How to Care for the Lawn
A well-cared for lawn is green and smooth and shows pride of ownership. Taking care of a lawn doesn't have to be hard work. With regular maintenance any lawn can be the envy of the neighbothood. Basic lawn care includes regular watering, fertilizing and mowing. Choose a species of grass that does well in your local climate and is easy to care for. Some species, such as Buffalo grass, don't even need to be mowed. Does this Spark an idea?
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Instructions
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Water the lawn according to the climate, soil and grass type. Most lawns need about 2 1/4 inches of water a week in a hot climate. Cooler climates need less. Use a probe to see how far the roots of the lawn go into the ground and water according to the root depth. Roots that are 6 inches deep in a sandy soil need about 1/2 an inch of water but a clay soil will need three times as much. Sandy soil drains quickly, so needs to be watered more frequently than clay.
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Mow the lawn frequently and never cut off more than one-third of its height. Keep the grass between 2 1/2 to 3 inches tall. Leave the clipped grass on the lawn. It decomposes and adds nutrients to the soil. A mulching lawnmower speeds this process. Keep lawn mower blades sharp. Dull blades cause brown tips on the grass.
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Fertilize the lawn frequently during the growing season. Feed in early spring, late spring, late summer and at the end of the growing season. You may not need to feed in both early spring and the end of the year, depending on the grass species. Grass needs a lot of nitrogen when it grows. A fertilizer high in nitrogen that is specifically designed for grass is the best option. If the lawn clippings are removed, a fertilizer with small amounts of potassium and phosphorus is also needed.
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