Are you dreaming of a barefoot-worthy lawn with that emerald-green grass? Probably, you’ve already done a little research and know the basics of lawn care and ways to maintain your landscape. You have a clear image of the ideal grass-plot in your mind. And that’s great! But before you start to turn your dream into reality, you must learn some no-nos to avoid those ugly brown spots on your lawn. The experts from homemakerguide.com know all the secrets on proper care of the lawn, and they’ll gladly share them with us! Scroll down and file away their tips!
Never mow if the blades are dull
It’s bad both for your lawn and mower. Dull blades will tear or smash the grass, it’ll go brown and become prone to pests, rotting, and diseases, let alone your lawn will look unattractive. Such blades create additional strain on the mower, it’ll shorten your device life.
So, take proper care of your mower blades.
Never water too frequent
Sometimes starters think that frequent watering is the best way to maintain a beautiful and healthy grass, but that’s not true! To begin with, you have to water your lawn every 3-7 days, depending on the type of plants, dryness, and heat.
Why is it so? When you hose the lawn, let’s say, daily the water doesn’t penetrate the soil deeply. The root system suffers; it makes plants weak and off-color. The soil must be wet six inches deep. Always check that!
Never cut when the lawn is damp
If you don’t want your lawn to look patchy never mow or cut the grass when it’s wet. Here are the reasons:
- It’s challenging to make a straight cut because moisture weights the grass down
- Clippings tend to clump, and your grass-plot will look inaccurate
- Mowing wet grass makes it prone to diseases
- Damp grass is slippery, and it’s just unsafe for the gardener to cut it.
Never cut the grass too short
If you often scalp the grass, you are risking to lose your beautiful lawn. Scalping severely damages the root system, weakens, makes a lawn vulnerable to diseases, or even kills the grass.
Never cut in the same direction
If you don’t want the grass growing at an angle or have tracks from mower wheels, change direction every time you lawn mow: go diagonal, front to back, back to front, etc. The more patterns, the better.
Never mow in the morning or midday
Cutting at the right time of the day is vital for maintaining beautiful grass-plot.
It’s better not to mow early in the morning because of dew. You already know why you shouldn’t cut wet grass.
What about midday? The powerful sun puts much stress on the lawn, especially when you mow it. Plus, heat accelerates moisture loss, making grass weaker.
Perfect time for cutting is an evening; it’s much more useful for the lawn. And you won’t sizzle.
Never fertilize without a soil testing
Do you think the more you fertilize, the better? Nope! The soil may even not need plant food. You never know what nutrients are missed, and it’s a bad idea to buy any fertilizer.
So, before enriching your soil, it’s recommended to make a test. You can buy a specially-made soil kit or choose a do-it-yourself test.
Never overfertilize
When you are done with the testing and know exactly what nutrients your soil needs, do not give in to the temptation to put them too much. Especially if the soil is sandy! An excessive amount of plant food will make its way to waters, which is not good for the environment. Remember that certain types of grass need certain amounts of fertilizer.
Never forget about compost
Your plants will be happier if you put compost several times a year. It’ll improve the soil condition due to the great number of beneficial microorganisms. The root system will become stronger and more protected from diseases. Aerate the soil before putting compost.
Never remove all grass clippings or fallen leaves
What may be better than natural plant food? Leave some of the cut grass or fallen leaves on the lawn; it will fertilize your yard organically. Plus, leaves can inhibit the growth of weeds
However, you should remove wet clippings or leaves because they can cause rotting. But, just to remind, do not mow damp grass. Also, if your lawn has some problems, do not leave clippings and leaves, or you may prolong disease.
Never use chemicals
Chemicals kill not only weeds and insects but also beneficial microorganisms that keep a grass-plot beautiful and healthy. Surprisingly, weeds that we consider harmful actually are useful for the environment. However, if we want our landscape to look attractive, we have to control weed eating. It’s advisable to use natural means such as vinegar, alcohol, etc. Or non-chemical weed killers.
Never forget about aerating
You have to aerate your lawn once or twice a year, depending on the type of a grass-plot and soil. Aerating allows water, nutrients, and oxygen in, due to this grassroots become stronger and prone to diseases.
Never stop using your lawn
Your grass-plot is there to be used and please you and your dearests! So, let your children have fun there, make a barbeque. It won’t worsen the condition of the lawn! And your hard work will not be in vain!
For sure, these tips will help you to create a perfect lawn! You’ll make gorgeous, emerald-green, and lush landscape!
Good luck!
