If you’ve recently bought your property or have realized that your outdoor areas in your current place need a spruce up, one of the first areas to turn to is the lawn. We all love having some beautiful, lush, green grass to run around on with our kids or pets, relax on, and simply enjoy from a visual perspective.
If your lawn isn’t looking so crash hot, though, it’s time to give it some much-needed attention. Here are some ways to help it look its best no matter the time of year.
Watering
Start by ensuring your lawn is adequately hydrated. Like us humans, grass needs plenty of water to keep it healthy. You don’t want the soil beneath the lawn to dry out, negatively affecting it and making it more likely that weeds will grow instead of lush grass. While many people think they only need to water their lawn in summer, the reality is that it’s often necessary year-round, especially in the winter months when it’s common for rain not to arrive for weeks or even months at a time.
To tell if your lawn needs water, look at its color. Anytime it turns a bit blue-gray, it’s letting you know it’s thirsty. Also, look for leaf blades that appear to be wilting or curling up. Like with houseplants, this is a sign that moisture is required sooner rather than later. Something else to remember is that if you’ve recently laid new lawn, it will need a lot more water than older grass. The seeds need to germinate, and the root system needs to get established, which requires plenty of moisture.
Mowing
While mowing is something we often do just to keep our yards looking neat and tidy, cutting the grass found on our properties is also vital to help lawns to thicken up and stay healthy. When it comes to year-round mowing, though, you do need to change things a little. For example, during the cooler months, chop the grass back decently so that the sunlight can better get down to the grass’s crown and help it thrive.
During summer, take care not to trim off too much. Don’t mow away more than a third of the grass at once; the extra length will help the lawn withstand the dry times. It’s better in summer to mow often but sparsely rather than trimming it rarely but to the extreme.
Feeding
Did you know that your lawns need food like plants, humans, and animals do? If not, your lawn is likely in great need of being fertilized to help it grow thick, green, and lush. Applying fertilizer at least once or twice yearly is wise to help it stay healthy and prevent weeds from sprouting up. While the rain does provide many essential nutrients for lawns, you can also help the grass, especially during winter, by applying fertilizer.
Ensure, though, that you choose products specifically designed for the type of grass in your yard. Do the job with a drop spreader where possible, too, to get a more even application and thus more overall coverage. Also, if it doesn’t rain within two to three days after applying the fertilizer, you’ll need to water the lawn to help the product soak in properly.
Removing Leaves
Another job that people don’t spend enough time on that can be to the detriment of their lawn is removing leaves. If you have trees in your yard, or perhaps trees that overhang from your neighbor’s property and drop many leaves in the fall and winter, this debris can quickly add up.
If you have too many leaves, they can form a mat over the grass once moisture hits, suffocating the lawn and making it struggle to be healthy. Take time to clear leaves regularly by raking them or using powerful leaf blowers to clear them away from the grass.
Combating Weeds
It’s also essential to help your lawn by combating weeds. You can complete weed control by hand, but you’ll probably find that using a specific weed killer is required. Again, choose a product designed for your lawn type, so that you don’t accidentally kill grass along with weeds.
If you don’t like using chemicals, keep in mind that there are some more natural, organic weed products these days that are kinder to the earth and pets. Using sprays during the spring and fall generally works best.
If you follow all of the above tips, you should notice that the state of your lawn improves markedly and that it’s easier to keep it looking good over time, too.
