Deal With The Shady Spots In Your Lawn
Occasionally, conditions just arent ideal for lawn growth. Maybe the lawn was growing around young trees, but as those trees grew, they created more shade, limiting the suns access to the lawn. Sun, water and nutrients are necessary for thicker, greener grass. Take one away, and you wont accomplish your goal.
Raising or thinning the tree canopy can increase the sunlight to these lawn areas, boosting sun exposure.
But maybe thinning the tree canopy isnt enough. You could have an area where grass just may not grow well. An alternative solution, such as a shade-loving groundcover, mulch, decorative gravel, or a hardscape area might be a better option.
Water Your Lawn Deeply And Less Often
Turning your sprinkler on for just a few minutes a few times a week really wont do much to help your lawn. For a healthier lawn, learn to water your grass deeply and less often. If you water infrequently and deeply, the roots of your grass will start to grow deeper down into the soil. This helps your grass stay green during periods of drought or extremely hot weather. Experts recommend that you water your grass with 1 inch of water, once a week. This amount of course can vary depending on your local weather conditions, soil type, grass species, etc.
How do you know if youre watering your plants with 1 inch of water? You can use this simple test. Place a series of shallow containers throughout your lawn and turn your sprinklers on. Keep watering until you measure 1 inch of water in the majority of the containers.
This simple test will also help you determine if your sprinklers are watering your grass evenly. If the depth of the water in the containers varies widely, this may explain patches of drier grass in your yard. In this case youll need to adjust your sprinkler heads. Its also important that you dont over-water your grass.
Youll know when its time to water again when the first 3-4 inches of soil are dry to the touch. Use an electronic soil tester to test the soil moisture, or use a trowel or a screwdriver to open the soil and feel it with your finger. To help your grass retain even more water, you can use water absorbing polymers .
Will Mowing And Overseeded Lawn Damage The New Grass
While a fully seeded new lawn takes 2 months to be ready for the first mow, you dont have to wait as long with an overseeded lawn. This is because the established grass helps to support and protect the new seedling for their first mowing.
You should still give them as much time to grow as you can, but if you let the existing grass get too long, its leaves will overshadow the new seedlings. Without the sunlight that they need, they cant make nutrients, stunting their growth. So the best balance is to mow 7-10 days after overseeding and leave it another 7-10 days before your second mow.
If there are whole patches of your yard that only has new seedlings , then mow around them for the first 2 months, and hand trim any longer strands of the original grass.
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How To Make Grass Grow Green And Healthy
This brings us to our next consideration: when and how often to water grass for optimal greenery?
The advice that were about to give you should be taken as just that, advice. One of the best things that you can do for your lawn is to get to know it.
Take some time observing how it looks each day, in the morning and in the evening. Try to become aware of all of the different elements that affect it and how these fluctuate throughout the day. The better understanding you have of your lawn and your specific microclimate, the better youll be able to take care of it.
Then, you can consider the following :
- Watering in the morning is the best because temperatures are cooler and winds are normally calmer. If possible, water before 10 a.m. so that all of the moisture can be absorbed before the heat of the day kicks in and evaporates all the water away.
- If you have no option but to water in the evening, try to do so before nightfall .
- When watering, you want the top six to eight inches of soil to be wetwhich equates to around one inch of water per week. This can be done as a single watering or two waterings this every week.
Growing A Lawn From Sod
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Mow The Lawn Low And Often
Bermuda grass spreads faster if theres more lateral growth as opposed to vertical growth. The best way to promote lateral growth and spread over vertical growth is by mowing your lawn often.
However, youll want to avoid mowing your young, Bermuda grass plants before theyre at least two-inches long. This is because the plants are yet to achieve proper root anchorage and mowing may cause permanent damage.
To make fully established bermuda grass spread faster, mow at a low height of one-inch at least twice per week. Ensure that you remove no more than one-third of the leaf blades each time you mow, thereby leaving behind enough leaf blade area to facilitate continuation of photosynthesis and faster growth.
