A Soil Test For Your Lawn
Your first step should be to have a soil test. Any reputable lawn care service should offer this, or you can often pick one up from a local garden center. Soil tests tell you exactly what is going on in your lawn. Why is that important? Every property is different.
No two lawns, even in the same neighborhood, are the same. The difference between and ugly lawn and a beautiful once may be scientific. If your pH is too acidic or you are lacking in potassium, you will have difficulty gaining traction in your lawns progress toward a healthy, beautiful appearance.
Hire A Professional Lawn Care Company
A professional lawn care company will keep the high level of health and care that your lawn and neighborhood deserve. Plus, we have extensive knowledge of flowers, trees, bushes, and grass and how they all fare in our Tennessee climate. We know how to keep everything healthy all year round.
Contact us to hear more about our services and 7-series lawn care and maintenance program.
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Types Ofriding Lawn Mowers
There are several designs of riding lawn mowers available on the market. There is a distinction between were the cutting deck is located:
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Riding lawn mowers: Here, the cutting deck is placed under the front of the vehicle. They also have smaller wheels–this increases maneuverability, when you have to mow the lawn around trees and shrubs. An example is the Troy-Bilt 30-inch Neighborhood Riding Lawn Mower.
Troy-Bilt 30-inch Neighborhood Riding Lawn Mower
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Riding garden tractors: In this design, the cutting deck is placed in the middle of the underside of the vehicle–between the front and rear axles. Garden tractors are more powerful than lawn mowers, with a more powerful engine and transmission. They will be better for hilly terrain. An example is the Troy-Bilt 46 Riding Lawnmower–it really is a riding lawn tractor, with the cutting deck in the middle:
Troy-Bilt 46 Riding Lawnmower
Youll also see that there are zero-turn lawn mowers:
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Zero-turn lawn mower: This is a riding lawn mower with a very small turning radius. This is because the front wheels can pivot at very narrow angles than in the alternative mowers. You control this type of mower by means of two throttles, instead of a steering wheel. It is ideal for maneuvering around flower beds and trees. An example is the John Deere Vtwin Dual Hydrostatic Zero-turn lawn mower:
John Deere Vtwin Zero-Turn Lawn Mower
How To Get The Perfect Lawn: Tips To Having The Best Lawn In The Neighborhood
6 MINUTE READ
Youve been staring at your neighbors lawn again, havent you?Dont worry, were not judging. But you are, right?We get it. A little friendly competition in the lawn department is kind of human nature.Whose lawn is greener? Healthier? Has fewer weeds?If its not yours, shouldnt it be? Check out these great tips on how to grow the perfect lawn.Well, maybe not perfect. But better than your neighbors.
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Train Pets To Use A Small Area
Your dog may be impacting your lawn in a negative way. Backyards that have pets often have yellow or dead spots in their grass. These are the areas that dogs are probably using to relieve themselves, and it can be an eyesore in an otherwise healthy lawn.
There is a way to keep your dog from ruining your hard work and beautiful lawn. Just as you taught your dog to go to the bathroom outside, its possible to train them to relieve themselves in a specific area of the lawn. Set aside a designated area in your yard for your pet to use, preferably a shady and hidden spot. Start by using a leash and reward them when they use their new bathroom space.
Reseed Thin Areas Of The Lawn
If some parts of your lawn look great and other areas are patchy, its time to do some reseeding. Lawn spots that are overgrown with weeds may also need reseeding. Start the reseeding process by killing all weeds with a powerful herbicide.
Then, choose a hardy grass seed variety that thrives in your climate zone. Rake and aerate the soil to prepare it for seeding. Finally, spread the seed with your spreader, fertilize, and water every day until your grass grows to about two inches.
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