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If you are a new homeowner, you may have never taken care of a lawn before and possibly don’t know where to start. Maintaining a gorgeous lawn requires a lot, from caring for the grass to keeping animals, pests and weeds away. The best way to maintain a lush, green lawn is through and consistent lawn care.
Here are 10 tips for maintaining a lush lawn:
1. Determine the Right Type of Grass for Your Zone
Examine if your lawn has the right kind of grass depending on your region. Southern states usually find success with Bermuda or Zoysia grass, while northern states usually favor tall fescue, perennial ryegrass, Kentucky bluegrass, and fine fescue.
2. Plant Diligently
Before planting your new lawn, aerate the topsoil to enhance water, oxygen, and nutrient movement. Then space the seeds evenly and add a small soil layer over the seeds. Water the lawn until the soil gets moist, but do not overdo it – a lot of water can sink the seeds.
3. Buy the Correct Lawn Mower
If you have a small lawn, a push mower might be the right choice for you. While a corded mower is relatively inexpensive, it is best for lawns without fences or shrubs. A riding mower is best for medium to large lawns. Lawn tractors are best for mixed terrain lawns.
4. Mow Properly
Typically, you do not want to cut more than a third of your grass blade during mowing. However, if your grass has overgrown, you should set your mower’s blade height to the maximum setting. Then remember to restore the cutting height to its normal height after mowing and mow your lawn again after a few days.
5. Keep Your Lawn Well Edged
Keep your lawn looking clean and gorgeous by mounting lawn edgings with plastic, concrete, brick, or wood. That prevents the grass from growing anywhere it is not wanted and keeps groundcovers out of your lawn.
6. Learn Your Garden’s History
It is very crucial to know the number of owners your home has had in the past. If it has had more than one owner, it is necessary that you understand the type of treatments they provided. Did they have any weed control or fertilization tricks? Was the yard affected by any disease or bug in the past? Does the yard have an existing irrigation system, or which watering method was used for the existing plants, if any?
Gathering such information will ultimately prove helpful. For example, if the previous owner had an irrigation system in place, you will not need to install another one. Also, if they had applied fertilizer recently, you will not need a fertilizer treatment.
7. Get Rid of Weeds
While it might not be enjoyable, hand-weeding can provide an effective and long-term solution. Pull weeds when they are still young – before flowering and seeding – to avoid spreading. You should ensure that you uproot the entire plant and reseed the blank spot. If your lawn has a lot of weeds, you can consider herbicides – natural, organic, and non-chemical alternatives are available.
8. Fertilize Your Lawn
Use a lawn spreader to dispense fertilizer throughout your lawn to help your grass grow thick and strong. It is recommended that you fertilize your lawn during fall and spring.
9. Prune Your Plants
If your yard has other fall and summer flowering shrubs and trees, you should ensure that you prune them in early spring or late winter. On the other hand, if these trees produce flowers during spring, they should be pruned when their flowers wilt.
10. Protect Against Squirrels
If you are tired of squirrels taking your seed, try coating your seeds with pepper to make the seeds hot to the squirrel. Also, you can use safflower seeds since they leave a bitter aftertaste in squirrels. Other ways of protecting against squirrels include hanging bird feeders on a thin line that squirrels have trouble balancing upon or keeping hanging bird feeders at least 15 ft. from trees or buildings so that squirrels cannot hop onto the feeders.
Achieving a gorgeous lawn takes time and effort. Use the tips mentioned above to ensure you can achieve the lawn of your dreams.
Article submitted by: Jenna Klein <[email protected]