Lawn care tips

[SpringBreeze]

Do any of you have techniques that you use to keep your lawns lush and green? If so, please share them here. I remember when I was growing up, my parents used to constantly get a spotted lawn. And it always bothered me. It looked unhealthy. They eventually learned how to maintain a beautiful lawn. And luckily, I have had some luck with mine.

Some tips I have are:

1. Don't mow your lawn too short. Less is better in this case too. Tall grass is better for the roots. It keeps the ground from drying out as fast as short grass blades.
2. Water your grass properly. Sometimes it's better to give your grass a thorough soaking once a week, rather than a quick wetting every day. Experiment and see what your grass/soil needs. I've found that seeds and areas of soil are unique and thus require their own system.
3. Fertilize regularly instead of 3 times a year. Grass need more than water to grow lush.
4. Poke holes into your grass every once in a while. It'll help nutrients get to the roots and it'll improve oxygen circulation.

 

[maddie]

Do any of you have techniques that you use to keep your lawns lush and green? If so, please share them here. I remember when I was growing up, my parents used to constantly get a spotted lawn. And it always bothered me. It looked unhealthy. They eventually learned how to maintain a beautiful lawn. And luckily, I have had some luck with mine.

Some tips I have are:

1. Don't mow your lawn too short. Less is better in this case too. Tall grass is better for the roots. It keeps the ground from drying out as fast as short grass blades.
2. Water your grass properly. Sometimes it's better to give your grass a thorough soaking once a week, rather than a quick wetting every day. Experiment and see what your grass/soil needs. I've found that seeds and areas of soil are unique and thus require their own system.
3. Fertilize regularly instead of 3 times a year. Grass need more than water to grow lush.
4. Poke holes into your grass every once in a while. It'll help nutrients get to the roots and it'll improve oxygen circulation.

Great tips there Springbreeze. What a lovely name you have chosen for yourself!
I see my neighbor's lawns full of bald spots.. I will pass on these tips to her. Maybe it will help. She does so much for her lawn and yet it is spotted.
I have a question for you... she has fire ants on her lawn.. which is the reason for those bald spots I guess. How do you handle this problem? Do you have any suggestions?

 

[Lanie]

It helps to rake the lawn each spring and fall as well. You can buy a cheap de-thatcher to use for this purpose. At least that's what my husband says and he can work miracles when it comes to grass.

 

[Shdwdrgn]

Case in point for differences in lawn watering... My yard is hard and doesn't seem to soak up water very well. Probably a poor topsoil used originally, but I've been doing what I can to improve it through the years. The typical wisdom in my area is that you water heavy and deep a couple times a week, however when I tried that, my lawn dries up. I finally figured out what works best for me is watering lightly on a daily basis, maybe 5 minutes per section, and then I'll get in on moderate watering per week.

Well one year we had a bad water shortage, and my city issued water restrictions that you could only water your lawn one day a week. So I tried... and my yard started dying. I kept increasing the watering time on each section to the point where I was watering for nearly 6 hours straight overnight, and yet my yard continued to get worse. I finally decided to ignore the restrictions and go back to my old schedule of 3-5 minutes nightly per section, and my lawn looked healthy again in a couple weeks! Sometimes conventional wisdom does not always apply.

Another example - I have always watered later in the evening, but last Spring my folks convinced my that this was bad for my vegetables, and I should only water the garden in the early morning. So I diligently reset my sprinkler timers to hit the garden just as the sun was coming up... Guess what? This is the first year I have ever lost a tomato plant to mildew. Again, conventional wisdom seems to take a back seat in my yard...

@maddie - When I first moved in to my house, the yard was filled with ants and slugs. There used to be a blue sugary substance you could buy, but I think its been outlawed. However for a more natural cure, these kind of pests hate marigolds. I've been growing them in the rocks around my garden for the past 10 years, and rarely see any pests near my garden now, and the ants seem to have thinned quite a lot from the yard. Might be worth a shot?

 

[DrCase]

If you have a old lawn that has been fertilized heavy, most will benefit with a bag of pelletized lime once in a while

 

[GulfWarVet71]

Thank you Springbreeze, that is the biggest problem with my lawn. It looks awful with the bare spots on it. Right now it's getting plenty of water (I live in Oregon) but come summer time, it'll get spotty. Despite watering daily, I can never conquer it. I will give the fertilizer a shot and plugs as well.

 

[Tmann]

1. Poke holes into your grass every once in a while. It'll help nutrients get to the roots and it'll improve oxygen circulation.

This one got me thinking. Has anyone ever tried wearing those shoes that have spikes on the bottom and you are suppose to walk around your yard and aerate it at the same time?

 

[DrCase]

Dam Tmann I will fess up i did have a pair a long time ago
I felt like big foot walking around
i wore out the straps

 

[Tmann]

Dr.Case I might have to get a pair for my wife to wear and walk around. She is always walking around the neighborhood so maybe she could just take a day a week and walk around the yard. The neighbors might begin to wander what she is doing, but I am sure they already talk about all the rock I am constantly hauling in my yard..

 

[DrCase]

Lol Thats the pair i had

 

[DrCase]

I'm just glad i don't live on a corner
i would hate for every one in the neighbor to talk about me

 

[BradHemphill]

I need a pair of those as well. Is there a time of day that's best to water - for the lawn, not the water-usage. Obviously morning and night is better for the environments, but is there a better time for the lawn. I've heard that midday is not good because the sun reflects to much off the blades of grass that they dry easier. Is this possible?

 

[Annetteb]

I have seen patches in my moms lawn where the grass had stopped growing. My sister has been looking for tips on how to fix this. I like the tips listed here and I will pass those on to my sister so she can save our moms yard.

 

[MindyT]

I thought the balding patches of grass in people's yards were from a virus of some sort. That is what I was told. What is it from then?

 

[Annetteb]

I don't know what is causing it. I will have to look into it being from a virus. That's an interesting theory though.