Soil Testing And Soil Enrichment
Sometimes you do everything right and you still dont get the results you expect. Your lawn is getting enough sun and you are following a regular maintenance schedule -mowing, watering, and fertilizing properly, so whats the problem? It could be that there is an issue with your soil.
Soil testing measures certain aspects of your soil, including pH levels and nutrient content. It determines if your lawn has the ideal conditions needed for optimum grass growth or if there are elements that are preventing proper growth. For example, acidic soil can actually hurt plants roots and rob them of necessary nutrients. The only way to know for sure is to have a qualified lawn care expert, like Lawn Doctor, perform a test.
Once your soil is tested and any deficiencies are identified, the next step is to consider an enrichment program to improve your soils physical properties and microbial activity while improving your lawns ability to absorb fertilizers. This also helps in the defense against environmental stresses such as mower injury, human traffic, and drought stress.
Lawn Doctors soil enrichment program improves the structure of your lawns soil and stimulates a stronger, healthier root system that will deliver a thicker, greener, and more resilient lawn.
Treating Broadleaf Weeds When It’s Dry
Dandelions, clover, andcreeping Charlie are some of the most common broadleaf weeds you’ll encounter, but plenty of other plants can invade quickly and spread relentlessly. To keep them in check, you may decide to use a granular weed-and-feed product or spray an organic liquid broadleaf weed killer.
The right time: To treat actively growing weeds, apply granular products on a dewy morning or spot treat them with an organic herbicide on a warm, sunny day.
Why timing matters: Used properly, broadleaf weed killers are highly effective when conditions are optimal. For example, the granules of weed-and-feed products, which are applied with a spreader, must stick to the leaves of the weeds to be effective. That requires moisture, so the perfect time to apply is in early morning, when there’s a heavy dew on the lawnâ . If the grass isn’t wet, you’ll be wasting your time and money. Warm temperatures often help liquid treatments work faster, too. However, if you’ve been having a hot but dry summer, you’ll want to water your lawn first.
Tip No : Adjust Your Cutting Height To The Time Of Year
The best height to cut grass depends on the type of grass, the region and the time of year. For cool-climate grasses, use a 1-1/2 in. cutting height for the first mowing of the year to remove dead grass and allow more sunlight to reach the crowns of the grass plants. Raise the blade during the heat of summer to two inches or more. Then lower the blade back to 1-1/2 in. for the last cutting of the year. For warm-climate grasses, these heights will be about 1/2 in. lower.
When adjusting your blade height, measure from a hard surface to the bottom of the mower deck, then add 1/4 in. Most blades sit 1/4 in. above the bottom of the deck.
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Don’t Let Winter Weather Kill Your Lawn Here’s How To Maintain It All Year Long
Lawn care shouldn’t pause during the fall and winter months.
Even though prime mowing season has come to an end in many states across the US, it’s still important to take care of your lawn through the fall and winter months. After all, a healthy lawn will boost your home’s curb appeal. It can also increase the value of your home ahead of a sale and help save money on your energy bills by reducing solar heat gain .
Lawn care doesn’t have to be arduous or expensive. This guide tackles everything you need to do to keep your lawn looking healthy all year, no matter the season. Let’s start with the basics.
Maximizing Your John Deere Battery Life
John Deere batteries can last up to five years in lead-acid and lithium-ion batteries. There is an average life expectancy of three years for a lawn mower battery, but proper maintenance is required to ensure that the battery continues to run smoothly and charged. When an engine is running, an alternator powers it, allowing power to circulate through the system and keep the battery charged. If the alternator in your John Deere mower is not working properly, it can be checked by turning on its headlights and then turning off its engine. If you properly maintain your John Deere battery, you will be able to use it for many years to come.
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How To Cut Grass
When maintaining your lawn, knowing how to cut your grass properly is essential to keeping your garden looking neat. No one wants their garden to look lopsided or scrappy, so what is the best way to keep it tidy?
Before cutting your grass, you must check your lawn for any debris, such as leaves or branches, to avoid damaging your lawn mower. Then, mow your lawn up and down in straight lines, slightly overlapping each time, to ensure you cover every blade of grass.
Mowing in dry weather is also an important part of maintaining your lawn. Mowing your lawn in dry weather will ensure that the blades of grass will cut better and also mean that the lawn mower wont get clogged with wet grass.
