A lush and healthy lawn is associated with a number of important benefits including cooling the surrounding area and producing oxygen, while still hosting popular yard activities and events from time to time.
To enjoy all these benefits, it’s important to note that you don’t, as a homeowner, slave away every other day trying to grow a lush lawn. Use the pro tips below from Ziehler Lawn Care to grow your lawn into what you’ve always wanted it to be.
Watering
Properly watering your lawn will go a long way in giving it that impressive lush look that you are always after. At this point it’s worth mentioning that watering your lawn through a deep soak every now and then is much more beneficial as compared to daily sprinkler showering.
When you see your lawn grass wilting, until the stems are exposed, take this as a sign that it needs a good watering. The trick is to water the grass until the water makes its way into the top four or five inches of soil; most grass varieties only need about two inches of water each week. The next watering should be after the top two inches of the soil have dried up. This not only means that the grass can go for a day or more without another watering, but also encourages the roots to grow deeper into the soil.
The roots are forced to go deeper into the ground in search of water. Light sprinkling on the other hand only wets the top surface of the soil, promoting shallow root growth.
To get an idea of the amount of water your sprinkle shoots out onto your lawn, just place a cake pan somewhere in the path of its spray. Once the water reaches a height o two inches, you can turn it off.
Early mornings are the best time to water your lawn as this provides enough time for excess moisture to dry up during the day. Watering your lawn overnight means that the excess water cannot evaporate, exposing the grass to mold attacks as a result.
Mowing
After properly watering your lawn, the grass will grow longer faster. Before you rush to cut it to size, read this mowing tip.
How you mow your lawn, and the period between mowing sessions has a huge influence on its health and appearance. When it comes to cutting your lawn, which should be done when the grass is dry and the day isn’t too hot, remember to use a sharp blade, and vary the cutting height accordingly to avoid harming it.
For grass varieties suited to cold climates, it’s recommended that you cut the grass down to 3 to 4 inches. This should leave the stems exposed to the sun’s rays. In warmer weather however, raise the height to 2 inches or lower. It is however important to note that cutting the grass too low shocks the roots and leaves the stem exposed. This ultimately causes poor health.
Mowing your lawn with a blunt blade exposes the grass to diseases as the edges are ripped apart instead of being clinically cut. Using such a blade will leave your lawn with brown patches after every mowing session.
The top, leafy, part of grass is usually very light and decomposes rapidly, contributing to the surrounding soil’s nitrogen composition. As such, it is recommended that you leave these clippings in the lawn, where they can further enrich the soil below.
Feeding
Feeding your lawn with fertilizer helps supply the necessary nutrients for healthy growth. The best time to pour fertilizer onto your lawn is at the start of spring and in fall, right after summer.
Feeding the grass at the start of spring helps boost the growth of the grass, and the roots below. The roots continue to grow into the soil even after the growth of the upper parts slows down.
During summer, the lawn suffers a lot of damage as it is usually under heavy use. Feeding the lawn in fall helps repair all the damage caused during summer, while also boosting the growth of the roots deeper into the soil in preparation for winter weather.
Killing Weeds
It is true that a lush and healthy lawn is your best weapon against the growth of unwanted weeds on your lawn. However, the use of weed killers provides an added level of protection against weeds.
The best time for you to launch an attack on weeds is at the start of spring and summer. At this point, the weeds will not have developed deep roots or started producing seeds.
Different weed killers should be used to combat different types of weeds. For instance, those created to kill dandelions growth them to death, while pre-emergent chemicals usually kill germinating weeds. Be sure to choose the right chemical from the available variety before choosing one. Be sure to read the directions for use, and warnings on the labeling used on the fertilizers and weed killers you intend to use on your lawn.
Lawn Aeration
Your lawn needs a lot of air under the surface of the soil. Compacted soil is not healthy for your lawn. As such, you need to take measures towards aerating the entire lawn. This is done through the removal of tiny plugs of soil all over the lawn.
This not only helps aerate the previously compacted soil, but also helps make it easier for water and nutrients to reach the grass roots. Furthermore, it facilitates deeper root growth as the surrounding soil becomes loose.
The best time to aerate your lawn is when the period of overuse has come to an end, and the chances of weed seeds making their way into the new spaces is minimal. Pouring weed killer all over the lawn after aeration will help prevent the growth of weeds in the holes created.
Keeping your lawn in its best condition is not simply about tending to it every time you get the chance; it requires proper timing and deliberate lawn care actions. As you can clearly see from the above, all you need to grow a healthy lawn is more deliberate and well-timed actions.
