HomeTopics...Gardening TipsLawn Care
Lawn Care Tips
Grass lawns that are rich green in color and as thick as a carpet don't happen by accident. They take plenty of planning and hard work. Lawn care is serious business, and lawn maintenance is mandatory if you want the kind of lawn that will be the envy of the neighborhood.
Starting a New Lawn
As a first step, aeration is essential. Aerating allows oxygen, water and nutrients to penetrate far into the ground. Also, it encourages deeper root growth and it makes for a healthier, more vigorous lawn. To aerate an existing lawn, mow the grass as low as you can, down to about an inch of height and use an aerator to poke holes in the ground about eight inches apart.
Then, spread your grass seed. Be generous with the seed. In fact, you're better off overseeding than risking a thin growth. Use a spreader for more even distribution. Spread half of your seed while walking in one direction and spread the other half walking in the opposite direction.
After spreading the seed, drag the lawn. Dragging with a piece of plywood, a broom or any suitable tool pushes seed into the holes and breaks up plugs of soil left above ground by the aerator.
Now spread fertilizer. Fertilizer adds essential nutrients and it encourages quicker, more thorough seed germination. Fertilize again in a month. When your new grass is three weeks old, mow it for the first time, but be sure to cut it high.
Proper watering is essential. For the first watering, soak the ground until the water runs off. Water it daily to keep the soil wet. Dry seeds won't germinate.
|
Grass Types
Choose from many different kinds of grass. All have particular features and benefits. Here are some of the most popular selections and their key attributes:
- Kentucky bluegrass: With moderate to fine texture, this cool season grass boasts a beautiful blue/green color. It needs a lot of water and sun. Mow to a height of 1.5 to 2.5 inches.
- rye grass: A cool season grass, rye boasts high wear tolerance, making it ideal for playing fields. It's shallow-rooted with a fine texture and glossy blades. It likes sun but tolerates shade. Mow down to 1.5 to 2.5 inches.
- tall fescue: A clumping type of grass, tall fescue does well in sun or partial shade. It's also fairly draught-tolerant. Mow it to 1.5 to 3 inches.
- Bermuda: A creeping turf grass with deep roots, this warm season grass boasts a medium-to-fine texture. It tolerates heat and draught but, if it gets too dry, it can turn brown or yellow.
- St. Augustine: Deep rooted and coarse, St. Augustine grass spreads by surface runners. It does well in hot weather and in coastal regions. It does well in sun but it requires regular watering.
|
Lawn Maintenance
Here are some general lawn maintenance tips:
- Watering: Make sure your lawn is watered properly. Sufficient watering makes the grass lush Underground sprinklers are your best bet because they're most efficient, they don't waste water and, if they're automatic, there's little chance of over-watering. You don't have to water all the time. In fact, watering infrequently is probably better because it forces grass roots to dig deeper. When you DO water, be sure to water generously. Frequent, shallow watering creates more weeds or surface thatch. In general, water your lawn just when the growing grass starts to curl and turn brown. For best results, water just half an inch. Then wait ninety minutes and water another half inch.
- Fertilizer: Most grasses benefit from nitrogen-rich fertilizer about four times a year in the spring, summer and fall. Fertilizer is good for grass, but too much of it can be a problem as it can cause excess growth and weaken the grass. It also creates fungi.
- Weeds: Controlling weeds is essential to good lawn maintenance. Know your weeds and understand what they're telling you. Dandelions, for instance, are a sign that your lawn is excessively alkaline. The presence of black medic and clover mean that your soil is too low on nitrogen. Grass roots go deeper than weed roots. Make sure that any lawn care practice is favorable for grass and unfavorable for weeds.
- Mowing: Don't mow too close. When you mow, keep the grass tall enough to shade the weeds and let the sun's rays feed the grass. Your objective is to mow high enough to give your grass a haircut and cut the heads off the weeds.
