Having a lush and well-manicured lawn does not necessarily require one to have a green thumb. Furthermore, even if you spend a substantial amount of time, money and effort, all of these will be rendered useless if you do not know exactly what you are doing.
But what exactly does it take to make a lawn thrive?
Here are some of the essentials of lawn care Loveland, OH homeowners should know in order to attain the lawn of their dreams.
Watering
One of the areas where many homeowners commit grave mistakes is watering their lawns. Even if you have chosen a suitable type of grass to plant in your lawn, if you fail to water it properly, you cannot expect outstanding results. But how much water do grasses need?
The answer will depend on where you live as well as the prevailing climate in your area. But as a rule of thumb, grasses require one inch of water per week. One invaluable tool that you should invest in is a water gauge that should be placed in an area where the sprinkler and rainwater can reach it. This will give you a fair idea of how much water your grass is getting.
Do not make the mistake of watering your lawn every day. Instead, water deeply but infrequently. Otherwise, you will only encourage the invasion of pests and diseases. Ideally, you should water the lawn once or twice a week early in the morning.
Fertilizers
Just like vitamin supplements, fertilizers provide the grass with the nutrients it cannot get from your lawn’s soil. However, before buying a fertilizer, it is crucial to know which nutrients are lacking from the soil. Otherwise, you’ll only be wasting your money and harming the environment. This is why it is important to have the soil tested first before using fertilizers.
Once you know which nutrients are lacking from the soil, you can choose the appropriate fertilizer for your lawn. Just make sure to follow the instructions properly.
The best time to fertilize depends on the type of grass you have on your lawn. For cool-season Northern grasses, September is the best time to fertilize. For warm-season Southern grasses, the best time to apply fertilizers would be June.
Mowing
Mowing may seem like an easy task that does not require specialist knowledge. On the contrary, many lawn problems can be attributed to improper mowing. How then should you mow your lawn?
In mowing your lawn, the rule of thumb to follow is never mow off more than a third of the grass blade’s height. How often you should mow will depend on the growth of the grass. During the peak growth of the grass, the lawn should be mowed every four to five days. During the slowdown of the grass’s growth, you can mow every eight to 10 days. By following this schedule, you’ll prevent stressing the grass.
Regularly check your mower’s blades and make sure that these are sharp. Also, make sure to mow your lawn when it is dry. This will prevent problems like leaves clumping together.
About the author: Kenneth Lawrence is a passionate “handyman”. His craft involves DIY concepts. He is fond of sharing guidelines and tips about stuff on home improvement. He writes and reads almost anything that can hone his skills and increase his knowledge about DIY concepts. He visits sites like http://www.degreelawn.com.
