The lawn is the extension of your house. You can play on the lawn or you can make a garden on or around it. You can also have your own picnic right outside your home on your lawn.
That’s why it’s important to keep it immaculate. Here are 10 steps to the perfect lawn.
Importance of the Lawn
The lawn is part of your home.
A good lawn will elevate the exterior of your house.
Let’s look back
Centuries ago, the lawn was more prominent in English homes than in American ones.
A lot of English homes have a lawn as part of their residence. In America, only the affluent families have homes.
Now
Lawns have become a necessity when starting a family.
Single people usually prefer to live in the city in high-rise apartments and condos.
However
When you ask couples who are about to start a family, most of them will say they want to move to the suburbs.
That entails white picket fence and lawn.
Look
If you have children, it’s just ideal to have a lawn.
It’s the extension of your house.
Even if you have a small lawn
It’s enough for children to have fun on it.
You can have a picnic even if you don’t go to the park. You will have your very own park through your scant yard.
On the other hand
If you have a large lawn, then it’s party central!
You can host an outdoor party in your yard.
Here’s another one
The lawn is a good base for a garden.
The lawn, when well-maintained, also makes the overall look of your home beautiful.
Did you know?
Having a lawn is also good for the environment.
Just like any other plants, grass produces oxygen.
In fact
A lawn that has a land area of 50 x 50 feet can produce enough oxygen for four people.
Amazing, right?
That’s not all!
If there is runoff water from a storm, a lot of it will be absorbed by the grass.
You know what else is absorbed?
Pollutants!
Even if it’s not raining, the lawn will also decrease pollutants in the air.
How?
The turf of the lawn will trap pollutants in the air, thereby allowing you to breathe cleaner air.
There is another pollutant that is reduced by the lawn: noise.
Yep!
The turf also reduces noise pollution by absorbing some of the sound.
Just an important note:
The lawn will only be good for the environment if it is healthy.
So, keep your lawn healthy. Don’t worry, we have 10 tips to make your lawn neat and healthy.
10 Steps to the Perfect Lawn
Just like everything else in life, you need to take care of the lawn so that it can function well.
Remember that the lawn actually has a lot of benefits.
Like?
It’s great for aesthetics and it cleans the air.
Here are 10 steps to having a great lawn:
1. Water the lawn
This is a no-brainer. You have to water the grass.
In case you’re wondering, grass is also a plant.
I don’t know if you notice
Most sprinklers are scheduled in the morning.
This is because of the cool and humid conditions in the morning. These will evenly spread out the water.
Actually, these conditions are also present late at night. Morning is just a better time to water the lawn.
Now
If you don’t have a sprinkler, you can simply do your own watering between 8 and 9 a.m.
At least, this is the normal case.
When you really think about it
The time and water volume are largely dependent on the kind of grass that you have and the season.
It will also depend on what kind of soil you have.
You see
Sandy soil drains the water really fast so you might have to water more frequently.
On the other hand, clay soil drains really slowly.
Loamy soil is somewhere in between sandy and clay soil in terms of the absorption speed of water.
In some instances
You don’t have to water the grass every day.
There are also species of grass that don’t need to be watered every day.
In conclusion
Generally, you water the lawn every day between 8 and 9 a.m.
However, this schedule will change depending on the species of grass and soil that make up your lawn.
2. Look for dappled patches
If parts of your lawn don’t have the same shade of green as the rest, then this means that it’s drying.
Drying is a precursor to dying.
Perhaps you neglected that part?
Make sure you tend to it right away. Water it and monitor that patch or patches.
Don’t allow that patch to go brown.
3. Don’t cut the grass too low
Mowing is part of the upkeep of your lawn.
Why do you mow?
Because it keeps the roots strong.
As a result, you will have lush grass.
Important reminder:
Don’t overcut your grass.
The ideal height for your lawn is 2.5 to 3.5 inches.
As much as possible, don’t let it go below that height.
Why?
Taller grass makes for a healthier lawn.
Plus, imagine the advantage of taller grass trapping pollutants to ensure cleaner air all year round.
Important things to remember when mowing:
- Always mow when the lawn is dry but cool.
- Don’t cut / mow during the hottest time of the day.
- Leave grass clippings because they provide nutrients when they decompose.
4. Fertilize
Use a fertilizer spreader for efficient distribution of the fertilizer.
What kind of fertilizer should you use?
