Growing green lawn grass and care tips can help you get the types of lawn you have always desired. Maintaining lawns without proper planning and knowing what you’re doing can be overwhelming and the results underwhelming. By learning the basics, you can achieve a beautiful and healthy lawn. Minimal regular maintenance of your lawn can give the grass a lush, green, and healthy look making it the envy of the neighborhood.
Growing Green Lawn Grass and Care Tips
To grow a healthy lawn there are six basic components to consider soil, grass seeds, fertilizing, weeds, mowing and watering.
Lawn Weeds
The first thing you need to address is the weeds. Check the overall health of your lawn, if you have large areas of weeds with very little grass it may be time to start over. In such areas, spray the weeds with non-selective weed killer and wait for them to die. Non-selective means it kills all plants so be careful what and where you spray.
If your lawn is in better shape and you only have the occasional weeds. Use a selective herbicide and spot treat only the areas with weeds.
Lawn Soil
Once the weeds are eliminated it’s time to improve your soil. Over time the soil under your lawn begins to degrade in quality. To address the problem dethatch using a garden rake. Start by raking your lawn vigorously to remove thatch, the dead grass, and other debris that prevent water nutrients and air from reaching the root system.
Next, aerate your lawn. Aerating reduces soil compaction by poking holes in the ground. The best option is to use a core aerator that removes small plugs of dirt to loosen the soil. On small yards, you can use a spike aerator.
Lawn Seeding
When you have taken care of lawn weeds and lawn soil, you’re ready to seed. There are two categories of lawn seeds to consider. The warm-season grass category includes types such as Bermuda and Centipede and the cool season category which includes varieties like fescue and bluegrass.
Choose the grass that best suits your region. Rows can help you decide if your lawn is in good shape. You’ll want to seed which means to evenly spread seed over the entire lawn.
Check the label to determine which spreader setting to use. If you have bare lawn patches, you’ll need to spot seed. Loosen the soil with a rake and evenly spread seed directly on the soil. Rake the seed in and tamp it down with the end of the rake. This seed to soil contact is essential for germination.
Spread a small amount of mulch or straw on top for insulation. Finally, keep the newly seeded area consistently moist for a couple of weeks until you see the new growth. Make sure not to overwater, the area just needs enough water.
Fertilizing and Feeding Lawns
With the soil prepared and the seed down, you’re well on your way to greener grass. Next is to learn about feeding the lawn.
The first step is to begin by measuring your lawn’s square footage to determine how much fertilizer you will need. You can use either a broadcast or drop spreader just be sure to check the bag for the correct spreader setting.
You want to get the amount of fertilizer right as too much can be just as bad for your grass as too little. Apply the fertilizer evenly do not overlap passes.
Using weed and feed is a convenient way to deal with weeds and fertilize your lawn in one pass. Just don’t use these types if you are sowing grass because they work by preventing seeds from germinating. If you are sowing grass use a lawn starter fertilizer instead.
How often you fertilize your lawn depends on several factors such as the season. For example, during Spring and Summer the growing seasons, you fertilize more.
Lawn Mowing
Now that you’ve fed your lawn it’s time to think about mowing. First only mow when the lawn is dry otherwise your grass clippings may clump. Also, make sure to cut the grass to the right height depending on the type of grass you’re growing.
Typically, cool-season grasses are cut taller and warm-season grasses a little bit shorter. If you’re not sure to use the 1/3 rule. Only remove 1/3 the length of each blade.
It is also important to be mindful of your grass type when mowing. Slow your mowing frequency for cool-season grasses when the weather is hot and arid.
Keep your mower blade sharp for a clean cut. A clean-cut prevents splitting of the grass which increases the susceptibility to diseases and infections.
Also, alter your mowing patterns so that the grass doesn’t lean towards one direction.
Watering Lawns
Watering can make or break your lawn. Most lawns need about an inch of water per week a rain gauge can help you monitor rainfall. Deeply water your lawn in the morning to avoid loss of moisture from evaporation.
Watering deeply is the most efficient method it gives the water time to reach the root system and allows the soil to dry in between watering. It’s advisable to hook your sprinkler to a timer to avoid runoff and wasted water.
Check these posts on plants and flowers for your lawn:
Conclusion
A good-looking lawn is great to look at and admire. By following these easy steps your lawn can look great with just a little time and effort.
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