As a homeowner, you take pride in having an attractive lawn. However, there’s more to it than meets the eye.
A healthy lawn comes with a handful of benefits. Apart from enhancing the beauty of your surroundings, it can also boost your home value and property’s curb appeal. It has environmental benefits such as air purification, cold atmosphere, soil stability, and noise reduction. Also, it provides some health benefits, whether for your physical or mental well-being. Lastly, it provides a space for social interaction and outdoor relaxation.
However, your lawn needs to be maintained regularly. You must keep it as healthy as possible. Fret not, as we’ve rounded up some lawn care tips for you.
That said, here’s how to take good care of your lawn:
- Watering
Any element of nature needs water to live and survive. Same as humans, trees, and shrubs, your grasses need to get enough water regularly. The rule of thumb is to perform irrigation with just enough water, less frequently and more deeply.
While having less water wilts your grasses, too much water starves the soil of oxygen. For this reason, most experts recommend applying about one inch of water deeply at least once a week.
- Feeding
When it comes to feeding your lawn, fertilization is the key. The use of compost has a lot of benefits. It consists of nutrients such as nitrogen and potassium. Your grasses will absorb these nutrients to grow healthy and strong.
The general rule of thumb is to apply lawn fertilizer at least once a year. However, doing so depends on the time of the year. That said, change the nitrogen content in spring and summer and ensure more potassium in winter.
- Mowing
A lawn won’t be a lawn if the grasses grow tall. As a vital part of your lawn maintenance, you must mow your lawn regularly. Be sure to cut your grasses at least once a week, especially in spring.
The ideal cut is about 2.5 inches in height, which is best for growth, weed control, and pest prevention. Leaving them growing or cutting them too short can lead to all sorts of lawn issues.
- Weed Removal
Weeds are inevitable. Not only are they unsightly in appearance, but they are harmful to your lawn. They can share the space and compete for nutrients. As a result, your turf will eventually wilt and die. That’s why you must make a conscious effort to get rid of weeds on your lawn.
Apart from manually pulling them out, be sure to regulate your soil’s pH. Know that too much soil acidity can lead to weed growth. You can apply limestone or weed killer to take care of your lawn.
- Soil Aeration
For the uninitiated, soil aeration is the process of breaking up the compacted soil. Its ultimate goal is to allow the grasses in your lawn to breathe. That way, their roots can absorb the needed air, water, and other nutrients.
As such, be sure to rake the thatch in your lawn. Those loose organic materials such as shoots, stems, and roots can accumulate over time and leave your lawn soil compacted. Hence, you need to get rid of the thatch and poke holes in your soil from time to time.
- Overseeding
Overseeding must be a part of your lawn care. The time will come when you notice some brown spots and thin grasses on your lawn. When this happens, consider getting a sod supply and installing the pieces of turf in parched areas.
Some homeowners even consider replacing their lawns altogether with newly planted turf. They do more than overseed the lawn.
- Turf Replacement
It’s inevitable for your entire lawn to stay as evergreen as possible. Of course, certain areas have high traffic almost every day. They are paths where people walk regularly.
Consider installing a walkway or driveway instead of overseeding or installing turf in these busy areas. Yes, you can replace your turf with hardscape structures. That way, you need not worry about maintaining them.
- Pest Control
The last on the list is to be wary of pests in your lawn, whether critters or rodents. However, it’s one thing to shoo these pests away; it’s another to invest in pesticides.
Know that the latter is more effective in getting rid of these unwanted pests. That way, you can expect your lawn to be always healthy and visually attractive.
At this point, you now know how to take care of your lawn. Be sure to follow the lawn maintenance tips outlined above, from watering to weed removal down to pest control. With all these in place, you’ll keep your lawn healthy and green, thus reaping all its benefits.