Tag: lawn care

Spring Forward: Essential Tips to Prepare Your Lawn for the Season

February 13, 2024Uncategorized, , , , , , Leave a comment
garden cleaning

As the days grow longer and the temperatures begin to rise, it’s time to shake off the winter blues and prepare your lawn for the vibrant growth of spring. With proper care and attention, you can ensure that your lawn emerges from its winter slumber looking lush, green, and healthy. Here are some essential tips to get your lawn ready for the season ahead:

  1. Clean Up Winter Debris: Start by clearing away any debris that has accumulated on your lawn during the winter months. Remove fallen branches, leaves, and other clutter to allow sunlight and air to reach the soil surface.
  2. Rake and Dethatch: Use a rake to gently dethatch your lawn, removing any accumulated dead grass and roots that may be smothering new growth. This will help promote better water and nutrient absorption and prevent disease.
  3. Aerate the Soil: Compacted soil can restrict the flow of air, water, and nutrients to the grass roots. Use aeration equipment to perforate the soil and alleviate compaction, promoting healthier root growth and overall lawn vigor.
  4. Overseed Bare Spots: Inspect your lawn for bare or thin areas and overseed them with grass seed. Rake the soil lightly to create good seed-to-soil contact, then apply the seed evenly. Keep the soil moist until the new grass establishes itself.
  5. Apply Fertilizer: Feed your lawn with a high-quality fertilizer specifically formulated for spring application. This will provide essential nutrients to fuel new growth and help your lawn recover from winter dormancy.
  6. Control Weeds: Stay ahead of weeds by applying pre-emergent herbicides to prevent weed seeds from germinating. For existing weeds, use post-emergent herbicides or hand-pull them before they have a chance to spread.
  7. Adjust Mowing Height: Set your lawnmower to the appropriate cutting height for your grass type and mow regularly as needed. Aim to remove no more than one-third of the grass blade’s height with each mowing to maintain a healthy root system.
  8. Inspect Irrigation System: Check your irrigation system for any leaks, clogs, or damaged components. Make any necessary repairs or adjustments to ensure efficient water distribution across your lawn.
  9. Edge Borders and Flower Beds: Define the edges of your lawn by edging along sidewalks, driveways, and flower beds. This creates a neat, manicured appearance and prevents grass from encroaching into unwanted areas.
  10. Monitor Soil Moisture: Keep an eye on soil moisture levels and water your lawn as needed, especially during dry periods. Deep, infrequent watering encourages deep root growth and helps your lawn withstand drought conditions.

By following these tips, you’ll give your lawn the best possible start to the spring growing season. With a little effort and attention now, you’ll enjoy a lush, healthy lawn that’s the envy of the neighborhood throughout the warmer months ahead. Happy spring gardening!

I need a new lawn mower and want to be environmentally friendly. What are my options?

July 22, 2020Uncategorized, , , , Leave a comment

Old Fashioned Manual (Reel) Lawn Mower

The old fashioned manual (reel) lawn mower has been updated for modern times. They are now made of both lightweight and sturdy materials. Some models feature pneumatic tires, blade height settings, and even an adjustable handle length. The reel-mounted horizontal blades gives an exceptional cut by slicing the grass against a lower rigid bar. These oldie but goodie mowers are also known for being very quiet while operating and also give off no pollution (unlike your typical gas lawn mower). They are especially useful for tiny or smaller lawns. 

Battery Operated Walk-Behind Lawn Mower

The battery operated walk-behind lawn mower tends to be a better choice than the reel if cutting a lawn that is more than 4000 square feet. Some of these battery operated mowers can hold a long charge allowing you to cut up to two-thirds of an acre in a single charge. Battery operated lawn mowers are more quiet than your gas powered lawn mower and they tend to be very low maintenance. They might also be referred to as battery-powered lawn mowers or electric lawn mowers.

If I Cut My Grass Shorter Will I Be Able To Mow Less Often?

June 26, 2020Uncategorized, , , Leave a comment

Scalping the lawn (in other words, cutting it too short) is a common mistake made by many individuals. Some people think that if they cut their grass down to pretty much its roots (slight exaggeration) it will make it so that they do not have to cut their grass as frequently. 

It is safe to say that you can cut your grass shorter than normal during the cooler days of Spring and Autumn, and this will not affect the flawless appearance of your freshly cut lawn. However, when temperatures reach up to 80 degrees or higher experts say that you should let your grass get a little bit taller. Although it may look a messier then you’d like and not have that same “perfect” appearance as a lawn mowed shorter, this taller grass will actually allow for better plant health. It turns out that taller grass blades will shade the ground, conserve moisture, and help prevent weed seeds from germinating! 

Cutting your grass shorter does not slow down its growth rate and the grass will need to be cut or mowed just as frequently. 

SHORTER GRASS
Pro: Looks nice at first glance, an almost “perfect” appearance! 
Con: Can cause more weeds to grow over time


TALLER GRASS
Pro: Makes for healthier grass & less weeds over time
Con: Doesn’t “look” as nice


KEY TAKE AWAY 
Cutting the grass shorter does not slow down its growth rate and it still will need to be cut it just as often

3 Lawn Care Mistakes You Should Know About

February 9, 2019Uncategorized, , , , , , , , , , Leave a comment

Feb 9, 2019

I don’t know about you but I love my yard — cutting it and watering it, day in and day out. There is nothing like a beautiful cut yard to gaze at right outside your window. I recently discovered that I could be trying too hard. It turns out that that overwatering and over-fertilizing your grass can actually hurt it…

To keep your yard flourishing, ensure you avoid these lawn care mistakes.

PROBLEM #1: Cutting Grass Way Too Short

Are you one of those people who think cutting your grass extra short will allow you to cut it less often? If you are, let me tell you, it doesn’t work that way. Cutting your grass excessively short over and over again is not good for it. The grass can get very weak and will not be able to make solid roots. Frail grass won’t be able to face hot days and can become overpowered by crabgrass and different weeds.

The right tallness for grass relies upon its species. Tall fescue, for example, ought to be kept generally long, around 3 or 4 inches.

You can raise or lower the height of your lawnmower wheels by utilizing the movable switches at each wheel. It only should take a couple of minutes and will be well worth your time.

PROBLEM #2: Watering The Grass Excessively

You might believe you’re helping your yard by giving it a ton of water but overwatering your yard is not a good thing. You can suffocate your grass when doing this. If you do water excessively and the dirt ends up soaked it can actually makeitg harder for the grass roots to drink the water.

The best time to water is toward the beginning of the day. Make sure you check the weather forecast to see if there are rain showers. This way you don’t accidentally water it on days it will already receive rain water.

PROBLEM #3: Force-Fertilizing Grass When It Doesn’t Need It

Fertilizing your grass is similar to watering it, too much manure can likewise hurt your grass. Laying down too much lawn fertilizers can cause too much leaf growth and less root growth which can cause your grass to become frail and more capable to disease and drought.

It’s best to put down a moderate amount manure twice per year—once in the spring, when grass is developing quickly, and again in Autumn to reinforce your garden for overwintering.

Another good strategy is to just give the grass clippings a chance to fall on the yard, instead of bagging them. This is commonly referred to as mulching your lawn. Mulching is another way of “fertilizing” it. Do likewise in the Fall with leaves. Cut over them and mulch them once before you bag them up with your lawnmower bag.