Your lawn largely contributes to people’s first impression of your house. Therefore, it has to be cared for regularly to keep it lush and beautiful all year.
But, if you don’t have any idea how to do that, that’s what we’re here for. Scroll down to see some essential lawn care tips for beginners!
1) Test your soil
As above, so below—healthy grass reflects healthy soil beneath it, while a brownish or mossy turf means unhealthy soil below the ground.
This highlights the importance to test your soil. First, you have to know your local agricultural group and contact them.
They should ask for soil samples to get the soil’s pH balance. For this, grab a handful of grass and dirt in the general area; also you may need another for bare or problematic spots.
When the organization has received and checked your soil sample, they will suggest a solution or course of action to get your lawn back to health or maintain its current healthy state.
2) Choose grasses that suit your location
Similar to garden flowers and plants, grasses require a conducive environment to thrive. The climate, water, and sunlight conditions have to be right for them—otherwise, they would be harder to maintain or will wither and die.
We recommend choosing seeds more than sods. That’s since seed grasses come in a wide variety, giving you plenty of options in terms of durability, maintenance, and feel underfoot.
If you live in cooler temperatures, you could get Perennial Ryegrass, Kentucky Bluegrass, fine or tall fescue. But if you live in warmer zones, Bermudagrass, Zoysiagrass, and Carpetgrass are all excellent options.
3) Plant seeds right the first time
If you want fast-growing and healthy lawn grass, you’d have to plant seeds properly. Be aware of the best way and season to plant them and follow suit.
There are lots of mistakes that homeowners can commit in caring for their lawn. These include skipping the soil test, miscalculating lawn dimensions, using the wrong seed type, among others.
Before buying grass seeds, be sure to read the seed tag, which indicates the content and supplier. By doing this, you won’t be surprised to have bought the wrong type of seed for your lawn.
Getting premium seeds is a fantastic idea, though they cost higher. One example is the pure-bred Pennington Smart Seed. Not only is it eco-friendly (reduces carbon dioxide production), but it is very resistant to pests, droughts, and diseases too.
4) Feed the grasses well
Grasses can be fed and nourished using fertilizers. Fertilizers contain nitrogen, which is responsible for making your lawn verdant and healthy.
Don’t overfeed your turf with fertilizers because this can hurt or kill off the grasses. Stick to a schedule of applying fertilizer according to how much nitrogen they need.
The soil sample test result should indicate how many pounds of nitrogen are needed by your lawn for every 1,000 square feet per year.
5) Spot-treat lawn weeds
Weeds and weed seeds germinate even though the grass was properly planted. They compete for light, water, and nutrients with your grass seeds which will harm them.
Once you see one, make sure to get rid of it because it will lead to more weeds sprouting in your lawn. For tough weeds, use effective spot treatments in order to eliminate them.
However, don’t use pre-emergent herbicides like weed-and-feed products and crabgrass preventers. While they will stop the weeds from growing, they have the same effect on your turf seeds and lawn.
