Tips for a Healthier Lawn

A luscious, green lawn can add beauty to almost any home and even increase its value. Some people are lucky; they have a smooth, healthy green lawn without trying. Others have to work at it. Common problems include unwanted weeds, bare patches, and yellow or brown spots.

Remedies can range from maintenance and simple tricks to getting rid of weeds, to more complicated and time-consuming things like reseeding your entire lawn. Depending on what you need to do, one of these tips may be the solution you are looking for in your quest for a healthier lawn.

Weeds

Weeds can be pulled by hand. This may not sound like much fun, but it can be effective. You don't have to completely kill yourself and your back in your efforts to rid your lawn of weeds; you can buy tools to help with the process. You will find a variety to choose from at your local home improvement store.

You can also fight weeds by using an herbicide. These are usually liquids you spray on your lawn. There are many types to choose from, some formulated for specific weed types. Take your time and choose the one you need for your specific weed problem.

Maintenance Tips

Don't mow your grass down too short. Two inches is as short as you should go. Keep your mower blades sharp to get a clean clip. Remember to never take off more than one third of the height of your grass each mowing to avoid damage.

If your green is not staying as vivid as you would like it to be, you should fertilize. Look for a grass fertilizer that has potassium and nitrogen to promote greener grass and healthier roots. Talk to someone at your home improvement store about when and how to fertilize your lawn. You don't want to overdo it.

Your lawn may not need to be watered, but if your area is experiencing a dry spell, a little extra watering will help. If you choose to water, do so at sunrise so the hot sun does not damage the grass. If your town has asked you do not water due to a drought, you may just have to let it go for a while. If it's healthy, it will bounce back quickly.

Reseeding

Reseeding can help with bare spots, or can be done to the entire lawn if you think there is no hope for a minor fix. Many suggest reseeding in early fall so the grass has time to get strong enough to survive the winter.

Clear the area you are going to reseed of grass, weeds, rocks, and other debris and aerate the soil down five or six inches. If you are doing your entire lawn and your topsoil seems very poor, you may want to consider adding topsoil before seeding.

After you are done with this you should fertilize and water the soil. This can be done with a commercial fertilizer, or you can go with organic compost. If you use compost, mix it in well with your topsoil.

Spread your seed as evenly as you can. You will want to spread a lot of seed in a small area, but you should also avoid clumping. The instructions on the package should help you decide how to spread the seeds, and how much you will need for your particular project. Once you have spread the seed you should use a rake or another related tool to lightly cover the seed with dirt.

Next you need to flatten the lawn so it is as level as possible. There are a variety of ways you can do this. Some suggest a riding lawnmower, while others use a hoe to flatten the yard as they go. The way you do it is up to you. You may even ask for recommendations from your local home improvement store.

Many lawns that have been reseeded have straw laid over the top of them. There is a good reason for this. This helps hide the seed from any birds in your area. It is also shows that the lawn is being reseeded. Most people will be respectful and not walk all over your tender new grass.

You should water more regularly while you wait for your new grass to take root. Keep the soil as moist as you can without saturating the soil. Once the grass is growing, you can cut back to your normal watering schedule.

Final Thoughts

There are many things that can go wrong when reseeding, so it's important to talk to someone with experience before you begin. Anyone at a home improvement or lawn and garden store should be able to give you tips specific to where you live.