Nothing beats organic fertilizer. This is a form of fertilizer sourced from animals or other plant products.
Organic matters decompose really quickly.
When they do
They become carbohydrates and proteins.
As a result, they will fatten up those earthworms that provide better soil structure.
Check the label
Aside from organic, you also want your fertilizer to be rich in nitrogen.
Nitrogen is the most important nutrient that you can feed your lawn.
How often do you fertilize?
At least once a year.
Better yet, research a plan that will fit the kind of grass that you have as well as your lawn’s type of soil.
Note:
Don’t fertilize during winter and during the hottest summer of the year.
Spring would be a great time to fertilize.
5. Aerate
Aeration is the process perforating the soil so that air will penetrate the roots of the grass.
At the same time, water and nutrients will also fully penetrate the soil to keep it moist and healthy.
Since we’re talking about home lawns
This is usually smaller so aeration can be done just once every year.
You don’t have to buy your own lawn aerator. There are aerators you can rent, just check out your local garden shop or equipment rental companies.
What do you do with the soil?
The soil taken from the aeration are known as plugs.
Leave them on the lawn to decompose and nourish the soil and grass.
6. Remove thatch
Go around your lawn and notice what looks like a bunched up grass. That is most likely a thatch.
It is a mixture of dead and living organic matter.
A thatch could be good or bad
If it’s a low thatch, then it can just work as a mulch for the lawn.
If it’s an inch high or higher, then it should be removed.
A thatch is spongy and when you really look at it, you’ll see a combination of roots and stems.
But
These roots and stems are growing on the lawn surface instead of within the soil.
The thatch could prevent drainage, which means water and nutrients will not be evenly distributed to the grass.
How do you remove it?
You can just rake over it. Don’t go deep or you will damage your lawn.
Now that the thatch is gone, add soil to the area. Use the same soil as the one you already have on the lawn.
Now what?
A patch of grass will eventually grow in that area.
7. Remove weeds
Weeds are the worst!
They don’t just make your lawn unattractive, they also hurt your feet–a lot of them at least.
Picture this
You are walking barefoot on your lush lawn and something just feels off on your feet.
If you step on one, most likely there are more just spread around your lawn.
It’s quite simple
You can just uproot them by hand.
It’s only taxing work if there are so many of them. That’s why you need to weed them out before they multiply by a lot on your lawn.
What if they are too many?
Then it’s time to put some herbicides on your lawn.
There are herbicides created for lawns so that they won’t damage the grass.
Check this out
There are treatments for specific weeds.
It might be wise to check your local garden shop for recommendations.
8. Apply top dressing
You know how a dressing will make your salad more delicious?
Well, a top dressing on a lawn sort of works the same way.
Although
Instead of making your lawn more delicious, you’re making it healthier and better looking.
So, what is a top dressing?
It’s basically a thin compost that you spread over your lawn.
It’s not going to look pretty for some time.
Just for a little bit
The compost will easily decompose and become nutrients for your lawn.
Here’s an idea:
Apply top dressing by hand.
You can use a shovel to put it on the lawn but you should pat and flatten the top dressing down with your hand.
This will allow you to spread it out evenly.
9. Make sure there is no drainage problem
You know you have a drainage problem when you have stagnant water on the lawn.
Basically, this is quite common when you have a dense soil. But it shouldn’t take hours for the water to disappear.
When it does
You definitely have a drainage problem.
A good solution will be creating an underground drain.
If the problem doesn’t affect the entire lawn
Then this means that the problem is only in a specific area.
Perhaps you can improve drainage on that particular area by just improving the soil component.
10. Reseed balding patches
If there are areas in the lawn where the grass is thinning, the solution is quite simple.
You only need to seed over it.
When’s the best time to do it?
At the start of the fall.
Summary
Take care of your lawn! An ugly lawn will make the exterior of your house look ugly as well. The lawn is the extension of your house. It should be as pretty as the interior and structural exterior. A manicured lawn is also a good place to hang out.
You know what else? A healthy lawn is good for the environment. It’s good for you as well. When the grass is healthy, it can easily trap pollutants in its turf. That means you’ll get cleaner air. Also, healthy grass produces oxygen.
So how do you take care of the lawn? Read on to find out the 10 steps to the perfect lawn.
Useful Resources
- Benefits of Lawn – The Lawn Institute
- The American Obsession with Lawns – Scientific American
- Lawn History – Planet Natural Research Center
