In North Carolina, you don’t need to be an expert to grow some grass, but you do need to learn a thing or two about the kind of grass to grow and how to grow it if you want a lush and lovely lawn. Here are four hacks that will give you the greenest grass in areas such as: Asheville, Charlotte, Piedmont Triad, and Raleigh.
Hack No. 1: Know Your Grass Type
If you want a healthy and vibrant lawn you need to know what kind of grass to grow. North Carolina is separated into three regions for this purpose: The Blue Ridge region, the Coastal Plains region and the Piedmont area.
In the Piedmont and Blue Ridge regions of the state, you should look to grow grass that can thrive in mountain elevations and cool temperatures. This includes grasses such as Zoysiagrass, Fescues, Bluegrass, and Bermudagrass.
If you live in the Coastal Plains region it really depends on the amount of sun your lawn gets. For full sun, you can’t lose with Bermudagrass, Centipedegrass, and Zoysiagrass. If you need grass for shadier areas with moist soil your best bet is Tall Fescue and Carpetgrass. And you can find quite a bit of St. Augustine in the warmer coastal areas, too.
Hack No. 2: Test the Soil
Get out your chemistry lab coat and goggles, because you’re about to get your chemistry on! OK – so you don’t really need to get a coat or goggles, but you do need to sample your soil to help determine its pH levels.
You need a soil test every year to help determine if you need additional lawn applications of lime to keep the acidity of your lawn down since most North Carolina lawns are on the acidic end of the pH spectrum.
Tips for using lime correctly include:
- Applying once per year.
- Applying in winter — Alternating raining and freezing will really work that lime into the soil.
- Aerate your lawn before application — This isn’t a must but it can help things along, especially because surface applications of lime react slower.
Hack No. 3: You’ve Got to Fertilize!
Everything that grows needs to be fertilized – it’s one of those unavoidable facts of life right up there with taxes. It’s recommended to fertilize your lawn four times a year. This will help to ensure a thick, lush grass that will be more resistant to the invasions of weeds or disease. And everyone wants a weed-free, disease-free lawn, right?
Now, don’t get in a tizzy, because fertilizing your lawn isn’t as hard as you may think. It requires time, but it’s not rocket science. You simply need the correct fertilizer for your grass type. Lawn Love is more than happy to help you figure out what type of fertilizer is best for your lawn.
Hack No. 4: Know How to Mow
You might think mowing is the simplest thing you do to your lawn, but there’s always more to know. First, you never want to cut off more than a third of the blade of grass at one time when you mow. You might be tempted to cut it as short as you can in order to “cut down” (see what I did there?) how often you will need to mow, but that is most certainly not the way to achieve a healthy lawn.
Keep those mower blades sharp, too. A clean cut will look nicer and allow the grass to grow healthier. Imagine cutting your hair with a pair of dull scissors – that’s not what you’d want, right? Well, your poor lawn doesn’t want it either!
So, there you have it! Lawn hacks that will give you the healthiest, lushest lawn in all of North Carolina!
