A well-maintained lawn can instantly change the appearance of a yard. Lush, green lawns are the perfect setting for a beautiful garden and summer picnics. But for it to maintain its beautiful color and fullness, your lawn needs to be cared for properly.
Mowing it, feeding it, watering it, over-seeding when you see
bare patches starting to appear – all of these aspects need to be taken into consideration when caring for your lawn.
If it’s your first time maintaining a lawn, things can be a bit overwhelming, but here are some tips to help you get on the right track.
Mow your lawn on a regular basis
During the summer, you need to mow your lawn at least once a week, to encourage the roots to spread, blocking out weeds and filling bare patches. During autumn and warm winters, you can reduce trimming to once every two weeks.
Clean your mower to ensure it continues to do the job well, and check that the blades are always sharp. This will ensure you get an even cut every time you mow your lawn. Avoid mowing when the soil is wet, to prevent damage to the lawn,
Be careful with watering
Water your lawn good, but make sure you don’t overwater it. This can cause roots to rot and establish poorly in the soil. Sprinklers are very good for keeping the lawn hydrated, but they tend to use a lot of water. If you can, it’s best to hand-water your lawn, to avoid using too much water.
If you live in an area where it rains often, you can reduce watering to the minimum. Don’t worry if you see the lawn going a bit brown. It will green up again when it rains. Don’t forget to feed your lawn as well, to help it grow. You can use natural fertilizers, such as
humic acid for lawns, to ensure nourishment.
Remove weeds and moss
Weeds and moss can prevent your lawn from growing equally by blocking air and nutrients from reaching the roots. Weeds can be brought into your garden by birds, pets and other carriers, and can grow very fast. Keep an eye open for anything that looks different from your lawn and pluck them ensuring you remove the roots as well.
Moss can be quite difficult to spot, as it does not grow too high above the ground, but can be just as damaging for your lawn.
After you remove moss, you also need to ensure you don’t provide the perfect environment for it to grow again. This means ensuring you don’t have too much shade, poor drainage or clay within the soil.
Over-seed when necessary
From time to time, you will see your lawn has some bald patches. You can quickly
solve that by over-seeding, which helps rejuvenate the lawn and cover potential bald spaces. Mix seeds with fertilizers, aerate the lawn, mow it and water it well. Then, apply the seeds to the lawn and ensure you keep them moist to promote germination.