A beautiful lawn also brings peace and pride over ownership of the property. But as much as everyone loves a vibrant lawn, the upkeep for this type of lawn takes time and effort, especially through spring and summer.
You have to mow your lawn regularly, nip out weeds, scatter grass seeds, spike the turf, and so on. If you want to learn how to care lawn, here is everything you need to know.
Understand Your Lawn
The first step to lawn care for beginners is understanding your lawn. Understanding your lawn helps you know what steps to take to improve it.
There is a general guideline for taking care of any lawn, but you might need to tailor it a little for your lawn because it might have different requirements.
Identify Your Grass Type
Different lawns have different types of grass, like how humans have various types of hairs. You need to know what kinds of grass your lawn has to determine its care routine. Different grasses have unique characteristics, growth habits, and care requirements.
If you live in cooler climates, your lawn might have Kentucky bluegrass, which requires regular mowing, fertilization, and watering. This care routine differs from Zoysia grass, which thrives in warm climates. It needs moderate watering and fertilization and does not need as much moving.
Asses Your Lawn Health and Condition
Knowing your grass type is insufficient to determine the care routine for your lawn. You also need to assess your lawn baseline or health and condition.
An unhealthy lawn has brown, yellow, or patchy areas, bare spots with sparse grass, brittle grass, and excessive weed growth. The grasses are uneven, shorter than normal, and grow very slowly.
There will also be signs of pests and disease damage if your lawn is in poor condition. You might spot pests such as grubs, chinch bugs, or armyworms. You might also spot signs of fungal infection, such as white or gray powdery mildew on the leaves or mold growth on the grass blades.
Healthy soil equals a healthy lawn. Soil provides the grass with nutrients and water to grow healthy. But it can only get the food it needs if the soil has an optimal pH range, is well-draining, aerated, less dense, and ideal structure.
It would be wise of you to conduct a soil test to understand its composition and condition. A soil test will help you determine if the pH level is in the optimal range, fertilizing needs, aeration needs if it contains harmful pathogens, and whether it is dense.
Once you know the condition of your soil, you can create a thriving lawn.
How To Take Care Of Lawn
Once you understand the current state of your lawn, you can create a plan to achieve a desirable yard. Most lawn care strategies involve a few key components.
Weeding
No homeowners like weeds on their lawns. They are unsightly and can damage healthy and desirable plants. They grow everywhere and take over your lawn if you do not weed regularly.
Lawns usually contain broadleaf, grassy, and grass-like weeds. The first type of weeds has wide, veiny leaves that are flat, such as dandelions, clover, and chickweed.
The second type has long, narrow leaves with parallel veins, such as crabgrass or foxtail. The last one looks like grasses but grows faster and has different colorations. Examples include sedges and wild onions.
How To Weed Grass
The most effective way to remove weeds is hand-pulling. It is suitable when the infestation is small. You need to pull out the leaves, stems, and roots to remove it all. You should remove the debris, as weeds can sprout from it.
However, hand pulling might not be feasible if the infestation is large. An alternative would be to use herbicide. Spray the herbicide directly on the weeds and prevent spraying on the healthy plants nearby. The herbicide has chemicals that can kill healthy plants.
Mowing is crucial for a healthy lawn. It keeps the lawn clean, eliminates unwanted weeds, and encourages denser turf. If you want a traditional neat lawn in good condition, mow weekly or fortnightly between March and October.
The most important thing to remember is the grass height. Different grass types require different heights. You can always look up online what height your grass needs to be. Ensure you mow the grass at the right height because if it is too tall or too short, it will damage your lawn.
Mowing Tips
Adjust your mowers to the suitable cutting height.
Start by mowing around the edge of the lawn.
Rectangular lawns: Start at one end and mow in straight lines, using the edge as a guide.
Circular or irregular lawns: Begin by mowing a straight line through the widest part of the lawn. Use this line as a reference for the rest of the mowing.
Slightly overlap each mowing pass to ensure even coverage.
Empty the clippings box regularly, as a full box can clog the mower.
If the mower can't reach the corners of your lawn, use hand shears or a trimmer to cut the grass in those areas.
To prevent damage to the lawn, change the mowing direction regularly. Alternate between straight and diagonal mowing patterns.
Fertilizing
Some lawns will grow perfectly well without being fed, while others will not. Whether your lawn needs fertilizers or not depends on the soil composition. Take a sample from your soil to perform a pH test at garden centers.
Once you know what your soil is lacking, you will know whether your lawn needs fertilizer and the type of fertilizer it needs. But you can skip fertilizers and want a more relaxed, wildflower-friendly lawn instead of the neatly trimmed, vibrant ones.
Fertilizing Tips
There are plenty of natural and non-toxic fertilizers on the market these days. Avoid using artificial fertilizers as they take a lot of energy to manufacture and may damage the environment.
There are two common ways to apply fertilizer to your lawn: liquid and granular. Liquid fertilizer is easier to use and more easily absorbed by plants. Granular fertilizer has a slow effect but provides nutrients longer and is cheaper.
