Obviously, you know the basic actions of lawn maintenance, such as watering and mowing, or you wouldn't actually have a lawn. You may also fertilize and aerate your lawn on a schedule to keep it healthy. However, there are some lawn maintenance actions that many homeowners underutilize. Yet they can help create an even healthier and more lush lawn.
Dethatching
Thatch is a layer of both living and dead shoots, stems, roots, and other debris that accumulates between the grass blades and the soil. While this layer of thatch creates springiness when you walk on the grass, too much can result in insect infestation and can prevent water and nutrients from penetrating into the soil. A lawn with too much thatch yields uneven mowing and even bald patches after mowing. Dethatching is the process of breaking up the thatch layer. While you can use a rake, most lawn maintenance experts use a dethatching machine with rotating blades.
Overseeding
Some of the most popular types of turf grass have a relatively shot lifespan, often only a few years. As they die off, your lawn can be left looking yellow and patchy. It also allows more weeds to take root. While some homeowners wait until their lawn looks thin and patchy, lawn care experts typically apply turf grass seeds over the entire lawn every autumn. According to Gilmour, overseeding a lawn also builds resistance to disease.
Using Pre-Emergent Weed Control
One of the great scourges of a lush lawn is the emergence of weeds. As with overseeding, it's better to prevent the problem from happening rather than try to fix it. For pre-emergent weed care, every spring it's important to apply a product that creates a film over the soil. This film prevents the seeds from sprouting. Conventional pre-emergents consist of chemicals, but there are natural ones that use corn gluten to create the film.
Applying Compost
Compost is a great boon to lawns. Compost helps the grass retain moisture while providing a trickle of nutrients to the roots. It also houses earthworms, which are natural aerators for your lawn. The process of spreading compost over a lawn is called top-dressing. Professionals usually use a motorized compost spreader. The best compost for lawns should have an even ratio of wet and dry material that's been fully cooked, meaning it's been left long enough for the microorganisms to decompose the material. It's good to top-dress your lawn when you have it aerated or overseeded.
Ask your lawn care professionals how dethatching, overseeding, using pre-emergent weed control, and composting can make for a healthier, more beautiful lawn. For more information, contact a professional in your area like those found at The Cutting Edge Lawn and Landscaping LLC.
Share26 July 2017
About a year ago, I realized that part of the reason the plants in my yard kept dying was the fact that they were planted in the wrong places. I didn't pay much attention to which plants needed certain amounts of light, and it was costing them their lives. Several of the plants were really struggling to live, and it was really hard to see. I realized that if I ever wanted to make things right, I would need to create a landscaping plan that would work well for the natural landscape of my yard. This blog is all about understanding landscaping.
