When it comes to your lawn, there are 3 basic care and maintenance tips that will keep it healthy and green. In fact, these practices are essential for keeping your lawn looking great the whole year. Likewise, the right mowing and maintenance methods used will help protect your healthy lawn and drastically reduce the amount of weeds.
Height
Having the proper lawn height is very important. In addition, your lawns height will depend on the grass type and geographical location. A good rule to follow is to never remove more than 1/3 of the entire grass blade length at a single cutting. However, the easiest way to achieve this is to allow the grass to grow to the perfect height, let it grow one third longer, and then mow the lawn.
Mowing Heights for Grass Types
- Bahia grass 2”- 3”
- Bentgrass ¼” – ¾”
- Bermuda ½” – 1 ½”
- Fine Fescue 1 ½” – 2 ½”
- Kentucky Bluegrass 1 ½” – 2 ½”
- Perennial Ryegrass 1 ½” – 2 ½”
- Ryegrass 1 ½” – 2 ½”
- Tall Fescue 2” – 3”
There are also warm and cool season grasses. For instance, cool season grasses include Kentucky Bluegrass, Fescues, and ryegrass. Warm season grasses are comprised of Bahia, Bermuda, St. Augustine, Zoysia, and other varieties.
Mower Blade
Making sure that the lawn mower blades are sharp and well-kept is crucial to the health of your turf. In fact, a dull or jagged edged blade can do more damage than it. A dull blade will bruise the grass and can actually encourage diseases. In addition, having dull mower blades will take you longer to mow and is also hard on the lawn mower engine.
What is more, a lawn that is cleanly-cut will help conserve water and lower your irrigation needs.
Proper Nutrition & Care for Your Lawn
Like other landscaping plants and greenery, your lawn needs proper nutrition to keep it looking healthy. According to SF Gate, potassium, nitrogen, and phosphorus are the main nutrients needed for a healthy lawn. Potassium helps combat disease, nitrogen encourages growth and keeps your turf green, and phosphorus is essential for early plant development and root growth.
For optimum lawn health, your soil should be tested for nutrient content every three to four years. At this point you can purchase the appropriate fertilizer for your lawn. In addition, it is important to aerate you lawn two times a year. Aeration is done by puncturing tiny holes in the earth to loosen the soil and allow water, oxygen, and nutrients to feed the turf. You can aerate your lawn less often if you have grass that is not susceptible to thatch build up.
In addition, some gardeners and experts feel that leaving your grass clipping on the lawn is healthy for the turf. The clippings can add mulch for the winter, improve soil quality, reduce runoff, and limit fertilizer use.
Overview
Regardless of what type of grass you grow or where you live, following these basic maintenance tips will encourage a beautiful and lush lawn. In fact, you will discover that taking care of your lawn is pretty simple if you follow the basic guidelines.
However, some homeowners or property managers would much rather hire a professional to mow and maintain their lawn. In fact, a professional lawn care specialist can save you time and money, especially if you are not familiar with types of grasses and the best watering or mowing procedures.
In addition, it is highly recommended that you consult a lawn care professional if you have any questions or concerns about your lawn. They can be extremely helpful if you are trying to decide what type of grass best fits your needs.
