Your lawn: Do you love it, do you hate it, or are you somewhere in between? For many of us, striving for a beautiful and healthy lawn is the ultimate goal of all those hours spent toiling away in the dirt. It’s not the easiest endeavor, but it’s certainly worth it. The key to successfully growing a lush, green, and healthy lawn is consistency. Here are some of our expert tips to help you get there!
Water Less, But Deep
One of the best ways to encourage a healthy lawn is to encourage the development of a deep root system. You can achieve this is by watering less often, but more deeply.
If you water your lawn in short, frequent bursts, then all you’re doing is encouraging your lawn to grow a shallow root system so it can get as much water as possible. This also has the side effect of encouraging the growth of weeds, ultimately making your lawn more susceptible to disease too.
Watering for longer periods of time helps train your grass to grow a healthy, deep system of roots. This helps it stay green even during periods of high heat and drought. Aim to deliver about one inch of water per watering session. Simply put a can or some sort of small container out on your lawn as you water to help you gauge when you’ve reached an inch!
Switch It Up!
Are you one of those people who mow in the same direction and same pattern each time you mow? Well, you need to stop doing that!
When you mow your lawn the same direction every time, you’re creating a kind of mowing memory for your lawn. That means it may start to lean to one side based on which direction you mow. Soil compaction can also become an issue if your mower’s tires are constantly running over the same spots.
You can easily fix this by switching up the direction and pattern every time you mow. It’ll make lawn mowing a little more exciting for both you and your lawn!
Sharpen Those Blades!
You wouldn’t cut your hair with a dull pair of scissors or shave your face with a dull razor, would you? If you have, you probably regret it – and using a dull blade on your lawn will definitely be something to add to that list of regrets!
A dull blade may cut the grass, but it’s not providing a clean cut. Instead, it’s tearing the grass and causing water loss, which can lead to discoloration and susceptibility to environmental stressors. A sharp blade solves this problem, so make sure to sharpen your blade at the beginning of every mowing season and check it throughout to make sure it’s still sharp.
Mulch Your Clippings
Leaving your lawn clippings where they are is perfectly safe for your lawn. In fact, it should be encouraged! When you mow frequently (as you should), the clippings will decompose very quickly, releasing water and nutrients back into the soil. It’s like free fertilizer for your lawn – so leave those clippings! You don’t even need a special mulching mower to do it, the mower you have should work just fine.
Don’t Take Too Much Off
Aim to only take a little off the top each time you mow your lawn. Never remove more than one-third of the grass height when you mow, or you could weaken the grass, making it more susceptible to disease, weeds, drought, high heat, and pests. Find out what kind of grass you have growing in your lawn and make sure to keep it at its recommended height.
These are just a few of the ways you can keep your lawn healthy. If you need help making the lawn magic happen, don’t forget that the pros at Lawn Love are always here to help!
