The Grass Really IS Greener: Lawn Care Maintenance Tips
Your lawn and landscaping are the first things people see when they look at your home, and you’ve likely invested a lot of time and money into them. While in a dream world we could just install new grass and leave it be, the reality is everything, including our lawns, need a little attention and care to maintain. It’s important that once the upfront planting or seeding is done, you maintain your lawn to keep everything green, growing, and in healthy shape. Below are 4 tips for keeping your lawn healthy.
1. Mow Regularly
You want your lawn to be strong and green, which means you need to mow the grass regularly. Grass grows faster after it’s cut, as the blades contain hormones that promote growth and once it’s cut the grass works hard to rebuild itself, this improving overall quality. It’s important, however, to pay attention to how frequently and how short you cut your lawn. Over trimming (cutting too frequently or too short) may look nice, but can actually do your lawn harm. A general recommendation is to not trim below 2 inches, and to use the settings on your mower to help you regulate the length.
2. Keep It Hydrated
It’s important to keep your lawn and your landscaping hydrated. Grass and plants need hydration to grow of course, and to maintain health and not die they need the proper amount of water. There are a lot of methods of irrigation available (link to irrigation post), from sprinklers to slow-drip systems, many of which require no effort on your part aside from turning on a tap. Some systems even operate automatically on a timer, so your involvement can be zero; you certainly won’t need to stand around with a hose all day!
3. Aerate Each Year
Aeration is a great way to keep your lawn healthy, and should be done on an annual basis. Aeration refers to the process of making small holes in the soil, referred to as plugs. Aeration helps to combat soil compaction, disease and also thatch buildup (thatch is a layer mixed with dead and living grass between the soil and the green lawn). Aeration can be performed at home if you own an aerator, or a company like Grassworks can do it for you!
4. Fertilize
Fertilizing your lawn helps keep it strong and growing to its full potential. In conjunction with proper watering, fertilizing helps keep the lawn healthy and promotes growth. It’s important to use high-quality fertilizers and feed your lawn regularly, to provide the right nutrients to keep it strong and help it resist stress, bugs, and even weeds. Treating your lawn regularly is very important.
Grassworks is here to help with any or all of these lawn care essentials, and we offer a wide variety of services to help keep your lawn healthy and fresh, no matter your needs. Check out our offerings now and see how you can best improve your lawn.
Ferris MyCue is the founder and owner of Grass Works Lawn Care, LLC located in Leander, TX. As a former firefighter who maintained yards on his days off, he saw a need for a dependable, local maintenance company that knew the hill country climate and could deliver quality landscaping services for a reasonable price. Since 2007 he has used his leadership to grow the company into one of the top landscape maintenance companies in Austin and surrounding areas offering landscape maintenance, design, and irrigation services to both residential and commercial clients. Ferris is also a member of the Seasonal Employment Alliance (SEA) and an active participant in advocacy efforts to help promote cap relief.