Expert Tips for having a Healthy Lawn

Our lawns are one of the things that people love to spend time on in the spring and summer.
Whether it’s tending to it or laying on it or relaxing by it we love to have a good looking lawn. Not all of us though want to spend the time it takes to have that good looking lawn. Like a lot of things in life these days if it isn’t instant then we don’t have the time for it. Yet we know that if we want it to be good it is going to take some effort. We also know that when we know how the experts do it, it always cuts the time and effort it takes to do the job right. So here are some tips from an expert.

“Turf expert Paul B. Latshaw, superintendent at Muirfield Village Golf Club, Jack Nicklaus’ home golf course in Ohio, says, ‘Turning your attention to the turf in early spring makes all the difference. Just like in golf, a little work now will really pay off throughout the season.’”

Here is some expert advice for keeping your lawn looking great all season:

Make sure your equipment is in good shape after sitting unused all winter, so spring is the perfect time to do a checkup on your mower. Make sure your mowers’ blade is sharpened or replaced, and make sure you change your mower’s oil, air filter, and spark plug. Your local dealer can help you with all the parts you need or you can get him to do that spring tune-up.

Fix those bare spots you might have noticed in your backyard due to disease, pests, or pets. They’re easy to repair by clearing away the dead material from the patches, then sprinkling some grass seed on the newly exposed soil, make sure to add a little fertilizer, and most of all keep the area moist.

Watering is important but we don’t want to waste this precious resource. You may have a drought resistant type of grass but many of us don’t and it will need water regularly. Some people water too little and others more than they have to. The rule of thumb here is: a lawn typically needs 1 inch of rain fall or water per week. If it gets more than that all season then the roots will be too shallow and that isn’t good, if it doesn’t get enough rain or water then it is susceptible to disease and insects. So make sure your lawn gets one good drink once a week.

Aeration is also important and needed to loosen the soil and to let water, air and fertilizers make their way down to the grasses roots. Lawns can often become compacted, reducing the ability of critical nutrients to reach those roots. Aeration often only needs to be done once a year.

Crab grass and other common problems with our lawns, dandelions, plantain, clover, etc. all need to be controlled if you want a quality lawn. Many aren’t noticeable first thing in the spring but that’s the time to do something about them before they start to grow or get out of control. For those of you who are thinking GREEN (and there are more and more of you every year) there are good choices that can help you have that control.

Spring and summer is a time for enjoying the outdoors and having the right tools and techniques will help turn work into pleasure and help you have a quality lawn throughout the year.

Thinking Green “by the yard”