Top Tips for the Maintenance of a Perfect Lawn
Following the basic steps below can improve a lawns health. For those who prefer to maintain the lawn themselves rather than hiring garden maintenance services, these steps are easy to follow for a perfect lawn all of the time.
1.) Fertilizing: A well balanced diet of fertilizer can promote the health of any lawn. The experts recommend fertilizing the lawn four times a year; in the spring, summer, fall and then again, just after the first frost. Those who live in hot climates should not fertilize in the summer. Too much fertilizer can easily kill the grass because the soil becomes sterile. Grass will not grow if the lawn is over-fertilized. Be sure to follow the directions carefully to avoid over-fertilizing.
2.) Watering: Over-watering the lawn can easily cause more damage than under-watering. The best time to water grass is early in the morning, never after dusk. Mould can grow on the soil if it isn’t allowed to dry before night time. Watering in the hot sun can burn the grass and diseases can grow on soil that is watered at night. For those who don’t know how to measure how much water the grass is getting, purchase a rain gauge. A lawn only needs 1 to 1 1/2 inches of water each week.
3.) Mowing: Grass should not be cut any shorter than 2 to 3 inches, always being sure you lawn mowers blade is sharp. To avoid burning, especially in the heat of the summer, keep the grass within this range. It is tempting to cut the grass shorter to cut down on mowing but it also may destroy the grass. To prevent suffocating the soil it is best not to cut the grass when it is wet. The soil needs to be able to breathe, plus it will keep your mower blade sharper for a longer time.
4.) Herbicides: For a lawn that is full of weeds and bare spots an herbicide may be needed. To kill just a few weeds a dandelion tool can be used. A tool with a forked end can easily pull weeds from the lawn. A small tank sprayer may also be used to kill weeds or pests that cause bare spots in the lawn. When purchasing an herbicide read the directions carefully before applying. Spot spraying is best rather than spraying the entire lawn unless professional garden maintenance services are used.
By following these few simple steps a beautiful lawn can be maintained quite easily. Mowing, fertilizing, watering and spraying techniques and instructions can be found in any lawn and garden store.
