Beautiful Landscapes and Basic Lawn Care

If there were a list of the most important factors in caring for your lawn, watering would have to be in the top two.  The proper water schedule must be maintained or you won’t have the lush, thick carpet of grass that you desire.  The proper schedule will be determined by where you live.

Examine how much rainfall your immediate area has gotten over the past few years.  Find out if that is normal or more of a drought period.  Knowing the average amount of rainfall you can expected as well as what’s predicted for the near future are important to properly watering your lawn.  The weather in your area will help you determine the system of water that will work the best for you.  For example, a dry climate will likely do best with an irrigation system or an automatic sprinkler system.

One of the most recommended ways to water lawns is an underground automatic sprinkler system.  This way the watering is done as needed, and on a regular automatic basis.  You will not have to spend a lot of your time standing in the yard with a hose since it is all done with a timer.  This may not be an option in your case since they can be expensive.

The best option for watering your lawn will likely be the commercial sprinkler system that most people are familiar with.  They are the most popular option these days and among the cheapest as well.  If you place the system yourself be sure the sprinklers will cover all areas of your yard.  If you don’t there will be spots not getting watered enough and may you have to reseed all over again.

Also be sure you are not watering your lawn too much.  Ironically too much water can damage your grass more than to little water.  Most grasses can handle a drought but they have a harder time dealing with a flood.  A majority of lawns require 1-1.5” of water a week.  Natural rainfall will account for some of that, but not all of it.  Its best not to guess at how much water your lawn is getting.  Get a rain gauge so you can measure the natural rainfall and find out how much water your sprinklers put out.  If the rainfall has been enough at the end of the week, watering your lawn is unnecessary.

If there is ever a drought in your area and a ban is placed on water you will have to follow the local regulations.  Try not to worry, less water is okay and your grass will recover.  When the ban is lifted you can go back to watering your lawn normally and it should return to normal fairly rapidly.

Fertilizing Your Lawn

As you probably already know, your lawn is a plant.  All plants need food, or fertilizer, to thrive.  Everyone knows that their garden and house plants need to be fertilized, but the lawn is often seen as able to take care of itself.  To keep your grass looking amazing you should know the ins and outs of fertilizing a lawn.

A fertilizer is defined as material that contains at least one of the nutrients essential for plant growth.  The most common are potassium, nitrogen, and phosphorous.  Although you may see other minerals listed on the packaging as well.  Fertilizing a lawn will also help the seed germinate when first its spread.  Once the grass is better established the fertilizer will make it healthier and thicker.

In general four fertilizer applications a year should be sufficient.  You should begin fertilizing a lawn in early spring, approximately a month before the growing season starts, and spread it out every 60 days.  Stop spreading fertilizer in the fall when the growing season ends.  Beginning fertilizing your lawn in the spring will ensure that you get a rich, green color that will be envy of the neighborhood.

Fertilizing a lawn too often or using too much will cause fungus growth, excessive growth and will ultimately weaken the grass.  Guidelines should be on the packaging so be sure to follow them closely.  There are also two type of fertilizer to choose, balanced or complete.   Complete fertilizers not only contain the normal nutrients but other minerals as well.   A complete fertilizer will contain nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium within the same product.  Anything less is considered an incomplete fertilizer.  Using an incomplete fertilizer can result in lower quality grass unless a supplement is used.

Balanced fertilizers contain a ratio of nutrients that are customized to meet the plant’s needs for that environment.  For example, turf grass will require nitrogen, potassium and phosphorous in a specific ratio that will differ from other types of grass.  Fertilizing a lawn with the wrong balanced fertilizer will also lead to low turf quality.  The right ratio will not only vary based on the grass type but on the minerals and nutrients in the soil.

A slow-release fertilizer can be bought at most home stores and tend to be a good fit for almost anyone.  These fertilizers release their nutrients slowly and over a period of time.  This stretches out the feeding and depending on the product can limit the amount of fertilizing you have to do.  Because the nutrients are released slowly, the roots of the grass will cover any bare patches of dirt and inhibit weed growth.

With any fertilizer be sure to read the bag carefully.  Fertilizing a lawn with the wrong kind of nutrients will only damage it in the long run.  Follow all the instructions for the best results.  Fertilizers are best applied with a spreader, but its not advised that you fill the spreader on the lawn.  It may cause grass-burn, so fill the spreader elsewhere.