How to Get a Beautiful Lawn

Spring has sprung! It's time to get your lawn in tip top shape. Be the envy of your neighborhood when you follow these steps to beautify your lawn.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

1. Aerate your lawn. Aerating is done with a machine. Holes are poked into the ground and then plugs of dirt are lifted out of the ground. The benefit to aerating your lawn is, you are allowing oxygen, nutrients and water to get to the root system. Aerating can be done twice a year and can be beneficial to any lawn, however one way to see if your lawn is especially in need of aeration is to pull back a piece of your sod and examine the roots. If your roots are only a couple of inches deep, your lawn will benefit from aeration. Cool grasses such as ryegrass, bluegrass and fescue can be done in the spring and fall. Warm grasses such as buffalograss should be aerated anywhere from late May through the end of July. The best way to aerate is to use a machine that has hollow tines. This procedure is called core aerating. Aerating machines can be rented or purchased from your local home improvement store. I saved money by sharing the aerator with a couple of our neighbors. We all split the cost of the aerator and were able to do our lawns in a 24 hour period.
   Follow the directions of the particular machine you have. If you rent one, you should be given directions, by the store employee, on how to use the machine. After you have aerated, wait two days before applying any chemical to your lawn.

2. Apply a weed and feed chemical to your lawn. Most fertilizer companies have a four part schedule for fertilizing your lawn. In early spring, apply a typical fertilizer. In June, apply a fertilizer with weed control. At the end of July to the early part of August, apply a turf builder to your lawn. At the end of your lawn mowing season, apply a fertilizer with a winter formula to prepare your lawn for the winter months ahead. Most fertilizer companies show this four part schedule on the back of their product.

3. Give your lawn at least one inch of water per week. It is important to give your lawn a thorough soaking. If your grass is wet just on the surface, the roots will grow near the surface to drink the water. This will cause problems during the hot, dry summer days. However, if you water your grass too much, it will be susceptible to disease and injury. The best time of day to water your lawn is in the morning, after the sun is up, and while dew is still clinging to the grass. Never water your lawn at night. Insects love to come out and munch on the roots at night, doing damage. If you see moths coming out of your lawn, you have a pest problem.

4. Cut your grass to a height of three inches. This will keep the sunlight off of the ground, making it hard for seeds from weeds to grow. Keep to a schedule of cutting your lawn once a week.

5. Following these steps will get you on your way to a beautiful, green lawn that will beg you to take off your shoes and run through the grass!

Tips & Warnings

• Be careful not to allow children or pets on your lawn after a chemical treatment has been given. Follow the directions as to when it is safe to go back on your grass.

[FrazzledNanny]

on 5/12/2009 Thanks for the great lawn tips. We have a new lawn and are trying to get it to grow. 5*