5 Steps To A Great Lawn

Having A GREEN Lawn Will Make the Neighbors Jealous

While there is no magic pill to achieving a better lawn there are some basic steps you can follow that will go a long way in giving you a lush, healthy lawn you'll be proud to walk over. Here then are the 5 basic steps to help anyone achieve a beautiful lawn.

1. Ever Season Has A Moving Height
There is more to mowing than just cutting the grass every week. One of the most important steps to the best lawn is getting the mowing height right for your type of lawn and for the season. Most grasses do best with a length of 2" to 3". This applies for spring and early fall. In the summer, try to set it even higher. Never go below the minimum recommended height except for the last mowing of the season which should be around 1.5" for most turf grasses. Mowing height is important because the grass uses the extra length to absorb the sunshine it needs to grow and develop into a healthy plant. Never remove more than 1/3 at any one mowing. This will mean you'll have to mow more often during growing times, usually spring and fall. Leave the clippings on the lawn after you mow.

This not only save time and energy, but the clippings decompose and add much needed nutrients back into the soil. Grass uses these nutrients from the old grass clippings. Clippings contain the same beneficial nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium nutrients as that expensive bag of fertilizer. In fact, clippings can provide up to one-third of the annual feeding requirement for your lawn. Also, it is good to look into using so products that will help your lawn thrive, for that season.

2. Make Sure Mower Blade Is Sharp
It does not matter what mower you own, but the important part of every mower is the blade. A dull blade tears at the grass. Take a close look at a grass blade a few days after mowing. If the blade is dull you'll notice a jagged brown line across the tip of the cut grass you had cut. This is a good indication that your blade needs sharpened or replaced. Professionals in the lawn mowing bussiness sharpen their blades every 10 hours of use to insure maximum cutting power. For most homeowners, the recommended times you should sharpen your blade is twice a year.

3. Watch How Much You Water

Over watering your lawn can lead to more damage than a lack of watering your lawn. This is because most turf grass can handle droughts, but not flooding. Most grass require 1 - 1.5" of water per week. This is enough water to saturate the soil to 4 - 6" below the surface.Do not guess at how much water is getting to your lawn! For measuring, raing can contribution, get yourself a rain gauge. If at the end of the week raining contributed enough, hold off adding more. If rain is short, you'll want to add some added water. Again, measure how much water your sprinkler is putting down. You'll have to follow local regulations when there are watering bans, just remember that less water is ok and grass is a very resilient plant.

4. Give your lawn a regular balanced diet-- but don't over-feed it!
Don't over-feed your lawn with too much fertilizer. The annual four cycle fertilizer applications is plenty: spring, summer, early fall and after the first cool spell. If you're in drought conditions, skip the summer feeding, this will take the planet more energy to soak up the fertilizer. Never skip the fall feeding however. It’s important to use lawn products by following label instructions. Get the best results by following the directions. Overapplication will not improve performance, leave it to the experts and use there advice.

5. Prevention is key for a healthy great looking lawn

Preventing problems is better than having to correct them. Consistent maintenance is a must. Repair bare spots when you need to. Spot treat for weeds with the right product, following label directions. Use pre-emergent herbicides for most grassy-type weeds like crabgrass.Soils can become compacted in high-traffic areas or in areas that have mostly clay soils. Have your lawn aerated once a year, preferably in the fall when soil temperature is around 60 degrees. Thyese tips should help you on you quest to a great looking lawn!