How To Mow A Lawn
This article was co-authored by Lauren Kurtz. Lauren Kurtz is a Naturalist and Horticultural Specialist. Lauren has worked for Aurora, Colorado managing the Water-Wise Garden at Aurora Municipal Center for the Water Conservation Department. She earned a BA in Environmental and Sustainability Studies from Western Michigan University in 2014. This article has been viewed 355,841 times.
Many homeowners see mowing the lawn as an unwelcome chore, while others view it as an opportunity to beautify their property. When done properly, mowing supports green, healthy grass, and reduces weeds and bare spots. With a bit of practice, you can even mow eye-pleasing patterns into your lawn!
How To Overseed A Lawn The Simple Guide
Everyone wants a thick, green, and healthy lawn. Its the perfect way to show-off to neighbors, a great place for a picnic, and a safe place for children to land if they fall in the yard.
However, if you want a lawn that turns neighbors green with envy, you need the knowledge and knowhow to do it right. Otherwise, it can take longer, cost more, and be way more work than it needs to be.
If you want the best lawn in the neighborhood, you need a maintenance plan that can simplify upkeep. A major part of this plan should involve overseeding, which will help keep your lawn in tip-top shape without requiring you to dig up the grass anytime it thins out.
Ready to learn how to work smarter, not harder?
Keep reading to discover what you need to know to help your lawn look its best.
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In This Article:
How Do I Start My Own Lawn Mowing Business
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Lawn Renovation: Do I Need To Start Over Or Will Aeration & Overseeding Work
5 MINUTE READ
Are you getting tired of standing outside staring at your sad, patchy lawn and hollering to the heavens, What does it NEEEEEEEED??!!!Yeah, your neighbors are wondering whats going on over there, too. What DOES your struggling lawn need? Could it be as simple as a refresh with aeration and overseeding? Or is it time to admit you need to start over with a whole new lawn?Lets take a look.
Whats The Difference Between Reseeding And Overseeding
Reseeding often requires you to dig up the grass and soil in problem areas and replace it with new turf, effectively starting over when grass cant be salvaged. Overseeding does not require a total restart. After a mow and some raking to open up the soil for seeding, your lawn should be ready for you to overseed without needing to get your hands too dirty.
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Weed & Grass Abatement
We suggest you apply granular fertilizer then water for ten days to bring up dormant weed seeds. Next, apply a weed & grass killer to newly germinated weeds. Do not water target area for 24 hours after spraying weed & grass herbicide. This will minimize excessive weed problems in the future. Wait approximately 1-5 days after weed abatement, depending on the herbicide use before hydroseed application. Also be sure to keep pets away from treated areas as some treatments can be poisonous. Lastly, take care to avoid flower or vegetable gardens when using herbicides. Always read and follow all application instructions.
How To Overseed Or Reseed Your Lawn
There’s a secret behind achieving a beautiful, lush lawn. Landscape professionals know what it is, but many homeowners don’t. Overseedingas part of a comprehensive, proactive plankeeps lawns looking great. Whether you’re tending your first lawn or have years of experience, learning how to overseed your lawn can improve your results.
Overseeding is spreading grass seed over an existing lawn. Done right, it’s a straightforward process that gets results. As grasses mature, thinning is normalespecially if you enjoy your lawn and use it often. Overseeding keeps your lawn competitive and steeped in youth and vigor, without starting over from scratch.
The basics of overseeding are the same everywhere, but goals and timing vary based on geography and the type of grass grown. For success with overseeding your lawn, follow this basic guide:
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Select A Quality Grass Seed Product
Better seed yields better lawns. Always use grasses recommended for your regional climate and choose top-quality grass seed you can depend on. Pennington Smart Seed products provide premium grass seed appropriate for sun, shade or high-traffic areas in lawns in northern or southern regions. Three-in-one Pennington Lawn Booster combines superior Smart Seed varieties with premium-grade fertilizer and soil enhancer.
Anyone Nuke A Lawn And Start Over
| Posted: Wed Oct 03, 2012 8:56 pm |
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So my lawn sucks, and I’m sick of fighting with it. The grass is thick, course, I’m not even sure its grass and not weeds, there are bare spots all over that refuse to grow grass or when it does grow it it dies the second you stop babying it, and I’m sick of fighting it. So I’m going to nuke it and start fresh. Anyone gone through the process? Is Ground Clear or a sod cutter a better way to cut up the old lawn? Sod or seed? Treatments to add to the soil before planting? DIY or pay to have it done? |
| Posted: Wed Oct 03, 2012 9:02 pm |
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We just covered it with black plastic to kill everything, then roto-tilled it all under. Grass is too expensive to grow in the summer so we did a big tomato garden in the front of the house. Looks better than the dead lawn and we get lots of tomatoes to eat. |
| Posted: Wed Oct 03, 2012 9:34 pm |
| Kestrel wrote:I have the same issue but haven’t looked into it. Especially in my case considering I’d have to rip up, redesign, and replace an irrigation system which will likely add a lot to the cost.I was considering adding in a sprinkler system, I figure if your are going to do it, that would be the time. |
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Create A Healthy Lawn By Starting Over
Lets get this straight right from the get-go: A healthy lawn doesnt get taken over by weeds. So if it looks like youre raising weeds instead of grass, thats a sign of a more serious problem. And that may mean killing off the grass and starting over. Its a big reseeding lawn project thatll take several weekends and may cost you up to 25¢ per sq. ft. for equipment rentals, soil conditioners and seed. If youre willing to spend more, you can lay sodinstead of planting seed, but dont skip the soil testing and remediation steps. Heres how to balance your soils pH level properly.
Are you ready for a fresh start? Just follow our guide for how to plant grass seed on an existing lawn and youll be the happiest gnomeowner on your block.
