Summer is just around the corner, and your lawn could probably use a little maintenance before the summer season of backyard BBQs and swimming in the pool. So what are you doing now to get your lawn ready? Lawn care is often feared as a difficult and time intensive process, but with a few guidelines and tips, you can easily have a healthy green lawn in time for the first backyard party of the season.
First of all, if you can spare a minute of your time, dont hire a lawn care specialist or professional landscaper. Buying your own lawn care products is cheap and easy, with hundreds of vendors offering products online and in Do-It-Yourself stores. A wide variety of products such as weed controllers to fertilizers can be found online, and usually can be found at reasonable prices, especially when you do a little online coupon searching.
Starting off on the right foot is important to reviving your lawn after winter. Fertilizer is the key to ensuring strong healthy growth of the grass in your yard. Fertilizing the grass does more than just make it green. Of course it will make it grow too, but lot's of things happen when you fertilize. Fertilizer makes the seed germinate faster, and get started out of the ground. After the grass has a good start fertilizer will make the grass get thicker and send off beneficial chemicals like Rhizomes, Stolons, and Tillers all making the grass thicker and healthier.
What most people want to know about fertilizing is - how much and when? Typically, you want to fertilize 4 times each season, spread 60 days apart. Start in early spring approximately 30 days before the growing season begins in your area, continuing through the growing season until fall. Spring fertilizing gets the grass off to a fast start giving you that rich green color everyone wants. A word of warning though, don't use too much fertilizer, follow the listed guidelines on the bag.
Mowing is the most misunderstood part of lawn care, and the most often incorrectly performed part of lawn care. Far too many people will set their mowers too low or "scalp" the lawn. How many times have you spent time mowing your grass in hopes of a beautiful result only to end up with brown spots? Cutting too much off the top leads to thinned out grass, and shallow root systems.
Now once you have achieved the perfect lawn, you must do regular maintenance to prevent it from going back to being a pasture. Spend a little time and money and keep it watered and you will keep the lush grass you spent your hard earned money and time on. The ideal way to water your lawn is with an Automatic Underground Sprinkler System. This way the watering is done every day that it needs it, you don't have to drag hoses, you don't waste water from over watering, and you get all of the lawn watered, not just where you happen to set the sprinkler. If you implement this type of sprinkler system, make sure to water shrubbery and annuals separate from the lawn. If you applied the same amount of water on your landscape as gets put on the lawn you would surely kill some plants from over watering.
Now that youre ready to care for your lawn, youll need to get your supplies. Lawn care products can be found at many local gardening centers, or through many online merchants. Buying gardening supplies online is growing in popularity, and made even more economical by online coupons and discounts. For coupons on everything from fertilizers to lawn tools and equipment, check out www.CouponChief.com and easily save yourself some big bucks. Spend the extra cash on your first big BBQ of the summer and invite all your neighbors over to drool over your well manicured, lush green lawn.
Showing posts with label Lawn Care. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Lawn Care. Show all posts
Saturday, January 31, 2009
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
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
Lawn Moles and proper Lawn Care
Are your making mountains out of your molehills? Although lawn moles are underground creatures, the benefits they add to your garden are clearly visible and far outweigh the disadvantages.
Of the six species of mole found in North America, the Eastern mole (or gray mole) is the most common. Moles are about the size of chipmunks and weigh from three to six ounces. A tiny creature, its total length is just six to eight inches.
Many gardeners and groundskeepers are under the mistaken impression that lawn moles eat the roots of their plants and turf grasses. However, moles are insectivores. Their primary diet is earthworms and grubs and a single mole can eat more than 140 grubs and cutworms daily. They also feast on destructive garden pests like snails, beetles, and millipedes. In fact, at just over a quarter-pound, a mole can consume 45 to 50 pounds of worms and insects each year.
The greatest harm that mole tunneling does to turf grass is by separating soil from roots. Still, the moles digging actually improves soil quality by turning and aerating the soil and mixing accumulated nutrients throughout the excavation.
