Season Tips
Yard Tips
Keeping the lawn thick, green and healthy means doing several things right one of the most important is making sure there’s enough moisture to maintain growth. Nature’s rainfall schedule is not dependable. Some additional watering is almost always necessary, at least during the hotter and drier parts of the year, to avoid water stress. Lawns turn brown, thin out, and run into more disease and insect problems when under water stress. A thin, water-stressed lawn also creates room for weeds to invade. So whether you used underground or portable sprinklers, there are a few basic guidelines to follow to avoid these problems and maintain good lawn health.
Timing Makes a Difference
One basic rule is: water the lawn when the least amount will be lost. Avoid watering in the heat of the day to make sure your water goes down to the roots instead of going up as vapor. Also avoid watering when windy conditions will affect even coverage or cause you to water your neighbor’s lawn instead of your own.
Soak The Roots
When you water, saturate the soil to a depth of 6” to 8”. Frequent, shallow watering causes the grass to send roots to the surface for water, where they suffer more quickly during dry, hot spells. Also be sure to put down extra water along curbs and pavement, because these areas heat up much more and dry out much faster.
Do's and Dont's of Lawn Mowing
Don't cut your grass too short, particular for cools season grasses. Higher heights usually provide for a deeper root system, looks better, and is less likely to have weeds invading, particular crabgrass.
Don't remove any more than one third of the grass leaf at any one cutting. If circumstances arise that a lawn gets too tall and you just have to lop off a bunch to get caught up, bight the bullet and break it down into several mowings to get caught up with 3 or so days between cuttings.
When mowing only a third with each cutting, you can safely leave the clippings that will quickly decompose and add nutrients back into the soil. Contrary to popular opinion, grass clippings do not add to thatch buildup. Grass blades are made up of about 75% water.
Mow your lawn in a different direction with each mowing.
Keep your mower's blade sharp, which means sharpening it several times during the mowing season. Keep several lawn mower blades around so you'll always have a sharp one on hand.