Tips For A Greener Lawn
Spring leading into summer can easily be the death of your lawn however, it is meant to be the absolute best time of year to enjoy it. Too often we see people watering their lawn in the midday sun and have a total facepalm moment. Said gardener loves their lawn enough to be out in the heat of the day tending to their grass but unknowingly they are doing the wrong thing. So, to lend a helping hand, here are 10 of the best tips to ensure your lawn remains green and lush throughout the warmer months.
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Water The Lawn Not The Path
The green stuff is where the water needs to land, but you knew that anyway right?! How often do you see someones sprinkler busy watering everything but the lawn? Its an easy mistake to make when you havent got the right watering measures in place. Make sure youre not one of those people, get yourself a sprinkler thats suitable for your lawn shape and size. Hoselink offer a great selection of sprinklers such as Classic, Oscillating, Impulse, 9-Pattern and more! Sprinklers are great for helping you ensure you are watering all the right spots, limiting wasted water and not waiting for the path to grow!
Replacing Different Types Of Lawn Mower Air Filters
As well as foam, paper, and mixed filters, its also worth noting that some air filters are reusable while others are disposable.
What this essentially means is that you can clean some filters for reuse, while others must be replaced and cannot be cleaned. In fact, doing so may degrade their performance and put your mower at risk.
In general, paper air filters are disposable and foam lawn mower filters are reusable.
You can gently blow on and partially clean off a paper air filter mid-season, but I dont recommend using compressed air on them if it looks too dirty to function well, just buy a new one for under ten bucks.
Its a small price to pay to keep your mower working well for years to come.
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Dispose Of Lawn Clippings As Needed
It’s acceptable to leave grass clippings on your lawn unless they begin to form a thick thatch layer. Then remove the clippings and dethatch your lawn as needed.
Tip: If you use chemicals on your lawn, do not add the clippings to a compost pile.
Effective DIY lawn care during spring can save you time and effort later in the year. Follow these lawn care tips to make sure that your grass is greener.
When determining how much grass seed or mulch you need, don’t guesstimate, calculate. Know exactly how much you need with our project calculators.
How Long Before You See Results
Dont get discouraged if the repellent doesnt start working immediately. Usually, it will take at least a few encounters with your repellent before a dog starts associating their discomfort with that protected part of the lawn. Dogs learn by picking up patterns, so it will take some time before the canine offender figures out what parts of the yard are off-limits to his shenanigans.
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Lawn Mower Battery Keep
When it comes to keeping your lawn mower battery in good shape, its important to make sure that it has a full charge before each use and is stored in a cool, dry place when not in use. Regularly cleaning the terminals of the battery is also important to ensure that the connections remain secure and the battery is not damaged by corrosion. Additionally, regular replacement of the battery as well as checking the fluid levels and maintaining the connections are important steps to ensure that your lawn mower battery is in top condition and ready to go when you need it.
Aerating Your Lawn At The Wrong Time
You do aerate, right? Over time, soil gets compacted by being walked on, and thatch builds up. Aerating helps loosen the soil again and allows water to more easily reach grass roots.
The right time: Aerate when the soil is moist and grass is actively growing.
Why timing matters: A common mistake is aerating when soil is dry and hard, and aerators are unable to penetrate the soil deeply. Water your lawn before aerating, or wait for a good rain. Ideal conditions for aerating occur more often in spring and fall , but summer also is acceptable for well-watered lawns.
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Lawn Care Tips For Beginners
Caring for your first lawn is a great feeling. You’ve worked toward this moment, and now the grass under your feet is in your hands. By learning how to care for your first lawn, you can see your plans for lush, thick turf and backyard entertaining come true. Take on your lawn one task at a time, and work through these lawn care basics. Here’s how to start and where to go from there:
Apply Grass Seed In Spring Or Fall
The grasses in lawns naturally thin out over time. Keep your stand of grass thick and robust by applying grass seed regularly.
Apply grass seed or lawn patch to thin areas in the spring and late summer/early fall. Cover up bare soil with grasses.
Apply grass seed over your entire lawn at least every two years before it thins out.
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Consider A Sustainable Lawn
Lawns have come under scrutiny of late, and theres a lot of evidence that the greenest lawn isnt environmentally green at all. The issues range from water used for irrigation to pollution from fertilizer runoff to the global warming potential of the fossil fuel that mowers burn.
