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.
Invest In Weed Control
Keeping weeds out of your lawn is a challenge for most homeowners. A few principles of basic lawn maintenance may help stop weeds from getting out of control. Weekly mowing, fertilizing, and deep watering of your lawn are three things you can do to help keep the weeds away.
Some of the most frustrating weeds are broadleaf weeds and crabgrass. These weed species are notoriously hard to kill, so you may need to get professional landscaping services to control them. In the early spring, a lawn care professional may carefully apply a precise formula of herbicide that kills the weeds, but avoids damaging your lawn.
Get Your Lawn In Training
To build a strong, healthy lawn it is important not to water it too frequently. Its all about training your lawn to develop a deep root system that will see it through the summer months without the need to switch on a sprinkler every day. To get the roots of your lawn searching for water at a deeper level, you’ll need to give it a long soak two to three times per week, rather than a short daily soak. This is not helpful as it will only help to create a shallow root system.
You May Like: How To Get Rid Of Moss And Clover In Lawn
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.
Get Your Mower In Shipshape
Dull mower blades tear off grass rather than cutting it clean, leaving ragged tips that invite disease to set in. Holding the blade in a vise, sharpen it with long, smooth strokes using a Dremel blade sharpener or a 10-inch bastard mill file, following the manufacturer’s instructions for the proper angle. During the growing season, sharpen the blade after you’ve used your mower for about 8 to 12 hours.
Recommended Reading: What Will Make My Lawn Greener
Lawn Care Tips For Green Lush Grass
A lawn is a place where you can hang out, relax, host parties and have dinner. But if its not a neat and tidy space, it can often feel off-putting.
Weve just moved into a new house and theres a lot of yard work to be done. But with these lawn care tips put into practice, well have lawns as beautiful as our neighbors!
Keep reading for 10 helpful lawn care tips, plus answers to a bunch of frequently asked questions. Within a few weeks, you could have a completely different backyard area!
Be Flexible With Your Watering
Dont water your garden when its raining. Fairly obvious, but an easy mistake to make if you have an automatic watering system or timer set up. Turn the water off on days it is due to rain and be ready to water again if the rain doesnt deliver enough saturation. If you are looking for a water smart timer, Hoselinks Automatic Tap Timer with Rain Sensor Is perfect for saving water when it rains! This timer will detect when it’s raining and delay any scheduled watering until the next day . This product will help your lawn and other parts of your garden as well as prevent any water wastage.
Don’t Miss: When To Top Dress Lawn
The Importance Of A Lawn Soil Test
A soil test is a crucial step in finding out what nutrients your lawn is lacking and what fertilization and any other treatments can do to improve its density and color.
For instance, if your soils pH is off, then the fertilizer youre feeding it might not be working at all on your quest for greener grass. Poor pH could limit nutrient uptake.
In Central and Southern Maryland, lawns tend to lean on the acidic side. Limestone applications can help to correct your soils pH and bring it back in balance.
Also, only some lawn care professionals like Natural Green Systems Lawn & Pest conduct free soil tests on their customers properties to ensure the custom program they develop for each lawn meets that lawns specific needs.
Maintain A Healthy Soil
If you dont have great soil, your lawn simply wont reach its full potential. Waterlogged soils wont allow grass roots to get the oxygen they need in the small pores of the soil in order to survive. Lawn aeration will help relieve soil compaction and let water and oxygen penetrate to the roots. Its also a good idea to get a soil test every three years and to add limestone in areas with a low pH.
The right soil structure along with soil rich in organic matter and microorganisms will go a long way to helping your lawn sustain its good health.
Read Also: What Is The Smallest Zero Turn Riding Lawn Mower
Tips For A Better Lawn
You might not know it, but your lawn pays you back for all the hard work you put into it . Your lawn serves as a huge source of air conditioning for your garden, keeping it cool in the hot summer months.
It also releases oxygen and simultaneously captures dust, keeping you and your family healthy. To reap the benefits to the full, keep your lawn as healthy as possible with these handy 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!
Don’t Miss: What Is The Best Lawn Sweeper
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:
Water Deep And Less Often
Watering less often and for longer periods of time will help the roots to grow deeper. Its often recommended to water your lawn with one inch of water once a week. To make sure you get approximately an inch of water set out a few containers in the yard and turn off the sprinklers once you have an inch of water in the containers.
Read Also: What Riding Lawn Mowers Have Kawasaki Engines
Kill Weeds And Unwanted Insects
Weeds and crabgrass can mar an otherwise perfect lawn. For best results, treat weeds before they begin to grow. If weeds have already taken root in your lawn, there are three solutions:
- Dig up individual weeds.
- Apply fertilizer that includes herbicide to your whole lawn.
- Spot-treat weeds with weed killer.
