A lush, well-maintained lawn contributes to air quality improvement, biodiversity conservation, soil erosion prevention, and property value enhancement. It also provides a welcoming first impression for guests and neighbors.
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A lush, green lawn is a sign of a healthy yard, but keeping it requires more than just mowing and watering. Lawn care includes a year-round schedule of treatments and maintenance tasks that vary by climate and soil type. These include fertilizing, aerating, and pest control. Each treatment should be done at the right time of the year, with the appropriate tools and methods to ensure it’s effective and safe.
Many homeowners make the mistake of overwatering or underwatering their lawns, causing a number of problems including shallow root growth, disease, and wasted resources. The key to a healthy, beautiful lawn is striking the right balance between watering and letting nature take its course.
During the summer, most lawns need to be watered on an occasional basis. However, some grasses are particularly drought-tolerant and may not require additional watering. It’s important to monitor the conditions of your lawn and use a soil test to determine how much water it needs.
Overwatering can cause a variety of issues, including fungi and diseases that affect the health and appearance of your lawn. In addition, overwatering can lead to soggy soil, which can damage the roots of your grass and create an environment where weeds thrive.
The best time of day to water your lawn is in the early morning, between 2 a.m. and 6 a.m. This gives the grass time to absorb the water before the heat of the day causes it to evaporate. Avoid watering in the evening, as prolonged moisture on the grass promotes fungal diseases.
When watering your lawn, it’s important to water deeply, using long run times for the sprinklers, and to water infrequently (only 1-3 times per week). Watering deeply encourages grass roots to grow deeper into the soil, making your lawn more drought-resistant. Watering infrequently also prevents soil compaction, which reduces the amount of oxygen and water that can reach the roots of the grass. By following these tips, you can help your lawn remain healthy and vibrant all summer long.
Fertilizing
Your lawn needs certain nutrients to grow and stay healthy. These nutrients are found in the soil but can be depleted over time. Fertilizer replenishes these essential nutrients.
Fertilizers come in both organic and synthetic options, with each offering different benefits. Organic fertilizers are derived from natural sources and release nutrients slowly into the soil. Synthetic options are manufactured from mineral or chemical sources, and provide a quick boost of nutrients that the grass absorbs quickly for greener, healthier turf. Both can be effective if used responsibly. Over-fertilizing can burn your grass, while under-fertilizing will not give it the nutrients it needs to thrive. The key is to use a fertilizer formulated for your specific soil type and grass. A soil test can help you determine the nutrient content of your soil and guide you in selecting the proper fertilizer.
A well-fertilized lawn will be more resilient to disease, heat, and drought. It will also recover more quickly from damage caused by pests.
Many homeowners have varying objectives for their lawns, including a manicured appearance, high traffic areas, and sports fields. Each requires its own unique maintenance plan.
Using the proper fertilizer is just as important as selecting the right one. Grass needs different amounts of nitrogen (N), phosphorous (P), and potassium (K). The N in a fertilizer promotes leaf growth, while the P encourages root development and flowering. Potassium helps the plants resist stress and disease, so it’s especially important to maintain adequate levels of this nutrient.
When applying fertilizer, watering your lawn can help the nutrients penetrate into the soil. It can also prevent nutrient runoff and pollution from leaching into nearby bodies of water. It’s important to follow the recommended application rates on the packaging and consult a professional to avoid over- or under-fertilizing. Uneven application can lead to brown patches, thatch buildup, and poor soil health. If you do choose to apply fertilizer yourself, be sure to use a spreader or broadcast sprayer to ensure even coverage.
Weed Control
Weeds can take away from the beauty of your lawn. They are not just ugly, they can also steal moisture and nutrients from grass, which makes it difficult for your turf to grow healthy and compete with weeds for these resources. The main way to prevent weeds is through proper lawn care. Watering, fertilization and mowing are essential, as is the use of a pre-emergent herbicide in early spring. Other important practices include aeration, dethatching and the removal of thatch, which can all promote a dense, vigorous lawn that can better resist weed invasions.
The first step in managing weeds is to identify them and understand why they are growing in your yard. This can help you determine which lawn care practices to improve, such as reducing shade or improving soil conditions. Then you can take steps to correct those problems and create ideal growing conditions for turf.
Most weeds are annual, which means that they grow and produce seeds in a single year. Perennial weeds can live for two years, with the first year being spent in vegetative growth and the second in flowering and seed production. Both types can be spread by wind, birds, animals, improperly handled or used grass seed, poor soil conditions, poor irrigation and chemical applications, and compaction of the soil.
Some weeds grow because of specific soil conditions that favor them, such as poor drainage or excessive thatch. Other weeds are caused by insects, diseases and other environmental factors. These can be controlled by mowing, watering, fertilizing, aerating, thatching and other lawn-care techniques.
Almost all lawns need some form of weed control. Many people choose to physically remove weeds by hand, which is effective for small patches of weeds in well-maintained lawns. Others prefer to kill weeds with herbicides. Herbicides come in a variety of formulations, so you need to know which one is right for you. Selective herbicides target specific weeds, while nonselective herbicides kill any plant they come into contact with.
The best way to keep weeds from taking over your lawn is through regular mowing, proper watering and aerating, applying pre-emergent weed treatment and removing thatch as needed. These preventative measures can make your lawn more resistant to weed invasions and give it the competitive edge over weeds.
Mowing
Regular mowing helps lawns maintain their desired appearance and encourages dense grass growth. This density offers multiple benefits, including the ability to withstand foot traffic and reduce soil erosion. It also allows roots to penetrate deeper into the soil, facilitating access to water and nutrients during droughts or heavy use. Mowing also plays a critical role in stimulating the development of healthier root systems.
A well-manicured commercial lawn is an important asset that creates a positive first impression for visitors and potential clients or tenants. It also promotes an air of professionalism and demonstrates that the property manager is invested in preserving and enhancing the value of the property.
When mowing is done properly, it helps prevent the onset of lawn diseases. However, under certain climatic conditions, diseases such as dollar spot, brown patch and stripe smut can overwhelm small to large areas of even the healthiest home and commercial lawns.
By changing up mowing directions each time, it’s possible to help minimize rutting and keep the soil open for air, moisture and essential nutrients to reach grass roots. During higher stress periods like the summer, it’s particularly important to change up mowing strategies to ensure that your lawn is healthy and thriving.
In addition to its aesthetic and environmental benefits, mowing contributes to psychological and emotional health by providing a sense of accomplishment and connection with nature. It’s also been shown that spending time in well-maintained outdoor spaces can lower stress levels and lead to a more balanced lifestyle.
Whether you manage an office park, retail center, educational or healthcare facility, or an industrial complex, a well-manicured lawn can set the tone for your business or organization and inspire your employees or tenants to work hard and care for the property. This makes consistent mowing an important part of professional property management.
Many municipalities and HOAs have rules governing mowing and landscaping standards. Failure to follow these guidelines can result in fines, penalties or disputes that tarnish the reputation of your property and increase maintenance costs. Consistent commercial lawn mowing can prevent these issues and help you avoid costly remediation efforts in the future.