Natural And Organic Lawn Care Basics
Making the switch to natural lawn care may be one of the easies and cheapest switches you can make. It is certainly an easier process than things like improving the water in your home or even overhauling your meals with meal planning .
Starting in the spring, use these basic steps to create a more natural lawn:
Power Wash Your House
What’s the point of sprucing up your yard if the house looks filthy? After enduring heavy rain, intense sun and other assaults, the exterior of your house is bound to get dirty. Vinyl siding might get stained or discolored, brick and stone walls look dingy, and the roof looks grimey. You can blast your house clean by investing in a good gas-powered washer. It’s possible to buy one for under $100, or you could rent one a couple times a year to keep your house looking spiffy.
What Is The Greenest Grass
Grass grows almost everywhere, and theres certainly no shortage of varieties. If youre looking for dark green grass, Kentucky bluegrass is a favorite of many lawn experts, with perennial ryegrass not far behind. Both have dark, rich colors and grow quickly and thickly, but they also both prefer cooler climates over warmer ones.
If you live farther south, then look for floratam, a variety of St. Augustine grass. It grows slower than Kentucky bluegrass, but it has a similar dark green color. Bermuda grass, another southern favorite, grows more quickly than floratam and is also a deep, rich green.
If youd like something vibrant but light, check out centipede grass! It has an interesting, pale blue-green color thats sure to turn heads.
Lawn care doesnt need to be stressful, and a green lawn doesnt have to be out of reach. If you want to know how to get a green lawn, these tips can help you get and keep the lawn of your dreams. With a little work and some patience, even the driest brown lawn can become lush, beautiful, and green.
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Fertilize On A Schedule
New lawn owners make the big mistake of fertilizing at random times throughout the year. But much like watering, you need to be strategic about what kind of fertilizer to apply and when to use it. If you want to make your lawn green, a general rule is to only fertilize when the grass is actively growing while focusing on newly seeded areas. That depends on the grass type: summer for warm-weather plants and spring and fall for cool-season grass.
Moreover, ensure that you use a thin layer of the right kind of fertilizer to prevent overwhelming the lawn with too much iron or too little nitrogen, which can cause a range of plant diseases.
Tip No : Aerate Your Lawn To Help It Breathe
Grass roots need oxygen as well as water and nutrients. Aerating the process of removing small plugs of soil produces multiple benefits. It improves air-to-soil interaction. It allows water and fertilizer to penetrate the soil deeper and easier. It reduces soil compaction and opens space for roots to grow. It removes some thatch and stimulates the breakdown of the remaining thatch. The best tool for this task is a gas-powered aerator, available at most rental centers.
Again, timing is critical. You can aerate in the spring. But fall, after the kids are through trampling the grass and there are fewer weed seeds to set up home in the open spaces, is the optimal time to aerate. Its usually best to aerate first, then apply any weed killers so the open holes are protected against weeds.
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A well-aerated lawn provides space for grass roots to grow, reproduce and take in more oxygen, moisture and nutrients. The plugs, composed of thatch and soil, quickly break apart and decompose. The roots of a compacted lawn have difficulty absorbing air, water and nutrients.
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Now that you have a beautiful lawn, check out these tips for landscaping your backyard.
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Water The Lawn Properly
While it may be tempting to give your lawn a quick watering every day, any pro will tell you that a better plan is to water deeply and less frequently. Giving the grass a good long soak is another way to encourage roots to grow deeply into the soil, which strengthens the lawn and helps it survive during times of drought. When the grass has started to look a little grayish and the blades dont bounce back when you walk on them, its time to water. Run the sprinkler until you can easily push a ¼ inch diameter dowel or plant stake about 12 inches into the ground. You dont want the soil to be so saturated that if you squeeze a handful, it drips, but you do want the soil to be a little sticky.
Its worth noting, too, that grass uses less water in the spring and late fall than during the summer. In the spring you might only need to water once per week, while in the summer you might need to water 3 times per week. Of course, if you receive a long, soaking rain, theres no need to water that day. For more information on watering, read our Lawn Watering Tips.
Grow A Garden Instead
Ditch the lawn completely and grow a garden instead!