Choose The Right Seed
Not all grass seed is created equal. We bet you already know this from looking at all the different types of grass seed out there. In most cases, when shopping for grass seed youll be choosing between two types of grasscool season or warm season grassdepending on where you live. Cool season grasses grow best where there are large temperature swings during the year, including in the Northwest, Midwest, and Northeast. Warm season grasses thrive in warm weather where theres less of a temperature difference, including the Southwest, Deep South, and Mid-South.
Once youve figured out which grass is recommended for your area, its time to choose your grass seed. The Scotts® Turf Builder® line of grass seeds offers premium grass seed for most popular lawn types. Each Scotts seed is wrapped in a unique coating that absorbs twice as much water as uncoated seed, fertilizes to jumpstart growth, and helps protect against disease. The result? Grass will grow thicker, greener, and more quickly.
To really speed up the results, apply Scotts® Turf Builder Rapid Grass Sun & Shade Mix®, following label directions. It packs both grass seed and lawn food into one handy formula designed to grow grass twice as fast as seed on its own. You can use it to put down a new lawn or to overseed a thin lawn. Just rake the soil, apply the product with your spreader, and water daily until the grass reaches mowing height.
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How To Make Grass Thicker And Fuller
In the growing season for the best results, I would suggest mowing your lawn on the five-day cycle with a mulching mower and taking off a small amount every time.
The mulch will go back into the lawn. Lawn clippings are full of nitrogen and this fertilizes a lawn. Here is a paper from the University of Maryland talking about how much fertilizer is needed for a domestic lawn. You will notice that nitrogen features heavily so why not fertilize your lawn regularly and for free every time you mow it?
This is going to be a lot less stressful for the lawn. But doesnt mulch in areas where the children play or your dog runs around. The one problem with this method is that the mulched grass can be brought inside by people or animals and this could be very stressful for you.
How To Make Grass Green Fast
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Is a dull, patchy lawn ruining the curb appeal of your home?
Many homeowners wish they had a lush, green lawn but arent sure of the best way to make grass green fast and have it last.
No worries! Inside this guide, you can learn what makes the grass green and follow the steps to quickly green up your lawn with proper mowing, fertilizer, and watering.
Stop being embarrassed by your lawn and use the methods below to make it the envy of your neighbors!
What to Expect From This Article
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Get Rid Of Thatch Build
When was the last time you seriously cared for your lawn? You probably mow every week, but neglect to do anything else. If thatch buildup occurs, it can be deadly for your grass.
Thatch to some degree is helpful as it protects roots. But too much thatch will block nutrients and water from seeping down into the soil. Spend an afternoon removing thatch to let your roots get the supplies they need.
Mow Your Lawn Correctly
Mowing is a seemingly simple task that you probably think you cant get wrong. But your mowing habits can have a big impact on your lawns performance. Mowing properly can lead to thicker grass.
One of the largest mistakes people make is mowing their grass too short. Mowing too short can put unnecessary stress on your lawn. This can cause a dull green or yellow color, which you dont want. It can also increase the likelihood for weeds — additional headaches you dont need.
The goal is to cut no more than one-third of your grass blades at any one time. Ideal mowing timing is weekly and ideal mowing height is in between 3.5 and 4 inches, depending on your lawn type. Your mower blades should be sharpened to ensure a clean cut.
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How To Make Grass Thicker
In addition to choosing the right grass in the first place and regularly aerating your lawn, you can do a few additional things to make your grass thicker
- Address diseases. Avoid mowing when the lawn is wet and check for signs of disease or fungal infection. This may appear as powdery residue or colored patches or spots. Also, check for indications of pest damage .
- Ensure that your soil is healthy. Check for your local extension field office and obtain a soil-testing kit. It will alert you to nutrient deficiencies that may be responsible for your thinning lawn.
- Water regularly and apply a nitrogen fertilizer. Dont worry, well discuss more about this below.
Ways To Get Thicker Greener Grass: Pro Lawn Care Tips For Central & Southern Md
Hows your lawn looking these days? Do you wish you had thicker and greener grass?
Youre not alone. Everyone covets those luxurious lawns that beg to be walked on with bare feet while sipping an iced cold drink.
