Your environment affects your mood and wellness. In fact, a study shows that your environment influences your behavior and your motivation to act. Imagine standing on your lawn and being able to grasp the feeling of being embraced by nature as the cooling effects comfort you during the hot summer days. A well-maintained lawn gives you and your family a place for relaxation and a playground for your children to enjoy. It contributes to the overall beautification of your home and your neighborhood.
Apart from being visually appealing, a good lawn also contributes to groundwater protection and provides sufficient flood and soil erosion control. Furthermore, lawns help capture impurities in the atmosphere. They break down pollutants and restore dust and dirt back to the soil.
Below are ways to maintain a good lawn and how to make it look awesome.
1. Use premium and good grass for your lawn.
Spend time selecting the right grass for you. You should choose the perfect grass for the climate and the type of soil in your area. It makes lawn maintenance easier for you. If you’re aiming to achieve a lush lawn sooner, you can purchase sod (turf), but it does not come at an affordable price, but if you are looking for cheaper grass, you can pick grass seed, although it might take time for it to be usable. If you are to pick a sod, choose the one which is moist and without any dry areas or cracks.
2. Water deeply and often.
Giving your plant a good long soak of water will help your grass grow deeper into the soil. The deep root will make your lawn healthy and lush. Besides, it will keep your grass green during summer and when the weather is dry. When watering, remember the rule of thumb, during the growing season, water your plants deeply up to 1 to 1.5 inches of water per week, while in the dry, hot season, water your plants deeply till 2 inches of water per week. Note that grasses use less water during spring and late fall, so it is recommended to water your grass once a week during these seasons.
3. Mow at the right height and time.
Most often, the grass is cut when it seems towering across your lawn. Taller grass will act as a shade to your ground preventing the growth of weed sprouts. This grass during the hot season would protect your grass from scorching. Having your grass grow tall also lets your lawn grow its roots deeper. Cut one-third of the grass length and no more than that. Cutting it too low makes it susceptible to blight and disease. You must also keep your mower blades sharp, so it effectively cuts your grass and prevents it from tearing.
When mowing, mow in a different direction than your last mow, this will help your grass grow evenly and uniformly, and it also prevents compaction of the soil. Keep your grass clipping on your lawn so that the nutrients would return to the ground, these clippings will act as a natural much that would help your yard retain more water, and there would be less need for fertilizers. But if you want it thoroughly clean without exhausting yourself that much, you can utilize the best leaf blower to remove dry leaves, debris and cut weeds quickly. Finding the right blower is even more so important if trees surround your yard.
4. Aerate your lawn.
Over time the soil beneath your grass would become very compacted. This would lead to poor air circulation, poor absorption of nutrients, and water drainage problems. Aerating your lawn will prevent soil compaction. It will allow air to penetrate to the roots and help them flourish. Lawn aeration means removing soil plugs and punching holes on your lawn for about 3 inches deep. Aeration can be done annually. You can use the handheld aerating tool if you own a small or medium lawn, but if you have a broader lawn or if you want to accelerate the process, you can rent large aerating machines.
5. Use fertilizers
When choosing lawn fertilizers, avoid using those with high numbers higher than ten since this could quickly consume your lawn. Choose organic fertilizer rather than synthetic ones, they are not only good for your lawn, but it is good for the environment and more healthy for your family. Organic and natural fertilizers produce greener lawns and improve soil health. To achieve a healthy lawn, fertilize three to four times per growing season.
You can also add compost to your lawn during winter as an additional source of nutrients. This will return organic matter back to the soil, producing healthier grass. Composting will balance your soil’s pH levels, prevent topsoil erosion, and attract beneficial insects such as earthworms and other organisms.
6. Weed Control
Weed can cut off the supply of the food supply of your grass. They are also considered parasites. Weeds harm not only your lawn but also harm health—a spot for growing weeds on your lawn to prevent your lawn from being overtaken by weeds. Ward off growing weeds before it blooms and overwhelms your lawn, you can use chemical herbicide but be cautious because picking the wrong one could harm your lawn and instead won’t have effects on the weeds. Settle to natural options, use corn gluten meal as a natural herbicide or boiling water, or you can resort to hand weeding. It is better to get rid of weeds earlier than pulling out dozens of them later on.
7. Dethatch the Lawn
Dethatching means removing thatch on your lawn to ensure a healthy lawn. The layer of dead and living roots called thatch also includes leaves and stems accumulated between the soil and the growing grass. Although having a few thatches is useful for your lawn, having excessive thatch could become a favorable environment for pests and diseases. Dethatching can be done at least once a year using. It can be performed by hand or using a gas power lawn dethatcher to make it easier and faster. Dethatching would help circulate air into the roots and ensures that fertilizers are spread across the lawn efficiently.
Beautification in residences does not just focus on what’s inside your house. You also necessitate considering the outside surroundings, which are typically the first to be visible to your visitors’ eyes. Making your lawn healthy and more attractive need not be that expensive, but continuous cleaning and maintenance with the above’s practices will save you from high costs. Having lawns that are well kept can provide a refreshing sense to you and your family, especially when deciding to feel the new day.