You can grow vegetables, herbs and fruits in your front yard and make it look beautiful too! Incorporate vegetables and herbs into an existing garden bed for an easy transition.
Go all out and turn your entire front yard into a flourishing vegetable garden. Urban front-yard vegetable gardens are becoming very popular. They are a great alternative to a mono crop like grass and you get food too!
Plus, gardening is cheaper than therapy, and you get tomatoes!
Many HOAs dont allow edible gardens in front yards, but you can work edible plants into your landscape. If you have an urban vegetable garden in your front yard, please share how you did it in the comments!
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Stop Weeds Without Harmful Chemicals
This is the hardest part to do naturally, but you can do it!
Did you know that weeds can be an indication that lawn health isnt optimal? Improve the soil and you will already be a long way toward reducing weed growth. Many herbicides are harmful to humans and animals too! Studies show chemicals in conventional lawn care contribute to thyroid problems and even non-Hodgkins lymphoma. Glyphosate is a whole other story, and definitely does not belong on a lawn where kids and pets play.
The organic lawn care solution: leaving grass longer also helps control weed population by leaving a larger surface area for grass to photosynthesize.
Steps to Reduce Weeds Naturally:
- Many weeds are actually herbs with many benefits. Dont remove them at all!
- Leave grass longer so it will resist weeds naturally.
- Add a second plant to your lawn like white clover to compete with weeds and replenish soil.
- Avoid harmful herbicides and use natural methods instead.
Professional Lawn Care Tips To Try Right Now
Whether you want to implement a few of these strategies or employ all of them, you should see a noticeable result. However, the biggest impact comes from leveraging all 6 of our professional lawn care tips over the course of the year. See what we recommend:
Sharpen Your Mower Blades
One of the simplest things you can do is also the most effective. Whether you have a push or riding mower, make sure to sharpen your mower blades often approximately every 4 months. When the blades are dull, the grass wont be cut cleanly but will instead tear. This can lead to an uneven length and even sections of grass that turn brown.
Aerate Your Lawn
This is a professional lawn care tip that your average homeowner doesnt do, but youre missing the serious advantages if you dont! Aerating a lawn ensures that the grass has ample oxygen to grow its healthiest. In particular, aerating is responsible for creating a lush and green grass color which is why its a part of nearly every professional groundskeepers routine. We recommend aerating your lawn once a month over the summer and twice in the spring, as well as twice in the fall. Buying your own professional-quality aerator is more affordable than most people think our models start between $1,200 and $1,500.
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Leave A Spot To Enjoy Your Garden
“Gardens aren’t just about planting, pruning, and weeding,” Brian says. “They’re magical places, and there should be reminders along the way: pretty vignettes and little escapes.” Whether they’re used or not, a decorative table and chair invite contemplation. The invitation stands: Come, sit awhile, and smell the flowers, listen to the bird song, and watch the grass grow.
Choosing The Best Grass For Your Lawn
While there are various grasses that can thrive in the region you live in, their compatibility all boils down to your lawns health. And that starts with your soil. Consider working with your local cooperative extension office to conduct a soil test. Doing so will measure the pH level of your soil and determine what kind of nutrients its rich inand what its lacking.
A soil test is essential in determining the following:
- Whether your soil has enough nutrients to grow grass
- The type of lawn fertilizer you should use to make grass greener and improve its health
- The types of plants that can thrive in your soil
After doing a soil test, you should have a very good idea of what can grow in your lawn. For example, if you have clay soil, Tall Fescue may be the right grass type for you. If you have sandy soil instead of clay soil, Bermuda or Zoysia are great alternatives.
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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:
How To Make Your Lawn Green And Beautiful: The Best Tips
Its the ultimate goal for any homeowner: a perfectly green, lush lawn boosting curb appeal.
But figuring out how to make your lawn green isnt always as easy as it seems.
Weeds, thin grass blades, and dry, brown patches can quickly make your lawn look bad.
Keeping your lawn healthy and nourished can help you get that green lawn you want. Strong, healthy grass is better able to keep weeds at bay and withstand other treats.
Use these tips to help your lawn stay green and lush.
