How To Not Ruin Your Lawn

One of the first things that friends and relatives notice when they visit your home is your front lawn. It stands to reason then, that it should be one of your highest priorities when it comes to maintaining your yard. The problem is that many people are doing more harm than good to their lawns, ruining their hard work and giving those important visitors a poor first impression of their home.

So in this article, I am going to take a look at what you absolutely should not do if you want your lawn to look its best.

Don’t Over-Water

Believe it or not, it is possible to over-water your grass. Too much water will wash away any fertilizer you have used, and also makes the grass more susceptible to diseases. Instead of watering your lawn each day for a short amount of time, you should water it once a week till it gets a good soaking.

Lawns that are watered daily only develop a shallow root system. This leads to them being very water-dependent and can cause your grass to die off much quicker in a dry period.

Don’t Skip Your Mowing

We all have those days where we just can’t be bothered doing the mowing; surely it can go another week….right? Wrong! Leaving your lawn to grow too long between mowing will mean your grass grows tall and sparse, instead of thick and dense.

The blades of grass that shoot up the quickest will end up blocking the sun over the shorter grass which leads to an uneven lawn. Be sure to mow regularly with a good quality mower with sharp blades to give your lawns a nice even look.

Don’t Bag Your Grass Clippings

While I am on the topic of mowing, let’s talk about what to do with your grass clippings. The simple answer is nothing; get yourself a mower with mulching capabilities so that the cut grass is laid back onto your lawn as fertilizer. Clippings can also help the soil below retain moisture during dry spells. A good mulching mower will leave almost no sign of the clippings at all.

Don’t Over-Fertilize

Over-fertilizing is quite a common problem, throwing too much fertilizer on your lawn can have a devastating effect. It results in the grass becoming severely dehydrated, and it almost looks like it has been burnt – hence why they call this effect “burning the lawn”.

Be sure to read the instructions on the fertilizer packaging and follow them precisely. It is also just as important to make sure you buy a type of fertilizer that is suitable for your grass – which leads me to the next point:

Don’t Assume All Grass Is The Same

Did you know there are over 18 types of grass commonly used on lawns throughout the USA? Each variety of grass can require drastically different care to thrive. Some of the differences in care between grass species are cut heights, watering frequency, and fertilizer type.

So it’s crucial to know what type is growing in your yard and adapt your watering, mowing, and fertilizing routines to suit. If you don’t know what type of lawn you have, take a sample down to your local garden center and get them to identify it. They will also be able to tell you more about how to care for your particular type of grass.

Of course, these tips are not going to make you a lawn care expert, but they will get you moving in the right direction. Watering, fertilizing and mowing are all critical aspects of caring for your grass and should not be neglected.

Lawn care can be quite addictive, and when you get home from work one day and see what your hard work has produced, I think you will find that learning just a little bit about how to care for your lawns was more than worthwhile.

Author Bio: Aaron Green is a full-time father of two who spends his spare time in the garden and around the house. Being responsible for two young children leaves him little time to pursue hobbies, but he loves to share his knowledge with others when he can. You can find more of Aaron’s work at: www.essentialhomeandgarden.com

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