How to Maintain a Healthy Lawn

There are no secrets to a beautiful lawn; consistent tender loving care is the only way to maintain a healthy lawn. Hiring someone to maintain your lawn for you is always an option but satisfaction is better with hard work.

Watering to maintain a healthy lawn

Watering is important, a healthy lawn requires at least 1 inch of water per week depending on rain. To find out if your lawn is getting enough water you need to check the soil, sandy soil requires less water. To check the soil dig about 5 to 10 inches down to make sure the soil is soaking wet.

Feeding to maintain a healthy lawn

To make plants healthy and strong fertilizers will help the lawn crowd out weeds and withstand drought.

In the spring use fertilizers with a 2:1:1 ratio of nitrogen to phosphorous and potash, in the fall use a 1:2:2 for healthy growth during the winter months. Roughly 3 pounds for every 1,000 square feet, a slow release fertilizer is suggested.

Weed and pest control to maintain a healthy lawn

A healthy lawn will prevent weeds from growing but in some cases weeds will grow where they may. Most garden and home improvement centers carry weed control systems. When using any chemicals or fertilizers to maintain a healthy lawn follow all manufacturer instructions and safety precautions.

Leveling a lawn to maintain a healthy lawn

A good spring clean up can change the level of a healthy lawn, tree removal, heavy traffic, pests and freezing/thawing can all damage the health of a maintained lawn and make the job of mowing tougher.

Low spots can be raised by soil or sand and peat directly spread on top of the grass, no more then 1/4 of an inch thick and it must be deeply saturated. Continue adding 1/4 of an inch until the lawn is level.

For deeper spots remove the healthy sod, fill the empty space in with rich soil tamped down firmly and replace the healthy sod and water deeply.

Reseeding bare spots to maintain a healthy lawn

In early spring or fall reseed bare spots on your lawn; some spots may require fresh sod. If seeding, rake any debris and remove weeds to prepare the soil. Loosen the soil and add fertilizer. Smooth it all out with a rake and spread seed, tamp it all down and moisten with water. Keeping the soil moist until the seeds germinate will insure a healthy maintained lawn.

Mowing to maintain a healthy lawn

To keep your lawn healthy and neat, mowing is critical. Mowing during the wet season should be done once every week, during the dry season every 2 weeks.

During active lawn growth the grass should be cut to about 2 inches, otherwise 3 inches. Mowers you can push, turn and change blade heights are recommended.

If you mow to maintain a healthy lawn often clippings can remain on the lawn, if you are trimming more than an inch from the lawn catching the clippings is recommended.

If you follow these basic steps you will have no problem maintaining a healthy lawn.

Reference:

• bhg.com