Caring for your Lawn

The Green Centerpiece

With all that bears fruit, it takes time. Same goes for your lawn. Achieving and maintaining a beautiful lawn takes time and regular upkeep.

Unfortunately, it’s not as simple as seeding, watering, and mowing. A green, healthy turf requires consistent care. Here are a few key things to know about growing healthy grass for a lush lawn:

Aeration and Overseeding

Lawn aeration is a process in which plugs of soil are removed to allow the soil to receive air. Think of it as allowing your lawn to breathe. It helps break up soil compaction so that water and lawn fertilizer can get down to the roots.

Depending on the types of soil and grass that you have, this process may be done once or twice a year. It’s extremely beneficial to do if your lawn receives a lot of use, or if it has thatch growth that exceeds ¼ inch. However, every lawn benefits from regular aeration.

Warm-season grasses need to undergo aeration in the spring, while cool-season grasses can be aerated in the fall. A special tool known as a lawn aerator is the most effective way to get the job done. While you can aerate your turf on your own, it’s a task that’s typically best left to professionals.

The next step to take after aeration is overseeding the lawn. With the plugs of soil taken out of the ground to allow for the flow of air and nutrients, grass seeds will find a perfect home.

Overseeding is a great way to fix bare spots or repair heavily-trafficked areas. ​

Importance of Regular Fertilizing 

Fertilizing is also critical to maintaining a lush lawn. Think of fertilizing as feeding and nourishing your grass. It promotes healthy growth so that your turf can withstand weather, weeds, and foot traffic.

Using a high nitrogen fertilizer gives the grass a vibrant green color.

The best time to fertilize is just before the peak growing season. For warm-season grasses, this is in the late spring or early summer. For cool-season grasses, fertilize in early fall. If you do it at the wrong time, you could end up with increased weed growth or even do some unsightly damage.

Getting it right and fertilizing regularly helps you achieve green grass for an attractive, even-looking lawn.