Want to have the best lawn on the block?
Thanks to coronavirus, most people are home and walking around their neighborhoods a whole lot more. One of the side effects of staying at home has been a new attention given to neighboring lawns.
Everyone wants their lawn to be the envy of the neighborhood. Here are a few quick tips to help you maintain the best lawn on the block.
How to Keep Your Lawn Green and Beautiful
#1. Keep your grass a little longer.
If your primary goal is to mow as little as possible and you don’t care what your grass looks like, the shorter you mow your grass, the better. But, if your goal is to have a lawn that’s healthy, beautiful, and green, you need to leave it a little longer when you mow.
Cutting your grass too short isn’t healthy for it because it provides no protection for the root system and leaves it exposed to the elements. On the other hand, when you leave your grass a little longer, it keeps the root system healthy and protected, and it shades the soil, which helps to prevent over drying from sun exposure.
In addition to leaving the root system exposed, cutting the grass too short can put stress on it, limiting its ability to grow deep in the soil and leaving it exposed to weeds and pests.
Ideally, you should leave your grass around three inches tall. It may mean you have to mow more often, but it’ll help your lawn stay healthy and green.
#2. Water more deeply and less often.
Watering is an important part of maintaining a beautiful lawn. But, believe it or not, it very much matters how much you water and how often you water. Watering seems like one of those things you can’t get wrong, but lots of people do.
It may seem counterintuitive, but if you water your lawn more deeply, you can get better results and actually save more water. That’s because, when you water more deeply and less often, you’re encouraging your lawn’s root system to grow deeper into the soil. Not only will this help to keep your lawn greener, but it will help it to survive during the hot summer months.
If you water only a little every day, your lawn’s root system will be shallow, and it will need regular watering to prevent it from dying during summer droughts.
#3. Get your weeds under control.
Weeds are an eyesore. That’s something that everyone already knows. But, what a lot of people don’t realize is that weeds can actually be harmful to your lawn.
Weeds need the same resources any plant needs to survive — nutrients, water, and sunshine — and when weeds grow in your lawn, they compete with the grass for those essential resources.
Unfortunately, the most effective way to get rid of weeds and prevent them from damaging your lawn is to pull them out by the root, which is physically challenging and also time-consuming. But, before you do, do a little research to figure out what those weeds are telling you about your lawn.
Different weeds thrive in different conditions, and they can help you learn about your soil, which will help you learn more about how to take care of your lawn. For instance, if you’ve got clover, your soil is likely low in nitrogen, and chickweed is indicative of overly alkaline soil.
#4. Deal with thatch.
Over the fall and winter months, a layer of dead plant matter can build up on your lawn. This layer is called thatch, and it doesn’t do your lawn any favors. When thatch builds up on your lawn, it prevents sunlight, water, and other resources from getting to the grass and soil.
As part of your spring maintenance routine, take some time to rake up the thatch that has built up on your lawn. If the layer isn’t too thick, raking should be sufficient to get rid of it and keep your lawn healthy. On the other hand, if you do have a thicker layer, you may need to aerate your lawn.
#5. Recycle your clippings.
When you mow your lawn, don’t just throw your clippings in the yard waste bucket or take them to the dump. Those clippings are valuable and can be used to keep your lawn healthy and beautiful.
Grass clippings contain a lot of nutrients that are invaluable to the health of your lawn, and when they decompose, the nutrients are absorbed into the soil. Instead of throwing them away after you mow, spread them around on your lawn. Don’t leave big clumps of clippings, as this could create the same kinds of problems that thatch can. Instead, spread it around with a rake.
In addition to adding more nutritions to the soil, lawn clippings act as a form of mulch, helping to retain more moisture in the soil.
#6. Fertilize!
Fertilizing is an essential piece of the puzzle when it comes to lush, green grass. Over time, the soil will start to lose its nutrients, including nitrogen, which are essential for a healthy lawn. Fertilizing helps to replenish those nutrients, feeding your lawn what it needs to grow strong and thick.
When and how often you fertilize your lawn will depend on a number of factors, including the type of grass you have. For instance, if you have a cool-season grass, like Kentucky bluegrass, you’ll want to fertilize lightly in the spring and heavily in the fall. But, if you have warm-season grass, like a Bermuda grass, you’ll want to apply fertilizer in the early spring as well as in the late summer.
Find a lawn care company near you with Top Rated Local®.
There’s a lot you can do on your own to achieve a beautiful lawn, but if you’re looking for a lawn care company that can help, start with Top Rated Local, a local business directory unlike any other. With Top Rated Local, you can read a lawn care company’s reviews from across the web and get a quick glimpse of its online reputation overall.
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