How to Keep a Greener Lawn

Lawn care is very important to many homeowners. A green lawn is a testament to order and aesthetic appeal. It also raises the value of the home and other surrounding properties. With the fluctuations seen in the current housing market today it has never been a better time to increase the value of a home starting from the ground up. Aside from these reasons, the truth is nobody wants to be the house on the block with the brown, withering lawns.

Cutting the grass too short or too often prevents the grass' ability to seed, and if the grass is not allowed to grow out, too much of the sun will hit the soil the grass is growing in, heating up the soil beneath to a point that prevents proper cultivation. Also, if the grass is too thin and more light reaches open soil, this opens the door for weeds to grow.

On the other hand grass may turn brown naturally. Much of the grass in North America flourishes in cooler weather and when temperatures rise, it's common for grass to 'turn off' for a short time. It's common for people to confuse a brown lawn with a thirsty lawn when this may not be the case. Over-watering a lawn can be just as bad for the grass as under-watering. In very rare circumstances will a piece of grass die from lack of water. More common causes of browning is that the grass is suffering from too much trimming, lack of nutrients, disease, fungus, or simply because the weather is too hot for the grass to germinate.

Keeping up with fertilizing on a regular basis is key, but it's also important to practice responsible fertilizing methods. When it rains, the water runoff carries the fertilizer with it, often ending up in local water supplies like lakes, rivers and streams. Try to keep synthetic fertilization to a minimum while introducing more natural fertilizers to the lawn and garden. Natural fertilization methods will also ensure that no harmful chemicals are in the grass that can potentially be detrimental to pets and local wildlife like birds or squirrels. If the lawn is having an insect problem, try to research other deterrents aside from pesticides which also cause harm to the environment.

The value of the home and the respect of neighbors doesn't have to suffer because of a single stubborn plant. After applying a few of these steps to any lawn care routine many problems can be confronted and resolved. And by demonstrating responsible restraint when it comes to using chemicals to enhance lawn 'performance' you can enjoy a greener grass worry free.