Moles dont continually dig each time they forage for food. Once a tunnel system is established, it is infrequently extended. In fact, the only signs of mole activity you might see are those when the mole must repair its construction. When disturbed, moles may temporarily vacate the area, but generally return within a week or two. In addition, when a tunnel is abandoned, a new mole inhabitant will recolonize using the handiwork of its predecessor.
For these reasons, even the most effective method of mole removal, trapping, is not a permanent solution to a mole problem. Besides which, the three types of mole traps that work with any success sound like relics from the Spanish inquisition harpoons, scissor-jaws, and choker loops. In fact, numerous remedies have been used to try to control moles Pickle juice, red pepper, razor blades, bleach, moth balls, brambles, human hair braids and hair balls, vibrators, ultra sonic devices, and poisons offer inconsistent and generally ineffective results; many including environmentally unfriendly side effects.
As in all elements of lawn care, the best solution to a lawn mole problem is applying practical gardening principles. Mole tunnels (except for the hilled entrances) are typically deep enough to be almost invisible. Over-watering your yard brings earthworms and other invertebrates close to the surface, making it necessary for the moles to move up in search of them. Reducing the amount or frequency of watering may help both moles and their prey stay underground where they are most beneficial to your lawn.
Another solution to a lawn mole problem is to reduce the size of your lawn, converting it to gardens, paths, and hedgerows. First, moles prefer straight tunnel runs. However, more importantly, converting some lawn to gardens, paths, hedgerows and patio areas adds eye-appeal, reduces signs of damage, and in addition attract birds and butterflies to your property.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Linda is author ofThe Lawn Care section ofLanwmowers-Guide.com
Of the six species of mole found in North America, the Eastern mole (or gray mole) is the most common. Moles are about the size of chipmunks and weigh from three to six ounces. A tiny creature, its total length is just six to eight inches.
Many gardeners and groundskeepers are under the mistaken impression that lawn moles eat the roots of their plants and turf grasses. However, moles are insectivores. Their primary diet is earthworms and grubs and a single mole can eat more than 140 grubs and cutworms daily. They also feast on destructive garden pests like snails, beetles, and millipedes. In fact, at just over a quarter-pound, a mole can consume 45 to 50 pounds of worms and insects each year.
The greatest harm that mole tunneling does to turf grass is by separating soil from roots. Still, the moles digging actually improves soil quality by turning and aerating the soil and mixing accumulated nutrients throughout the excavation.
Moles dont continually dig each time they forage for food. Once a tunnel system is established, it is infrequently extended. In fact, the only signs of mole activity you might see are those when the mole must repair its construction. When disturbed, moles may temporarily vacate the area, but generally return within a week or two. In addition, when a tunnel is abandoned, a new mole inhabitant will recolonize using the handiwork of its predecessor.
For these reasons, even the most effective method of mole removal, trapping, is not a permanent solution to a mole problem. Besides which, the three types of mole traps that work with any success sound like relics from the Spanish inquisition harpoons, scissor-jaws, and choker loops. In fact, numerous remedies have been used to try to control moles Pickle juice, red pepper, razor blades, bleach, moth balls, brambles, human hair braids and hair balls, vibrators, ultra sonic devices, and poisons offer inconsistent and generally ineffective results; many including environmentally unfriendly side effects.
As in all elements of lawn care, the best solution to a lawn mole problem is applying practical gardening principles. Mole tunnels (except for the hilled entrances) are typically deep enough to be almost invisible. Over-watering your yard brings earthworms and other invertebrates close to the surface, making it necessary for the moles to move up in search of them. Reducing the amount or frequency of watering may help both moles and their prey stay underground where they are most beneficial to your lawn.
Another solution to a lawn mole problem is to reduce the size of your lawn, converting it to gardens, paths, and hedgerows. First, moles prefer straight tunnel runs. However, more importantly, converting some lawn to gardens, paths, hedgerows and patio areas adds eye-appeal, reduces signs of damage, and in addition attract birds and butterflies to your property.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Linda is author ofThe Lawn Care section ofLanwmowers-Guide.com
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