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Sunday, January 18, 2009

Lawn Care Tips

What type of lawn care tips work best for you depends on the time and money you decide to put into your lawn. If your lawn is your hobby, you can spend thousands of dollars and hundreds of hours of time on it. On the other side of the fence, if what you want is a low-maintenance green expanse that you can enjoy with family and friends, youve come to the right page!

The best lawn care tip you can get is to start with a solid plan.

1.Do you need to plant grass? Do some research on the best seed for your area, where to buy it cheap, and when its available. Depending on where you live, youll plant either cool season or warm season grass.Cool season grass, planted in northern areas, is usually best planted in early fall, but if you missed planting then, plant it in the spring when soil temperatures reach 50 F.Warm season grass needs soil temps of 70F to thrive and is the choice for southern plantings. Dont make the mistake of thinking you can plant warm season grass in the upper Midwest. Warm season grasses are bred to thrive in southern climates and are not winter hardy in the north.

2.Of course, youll keep new grass plantings moist, but once grass reaches a height of three inches, water it deeply once a week. A healthy lawn needs about an inch of water a week. When watering, remember to consider recent rainfalls. Shallow watering techniques keep grass from sinking the deep roots that your lawn needs to compete with deep-rooted weeds.

3.Do you already have a lawn? Aerate it in the spring while its still moist and before the spring rains are done. Aerating your lawn in the springtime gives microbes and other small life forms a breath of fresh air after winter. Aeration also makes new paths for drainage and keeps your lawn from becoming saturated.

4.A lot is written about lawn fertilizer and the big question is why? Grass is the most efficient user of nitrogen on earth! Feed your soil with nutrient rich compost and let your lawn get its nutrients the natural way. The more chemicals you use, the more you disturb the natural biological processes that convert organic matter into nutrients and the microbes and other small organisms that take natural care of your lawn.

5.Mow your grass high. A 2 to 3-inch high cut makes your lawn look fuller, feel softer, and helps keep it healthy. Taller grass shades pesky weed seeds and keeps them from getting established. In addition, a taller lawn is better able to absorb sunshine and better able to retain moisture, the two main contributors to a healthy lawn.

6.Enjoy your lawn. After all, isnt that your main reason for having a yard?

The best lawn care tip you can get is to start with a solid plan.

1.Do you need to plant grass? Do some research on the best seed for your area, where to buy it cheap, and when its available. Depending on where you live, youll plant either cool season or warm season grass.Cool season grass, planted in northern areas, is usually best planted in early fall, but if you missed planting then, plant it in the spring when soil temperatures reach 50 F.Warm season grass needs soil temps of 70F to thrive and is the choice for southern plantings. Dont make the mistake of thinking you can plant warm season grass in the upper Midwest. Warm season grasses are bred to thrive in southern climates and are not winter hardy in the north.

2.Of course, youll keep new grass plantings moist, but once grass reaches a height of three inches, water it deeply once a week. A healthy lawn needs about an inch of water a week. When watering, remember to consider recent rainfalls. Shallow watering techniques keep grass from sinking the deep roots that your lawn needs to compete with deep-rooted weeds.

3.Do you already have a lawn? Aerate it in the spring while its still moist and before the spring rains are done. Aerating your lawn in the springtime gives microbes and other small life forms a breath of fresh air after winter. Aeration also makes new paths for drainage and keeps your lawn from becoming saturated.

4.A lot is written about lawn fertilizer and the big question is why? Grass is the most efficient user of nitrogen on earth! Feed your soil with nutrient rich compost and let your lawn get its nutrients the natural way. The more chemicals you use, the more you disturb the natural biological processes that convert organic matter into nutrients and the microbes and other small organisms that take natural care of your lawn.

5.Mow your grass high. A 2 to 3-inch high cut makes your lawn look fuller, feel softer, and helps keep it healthy. Taller grass shades pesky weed seeds and keeps them from getting established. In addition, a taller lawn is better able to absorb sunshine and better able to retain moisture, the two main contributors to a healthy lawn.6.Enjoy your lawn. After all, isnt that your main reason for having a yard?

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Hans is the owner and one of the editors ofLawn Mower Guide a Collection ofArticles about Lawn Mowers and Lawn Care