Having a great looking lawn can make all the difference to the overall look of your house. Think about it; there is always that one house in the street with the immaculate lawn – the house with the lawn that always looks lush and green with a lovely even cut and straight edges. Well you can also have the perfect lawn, and it isn’t all that hard to achieve, you just need to follow a few basic tips and tricks.
Mow Frequently and Don’t Cut Too Short
You may think that letting your grass grow long, then mowing it as short as possible is the way to do your lawns. It may seem like it at the time, but it is one of the best ways to damage your grass and cause it have a distinctly uneven look. Your mower will cut more evenly if the grass has not grown too high.
A general rule that most professionals will tell you is to cut of no more than a third of the grass blade.
Use a Good Quality Mower with Sharp Blades
You may be tempted to get the cheapest mower you can and just run it into the ground without worrying about maintenance or blade upkeep. A cheap mower may work well to start with, but in our experience, it just leads to poor performance in a much shorter time than a good quality mower. A gas mower is preferred, but cordless mowers are also becoming quite popular among our aging population. Keeping the blades of your mower sharp are probably THE most important thing you can do to maintain the perfect lawn. Blunt blades will just push some of the grass blades over, resulting in a very uneven finish.
Feed Your Lawn
Fertilizing your lawn is vital to keeping it looking lush and thick. Choose a combination fast and slow release nitrogen-based fertilizer.
If you live in the north, feed your grass in spring and the fall, if you live in the south then feed in the spring and summer.
Water Less Frequently For Longer in the Morning
Watering your grass every day causes the plant to develop shallow roots, this means that if a dry spell does come around, then it cannot access the water deep in the ground. It also means that it is less resilient to foot traffic and other activities that can damage a lawn. Instead give your lawn a good soaking once a week, this way the grass will develop an excellent deep root system that can find the water when that drought comes around.
Watering in the morning means that the blades of your grass can dry out properly during the day. Grass that is left wet overnight becomes more susceptible to diseases.
Remove Weeds
Most weeds have an enormous visual impact on your lawns, so if you are after the perfect lawn, it makes sense to remove weeds as soon as you notice them. If there are only a few weeds, then remove them by hand and be sure to get the root system if possible. If many weeds have sprung up at once, then you will want to apply a weed control product, these usually come in a granular form and are available at most garden centers.
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Author Bio:
Aaron Green is a full time father of two who spends his spare time in the garden and around the house. Being responsible for two young children leaves him little time to pursue hobbies, but he loves to share his knowledge with others when he can. You can find more of Aaron’s work at www.essentialhomeandgarden.com
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