If you own a house with a backyard, you know it takes about three to four hours every week to keep your yard in good condition. Not only that, but an average homeowner also mows his lawn 30 times each year.
Your lawn provides you with an immense amount of oxygen. It also cools down your outdoor space making it bearable during summer. Furthermore, your lawn grips onto a lot of dust that could cause breathing problems. In other words, your lawn is nature’s air purification system for your yard.
So, it is a good idea to keep your lawn in tip-top condition. But don’t worry as maintaining a lush green lawn is easy. However, you need to know the right way to do it.
We are going to tell you how to take care of grass that grows in cool climates. Some cold-weather grasses include fescue and bluegrass.
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If you live in a warm climate, don’t worry. The information is applicable for warm climate grass too. So it’s fine if your lawn has Bermuda or zoysia grass.
You also need to keep up with removing weeds and other invasive species from your yard. Check out some tips and tricks on How to Kill Crabgrass, 9 Proven Methods. It will give you a scope to attain a healthier lawn.
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Cutting Height Depends on The Calendar
At the beginning of the year, use a one or half an inch height for cutting. This will get rid of the dead grass. Furthermore, it will help the sunlight get to the crowns of the grass.
However, when summer comes along, increase the height to two inches or higher. And then when it is the end of the year, go back to one or half an inch cutting height.
These cutting heights are for cool-climate grass. But If your lawn consists of warm climate grass, the cutting height should be half an inch less.
To adjust the blade height properly, measure from the mower deck to the hard surface. After that, increase ¼ inches.
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Mower Blade Should Be Sharp
If your blade is dull, grass will tear. So, you need a sharp mower blade to cut evenly.
You don’t want to damage your grass with a dull blade as it leads to complications. The grass may turn yellow and will be prone to disease. To recover, the grass will need extra nutrients.
There might be damage to the mowers bearings, too, if the blade is not sharp enough. So you need to sharpen and balance your blade at least three times throughout the year.
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Deep Watering Is Good For Your Grass
Soak your lawn nice and deep for the development of long roots. If you only sprinkle the surface of the lawn, you will have shallow roots leading to unhealthy grass. Without deep roots, t doesn’t matter how many times you sprinkle lightly; you will not have a healthy green lawn.
Your lawn needs around 2 inches of water. So, water the lawn generously at four-day intervals. However, this may vary depending on the circumstances.
If the soil is sandy, you need much more water. On the other hand, if it’s clay soil that drains slowly, you need less water.
Other than the nature of the soil, the type of grass and temperature determine the need for water.
The water should seep into the soil 4 inches deep. After that, wait for the surface to dry then water again.
Water the lawn when it’s early in the morning. Grass that remains wet at night may lead to disease.
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Mow The Top of The Grass and Keep Clippings
The top of the grass blade is fragile and decomposes quickly when cut. That makes them great plant food for your grass. These clippings give out necessary nitrogen. Other than that, it also prevents the germination of weeds and evaporation to a certain degree.
The lower part of the grass is tough and takes longer to decompose. It adds to unnecessary thatch that blocks the sunlight, water, air, and nutrients from seeping down to the soil.
If you want your grass to be 2 inches high, then wait for your grass to grow. 3 or 4 inches is long enough for you to start mowing. The ideal frequency to mow is once a week when the grass is dry. Don’t mow in the heat as it’s bad for the grass and exhausting for you.
If the climate is cold, then the perfect height for grass is around 4 inches. And in warm climates, the best length for grass is 2 inches.
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Timing Matters When Applying Weed Killers And Fertilizers
Location and type of grass matters when using fertilizers and weed killers. Other than that, factor in the type of weed and the condition of the soil.
When you have a lush lawn with plenty of sunlight, weed is less likely to grow. But if your lawn has empty spots, the chance of weed growth is high.
You need to combat weeds in spring and summer. The type of weed killer you should use depends on what kind of weed is growing.
Pre-emergent weed killer is good for crabgrass. And when it comes to broadleaf weeds, attack early.
Deweeding is not enough. You also need to apply fertilizers to your lawn. Do so in early spring so that the grass does well in winter.
You should always read the instructions on the package as some chemicals need moisture, whereas others do not.
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Aerate The Lawn
You have to aerate the lawn to provide oxygen to the grassroots. Aerating helps the soil receive more air. Furthermore, it lets fertilizers and water go deep into the soil.
Aerating also prevents compaction of soil allowing roots to grow longer. hatch breaks down faster because of aerating. You can find gas-driven aerators in garden centers that remove plugs in the soil perfectly.
Remember to aerate before bringing out weed killers. The best time to do it is in spring.
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What You Need To Do To Maintain Your Lawn
Your lawn does not need much to look beautiful. However, there are a few things that you can buy to do an excellent job.
Firstly, you need a good lawnmower. The best kind gives you the option to adjust the cutting height. Next, you need a lawn sprinkler to water your lawn properly.
After that, you need blade sharpening tools. You don’t want dull blades as it damages the mower and the lawn. You also need an aerator that runs on gas. And finally, get yourself some weed killers and fertilizer.
When you are searching online for the best lawnmower, you will come across many different types. The most common and modern is now the cordless electric variety.
Cordless electric machines are now very powerful and long-lasting, due to the use of Lithium-ion batteries.
There are plenty of reviews you can find which list the best ones you can get at the moment. All of which allow you to adjust the cutting height, are long-lasting, lightweight, and best of all, environmentally friendly.
Be sure to always follow these safety tips, and you can also learn more about just how much an electric lawn mower can do from some of our other posts.
Conclusion
A great looking lawn is easy to maintain if you know what you are doing. Don’t waste time caring the wrong way.
Timing is crucial when it comes to aerating, weed killer and fertilizer application, watering, and mowing.
Sharpen your blade well and cut the grass at the right length. Also, be sure to know what type of grass you are working with.
A good lawn pays for itself and looks beautiful. Follow the tips above to achieve a lush green, healthy lawn.
