If you are a first time home buyer, chances are you are not too familiar with lawn care. Whether you are looking to buy a home with a big yard or a small patch of green, keeping your lawn healthy and looking great takes time, effort, and knowledge. Use these 10 top tips to get a head start on your lawn care routine:
1. Get To Know Your Grass
Homebuyers need to know that there are many different types of grass, and each one has specific watering, mowing, and fertilizing needs. Do some research on the type of grass in your yard so you can give it the lawncare it needs to stay healthy and green. Ideally you want a uniform lawn so try not to seed or overseed multiple grasses with different aesthetics.
2. Mow Regularly
Mowing your lawn on a regular basis is important for keeping it looking neat and tidy. But be sure to mow high enough - if you cut your grass too short, it will be more susceptible to damage and disease.
3. Don't Bag Your Clippings
Leaving your grass clippings on the lawn after you mow is actually good for the grass. The clippings act as a natural fertilizer, adding nutrients back into the soil. The tendency to bag your clippings is one of the biggest lawn care myths - so save yourself some time and effort and let them stay put.
4. Water Deeply And Less Often
It's better to water your lawn deeply and less often than to give it frequent, shallow watering. Deep watering encourages deeper root growth, which helps your grass survive during periods of drought. Watering in the morning is best, so the water has a chance to soak in before evaporation can occur.
5. Don't Overwater The Grass
While it is important to water deeply, you don't want to overwater your lawn. Too much water can actually damage your grass, causing it to turn yellow or brown. If you're not sure how much water your lawn needs, check the weather forecast - if rain is in the forecast, you can skip watering. However, if it hasn't rained in a while, your lawn will likely need a good soaking.
6. Fertilize Regularly
Fertilizing your lawn helps ensure that it gets the nutrients it needs to stay healthy and green. But be sure to use the right fertilizer - using too much or the wrong type of fertilizer can harm your lawn. Fertilizers are typically labeled with the letters N-P-K, which stand for nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium. The numbers on the label indicate the percentage of each nutrient in the fertilizer. For example, a fertilizer with an N-P-K ratio of 16-4-8 contains 16% nitrogen, 4% phosphorus, and 8% potassium.
Back in the day, it was common practice to use a fertilizer with a high nitrogen content. However, Heroes lawn care professionals recommend using a fertilizer with a balanced N-P-K ratio. A good all-purpose fertilizer for lawns has an N-P-K ratio of around 15-5-10.
7. Aerate Your Lawn
Aerating your lawn helps improve air circulation and drainage, which is important for a healthy lawn. Aerating also helps reduce compaction, which can damage your grass. Aerating is typically done with a special machine that pulls out small plugs of soil from your lawn. You can usually rent an aerator from a garden center or local hardware store.
8. Remove Thatch
Thatch is a layer of dead and living organic matter that can build up on your lawn over time. Too much thatch can damage your grass, so it's important to remove it on a regular basis. Having to remove thatch is more common if you have a grass type that tends to produce a lot of it, such as Bermuda grass. You can remove thatch from your lawn with a special machine called a dethatcher, or you can do it manually with a garden rake.
9. Control Weeds
Weeds can compete with your grass for water and nutrients, so it's important to control them. Pulling weeds by hand is often the best method, but you can also use herbicides or weed barriers.
10. Be Patient
Creating and maintaining a beautiful lawn takes time and effort. So be patient and don't expect perfection overnight. With a little care and attention, your lawn will be the envy of the neighborhood in no time. Remember that the grass is always greener where you water it and care for it!
Conclusion
There you have it - 10 essential tips for taking care of your lawn and adding value to your home. By following these lawncare tips, you will be on your way to having a healthy, green lawn that you can enjoy for years to come. Make sure to bookmark this page so you can refer back to it whenever you need a lawn care refresher. Happy lawn care and enjoy your great green grass!