Aiming for a beautiful healthy lawn needs a lot of effort and strategy. Any kind of lawn care could be possible as long as you are doing the right thing for your lawn’s good health. Here are 5 easy steps for your lawn care guide that will help you yield good results:

1. Mow efficiently – This does not only require cutting of your grass to its required height but also depends on mowing at the right time of the year. In mowing your lawn, it should not be less than one-third of its height for the efficient absorption of the sun. This should consume the right amount of light from the sun that is needed by the grass to develop a healthy plant. After mowing, your mowed grass should be left on the lawn to decompose as fertilizer that would be best for your lawn.

2. Use a sharp blade – It is important for your lawn to use sharp blade when cutting grass so it will not tear grass that would make your grass unhealthy easy to catch diseases and difficult to fight off pests. Few days after mowing, check on your grass very well especially the tip of it. If you can see brown lines on its tips, then you should make a move to get rid of those unhealthy signs.

3. Regulate water supply – The right irrigation system could help you prevent lawn problems especially the growth of pests on your lawn. Too much water would not do good for your lawn. On the average,grasses only need weekly water supply of 1-1.5 inches. that would just be enough for the clay to moistened, 4-6 inches below the surface and 8-10 inches for sandy soil. Rain Guage is the most advised in determining water supply during rain also to regulate the proper amount.

4. Keep fertilizers and pesticides at normal levels – Overfeeding your lawn with chemicals is very harmful. Be always prepared most especially during seasons of spring, summer, early fall & after the first fall be sure to provide it with balanced amount of fertilizer.. then on drought, you can skip summer feeding but not fall feeding.

5. Prevent, rather than cure – In Lawn care, you can also apply the statement that says prevention is better than cure. Regular feeding of your lawn could save its life from bugs and pests as well as diseases this could also help repair bare spots and you can use right herbicides to help you control and manage growth of weeds.

Maintaining proper care for your lawn is this easy but it also requires your proper attention for you to make things right in whatever strategy for the best of your lawn care.

Let it grow- Mow High - Mower blades be set to 3 inches & Let your lawn grow taller for best way to reduce the use of herbicide. Tall grass could be stress tolerant especially during excessive heat of summer, also provides shade to reduce weed seed germination especially on crab grass and it increases the uptake of water and nutrients due to its larger root structure.

Twice a year mow low – Your lawn should be cut low of 2 inches at least twice a year. First cut in spring and last in fall that prevent fungus from being established on winter.

Give The Grass a Clean Cut – Keep your mower blade sharp, Mow when grass is dry, Mow in the cool part of the afternoon or evening. Mowing whengrrass is wet or with dull blade can cause the tip of the grass to shred that would make your lawn brown and its tips dry out and more susceptible to disease and cutting grass during excessive heat would cause stress to plants.

Mulch Clippings - Leave grass clippings on the lawn. It lowers the needs for fertilizer since important plant nutrients are returned to the soil. Mulching Mower circulates the grass clippings in mowing chamber to make smaller clippings which break down more easily.

1. AERATION- Loosening the soil so that water, air and nutrients reach the root zone quicker. Aeration enhances the effectiveness of the products applied to your lawn. By loosening the soil, items needed by the roots (air, water & nutrients), are more available. Therefore, when fertilizer is applied, it is used more effectively by the grass plants.

Core aeration is accomplished by running a machine over the lawn. The machine pulls up plugs of soil, about the size of your finger, and leaves them on the ground. It takes a couple of weeks for the plugs to break up and blend back into the lawn. Liquid aeration provides the same great results as core aeration but is much easier to do. It also is cheaper, and cleaner.

2. MOWING - In general, keep fescue, rye and bluegrass mowed at a minimum of three inches. Zoysia and bermuda grasses can be mowed shorter. Mowing at the proper height will strengthen the grass plant and inhibit the growth of unwanted weeds. As a matter fact, studies have shown that simply mowing at the correct height will eliminate crabgrass over time. The shorter the grass is cut, the shorter the roots will be. Mowing high causes the grass to shade the weeds, so they cannot grow. Mowing high also makes the grass stronger, as more grass is using the sun to make it grow. Always keep your mower blade SHARP! Sharpen the blade after 8-10 hours of use. Grass clippings are a good source of nitrogen for your lawn. It is recommended that you not bag your grass clippings. Let those clipping fall to the ground and breakdown, thus returning nutrients to the soil.

The frequency of mowing should be such that you cut 1/3 of the grass stem off each time. Removing more than 1/3 of the grass stem at a time will damage the plant. This means that you should mow your grass at or before it reaches 4-1/2 inches. During periods of drought it is advised that you mow even higher, at 4” or more. It also advised that you mow higher in areas that are heavily shaded.