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Use The Power Of Perspective
Brian creates the illusion of a large expanse by tapering the space so it’s narrower at the far end of this formal garden. “The garden is 8 feet narrower at the far end than it is in the foreground, where it measures 20 feet across from boxwood to boxwood,” Brian says. The result: a space that appears one-and-a-half times its actual length.
Check For And Identify Problems
Check your lawn regularly, so that you can find pests and other problems early. Make sure to identify lawn problems correctly, then decide whether action is needed.
- Plant damage may not be caused by pests. Plants can be injured by poor growing conditions, poor maintenance, road salt, or dog urine.
- A few weeds or insect pests in healthy lawns is usually not cause for concern.
- Knowing about the pest and its life cycle will help you decide if and when to take action, and how to prevent further problems. See Pest control tips for more information about controlling specific pests.
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Is It Possible To Grow A Beautiful Lawn Naturally
In many places, an attractive and good lawn means one free of weeds with a lush carpet of uniform green grass. In fact, Americans are so obsessed with attractive lawns it is now a multi-billion dollar industry.
We spend money to kill the plants that are already growing and then plant or sod with grass. We replace the natural ground coverings like clover, plantain, and dandelion with flowerless grass for the sake of looks.
I definitely understand why, and in many neighborhoods with HOAs, these are requirements. The good news is that there are many ways to maintain an attractive lawn without the need for harsh chemicals.
Making this switch can actually help save money. It will also improve growth for pollinators and reduce chemical use and exposure. It will also create a safer lawn for children and pets to play on!
Everything We Build Is Professional Quality
While we stand by these professional lawn care tips that you can use to grow the most attractive lawn on your block, we primarily build machines for commercial clients. Our equipment sees use on NFL fields, MLB diamonds, and huge golf courses where the grass needs to be pristine every time. Every single one of our homeowner-specific machines whether its an aerator, roller, or verticutter is built to the same impeccable standard that we use for professional landscaping tools. When you buy a piece of equipment from TurfTime, youre trusting the same line as the nations best landscapers.
Get the Right Equipment to Grow the Perfect Lawn
Learning how to grow the perfect lawn is a combination of both expert knowledge and the right equipment. At TurfTime Equipment, we want to provide both to homeowners. We hope you found these professional lawn care tips helpful and are ready to try a few of them right now. When it comes to getting the elite equipment you need, were the team to trust. If you have questions about what equipment to invest in or you want to get specific prices, talk to our team today!
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How To Have A Healthy Lawn
Like many Canadians, you probably take pride in having an attractive lawn. Find out how to care for your lawn as easily as possible, while reducing the need for pesticides!
Many people use lawn care products like herbicides and insecticides to maintain their lawns. But “cosmetic” pesticide use is now restricted and even banned in many communities across Canada.
There are ways to have a healthy lawn without using pesticides. And when you do have to use pesticides, there are ways to use them safely.
How To Make Your Lawn Look Fabulous
Keep those weeds and moss at bay!
With the arrival of warmer sunshine and drier days, grass will begin to grow vigorously and any waterlogged areas of a lawn will be drying out. Act now to get your lawn in top condition.
Add a moss treatment
Damp and shady grass is prone to moss. Apply a multi-purpose treatment that includes a moss killer. The moss will eventually blacken and it is then ready to rake out, along with any dead grass. This will give the remaining grass air and space to grow. It may look bald and patchy but this is the beginning of the lawn’s recovery.
Get rid of weeds
Big weeds can be dug out. Dandelions, for instance, can be attacked with a trowel, but there are two things to note. Try to get absolutely all of the root out or the plant will regrow. Also, you’ll be left with a hole that needs to be filled and possibly reseeded. You could also use chemicals. There are many ‘weed and feed’ products on the market that you spray on to the lawn that will kill broad- leaved plants while leaving the narrow-leaved grass.
Aerate the soil
Compacted soil is not good for growth so add air by spiking the turf every 20cm or so to a depth of 10cm to 15cm with a garden fork, or hire an aerator for a larger lawn. If the soil is especially heavy, spread sharp sand or compost and sharp sand to work into the holes with the back of a rake or a stiff brush.
Seed bare patches
Keep it well fed
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Tip No : Adjust Your Cutting Height To 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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