You Want To Spend Less Time On Yard Care
At some point, most natural grass lawn owners grow tired of the constant mowing, weeding, edging, fertilizing, aerating, and watering. When they reach this point, they usually either hire a company to care for their lawn, or they reduce it or remove it and replace it withlow-maintenance landscaping options.
Removing your natural grass lawn and replacing it withartificial turf or drought-tolerant plants allows you to spend less time taking care of your yard and more time enjoying it.
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Hire And Train Employees
Quality is key when building a business. Since lawn care is built on manual labor, your first few employees will be the ones who help you perfect your service and model for training going forward.
While there isnt a ton of experience required for lawn care, there are a few qualities to look for when hiring for your business:
- Hard worker: You need to build a team of hard workers that are willing to get their hands dirty and break a sweat.
- Reliable: Punctuality is key since the team will likely meet at your designated headquarters and ride to the job site together.
- Trustworthy: Since your employees will be at your customers homes, you need to make sure they are very respectful and trustworthy. They represent your brand, so it is important that every interaction they have with customers is a pleasant one.
Unless you plan on driving the truck with the equipment yourself, you will need to hire at least one person who has a valid drivers license and a clean driving record. Having the best, most reliable people on your team will help set up your business for success.
How To Start A Lawn Care Business
Nothing looks better than a well-maintained yard, right? Well, most people think so and are willing to pay large sums of money to keep it looking its best. This offers those willing to do the work a great opportunity to make money. Starting a lawn care business will require some equipment, knowledge, and most of all, hard work.
What You’ll Learn
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How To Restore A Lawn Full Of Weeds
Read our handy guide on how to restore a weedy, patchy lawn to its former glory.
If your lawn is patchy and full of weeds, it will never be the envy of the neighborhood. What youre after is a lush, green lawn with even grass and no dandelions poking their way through. That may sound hard to achieve, but it isnt too difficult if you follow these steps.
If you only have a few pesky weeds punctuating your lawn, you may be able to dig them up by handpaying careful attention to make sure you get them roots and all. But if your lawn is overrun with weeds, you may need to start from scratch. Heres our how-to guide on restoring a lawn full of weeds.
Once your lawn is nice and green, we recommend hiring a professional lawn care company to help you maintain it to keep it weed-free. Our top recommendation goes to industry leader TruGreen.
Why Start A Lawn Care Business
When it comes to lawn care and yard work, people either love it or hate it. Whats great is that the people who hate it create an awesome business opportunity for those who love it!
There are different reasons that drive people to start lawn care businesses.
Some see the demand for trustworthy lawn care providers and they hop on the opportunity. Others have spent years working in the lawn care industry or landscaping business, and are ready to start an operation of their own. Some are inspired to open up shop by their appreciation for a job that requires a little bit of elbow grease.
No matter what your driving force is, the important thing is that you are passionate about serving others in your community. Also, lawn care businesses can be extremely profitable, even in the first year, once you build a loyal clientele.
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How To Start A Lawn From Seed
- Working Time: 2 – 3 days
- Total Time: 3 – 4 wks
- Skill Level: Intermediate
When starting a new lawn, many people wonder which is better: laying sod or sowing seeds. While laying sod is fast and produces high-quality new turf, seeding a lawn is much cheaper and offers a wider variety of grass types. To learn which grass types are best for your area, contact a nearby extension service , or ask an expert at a local garden center. Much of the labor of starting a lawn from seed is in the all-important prep work, but just as important is watering the seed and sprouts regularly until the new grass is well established.
Keep in mind that you might not need all the supplies listed here. Choose your method for clearing the ground and follow those instructions to determine which supplies and tools you’ll need.
- Water hose and spray nozzle
- Lawn mower
How To Replant A Lawn
1. Clear the area. Kill weeds and any remaining poor-looking grass with a non-selective herbicide about 2 weeks before you want to seed your lawn. After everything is completely dead, rake the area to remove the debris.2. Prep for success. Now is a great time to core aerate the area if your soil is really compact. After aerating, rake the area level and loosen the top ¼ inch of soil. Then add a 1-inch layer of Scotts® LawnSoil evenly across the entire planting area. Its specifically formulated with a blend of rich, composted materials to provide an excellent growing environment for young seedlings.
3. Select your grass seed. Choose a Scotts® Turf Builder® Grass Seed that is right for your location. Do you live in the north and need a grass type that stays green in cooler temperatures, or do you live in the south and need a grass type that stays green during the hot summer months? Be sure to also take into consideration the growing conditions in your area: How much sun? How much wear and tear from children and family pets? If you need help finding a grass type that matches your growing conditions, check out our Identify Your Grass article.
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How To Renovate Your Lawn Start To Finish
Renovating your lawn can be one of the most fun and rewarding projects for your home. Its a lot of hard work, but its easy to understand and follow. I killed my entire lawn off to record all the steps I took. Now I went crazy and did a ton of optional steps, so if something seems too hardcore for you, dont feel you have to do it too.
Here is the overview video, it goes over the steps but not in full detail. The full detail playlist is below 42 videos in total. Its a ton of information but I tried to be as detailed as possible so you could learn the most!
The critical steps for a renovation would be:
Cutting Your Grass Efficiently
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How Do I Restart My Lawn
I have just purchased my first home, and thus my first lawn. I want this lawn to have beautiful lush green grass. The sprinklers work, and have good coverage. What is the first thing I should do? I know I could take it all out, and lay down some sod, but what fun is that?
- 9 years agolast modified: 6 years ago
Where in California do you live ? I see some shade in that picture. Is your lawn shady, or is that just late day shade? First step would be a soil test, www.loganlabs.com, $20 basic soil test.
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