The best way to keep your lawn healthy, lush, and looking great is to contact an extraordinary landscaping company and let them do all the work for you. However, that’s not always possible, so many homeowners are interested in learning some of the steps they can take to achieve a beautiful lawn.
We’ll try to do exactly that by sharing 11 of the best lawn care tips for homeowners below!
13 Helpful Lawn Care Tips: Enjoy the Yard of Your Dreams
There are a few things you’ll need for a healthy lawn that you may not have control over, such as plenty of sun exposure in your yard and naturally rich soil. However, there are also a number of things you can do to help make any lawn look its best, starting with the 13 lawn care tips shared below:
1. Learn what type of grass you have.
Different grass types have different needs, so you’ll want to begin by identifying the type of grass you have.
A few of the most common grasses in Oklahoma yards include warm-season species like Bermuda, Zoysia, and Buffalograss, and cool-season grasses like Tall Fescue and Kentucky Bluegrass (warm-season grasses grow most during the summer, while cool-season grasses grow best during the spring and fall).
You can see examples of some of these grasses in the following video, filmed by the Oklahoma State University Extension Service:
2. Water appropriately for a healthy lawn.
Most lawns will require between 1 and 1.5 inches of supplemental water per week. However, the exact amount may vary based on the weather, your specific location within Oklahoma, and the site conditions. Ideally, you’ll want to use a rain gauge so that you can adjust the amount of water you provide as part of your weekly lawn care routine.
And when providing water, try to do so early in the early morning to reduce evaporation. It’s also a good idea to water deeply and relatively infrequently, rather than the opposite, as this helps to encourage deep root growth.
3. Test your soil regularly to help avoid lawn problems.
It is important to test your soil regularly (at least once every two years) so that you can apply fertilizer or other amendments when needed. Soil testing will tell you the pH of your soil, the relative abundance of macronutrients (nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium) and micronutrients (calcium, magnesium, sulfur, iron, and zinc), and the amount of organic matter present.
You can purchase test kits from most lawn care supply stores and garden centers, and many local extension offices will test your soil for a nominal fee.
4. Apply fertilizer properly to keep your grass green.
Once you’ve had your soil tested, you can apply fertilizer, if necessary, based on any deficiencies your soil has. For example, your soil may need quite a bit of phosphorus, which means you may opt for a 10-20-10 blend, rather than a 10-10-10 blend (those numbers represent the relative amount of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium, in that order).
However, you’ll want to make sure to use a slow-release nitrogen fertilizer to avoid scorching the roots and provide a long-lasting food source. Also, avoid using high-nitrogen content fertilizers in the fall if you have warm-season grass.
5. Keep your mower blades sharp for a beautiful lawn.
Sharp mower blades are critical for keeping your grass green and achieving the kind of results lawn care professionals do. Simply put, sharp blades cut grass cleanly, while dull blades tear the grass. Torn grass looks frayed, browns quickly, and leaves the grass blades vulnerable to pests and pathogens.
You can learn to sharpen your mower blades yourself, or simply have them sharpened by a local hardware store or lawn mower repair shop.
6. Mow your lawn to the correct height.
It’s important to set your mower height correctly to ensure your grass looks good, remains optimally healthy, and grows vigorously. For example, you never want to cut more than one-third of the height of your grass blades, as this can result in dead grass.
However, different types of grass should also be cut to different heights. For example, you’ll want to set your mower at 1 to 2 inches high for Bermuda Grass, 1.5 to 2.5 inches for Zoysia, and 3 to 3.5 inches for Fescue.
Note that it is also wise to adjust your mowing height as the seasons change. You can cut your grass at the short end of the range, explained above, during the spring and fall, but let it grow closer to the high end of the range during the summer. This will help shade the roots and slow the rate of evaporation.
7. Aerate heavy clay soils.
Heavy clay soils are quite common in Oklahoma, and they often present compaction problems, which can prevent the grass roots from accessing oxygen and spreading through the soil.
Compacted soil can also make nutrients less available, prevent beneficial microorganisms from thriving, and slow the rate of water infiltration. So, consider aerating in the fall or spring to help promote healthy soil (as well as any time you’re thinking about spreading new grass seed).
You can rent or purchase a core aerator from a local garden store or lawn care supply shop, or, if your yard is relatively small, you can simply wear spiked lawn shoes and walk across the grass.
8. Apply pre-emergents for weed control.
It’s always easier to prevent weeds from emerging than it is to battle them once they’ve established themselves. So, consider applying a high-quality pre-emergent weed control product to your existing lawn in the early spring and again in the fall. This will help prevent crabgrass and other weed seeds from germinating in the summer and winter.
Pre-emergents are available in both liquid and granular form. Granular pre-emergents are best applied with a fertilizer spreader, but you can purchase hose sprayers for liquid versions, which will attach to your garden hose.
9. Clean your equipment regularly to avoid spreading lawn diseases.
One common mistake that homeowners make is forgetting to clean their mower and other lawn-care equipment periodically. This can lead to the spread of lawn diseases like dollar spot and brown patch. So, clean all of the cutting blades on your lawn equipment every couple of months and anytime you have to cut grass that may be diseased.
You can start by hosing grass clippings and dirt off the blades (be sure to unplug the tool first, if it is an electric model), and then wipe them down with a vinegar-water mixture.
10. Avoid using broad-spectrum insecticides when targeting lawn pests.
There are certainly times in which you may need to use insecticides to keep lawn pests to a minimum. However, it is important to avoid harming non-target species – especially any predatory insects present, which will help provide considerable pest-control value themselves and help support a healthy overall environment.
So, you’ll want to select insecticides that are as precisely targeted for the bugs you’re battling as possible.
11. Don’t mow the day after heavy rains.
Grass often grows pretty quickly following heavy rains, so many homeowners are eager to get out and mow as soon as the clouds part. But this is a mistake, as mowing within about 24 hours of significant rainfall can cause soil compaction. Instead, give your lawn at least 36 to 48 hours to dry out after heavy rain before you start mowing.
It’s also worth pointing out that it simply isn’t safe to mow wet grass; the chances of slipping and suffering a significant injury are simply too great.
12. Edge and trim your grass regularly.
One of the easiest ways to give your lawn a polished look that makes it appear as though it was maintained by lawn care professionals is by edging and trimming the borders. This helps to provide better definition to your lawn and create those nice, crisp lines most homeowners enjoy. You don’t even have to edge your lawn every week; an every-other-week cadence will usually work well.
Experienced landscapers are often capable of achieving clean edges while using a standard string trimmer, but most homeowners will be happier with the results provided by a purpose-built edging tool.
13. Rotate your mowing pattern to have the best lawn on the block.
When you mow your lawn in the same pattern each week, you will often end up causing soil compaction, which is detrimental to your lawn’s health. Additionally, the blades of grass will usually start to lean when cut in the same way every time you mow.
So, mix your regular lawn care routine up a little – mow in clockwise circles one week, and then mow in counterclockwise fashion the next. Or mow in vertical passes one week and follow up with horizontal passes the following week.
Professional Lawn Care Services Are Just One Call Away!
There’s nothing wrong with trying to maintain a healthy lawn yourself, and if you follow the lawn care tips shared above, you’ll be well on your way to enjoying healthier grass and fewer weeds. But if you want the best possible results, you simply have to get professional help.
Elion Landscaping & Tree Services would love to help. Contact us today to start enjoying the extraordinary green lawn you deserve!