3. PROPER WATERING - Proper watering encourages grass growth and deters weed growth. Watering too frequently will actually discourage grass growth, as the roots are not required to go deep to find their water source. Weed roots are much shorter than grass roots, so watering less frequently will cause the weed roots to die, while the longer grass roots will be seeking deeper water. The grass will tell you when to water, usually once a week. The grass blades will begin to curl when they need water. They will curl before they turn brown. Another way to tell is to walk across your grass and take a look where you walked.

If your footprints remain, the grass needs some water. If your footprints disappear, the grass is fine.
You should water all areas of your lawn with an inch of water. Simply set a cup in the watered area and keep an eye on the water level in the cup. When it reaches an inch, stop. To conserve water, water right after it rains. You will need to know how much rain fell, then “top it off” until you have an inch.

4. WEEDS & TRIMMING -Have you ever given any thought as to why weeds tend to grow next to the fence, or the driveway, or around the planted areas? The answer is probably that these are the areas you are using the trimmer in. If you are mowing your lawn at the proper height, usually 3 inches, chances are the middle of your lawn looks nice. The problem areas tend to be the edges of the lawn, where the trimmer is used.

Weeds love to be cut short, and it is difficult to maintain a consistently high cut when using a trimmer. Besides the fact that weeds thrive when cut short, they also thrive in these closely cut areas because the grass is cut too short to shade the growth of the weeds. So, take a little extra time when trimming to keep the trimmer up in the air, instead of letting it touch the ground.

5. SHADED AREAS -Shaded areas of your lawn are probably the most difficult area to have a healthy lawn in.

Below are suggestions for dealing with the shade.

- The amount of sunlight can be increased by trimming the lower branches, and thinning higher branches of trees.
- You can trim shrubs to allow more air movement. To further reduce stress on grass in shaded areas, you may choose to mow this area 1/2 to 1 inch higher.
- Increased fertilizer will also help.
- If you plan to seed a shady area, be sure to use seed which is shade tolerant.

6. SEED & SEEDING -Unless you have a specific preference for a particular variety of grass, I suggest you use a mix of grass seed. Using a mix will help you obtain a uniformly green lawn, as different varieties of grass green up at different times, and some do better in different areas of your lawn than others. So, using a mix, will keep the entire lawn looking nice. Using a mixture of fescue, bluegrass, and perennial ryegrass. The key to choosing seed is to make sure the seed is high quality and contains very few weed seeds. All seed bags have a label which will list the content varieties of the seed, and the percentage of weed seed included. To determine if you need to seed and how extensive the seeding needs to be, you will need to take a close look at your lawn. Basically, if you do not have much grass, you need to do extensive seeding and work the seed into the soil. If you have a pretty good stand of grass, you can simply sow the seed and leave it alone. If you are pleased with the thickness of your lawn, you can probably skip seeding, and only do it every other year.

“Weed control is more than making a pretty yard. Weeds compete with grasses for water and nutrients,” says Walheim. “A well-cared-for, vigorous lawn will resist weed invasions.”

Below are the five steps to keep your yard in top shape for weed resistance:

1. Mow high – Mow the upper end portion of the required height for the type of your grass encourages deeper roots and better heat as well as drought tolerance because the grass helps shade the soil to reduce evaporation and it maximize the soil moisture content. With this, the need for frequent water could be minimize. Mower should be set at 11/2 inches high for common Bermuda; 1 inch high for hybrid Bermuda; 3 inches high for tall fescue; 21/2 inches for Kentucky bluegrass; and 21/2 to 3 inches for St. Augustine.

2. Water properly – Water the soil thoroughly down to its depth of 6 – 8 inches to prevent shallow root system, It is important to wet the soil properly so they could absorb the water very well. To check for its thorough absorption of water, insert a rod or screwdriver into the soil; it will stop when it reaches dry dirt.

3. Fertilize at the right time of year - This is one of the most important step. This depends on the type of grass. Fall or spring for cool-season lawns and late spring and early summer for warm-season lawns. But be aware of the insects that might ruin your grass like grubs that eat grass roots.

4. Aerate and dethatch - Remove small cores of soil as it is necessary for better water and penetration of nutrients.

5. Kill weeds – Buy such product that would be best for your lawn and try to know what kind of weeds you have in your lawn so you could have the right protection for your lawn against weeds. And learn to follow instructions properly.

Source: Lawn Care

A pre-mowing routines should be done before mowing your lawn. First is to remove the debris and any oher objects that are on the lawn surface including the removal of twigs, leaves, stones, children’s toys, pet droppings and bones. The reasons for these are:

-To ensure safety because lawn mowers can throw stones and other objects at great speed that will cause cuts, broken bones and eye injuries.

-Removal of lawn surface objects will prevent damage to the lawn mower blades and other lawn mower parts that can be caused by hard objects.

-The surface debris like leaves and pet droppings will be scattered to lawn surface by lawn mower weight. It could also create unwanted lamps and bumps on the lawn surface that will block the penetration of sunlight that will cause in the grass underneath dying or losing its vigour.

