The grass doesn’t always have to be greener on the other side of the fence if you know what you’re doing. While some people get creative with their landscaping, most people still have lawns of green grass. If you want a healthier lawn around your home, here are five tips to make your lawn greener and healthier:
Sharpen And Raise Mower Blades
Keep your lawn mower blades sharp. Grass turns brown when you cut it with dull blades. This makes your grass vulnerable to heat stress and diseases. Make sure the blades are in the top or second position. That way you won’t cut the grass too low. Cutting it too low removes what online experts call “the energy-producing top growth.”
Water Properly
Lawns require an inch of water weekly. Watering frequently and lightly causes shallow root growth and even drought stress. Lawns should be watered once a week and for over an hour in order to give them a “deep soak”. Watering should also be done late early as watering late in the day encourages the growth of fungus.
Maintain The Soil’s pH
While certain specific grasses are best suited for more acidic or alkaline conditions, in general, soil should have a pH balance of 6.5. The soil’s pH can be tested with a DIY kit in order to get a rough estimate. If the pH balance is not 6.5 it can be adjusted using specific additives. You also want to make sure that you get the best possible kind of grass or grass seed. Be sure to take the time to look into companies like Central Farm and Garden to find the best possible grass for you and your yard.
Fertilize Correctly
The speed at which one walks behind a fertilizer spreader aids in establishing if the fertilizer is being applied properly. Fertilizer should be applied at a rate of two to three and a half pounds per 1000 square feet. A kitchen scale can be used to measure out one or two pounds that can be put into the spreader and applied to a measured area for a test run.
Understand Fertilizer Chemistry
Typical U.S. American lawns are planted with “cool-weather” grass, so fertilizing in fall is more important than fertilizing in spring. Fertilizer with higher levels of potassium provides for winter nutrient storage as well as spring root growth. Fertilizing in the spring should be done with a 30-3-4 NPK ratio which means 20 parts nitrogen, three parts phosphorus, and four parts potassium. If you are not establishing seeds you should purchase low-phosphorus fertilizer because runoff can damage waterways and cause aquatic weed growth.
Overall, there are tons of different things you can do to help make your grass grow greener. All you have to do is some research and take the time to find out what methods work best for you. After trying everything you can you should be able to find the best possible solution.