A Well Kept Lawn Can Make All the Difference

One way to make our house look better has nothing to do with the actual house. It is the lawn and landscaping. When you see a nicer house but the yard is dead or overgrown, it really effects the overall aesthetics. Having a well manicured lawn is a great way to increase the curb appeal of your home. During the summer it is especially hard to keep your lawn alive and looking good. I decided to look up some tips for current homeowners or soon-to-be homeowners that should help with the upkeep or revitalization of your lawn. A warm up for what is coming will be to sharpen your mower blade. This will be accomplished at a local shop and shouldn’t cost much. You may even want to do it yourself if you’re handy. A dull mower blade tears grass, creating ragged, brown edges that provide an opening for disease organisms. Sharpen your mower blade regularly. The rule of thumb is that a sharp blade lasts for 10 hours of mowing. Consider purchasing a second blade so you’ll always have a sharp blade at the ready. Check your manufacturer website, they aren’t hard to find.

A great starter is something that is probably overlooked. Mow at the right height. In summer, adjust your mower height to leave grass taller. Taller grass shades soil, which reduces water evaporation, leads to deeper roots and prevents weed seeds from germinating. Time mowings so you’re never removing more than one-third of the leaf surface at a time. Along with the seeding and shading, and maybe more important is to water properly. For the healthiest grass, water your lawn deeply and infrequently. Check with your local water authority for recommended irrigation schedules if you want to take it that far. But along with well watered grass come the bugs. Grubs are a problem that most people don’t know about. Japanese beetles, June bugs, and European chafers lay eggs in grass in early to midsummer. Eggs hatch into little fat worms called grubs. These need to be controlled or they will do a lot of unnecessary damage to your grass.

Clean up after your dog or any other animal that decides to go number two on your grass for that matter. The family dog can cause dead spots on a lawn. If you see dying grass due to your dog’s urination, flush the area with water to dilute the urine in soil. The best solution is to create a mulched or pebbled area and train your dog to use that area for bathroom breaks. Also, keep waste picked up and dispose of it properly. Seems obvious but always avoid parking any vehicles on the grass. Driving or parking on the lawn is never a good idea. It leads to soil compaction, which can cause a host of other problems, including dead grass. During drought or times of excessive heat, it’s even wise to limit foot traffic on grass to avoid damaging turf crowns. Along with your dog, and vehicle. Don’t let trash sit on your grass. Summer activities can result in toys, water games, lawn chairs or tools being left on turf. Avoid harming turf crowns by putting away gear after use.

Don’t let weeds kill your beautiful blades. Deal with weeds as they appear throughout the growing season. Apply weed control in late summer/early fall to help deal with cool-season weeds, especially if you tend turf in cooler regions and have an established dandelion or perennial weed problem. Do not apply a pre-emergent herbicide in fall if you plan to seed or over-seed. Seeding along with an initial fertilizer work great. The clippings from your grass when you mow it are also a great fertilizer. You don’t have to clear every clipping. It is best to leave food for the soil that is natural. Don’t leave big piles but make sure you don’t take away a cheap and natural source of growth.

With all of that said, I did some research on google and checked a bunch of sites. These were the best ways to keep your lawn green and healthy. You probably already know that having great hair makes your face look better, so having a great lawn can certainly make your house better looking!