6 Tips for Residential Lawn Maintenance
1. Watering
Just like regularly watering your garden, your lawn also should be watered. The general rule to watering your lawn is to water heavily rather than slightly more frequently. You should soak 6 to 8 inches deep because it encourages the roots to grow deep into the ground. If you don’t allow your roots to soak, the grass is more likely to cause droughts
2. Mowing
Mowing is one of the most time-consuming activities of lawn maintenance. However, mowing reduces the workload on a grass plant’s root system because above-ground turf requires more water and nutrients from underground. It’s easier for roots to provide the plant if the grass is cut short. Mowing encourages grass to expand because mowing cuts down the leaves, and new leaves are exposed to absorb sunlight. It’s important to maintain a sharp mower blade to cut grass more cleanly and not tear the leaves, which creates an opening for pests and diseases.
Research what type of grass and soil you have to maintain at the ideal grass height for healthy growth. Cutting your grass too short can result in your lawn being scalped and creating patches. It’s best to frequently mow during the growing season and vary your mowing heights throughout the year. With proper mowing practices, you can build a thicker, heavier lawn that is more resistant to weeds and disease.
3. Fertilizing
In addition to mowing and watering regularly, you’ll need to schedule a time for several larger jobs throughout the year. Fertilizing adds nutrients to the soil so that the soil can provide nutrients to the grass. Mowing regularly can increase your grass growth quicker because it needs more nutrients than the average plant. Normal soil can provide nutrients to most native plants by itself, but sometimes many need some help to feed your grass and gardens. The most effective way to fertilize your lawn is to spread using a slow-acting commercial granular fertilizer once or twice a year.
Granular fertilizers release nutrients gradually over several months, unlike water-soluble spray fertilizer, which acts immediately. Start fertilizing your lawn in the fall because it will strengthen the plant’s root structure, making it more resilient to drought and weeds. Whether you use store-bought fertilizer or natural fertilizer such as compost and manure, keeping your lawn healthy and nutrients can result in better landscaping.
4. Aerating
Soil can become compacted from foot traffic, mowing, or oxygen that can’t reach microbes that break down organic matter to enrich the soil. It’s a good idea to aerate your soil periodically to keep your lawn healthy and revitalize the soil. If you experience heavy traffic that compacts your lawn severely, aerate your soil every spring or fall.
5. Dethatching
Thatch build-up happens when there is poor aeration and drainage in the soil. Improper lawn watering practice, cold soil temperature, use of chemical pesticides, and synthetic fertilizers are all factors that contribute to thatch accumulation in lawns. Thatch material will collect around the base of the grass plants, and a small amount of thatch helps conserve water in the soil by blocking evaporation. However, heavy thatch build-up keeps air and water from reaching the soil. If there is too much thatch on your lawn, rake it up.
6. Weeding
This ongoing process shouldn’t take too much time once you establish a healthy lawn. Your lawn is a mixture of grass that will likely crowd out most weeds. If there is a lot of weeds, it could mean your grass is weak. Either your soil is deficient, water-logged, or that you’re cutting the grass too short. That doesn’t mean to say that weeds pop up in healthy lawns too. For the most part, it’s not something to worry about. All lawns have weeds, and they don’t do much harm. Simply pull up any weeds that detract from the lawn’s appearance. If you have a larger weed problem, spray the weeds with a low-toxicity herbicide.
Are you looking for professional lawn maintenance? HydroClean’s team can provide beautiful maintenance and care for your lawn. We take the hassle and hard work so you can enjoy your valuable time. Our team specializes in residential lawn maintenance, pressure washing, and snow removal services. Contact us for more information about how we can meet your lawn maintenance needs.