Lawn Care Fundamentals For a Greener, Healthier Lawn. By Steve Habib At Isnare.com Ezine Articles

Lush, green lawns are the pride and joy of many a homeowner. Beautiful, well cared-for lawns also serve as backdrops for family recreation, picnics, cook-outs, parties and summer fun. To achieve a perfectly healthy and green lawn this summer, follow these seven tips for lawn care success.

1) Water deeply and infrequently.

Watering deeply and thoroughly encourages grass to grow deep roots. This practice especially helps during periods of drought. Warm-season grasses need about one inch of water to thoroughly water twelve inches of soil. Giving your lawn one inch of water every three days is better for the lawn than watering for a few minutes every day.

2) Test your irrigation system.

To ensure that you are watering your lawn with the proper amount, test your irrigation system. Collect five straight-sided pans, such as cake pans or casserole dishes and set them around your lawn. Turn on your irrigation system and note the amount of time it takes for one inch of water to accumulate in the pan. Check to see that each pan receives around the same amount of water. You might need to adjust the amount or distance for sprinkler heads.

3) Never remove more than 1/3 of the grass blade when mowing.

Removing more than 1/3 of the grass blade at a time causes the grass plant stress. Removing too much of the blade can result in a burned look for the lawn, because the grass plants will struggle to produce enough food for themselves with the decreased surface area.

4) Keep mower blades sharp.

Using a sharp mower blade helps the appearance of the lawn. Sharp blades provide cleaner cuts. They also allow the grass blade to recover from mowing more quickly.

5) Apply fertilizer at the correct rate and time.

Fertilizer helps a lawn stay healthy and green. It is important to apply fertilizer at the right time for the best results. Granular fertilizer needs to be watered in, so it is best to plant if a light rain is forecasted or if you have irrigation. Never apply fertilizer before heavy storms because it will run off, and not sink into the ground. That will cause two things—pollution of waterways, and a big loss of money for you, because you will have to re-buy and re-apply.

Before applying any fertilizer or soil amendments, have a soil test run to determine the needs of your grass. Also look up the proper fertilizer amounts and applications for the grass species you grow.

6) Check for insect and fungal pests frequently.

When you are in your lawn, enjoying it, take a few moments every week to walk around and look at it. If you see large brown circles, or dry areas, you probably have a problem. Fungal diseases tend to cause large circles called brownouts, while you can trace insect paths by the lines of dead grass left as they travel under the soil. If you cannot identify your lawn problem, consult your lawn care professional or cooperative extension office for help.

7) Maintain your grass at the highest acceptable height for the grass species in your lawn.

The longer the grass blade, the deeper the roots on the plant. Deeper roots help grasses survive drought and resist pests and diseases. Keeping your grass at a taller height does not mean that you will need to mow less frequently, it just means that you will give your lawn a better chance to be healthy and vigorous.

Basic lawn care fundamentals are easy to master. Follow the seven tips for successful lawn care and your lawn will stay beautiful and green all summer!

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