In addition to your desire for a beautiful home and property keeping up the lawn maintenance for your property is a requirement in many neighborhoods, especially if you have an HOA (home owner’s association). When your lawn has eye appeal, it gives a comfortable feeling to those visiting or looking to move into your neighborhood. You want passers-by to slow down and enjoy the nice view rather than hurry through to get out of there. Keeping up your lawn also has the benefit of contributing back to the environment. Here are some great tips to maintaining your lawn property.
Know Your Zone for Growing Grass
You cannot simply sprinkle any kind of grass seed on your lawn and expect it flourish. All plants have their unique locations where they grow best. Determine what type of grass seed you need based off the season and location where you are trying to grow grass. Those living in mostly northern and Midwestern states should primarily use cool season grasses because the temperatures are milder. Types of cool season grasses are perennial ryegrass, Kentucky bluegrass, and tall fescue. I live in the Bluegrass state and my choice for a more carefree lawn is the fine bladed fescues. They just tend to be hardier and have deeper roots than Bluegrass. You will spend more time maintaining these types of grasses in the fall and spring. If you live in warmer climates in the South, stick with warm season grasses like zoysia, St. Augustine, and Bermuda. These will last from late spring through early fall.
Watering and Feeding Your Lawn
Knowing the grass season type is important when it comes to watering. Cool season grasses should not be watered during the dormant season of summer. You will waste water and the costs of running it when the grass is not going to grow. The longer periods of watering the lawn are important. One inch of water each week is necessary for a healthy and vibrant lawn. Its green color will last longer and look great. Feeding your lawn refers to fertilizing. It is common to do this three to four times a year, but currently, it is recommended to fertilize only twice a year. The tip here is to fertilize during the early fall for cool season grasses, and during late spring for warm season grasses.
Tips for Mowing Your Lawn
Mowing your lawn is always a chore, but maintaining it properly can become an unwanted chore unless you follow these tips. When you are first starting to grow new grass, do not cut it right away after seeing sprouts. Let it grow tall for a few weeks, maybe even a month depending on how fast it grows. This helps the roots to grow deeper into the earth, and allows for more water absorption. It is also great for keeping the weeds away. A good tip to remember before starting your mower; check the blades to ensure they are still sharp. Dull blades can help lawn diseases establish because the grass stems are left jagged. The mower blade should also be set to three inches. With regular mowing it is recommended to leave the clippings on the lawn after mowing because it replenishes the nutrients during decomposition.
Summary:
These are some basic lawn maintenance tips for a healthier lawn. If your lawn is in very poor condition, you can always till the ground and start over though a better option might be a power raking and generous over-seeding. Sometimes starting out with a poor lawn and throwing seed, feed, and water on it will not establish a healthy lawn. You, as the owner, should be able keep up the lawn maintenance for your property with these easy tips. If your schedule does not allow for regular lawn care you can always contract with a professional lawn care company. They tend towards being on time and doing the job rain or shine.
