3 Steps to a Great Lawn
Curb appeal is a major concern of most homeowners; after all, the first thing someone sees of your home is the outside of it. For most of us, our lawn is a big part of making a good first impression. Thankfully, growing and maintaining a great lawn doesn’t have to be backbreaking or all consuming. With some advance planning and some judicious research, you can be on the easy road to gardening green.
The first thing you should do if you’re serious about a great lawn is to have your soil tested. Your local extension office can provide you with all the information you need to sample your soil and send it off, and the data you receive in return is invaluable. It’s going to let you know how acid or alkaline your soil is, how much sand or clay is there, and those bits of info will help you decide what amendments to add to your soil, and what type of grass to grow. With that information in hand, you can head to your local gardening store for the next step, choosing a grass.
If you already have healthy grass with only a few issues, take a sample of the grass to the center and let them know that you want to continue growing that. If the grass you already have isn’t working, or you don’t have any grass at all, they can recommend what varieties will grow well in the type of soil and amount of light you have. Follow their recommendations for working the soil and sowing or over seeding your lawn; they’ve got a lot of experience.
In the fall, aerate your lawn to allow nutrients to reach deep into the soil and encourage the grass to grow a deep root system. This will protect it during the winter, and allow you to save water during the growing season, since the roots can reach down further to get needed moisture. A word of caution about aerating; if you need to apply a weed preventer, don’t do that in the same season that you aerate. One or the other, but not both, as they’re both somewhat stressful to the lawn. There can be too much of a good thing.
Finally, feed and mow regularly, but not too often. Too much fertilizer can burn your lawn, and if you have good quality soil you might not need it anyway. Don’t mow until your lawn has reach over three inches in height, and don’t cut it any shorter than three inches. You’re not maintaining a putting green, and a longer blade will allow for less watering. Use a mulching mower, and let the clippings break down into your lawn for natural feeding.
Work smarter, not harder, for a beautiful lawn that your entire family will enjoy.
About the Author- Becki Andrus has all the information you need about healthy eating habits. Visit her website and find out how you can implement easy, small steps to improve your health and have more energy: http://EverydayHealthGirl.com
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Becki_Andrus
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Tags: garden, gardening, grass, mulch, water