A beautiful lawn is worth putting some effort and money into. You don’t have to hire a landscaper or pay a lot of money to have a lush and green lawn that your neighbors will be envious of and which will add a lot of curb appeal to your home, as well as make it more sellable if you are in the market. My preference is for Scott’s products. I find they work well and are affordable.
Spring seems a long way off at this point, but it will come around before you know it. These are some tips to get you started on your way to having a beautiful lawn.
Aeration is extremely important for your lawn in order for it to breathe properly and to receive the seed and feed you will later put down. First, de-thatch your lawn. With a thatching rake, remove dried leaves, grass and other debris that have worked its way onto your lawn and are effectively matting your grass down. Remove the debris from the lawn once done. Next, aerate your lawn with a lawn aerator. You can purchase a lawn aerator for less than ten bucks at your local DIY, or garden store. There are really expensive ones on the market but you can get away with a cheap one that you use by foot. You can also do this with a garden fork. I have a lawn aerator that you push down into the ground with your foot and it removes two plugs of soil. Simply walk around your lawn and systematically push the aerator into the ground.
Some people just seed bare areas in their lawn, but it is a good idea to give your lawn an all over seeding to promote new grass growth. This is called over-seeding. Select the type of grass that is right for your lawn. If your lawn is mostly shady, choose a grass seed that works with shady lawns. With the same token, if your lawn is in full sun, use a full sun product. There are also shady/sun mixtures out there for those lawns that have a mixture of both. If you are unsure of the type of grass you have, check with your local garden or DIY store. I usually buy the sun/shady mix of a variety of grasses including Fine Fescue, Ryegrass, Kentucky Bluegrass, and Perennial grass types. There are numerous types of grass seed for your particular lawn’s needs such as high traffic lawns, and those specific to lawns in the North and in the South. You can do this by hand but using a spreader gives even coverage. You can purchase one for about twenty dollars. Sprinkle your lawn with a dose of water to wet the leaves and then fertilize it using the spreader.
It is important to follow the directions on the fertilizer bag regarding the number your spreader should be on. If too much fertilizer is put down, you will end up burning your lawn and not feeding it as you intend to. I use Scotts Turf Builder with Halts Crabgrass Preventer for the first fertilization. Always apply fertilizer to a dry lawn and then water well afterwards. Spread some peat moss over your lawn and allow the new grass to grow for the next few weeks until you see the seedlings grown a few inches tall before you mow it. Be sure to keep the seeds moist by watering appropriately. If they dry out, they will not grow.
The next important step to a beautiful lawn is to water your lawn appropriately. Too often people either over or under water their lawns. Over-watering promotes weed growth. The key to a lush lawn is to water it well when you do but to allow several days pass before watering it again. This will allow the roots to deepen. Too many frequent light waterings will promote shallow root growth, resulting in grass that is easily pulled up and not healthy. In the heat of summer, always water in early morning hours to prevent the grass from burning. Water the lawn long enough so that there it gets between 2-4 inches of water at a time.
The other thing that people often do not do correctly is mowing. Too often we think the grass should be mowed short. Longer grass blades will allow more sunlight to penetrate which promotes deeper root systems and you will have fewer pest problems. Keep the blades between 2 ½ to 3 ½ inches long.
During mid spring is when you will want to use a fertilizer product that kills dandelions and other broad leaf weeds such as Scotts Turf Builder Plus Two Weed Control. During the summer months, use a fertilizer that has an insect control product in it such as Scotts TurfBuilder with Summerguard. This product also protects the lawn from the harsh heat and drought of summer.
In late fall, when you put your gardens and lawn to bed, use a product such as Scotts Turf Builder Winterguard Fall Fertilizer. It will help your lawn with deeper and thicker root systems and give you a boost for a greener spring lawn for the following year. You can also overseed again at this time, but do it prior to fertilizing the lawn.
If you follow these steps, you are sure to have a wonderfully thick and green lawn which will add much appeal to your home. With a little care and maintenance, your lawn will look beautiful and be healthy for years to come.
