Gorgeous Green Lawns
For those who love a velvety green lawn, but aren’t sure how to achieve it, let’s start from the beginning. If you have a new home without a landscape, all the better. Starting with improving the soil, to putting in a sprinkler system, you have a better chance of having a perfect lawn. See the other posts to help you with creating your lawn.
I recommend keeping the lawn area minimal if water-use is an issue in your area. Still, you can have a nice green circle of lawn to enhance the appearance of your home.
This article is meant to help you maintain a beautiful green lawn. It’s pretty simple, actually. Lawns require regular watering, mowing, and feeding.
In hot weather, set your sprinklers to go off in early morning and to run every day for ten minutes. In cooler weather, every other day, and in the winter, if you have sufficient rain, just turn it off.
You should mow and trim once a week. You’ll find that if you’ve fertilized and watered, the lawn will grow pretty fast. Make sure your mower is in good condition, with sharp blades. Either a rotary or reel mower are fine. Just keep them in good conditon. On the rotary, clean the grass from underneath frequently, to prevent it from dropping on the lawn. Also, empty the catch basket frequently, as it can drag on the lawn or over flow when too full. Try to mow in a consistent pattern and overlap, so you don’t leave ridges. Many people get in a hurry and leave lots of ridges and missed places. Nothing can spoil a nice lawn like a bad mowing job. Always trim the edges of the lawn, as raggedy edges are unsightly. Most people use string trimmers, but whatever method you choose, it should be done regularly to maintain a neat edge to the lawn.
When it comes to fertilizer, there are many different kinds. I usually use a granular with a rotary spreader. Everyone has their favorite brands, so I won’t name brands here. There are also organic fertilizers and solutions you can make at home. I’ve not tried those, but they’re certainly worth a try if you want to go organic. Jerry Baker has great books with tons of organic home remedies for your lawn and garden.
I like to fertilize when the weather is overcast to prevent burning, but this isn’t always possible. Just turn the sprinklers on briefly to water in the fertilizer on a sunny day.
If you have weeds in your lawn, use a “weed ‘n feed” product. Again, these products can burn if not applied correctly. Water first, so the granules stick to the weeds, then wait two days before turning the sprinklers on. Don’t use these products if the weather is over 80 degrees. Wait for cooler days.
To maintain that lush green look to your lawn, don’t wait until it looks pale and yellow. You should fertilize every two months, if possible. Follow the directions on the bag and use a proper spreader for even distribution. Of course, if you have a lawn service, they can perform these tasks for you.
If you follow these guidelines, you can’t help having a beautiful, green lawn that’s the envy of all your neighbors.
