You can weed, water, aerate, and mow and still have a struggling lawn. Timing is everything when it comes to lawn care. Whether you enjoy spending time outdoors or hosting backyard barbecue parties, you want to ensure your grass is healthy and green when summer comes.
There are common mistakes you could make that could ruin your lawn even when maintaining it looks easy. Avoiding these mistakes will make your lawn care life easier when it comes to maintaining a lush lawn.
Below are mistakes to avoid achieving a healthy and great-looking lawn.
1. Overwatering the grass
We often feel that the more water our lawn gets, the greener it will become, but it is actually the opposite. When watering grass, you have to water deeply to make sure there’s enough water to see through a drought. Grass only needs the equivalent of one inch of rainwater per week. Installing a small rain gauge somewhere on the lawn and measuring out that inch of water either through rainfall or irrigation is an easy way to measure the amount of water you’re putting on the grass.
2. Cutting the grass too short
This makes the root systems too shallow and unable to soak up all the essential nutrients it needs to sustain, thus damaging the grass. Plants need leaves to produce food, so if you come in week after week removing leaves, the plants are not going to have anything to generate food to keep growing. Do not try to catch up by mowing everything at once, even when you have fallen behind on mowing.
3. Using too much fertilizer
Excess fertilizer will only get the grass nitrogen washed away in the rain, which ends up being costly and causes damage to the plants and can lead to water pollution. Ensure you know the right amount of fertilizer to apply so that you won’t apply too much in one area and ruin the entire lawn.
4. Mowing in the same direction all the time
Cutting the grass in the same direction each time will force the grass blades to grow in one direction, which doesn’t look good. If you alternate the pattern, it will allow the blades to grow healthier and straighter. If you notice your grass is lying horizontally, running a rake over it before mowing can help.
5. Planting grass in areas where it won’t grow
Grass requires full sun to thrive, so if you’re considering planting seeds in shady areas, those seeds may not survive, and your lawn will not appear uniform. Also, it’s worth finding out the right seeds to plant as not all are well suited for every region. Most times, you’re better off hiring a pro when planting seeds for your lawn. Typing “find lawn care near me” on Google can help you get in touch with one.
6. Not clearing up clumped grass after mowing
This blocks sunlight to your grass which will cause yellow leaves or blades to die if left on the lawn. Always try to remove clumps of clipping, as not all lawnmowers will catch every trace of grass cutting. If you fail to remove the leaves, they will stick together and form an impenetrable mat, which can kill the grass and breed fungal disease.
7. Aerating at the wrong time
Ensure to aerate the soil when the soil is moist and the grass is actively growing. Aerating the soil when the soil is hard and dry will prevent water from penetrating deeply. Over time, the soil gets compacted because of being walked on. Aerating helps loosen the soil and allows water to reach grass roots easily.
9. Applying too much herbicide
Avoid applying herbicide on the entire lawn. Use it sparingly and only where you need it if you do need a herbicide. A safer and better option is to remove weeds by hand or hoe or simply tolerate more weeds to achieve a lush lawn.
10. Watering too late in the day
Your lawn will likely need some good irrigation to keep it green and lush during extended summer dry spells. Early in the morning is the best time to water your lawn. This encourages deep roots compared with irrigation, frequent but shallow to make your lawn more drought tolerant. It’s necessary to water your lawn once or twice a week.
Final words
Growing a green and lush lawn is well within the ability of any homeowner, as long as you follow a few simple steps. Unfortunately, most lawn maintenance fails not because of neglect but because of some misconception and mistakes some homeowners make.
By avoiding the above mistakes and following the recommendations, you’ll be well on your way to achieving a lawn that your neighbours will envy.
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