Maybe you look over at your neighbors yard thinking the grass is always greener on the other side of the fence or property line. Well, worry no more. These pro lawn care strategies can amplify your lawns health and make the grass greener on both sides of the fence maybe yours will even be a little greener.
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The Trick To Growing Grass & Porch Update
If you are a homeowner or ever will be a homeowner in the future there is a good chance that at some point in time you will need to grow grass. We have only lived in our home for a little over 3 years and have already had to grow grass on two separate occasions.
When I mentioned to my husband I was writing a post on growing grass he chuckled. Yes, chuckled! I asked him why he found that funny and he explained that it seemed like a no brainer topic, just read the directions on the bag!
I kindly reminded him of the two bags of grass seed we wasted our time and money on before finding our successful method and how I would like to help others in a balding lawn situation get the help they need right away instead of fiddling around with unprofitable methods.
Because lets face it, when you plant grass seeds you have to invest time in watering them and there is nothing more frustrating then spending time watering seeds that never grow !!
The first time we needed to grow grass was right after we moved in. There was a large dead ash tree that we had to have cut down.
Thankfully, on our third purchase of grass seed we found a winner!!! It is Scotts Turf Builder Grass Seed . We got it from Home Depot but Im sure Lowes probably has it too. And just so you know this isnt a sponsored post in any way just sharing what finally worked for us!
As part of the DIY landscaping Ive been doing this Spring I decided to get rid of the little flower bed right in front of our front door.
Pro Strategies For Thicker Greener Grass
For many Central and Southern Maryland homeowners, a green grass shows they care for and have pride in their properties.
In summers heat, its especially important to do all of the things all year long that contribute to a lawns health. Because, as the pros know, you cant do just one thing to nurture a thick lawn. A mix of the right strategies is necessary when it comes to how to make grass greener.
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Determining Your Grass Type
Understanding your grass type is a crucial, fundamental step in the grass growing process. To get the best, fastest grass growth, you need to pick the ideal grass for your local climatewhether its a cool-season grass, warm-season grass, or a transitional grass type. Its important to make the correct choice, or you may see your grass grow quickly, then falter, then fail.
How Mowing New Grass Promotes Growth
Grass uses a process called photosynthesis. This is when the plant turns sunlight into the nutrients the plant needs. Because of this, your new grass needs the sun to grow .
As the grass grows taller, you may notice that some bits grow faster and are taller than others. The taller blades block the sunlight to the shorter ones. By mowing regularly, you keep the leaves at the same height, so that they all have access to the sun, and grow evenly.
There is another reason why mowing new lawn promotes growth. When you prevent the grass from growing vertically , it converts that energy into growing horizontally .
The end result is thicker grass. This is why mowing new grass frequently helps it to grow from patchy little tufts to even coverage in a shorter space of time. Thicker grass will also make it harder for any weeds to grow!
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Best Grass Seeds For Northern States
If you live in a Northern state, select a cool-season grass. Cool-season grasses thrive in the late spring and early fall months in the northern two-thirds of the United States. Northern grass seed products grow best when temperatures are 60-75 degrees Fahrenheit.
The most popular cool-season lawn grasses are:
- Bentgrass seed. One of the standard grasses for golf course putting greens, some bentgrass varieties, such as Colonial Bentgrass, are made for home lawns. It likes to be cropped short.
- Kentucky bluegrass seed. This is the classic choice for Northern lawns and was brought to the United States during the colonial days. Wants full sun, not shade tolerant.
- Fine Fescue seed. This perennial bunchgrass doesnt mind poorly drained areas.
- Tall fescue mix seed. Puts down deep roots, so a tall fescue lawn is drought tolerant.
- Creeping fescue seed. Although slow to germinate and spread, this fescue seed has tolerance for shade, and low maintenance requirements make it a good choice for large expanses. It is also a good companion for bluegrass since it will thrive in shady spots where bluegrass will not.
- Ryegrass seed. The annual variety is used for a quick shot of green. Its permanent, perennial cousin is noted for its wear tolerance, so its a good choice for places where children will romp.
