A gorgeous, well-maintained lawn does more than make your home look awesome. It’s a place for you to sit back, relax, enjoy a refreshing iced tea, and bask in the stunning vistas in your neighbourhood. Such a lawn requires considerable effort and upkeep, but it’s important to note that putting in more effort doesn’t always translate to better results. Some well-meaning homeowners have put a lot of elbow grease into their lawns only to yield little results.
Taking care of your lawn means being aware of the chores that are worth doing and skipping harmful habits. Here are four different ways to care for your yard:
1. Don’t Mow Too Short
It may make sense to mow your lawn short enough so that you don’t have to keep clipping your grass too often. However, cutting too low will lead to more weed growth and even cause your grass to die. Short grass also burns fast, which means it isn’t getting as many nutrients as it should and will be very brittle and dry.
Instead, allow your grass to grow tall and leave it a bit taller than usual when you mow it. Cool-season turfgrasses like Kentucky bluegrass, tall fescue, and perennial rye grass thrive when they’re allowed to grow 2 ½ to 3 inches. Warm-season turfgrasses like Bermuda and zoysia flourish at shorter heights, such as 1 ½ to 2 ½ inches.
However, you may want to mow your grass close to the short end of these ranges during the first and last mowing of the year. Doing this at the start of mowing season will remove plant debris that has settled during the colder months. At the end of the year, it will decrease the likelihood of fungal diseases developing during winter.
2. Don’t Bag Grass Clippings
Some homeowners bag grass clippings after mowing the lawn. However, doing so strips your grass of the nutrients that the clippings provide as they decay. Leaving cut grass in your yard doesn’t lead to disease, as it decomposes quickly. Instead, mow your lawn with a mulching mower, which slices grass clippings into small pieces that are meant to be left on lawns.
3. Let Someone Else Mow Your Lawn
If you’re simply too busy to mow your lawn, it may be best to have someone else do it for you. Whether a professional lawnmower or a robot mower, handing off this task will free up chunks of your time while resulting in a lush, healthier lawn. Typically, homeowners mow their lawn once a week, but having someone else do it for you will result in regular mowing and care throughout numerous days. With such frequent mowing, only a small height of the grass is cut off, which is better for your grass.
4. Don’t Grow Grass in Shady Spots
Lastly, don’t try growing grass in shady spots. You’ll be effectively depriving them of sunlight, which they need to thrive. Additionally, trying to grow grass in shaded areas is a futile effort unless you’re willing to invest hours upon hours of your time, like fertilizing that area in the spring. Still, that area won’t look as green and thick as the rest of your lawn, so it’s best to focus your efforts elsewhere.
You can also opt to replace this grass with a mulch bed along with perennial plants that flourish in dark, low-sunlight conditions. You can also ask your local lawn company for recommendations.
Conclusion
Taking care of your lawn involves much more than watering and mowing it. You need to make sure you cut your grass at a certain height, leave the clippings, and give it special care before and after winter arrives. By using our guide, you’ll enjoy a lush, beautiful lawn.
For more lawn maintenance tips, be sure to get in touch with The Chris Kambouris Real Estate Team! We have built many relationships with local landscaping and lawn care providers and can direct you in the right direction to take your lawn to the next level. We all know when it comes time to sell your home, having fresh, green, lush grass free of weeds brings a competitive edge to your home’s curb appeal.
