Oh, the feeling of walking onto a freshly mowed lawn without shoes. It’s a wonderful feeling. It’s especially rewarding when you discover that the lawn you love will also pay for itself when you decide to sell. That’s why it’s crucial to pay attention to regular lawn care.
A lawn that is well maintained will almost always return 100% of the investment.
These lawn care tips will help you maintain a lush, green lawn from spring through fall.
Spring Lawn Care Tips
Preparation is key to a successful lawn care job. This is a basic part of lawn care in Conway SC.
Sharpen your mower blades for clean cuts. Sharpen blades to ensure clean cuts.
During the grass-cutting season, sharpen your mower blades every month. Keep a spare blade on hand (around $20) to ensure that you always have a sharp blade.
Replace your sparkplug and air filter with new ones ($3-$5). It’s not necessary to replace your sparkplug each season. However, it is easy and you should do it every year.
Purchase new gas. Gas left out over the winter may accumulate moisture, which can damage small engines. Use regular gasoline, especially if your fuel contains ethanol.
Ask your city or county if there are local disposal sites for old fuel.
Clean up your lawn. It’s time to grab the leaf rakes and remove all the leaves and twigs that have accumulated during the winter. If not removed immediately in the spring, a thick layer of wet leaf litter can cover a lawn. By clearing out old debris, you can apply herbicides and fertilizer.
Spring
Be ready to cut your grass for the first time. Avoid mowing the grass when it is wet. You could spread disease and wet clippings can clog lawn mowers.
Fertilizing your lawn is best done in the spring or fall. If you live in the north, where the winters are harsh, fertilize your lawn in the fall. Cool-weather grasses will go dormant and store energy at their roots to use in spring.
In the rest of the nation, fertilizer should be applied just before your grass starts to grow most actively. Follow the instructions on the label of the product to get the best results. Spend between $50 and $75 per application to cover a 1/4-acre average lot.
Aeration: Aerating creates holes in your grass so that water, fertilizers, and oxygen can reach the roots. Choose a day when the soil is moist but not soggy to allow the aeration machines to work effectively.
Pre-emergent Herbicides: Apply a pre-emergent weed killer to your lawn to stop crabgrass or other weeds from taking root. You can get a soil thermometer for between $10 and $20. It’s important to use herbicides when the soil temperature reaches the 58-degree mark, the temperature where crabgrass starts to germinate.
Early Summer
Beware of grubs. Warm weather can cause grubworms to feed on the roots of your lawn. The lawns will show browning patches and wilting.
Pull back the sod to check for white, C-shaped grubs. If there are more than 10 per sq. foot, you should treat your lawn with pesticide.
The milky spore can be used to kill some species of grubs in an environmentally-friendly way. Follow all instructions on the label when using insecticides. Water the product immediately into the soil. The cost is between $50 and $75 per application.
You may have to cut your grass more than once per week in order to keep up. Mow your grass often enough to remove no more than 1/3 the blade.
Pesky weeds. Weeds that have not responded to herbicide applications should be pulled out with a garden spade. Only use a post-emergent weed killer if the situation seems to be getting out of control.
Summer
This is a mantra that will help you get through the middle of the grass-mowing period: the taller the grass the deeper the roots. The fewer weeds and the more water the soil can hold between waterings.
Here’s how you can ensure that your lawn is healthy and green:
Set the blade height of your mower to 3 inches.
It is better to water deeply and less frequently than to sprinkle, as this encourages shallow root growth. Lawns generally need 1 inch of water a week.
If lawns receive less water, they will most likely become dormant. The grass is still alive but the lawn should receive at least one inch of water every month. When the weather is rainy, your grass will begin to green again.
Spread some pie tins on the lawn to measure how much water is collected in a certain amount of time. A rain gauge (between $5 and $20) can help you track how much water your lawn gets naturally.
Clean underneath your mower at least once a month to avoid spreading lawn disease.
Remove large clumps of grass, even though it is fine to leave them on your lawn so they can decompose. Rake up leaves, twigs, and other debris regularly.
Early Fall
When the summer heat and dryness have passed, cooler temperatures are ideal for patching up bare or thin areas. Follow these simple instructions:
- Remove all dead grass.
- Use a garden trowel to break up the soil.
- Compost is a great soil conditioner. Add one inch and work it in.
You can add grass seed designed for full sun or shade. The seed should be spread evenly over the area.
Use a hard-toothed rake to work in the seed to a soil depth of approximately half an inch.
Spread grass clippings on the patch to prevent soil drying.
You’ll need to water the area. Lightly water the patch once a week until the grass grows about an inch high.
Fall
In the fall, your main task is to keep debris and leaves off of your lawn. Use a mulching lawn mower to add organic matter and break up the leaves. Be sure to remove any clumps to prevent them from killing the grass.
Now is the perfect time to fertilize the lawn in the northern third of the country. As your grass goes dormant in the winter, it will store nutrients in the roots. Your lawn will then be ready to get a boost when the spring comes.
Call Conway Lawn Care Service now if you need help in maintaining your lawn.
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Conway Lawn Care Service
Conway, SC 29526
843-353-2259
http://conwaylawncareservices.com/
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