It is a dream of most homeowners to have a healthy as well as an attractive-looking yard. Not only does it beautify your property, but it also raises the value of your home real estate property. It is important that for anyone looking to start lawn care, you should have some fundamental knowledge about it. Like any other plant, there are conditions that grass needs to meet before it can grow that way. These are factors such as the sunlight, the water, nutrients and the right type of soil to cultivate the crops.
Basic Lawn Care Practices
Once you figure out the nature of your lawn, then it is easy to start practicing basic lawn care. These are simple yet basic requirements which every lawn requires to be healthy and develop that green look that most people desire.
Mowing
A common mistake that many people will make is not mow their lawns often enough. As much as possible, avoid cutting more than one-third of the grass blade length at a go and do not cut the grass to less than one-third of it length at all. Make sure your mower blade is sharp will cause the least amount of damage to the grass and always mow in different directions to avoid creating ruts on the lawn.
Watering
Irrigation is important for maintain the health of your lawn and making it green. Ideally, water should be delivered early in the morning or late in the evening in order to reduce the amount of water which may evaporate. Grass requires 1 to 1.5 inch of water per week that can be either through rain or through irrigation. Water less but thoroughly, because that way the roots will grow deeper and be stronger.
Fertilizing
Fertilization supplies your lawn with the nutrients you need for its growth and overall health. Use a controlled-release, granular fertilizer or a liquid fertilizer every 6-8 weeks during the growing season, always according to package label rates.
Aeration
Indian lawns can be aerated by using a mechanical corer that punches small plugs of soil into the lawn to provide the required porous pathways for air, water, and nutrients. It also enables the soils to be relieved from compaction, and this compels the grass to develop deeper roots and denser. Aerate the yard during the fall or spring to ensure that the soil condition suits its kind of lawn grass.
Overseeding
It is a process of planting new seeds on the existing lawn with an aim of filling patches that have been left bare and increase density of the lawn. It is most successful during the fall because the soil is still warm, and there is adequate moisture for the germination of the seeds.
Weed Control
It is important to remember that weeds are invasive and will try to grow on your lawn as it does on any other ground, thus fighting for the resource to be used on them including water and fertilizer. Post-emergent herbicide or a pre-emergent weed preventer, should be used over the grass periodically to tame the weeds.
Pest and Disease Control
Both pests and diseases are capable of stressing out your lawn through discoloration, thinning, or even killing the grass plants. If there is any pest or disease breakout in a specific area it is advised to spray that area with a specific type of pesticide or fungicide or change the ongoing regimen of the lawn.
Seasonal Lawn Care
The requirements for your lawn change with the season. It is important that the associated practices are right for the time of year; here’s our seasonal guide for supporting your child.
Spring
Lawns should be repaired in spring after the damaging effects of winter have been observed. Sweep up any debris, aerate and sow more seeds, and then fertilize to boost up new growth.
Summer
When the weather is hot, be liberal in your watering (but less often) and make sure that mower blades are sharp so that you’re not harming the yard unnecessarily. Monitor crops as well as livestock and vegetation for symptoms of disease, or signs that pests are thriving, and take appropriate measures.
Fall
When the temperatures start to drop is the best time to overseeding, aerating and applying high phosphorous fertilizer for root development in the lawn.
Winter
During winter, the grass in your lawn goes dormant and the main concern should be to safeguard the lawn from harsh conditions. It is better to allow the grass to grow a bit higher and not to water excessively or fertilize before the winter starts because the stress on the grass will then lead to more winter damage.
Advanced Lawn Care Techniques
After going through the techniques mentioned above, you can check more lawn care tips here that will help you achieve the best results.
Soil Amendments
By enriching the soil, the lawn is bound to become healthier such that problems are easily solved. You may want to consider working in some compost or peat moss into your soil to add more nutrients and improve the soils ability to retain water.
Thatch Management
Thatch is the thick mat of dead grass, leaves, stems and roots that forms in between the soil and the green sward. Other than normal mowing, it is advised that one should occasionally remove the thatch layer using a manual or an electric rake.
Topdressing
Topdressing is a process of placing a thin layer of organic material exemplified by compost or topsoil over the lawn to enrich the lawn soil and hence enhance the growth of the grass. It can also be used to cover the spots with little or no vegetation or the areas that appear raised below the surrounding level.
Lawn Renovation
If you have a bad lawn, then you might want to have it renovated whereby the old grass is stripped bare so that new grass can be sown. It is most preferable when you do it in the fall and greatly benefits the lawn by returning it to health and aesthetics.
Troubleshooting Common Lawn Problems
It is quite important and manageable to understand some lawn issues that may occur despite the proper care for the lawn. Here are some common issues and how to address them:
Bare Patches
Thus, areas of different species can be exposed to drought, disease, or excessive traffic. To correct them, overseed the area, apply superphosphate and water until the seed germinates and establishes.
Yellowing Grass
In this case, yellowing of the grass is attributed to nutrients deficiency, diseases, or pests and diseases attacks. Carry out a soil test and if the results show signs of this, then use a balanced fertilizer. In case the matter actually does not change, perhaps then it may be useful to use the services of a specialist in lawn care.
Excessive Weed Growth
If unwanted weeds are becoming a big problem, then the use of a pre-emergent herbicide in the spring or a post-emergent herbicide can be used. Mow and water your lawn often so that you foster the growth of the grass; this will improve its thickness and will also git rid of the weeds.
Brown Patches
Brown patching is commonly due to disease, drought or pet’s digging up the grass. If there are brown patch diseases then water more often, apply a fungicide or prevent pets from chewing the grass and damaging it.
Mushrooms
Sighting of mushrooms in your lawn can be an early signal of possible fungal problem. There are fungicides to resolve the issue, as well as effective amendments for the soil to avoid it in the future – additions to soil decrease its density for better drainage and oxygen supply.
Moss
They prefer cold and damp area because they are plant grow under these conditions. For moss control, correcting the soil compaction issue, increasing the air circulation of your lawn and applying a moss control chemical or putting sand on it.
Thin or Weak Grass
Sparse or puny growths often results from compacting of the ground, lack of nutrients or from attack by pests. Carry out a test on the soil and use a fertilizer if the need arises. If the problem continues, it is possible to perform core aeration or use a granular lime product for soil structure.
Conclusion
Having a well-maintained good looking lawn requires time, energy and more especially knowledge. By following these specific steps the chance of having a green lawn that one could be proud of is easily achievable. It is important to practice lawn care depending on your situation since every lawn is unique and should fix a problem as early as possible.
