Tips for a healthy yard!
Want a lawn that’s the envy of the neighborhood? Here are some tips to keep your yard looking lush and beautiful all summer long:
- Fertilize at the right time. Feed your grass in the spring and fall with a slow-release fertilizer to promote steady growth. Avoid fertilizing in the heat of summer, as this can burn grass.
- Mow high. Set your mower blade to 3-4 inches and mow frequently so you never cut off more than 1/3 of the grass blade. Taller grass encourages deeper roots and shades out weeds.
- Water deeply but infrequently. Water your lawn just once or twice a week, but water deeply each time. This encourages deeper root growth. Avoid frequent shallow watering, which leads to shallow roots.
- Dethatch and aerate. Use a dethatching rake in spring or fall to remove debris and allow air, water and nutrients to better reach grass roots. Aerating also helps alleviate soil compaction.
- Overseed thin areas. Overseed bare spots in spring and fall by scattering grass seeds, then watering gently every day to keep seeds moist. This fills in thin areas.
- Control weeds. Apply a pre-emergent herbicide in early spring to prevent weeds like crabgrass. Pull weeds by hand as soon as you see them to keep them from spreading.
Follow these tips and you’ll have the lush, envy-worthy yard you’ve always wanted. Happy gardening!
