How to Nurture a Healthy Lawn
Obtaining a healthy, green lawn can be quite the task. Though it doesn't require you to be in the yard every day, it does require a great deal of patience. One of the hardest parts of getting your lawn healthy is knowing exactly what it needs. It can often feel like you're wandering around in the dark trying various tactics with no success. Here are some ways you can get your grass healthy and keep it that way.
1. Know When and How to Cut Your Grass
Cutting your grass to be the right height at the right time is a crucial part of obtaining and maintaining a healthy lawn. For warm-season grasses, you need to use a cutting height of 1 inch for the first mowing of the year. This will remove the dead grass from winter and picks up all of the leaves, preparing the grass for warmer weather. During the summer months, the blade should be raised to 1.5+ inches to allow the roots to grow deeper, and then the blade height should go back down to 1 inch for the last mowing of the year.
2. Use Sharp Mowing Blade
Have you ever tried to use a dull knife to cut a tomato? Cutting with a dull knife blade usually results in smashed-up tomato and a cutting board full of juice – not the most effective, right? Similarly, grass cut with a dull blade may result in damaged roots and a sloppy-looking lawn. In general, avoiding dull blades is a good rule of thumb.
3. Timing is Everything
The success of your lawn is determined by timing. If you don't participate in any of our lawn care programs yet, it's important that you communicate your goals with us so we can provide and suggest services that correspond with the season. Since time is such a crucial factor, it's often best to consult with a lawn care professional to learn what options you have available and how to proceed.
4. Aerate Your Lawn
In order to have a beautiful lawn, it must receive the nutrients it needs which can be hard if the soil is too compacted. Core aeration puts small holes in the soil, allowing air, sun, water, and nutrients to settle into the lawn. Aeration also breaks down lawn thatch, which can create a hostile environment for grass to grow. Learn more about core aeration.
5. Know How to Water
There's more to watering your lawn than what meets the eye. Many people water it lightly and frequently. However, this is actually less effective! Instead, you should water your yard thoroughly, but less frequently. If you frequently shower your lawn, it only reaches the top, not having much of an effect on the grass. A thorough soaking, on the other hand, penetrates the soil and reaches the roots.
Get Started
It's important to take note that these tips do not account for lawn disease or pests. If you're experiencing either of these things, you may have to take alternative action. For questions on next steps for treating disease or pests, please contact us.
There are many moving parts to a beautiful lawn, and we would be happy to develop a plan for your yard so you can enjoy all the benefits of healthy grass without the frustration of playing a guessing game.