What can you do to lessen the environmental impact of your lawn? The simplest thing is not to fertilize or use pesticides. Sure, your lawns green color might not match your neighbors, but your environmental cred will make up for it.
A compromise might be to use organic fertilizers, pull weeds by hand, and use pesticides only if needed. And irrigation? Unless its required where you live, just dont.
Watering Too Late In The Day
No matter where you live or what type of grass you have, your lawn will probably need at least some irrigation to keep it green during extended summer dry spells.
The right time: Water early in the morning.
Why timing matters: Early morning is the best time to give your lawn a drink. The warmth of the sun will soon dry the grass and lessen the chance of disease. Avoid nighttime watering, which can encourage disease due to prolonged wetness, and watering during the warmest times of the day, when a lot of the water may evaporate before the plants have a chance to absorb it.
When it’s necessary to water, do so once or twice a week, long enough to wet the soil several inches down. This encourages deep roots compared with frequent, but shallow, irrigation, and it will make your lawn more drought-tolerant. Some cities and municipalities have recommendations or restrictions on the timing and frequency of watering to help cut down on waste, so it’s a good idea to check that you are following those guidelines.
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What Height Should I Cut My Grass
You should never cut your lawn more than one-third of the height of the current grass. Doing this keeps your lawn at a good height and allows your grass to grow. Leaving your garden too short will stunt growth, making your lawn look fragmented and patchy.
In Spring and Autumn, you should ensure your grass is not cut shorter than 4cm . In Summer, you should cut grass no shorter than 2.5cm . Cutting your lawn too short can leave bare patches, which makes your exterior look messy. Moreover, grass can become more susceptible to drought and weed damage if cut too short, requiring more frequent maintenance.
How To Maintain Your Lawn Mower: 8 Pro Tips
Its true, lawn mowers can last a long time, as long as they are maintained properly.
So, what are the most important maintenance practices to get the most out of your mower?
Whether your mower is battery powered, or electric.
You will need to follow these simple lawn mower maintenance and repair tips.
Here are 8 crucial tips that will keep your mower running for years to come!
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Level Deck And Sharpen Blades
Sharpen your lawn mower blades frequently.
Our research suggests that you should sharpen your mower blades every 25 hours.
Its no secret, lawn mower blades that become dull will certainly not cut properly.
WARNING! If it appears that blades need to be sharpened. Make sure you take proper safety precautions before performing any maintenance to the blades. Blades can be sharp! Additionally, you will want to remove the spark plug before touching the blades.
Top Tips For A Healthy Lawn
A green and healthy lawn is easy to achieve with a bit of work. A little effort now will save you a lot of effort later, because healthy lawns are less vulnerable to pests, weeds, drought, and other problems.
Follow these seven tips:
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Lawn Mower Battery Lifespan Faqs
Lawn mower battery lifespan FAQs are an important source of information for people who own a lawn mower. It is important to understand how to maintain and care for your battery so that you can get the longest life out of it. Typical lawn mower batteries have a lifespan of two to three years, depending on how well you care for them. Common questions include: how often to charge your battery, how to store it properly, how to clean and maintain it, what kind of battery is best for your mower, and how to tell when it needs to be replaced. Knowing the answers to these questions can help you get the most out of your lawn mower battery and keep your yard looking its best.
Use A Variety Of Ways To Deal With Problems
Pest problems that keep coming back are often a sign that your lawn care practices need to change. These changes can include:
- correcting drainage or fertility problems
- increasing mowing height
- removing thatch
For help in dealing with common problems like weeds, pests, and diseases, see Dealing with lawn problems.
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How Long Will A Lawn Mower Battery Hold A Charge
A lawnmower battery typically holds a charge for a season or more, depending on the type of battery and how it is used. Lead-acid batteries, the most common type used in lawnmowers, typically last between 3-5 years, but can last up to 10 years with proper maintenance. Lithium-ion batteries, a newer type of battery, can last up to 5 times longer than lead-acid batteries and can hold a charge for up to two years or more. The length of time a lawn mower battery will hold a charge also depends on how often the mower is used, how long it is used for, and how well it is maintained. To get the most out of your lawn mower battery, it is important to follow the manufacturers recommendations for use and care.
