Everyone looks at their lawn just a little bit differently – and the approach you use to care for your lawn can vary wildly from your neighbor’s. Hey, you just are who you are — and your deep love of garden gnomes is totally understandable. But it’s worth noting that there are some basic things everyone should be doing when it comes to lawn maintenance. Here are a few of the ways you should be caring for your lawn.
Weed Prevention
You must stop weeds from overtaking your lawn before they even begin. The best way to do this is by using what is called a pre-emergent herbicide. This helps to control weeds before their seeds sprout. You should buy a product to apply to your lawn in the spring (early, if you can) and make sure to follow the directions to the letter when spreading it.
If you missed the window and the weeds have already sprouted, congratulations on being human. We all miss things from time to time, but you shouldn’t sweat it too much – there are options. You can apply granular weed control to the white flowering clover, dandelions, and other broadleaf weeds that are easy to spot. You can also go old school and pull them up – roots and all – by hand.
Mow Frequently
Mowing is very important to the health of your lawn, but you must know how to do it right in order to reap the benefits. What we tell customers is that you want to mow your lawn high and mow it frequently. Just how high and how frequently depends on the type of grass growing in your lawn. Mowing your lawn as short as you can may make you feel as if you’re accomplishing something, but all you’re really accomplishing is damage to your grass that will make it more susceptible to weeds, drought, pests, and disease. Never cut off more than one-third of the height of your grass at a time.
Sharpen Your Mower Blade
Don’t mow your lawn with a dull blade. All that does is traumatize your grass! A dull blade tears the grass instead of cutting it, which causes water loss and discoloration. It also weakens your lawn and makes it more susceptible to weeds. Make sure to sharpen your blades at the beginning of every mowing season and keep another sharpened pair on hand to switch it out with if you notice they’re not cutting as they should. If the blades of grass are frayed or shredded, it’s time for a sharpening!
Water Your Lawn
When you water your lawn, timing is everything. The best time to water your lawn is in the morning before it’s too hot. Many people water in the evening, but the problem with that is it leaves moisture on the grass blades for too long. When you water in the morning, the roots have time to absorb the water, but the blades get dried by the sun. Leaving moisture on the blades for too long is a great way to develop a lawn disease.
The rule of thumb is to water less often, but water deep. Getting the grass wet doesn’t count. You should set out an empty soup can when you water. When it’s collected about a half-inch of water, you’ve watered enough.
Fertilize
Your lawn loves nitrogen. It could be said that it’s the most important nutrient for your lawn. So, when it comes time to fertilize in the fall and spring, use a slow-release fertilizer to deliver nutrients to it all season long. Just understand that when it comes to fertilizer, less is more. If you apply too much to your lawn, you risk burning it – which is as awful as it sounds.
A green, lush lawn is a wonderful thing and you can have it if you just follow these few simple tips!