Choose the appropriate lawn fertilizer. Look for an N-P-K ratio that suits your lawn’s needs. For example, a fertilizer labeled 25-10-15 has a ratio of 25% nitrogen, 10% phosphorous, and 15% potassium.
Apply the fertilizer at the manufacturer’s recommended rate evenly across the lawn when it is cool and moist.
Fertilizing Time
Apart from knowing what fertilizer to use, you need to know when to use it. Timing is everything, and the best time to apply fertilizer differs between warm-season and cool-season grasses.
Cool-season grasses should be fertilized in the fall and spring. Meanwhile, warm-season grasses should be fertilized mid-spring through summer. Do note that excess fertilizer can damage your lawn.
You can reapply the fertilizer if your lawn is not healthy and vibrant in a couple of months. Apply before August to prevent winter damage, pests, and diseases.
Water is essential for a healthy lawn, yet many people neglect this as it is tedious to track when and how much to give your lawn.
Everything you do to take care of your lawn is useless if your grass does not receive sufficient water. Below are a few simple tips to nail your watering routine.
Location
The amount of water your lawn needs depends on your location and the weather. Areas with lots of rain require less water than hot, dry places.
Amount
Water is 1 to 1.5 inches per week. Reduce this amount by half if you live in a colder area or when rainfall is higher than usual.
Increase this amount when it is scorching hot. Be careful not to overwater or underwater your lawn. Water your lawn thoroughly three times per week for 20 minutes each.
Time
Water between 6 a.m. and 10 a.m. to ensure water doesn’t evaporate before it hits its target. Also, avoid watering during peak sun hours and at night to prevent mold from moisture.
Invest in Sprinklers
Using sprinklers can save time and effort. You can schedule watering times and have them automatically turned off during rainy weather.
Additional Care Steps
Below are some additional care steps. These steps only need to be carried out if your lawn has problems. They are not essential for everyday care.
You also need to know how to aerate a lawn. Aerating your lawn helps air, water, and nutrients reach the grassroots. To do this, you will need a special tool. Choose a plug or spike aerator based on your soil type, or ask a gardening expert for advice.
Aerate your lawn every few years, especially in spring or fall, to improve its health. Water your lawn lightly before aerating, and then use the tool over your entire yard.
Detaching
Thatch is a layer of dead grass that builds up at the base of your grass. To remove it, you need to dethatch your lawn once a year, either in early spring or fall for cool-season grasses or late spring or early summer for warm-season grasses.
A thin layer of thatch benefits your lawn, but a thick layer can prevent water and nutrients from reaching the roots and cause problems. Kentucky bluegrass and Bermuda grass tend to develop thatch faster than other types of grass.
Seeding
During your initial inspection, you might have found a dead or empty spot that needs to be covered. For this, you need to know how to grow lawns.
Sprinkle seed in any thin or yellowing areas where the grass has died. Choose a grass type that already grows in your area for the best results.
Northern lawns often have cool-season grasses like Kentucky Bluegrass or Fescue, while southern lawns typically have warm-season grasses like Bermuda or Zoysia.
Seasonal Lawn Care
For best results, you need seasonal lawn care. Different seasons require different care routines. These seasonal checklists will help you tend to your yard all year long.
Most people ignore their yards during the colder months, but a few precautions can help your lawn survive.
To protect your lawn in winter, move outdoor pieces of furniture, toys, and fire pits indoors. Leaving objects and furniture in the same spots all winter can kill the grass.
Clean your yard as debris, leaves, and sticks can promote mold and mildew and prevent your grass from getting the air, water, and nutrients it needs.
Spring Lawn Care
After the harsh and cold months, you should help your lawn recover in the spring. During this season, you should aerate your lawn, seed any thin or yellowing areas, and mow your grass to help your lawn re-develop deep roots.
Many people make the mistake of moving way later when the grass is too long. They end up mowing the grass too short, which stunts its growth.
Water only when necessary when it is hot and dry. There is plenty of rain in spring, so you might not need to water at all.
Summer Lawn Care
Summer is the easiest time of the year to grow a beautiful lawn. Start by fertilizing at the start of summer to encourage new growth. Then, hand-pull the weeds or use spot treatments. Avoid weeding after moving as it spreads the seeds.
Mow your grass a little higher and regularly to prevent weed growth. Do not cut more than ⅓ of the grass’s height. Rainwater is usually sufficient unless there is a dry spell when it has not rained for a week or more.
Fall Lawn Care
Fall lawn care is all about preparing your lawn to survive through the winter. To do that, start by raking the leaves and sticks to prevent dead spots, mold, and mildew. Mow your grass a bit shorter than usual in autumn to help it survive winter snow.
After mowing, clean your mower and sharpen your blade. Fertilize your lawn at the start and end of this season for a thicker lawn. A thick lawn means stronger roots and fewer weeds.