You can dig up weeds if you prefer a natural route. A spade or weeding tool, kneepads, top soil and determination are all you need to get rid of weeds the old-fashioned way. Make sure you remove the roots when digging up weeds by hand. Those tap roots can grow deep.
Digging up weeds may be overwhelming if your lawn is large. In that case, try using a fertilizer with a built-in weed killer, or herbicide. This way, you add the nutrients lawns need. At the same time, you also prevent crabgrass and other weeds from sprouting.
Depending on what your lawn needs, choose from an herbicide that takes out broadleaf weeds, clover or crabgrass. A broadleaf killer leaves grass alone and targets weeds, so its a common choice. Look at the weeds youve got to choose the right herbicide. The weed killer component is targeted to the problem growth.
You might also choose to apply a separate weed killer on only the offending growth. Should you go that route, wear the proper safety equipment. A respirator and rubber gloves are a must. Closely follow the instructions on the bottle or bag.
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.
You May Like: What Eats Grubs In Your 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.
We Can Help You On Your Quest To Thicker Greener Grass
Want greener grass? Long for thicker grass? You need a strong lawn: one with adequate water and nutrients, proper mowing, and regular aeration and overseeding.
And its all within your grasp. All you have to do is create an environment your lawn loves and thrives in.
While a lot of these tips seem simple, they can all be daunting when merged together. We get it. You have other worries and priorities and your lawn may seem to consistently fall to the bottom of your to-do list. This might be especially true in the summer when youre planning vacations or children are home from school and time seems like its speeding by each day.
Natural Green can help you by offering a complete, proactive lawn care program that includes proper fertilization, consistent advice on water and mowing, as well as both pre-emergent and post-emergent weed control treatments and aeration and overseeding. We also provide professional eyeballs on your lawn regularly so we can alert you to turf diseases or insect issues before they become bigger, more expensive problems.
Has thicker, greener grass next door got you longing for the same on your property? Wed love to help. Get started today with a free quote. Together, well prepare a customized plan so you can have that lawn you long for.
Also Check: How To Make Your Lawn Nice
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.
How To Make Grass Greener
The grass doesnt have to be greener on the other side. Learn how to make grass greener so your lawn can be the envy of the neighborhood. With a bit of research and work, you can achieve the green grass of your dreams.
This guide will teach you how to get green grass. Itll outline how to test soil and fertilize it according to what your lawn needs. Youll also learn how to best care for the type of grass you have.
Also Check: How Much Water Does Your Lawn Need
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
Bottom Line On This Quick Tip To Help Your Lawn
If you want your lawn to look its best, then follow this quick tip! Mow your lawn in the opposite direction of how it grows. This will help keep it looking neat and tidy. In addition, make sure to mow at the correct height for your turf variety- taller grasses need to be cut at a higher height than shorter varieties. Trying out different mowing patterns can also help keep your lawn looking healthy and lush.
Read Also: What Is The Best Riding Lawn Mower For Hills
Lawns Need Air To Breathe
Lawns need oxygen as well as water, so its important to keep your lawn aerated. Aeration involves perforating the soil at intervals to alleviate compaction, allowing water, air and nutrients to penetrate deep below the surface. The easiest and cheapest method is to push a garden fork into the ground at 15cm intervals over the entire lawn, although for large areas it may be easier to hire a machine to do the hard work so you dont have to. An aerated lawn will also be better at absorbing water rather than letting it run off.
How To Get A Great Lawn: 5 Easy Tips
As your lawn responds to nature’s spring wake-up call, help prepare it for a year of healthy growth with these 5 tips.
1. Leave the clippings. The grass biodegrades, adding nutrients and organic matter to the soil. This reduces the need for fertilizer or disposal of clippings. Mulching mowers cut grass into tiny pieces, which quickly break down.
2. Mow at proper heights. Most lawns should be cut taller than you might think. Taller grass means deeper roots and a more resilient lawn. Since proper grass heights can vary depending on your location, contact your county extension office for regional mowing height recommendations based on your turf type.
3. Use gadgets to water effectively. Watering deeply and infrequently allows lawns to partially dry out between watering. New tech, such as rain shutoffs, moisture sensors and smart controllers can further save time, water and money.
4. Fertilize properly.Feeding too early or too late weakens lawns and often makes them more susceptible to diseases. Overfeeding promotes insects and disease, and can cause pollution of local waters. Under-fertilizing can result in a lousy-looking lawn and more weeds.
5. In the North, East & West, control weeds. Kill existing broadleaf weeds and prevent them from coming back for up to 6 months with BioAdvanced Season Long Weed Control For Lawns. Or try 5 In 1 Weed & Feed to kill lawn weeds like Dandelion and Clover, plus kill Crabgrass, all in one step.
Recommended Reading: What Lawn Tractors Are Made In The Usa