Waterlogged turf will be compacted by the weight of the mower and your footsteps and the mower’s roller or side wheels are likely to sink into the wet turf. Its outcome is unsightly depressions, markings and tracks. Before you start mowing, lawns should be brushed with a besom broom this will prevent grass from lying flat and could help the grass and weeds sit up for the mower blades. This will ensure that the grass is cut at the desired length. Brushing the surface of the lawn will also disperse any worm casts that may be present on the lawn surface. Removal of worm casts is important Brushing the lawn can also remove any remaining dew that may be left on the tips of the grass.

Before starting to mow the lawn determine which direction you want your stripes to go. You should aim to make the stripes at right angles to the stripes that were created the last time you mowed the lawn. Alternating the direction of the stripes with each cut helps avoid the unsightly corrugated appearance that is known as washboarding.

And your last task before you mow the lawn is to check your lawn mower to ensure if it is ready for the job. If your mower is a petrol mower then have you checked to see there is enough petrol in its tank. And dont forget to set your mower blades to the correct height. Because it should vary with the climatic seasons and the type of grasses that make up the lawn.

Source: Lawn and Mower

Renovate your dull, full of weeds, thin and thatchy lawn to give new fresh look. Here are Simple steps to follow:

1. Plan renovation so you can reseed during ideal planting time ‘ early fall or early spring for most typical cool-season grasses, such as bluegrass and fescue.

2. Kill the whole lawn if it is hopelessly infested with weeds; spray with a broad-spectrum herbicide like glyphosate (Clean-up or Round-up), and wait the length of time recommended on the label before proceeding with replanting. If weeds are not a big problem, you don’t have to kill anything.

    

3. Dethatch the lawn with a power dethatcher, available for rent at many rental yards.

4. Rake up the thatch and dispose of it, or add it to a compost pile.

5. Aerate the lawn with a power aerator, available at rental yards. Leave the dug-up cores (they’ll break down) or rake them up.

6. Level uneven spots by spreading topsoil and raking.

7. Reseed the lawn with a grass type adapted to your area.

8. Lightly cover the seed with 1/4 inch of organic matter spread with a cage roller; see “How to Plant a Lawn From Seed.” Apply dry lawn fertilizer, and water it as recommended.

9. Keep the new lawn moist until grass is established. Then water as usual.

Tips & Warnings

- It may take several weeks for sprayed weeds to die completely, so plan ahead accordingly. If you have really tough weeds, such as Bermuda grass, you may have to spray again in a few weeks to kill them completely.

- It will be easiest to use a dethatcher and aerator if the ground is lightly moist, not soggy or dry.

- Adjust the depth of the dethatcher blades to match the thickness of the thatch.

- Most herbicides work best if sprayed during hot weather.

- Follow herbicide label instructions precisely. Many herbicides will kill any plant they touch, so avoid spraying on windy days.

- Flag below-ground sprinklers before operating equipment. Otherwise, you may damage them.

Source: eHow

Keeping a a healthy green lawn will be very difficult without these major tools needed by your lawn:
1. Lawn Mower

This is the top most important tool needed for lawn care. No matter how big or wide or long your lawn is you need to cut them more often to keep it look tidy and clean and that would be easy for you to maintain them. Thus, you need a lawn mower. There are many different types of lawn mowers, and you can pick the one that is right for you. If you don’t have much of a lawn to mow you can buy a mower that you push. However, there are also riding lawn mowers that are becoming less and less expensive that you can buy in order to have the lawn of your dreams.

2. Rakes

Another important thing you need are rakes to clean up lawns. It comes in different types that you can use for grass,leaves, and debris. You can use the simple type as long as it can be strong enough to clean up your lawn and gentle enough for your lawn not to get hurt.

3. Watering System

Another essential tool for lawn care is water. Not just humans do need water but lawns and plants as well. For small lawns, a hose could be fine but for larger ones a sprinkler would be the best to make sure all parts of it has absorbed with water. But you have to also be aware of the proper watering system for lawns to avoid mistake.

4. Trash Bin

This trash bin is an important part of lawn care since all garbages are being kept in it. So the leaves and sticks should be put in its designated place too.

5. A Good Shovel

Living in an area where it snows should know the importance of the snow removal items.but if not, you are going to have to have a shovel. A good shovel is an important part of lawn care. You can use it to dig holes, to get rid of things that are on your lawn that you don’t want, and for a whole variety of reasons. You should always be sure that you have one at your disposal.

Lawn care is a big factor for your lawns at home. And you should make sure that you have all these pieces to make your lawns healthy. Its something that takes a lot of practice, more effort and time with patience but it can be much easier if you take the time to make sure you have the correct tools before you start. It can be much easier that way.

Source: lawn care