How to Keep Your Lawn Healthy All Year Round
Whether you’re looking to sell or simply wish to entertain guests more often, creating a great first impression of your property is the best way to go. To achieve this, you need to have a healthy and beautifully green lawn all year round.
Aside from landscaping, this can be achieved through proper lawn maintenance. Of course, you would need to adjust the way you care for your lawn according to the season.
A company offering lawn care in Mason, Ohio has several tips for you to try to keep your yard immaculately green and properly nourished from spring to winter.
Spring
Spring is the time of year when grass growth is at its peak, so you need to be ready to start mowing your lawn. It is also the best time to care for your plants through fertilization and aerating the soil.
Mowing
When mowing, remember not to trim the grass while it is wet to avoid spreading disease and damaging your lawn mower by clogging it up with wet clippings.
Fertilize
Fertilization is best done during spring and fall. However, spring is the time you should fertilize your grass if you don’t live in a place with cold winters in order to boost its active growth during pleasant weather. Also, remember to follow the recommended application to ensure the best results for your yard.
Aerate the Soil
Aerating the soil entails digging up small holes into your lawn to ensure that the fertilizer, water, and oxygen reach the grass roots. Make sure to accomplish this task when the soil is damp but not too soaked to ensure that the process can be done efficiently.
Summer
Summer is the best time to mow grass and clear out moss and weeds. You may also need to overseed during his time of year to deal with potential gaps in the grass and prevent the green from turning yellow too soon by watering generously.
Remove Moss and Weeds
Removing unwanted growths from your lawn can help ensure that the oxygen, water, and nutrients from fertilizers get to the grass. To get rid of moss, you should avoid having wet and shaded areas in your lawn through chemical treatment and vigorous raking. For weeds, simply stop the infestation during its onset to prevent them from thriving.
Water Generously
Since this season brings intense and lingering heat, it can leave your lawn dry if not watered enough. Generally, you need to water once every seven to 10 days. You can also aerate the soil if it becomes unusually hard due to the lack of moisture.
Overseed Gaps
Aside from leaving your lawn dry, summer heat can also cause patches and gaps in the grass. To avoid this, you should break the soil up and rake it up to achieve an even surface. You can then start incorporating the seeds as you rake.
If the weather stays dry two to three days since seeding, you can water your lawn gently to allow grass to grow in the gaps and sparse areas after 10 days.
Fall
During this season, your main task is to get rid of falling leaves, twigs, and other debris with the use of a rake. You should also continue mowing to keep the grass at a nice, even length.
Continue Watering and Mowing
Continue watering and mowing your lawn throughout autumn. As the end of the season draws near, make sure to reduce the mower blade to the lowest setting for a final cutting (not more than one-third of the grass height) to allow more sunlight to reach the grass’s crown.
Rake Up Leaves
Although you can use mulch to break down fallen leaves and debris, raking is still the safest choice if you don’t want to damage the grass. Just make sure that you don’t leave the dry debris on your lawn too long so they don’t get wet from morning dew and rain as this will cause them to stick together. If this happens, you’ll have more difficult removing them, not to mention the health risks it may cause from breeding fungi.
Winter
Before winter even arrives, you would want to schedule your lawn care services for your lawn. When the temperature drops, you should also reduce or stop watering your lawn. Snow should also be kept on the grass to avoid ugly sparse patches and gaps in the grass.
Stop or Reduce Irrigation
Since the weather is already cooler, you don’t have to irrigate your lawn as much—if you need to water it at all. You can reduce the frequency your sprinklers run, but if it’s already snowing, you need to stop it altogether.
Leave Snow on the Grass
Contrary to popular belief, leaving snow on the grass can actually help protect it as it serves as a blanket that insulates the vegetation from the bitter cold of winter. This means you should keep snow removal activities limited to pathways and walkways.
Healthy Turf All Year
Lawn maintenance is a piece of cake if you understand what each of the four seasons brings to the landscape. Use this article as a guide to help you ensure proper care and maintenance for your yard and continue making a good first impression with your lawn all year round.
