A well-maintained, healthy lawn is a joy to look at, adds to your home value and appeal, and sharpens the look of your whole neighborhood! A healthy lawn will have lush grass that prevents soil erosion, filters contaminants from rainwater, and absorbs many types of airborne pollutants, including dust and soot. Grass in a healthy lawn is also highly efficient at converting carbon dioxide to oxygen, a process that helps to clean the air and to decrease your area's carbon footprint! Here are 5 ways any homeowner can develop a healthy lawn.
1. Develop healthy soil. Even with a minimal understanding of basic agriculture, you can appreciate the fundamental importance of good soil! Three qualities of healthy soil are good texture, a healthy amount of nutrients, and proper chemical balance. Ensure your dirt is not too heavy or too clay-based in texture, or on the flip side not too light or too sandy. Grass grows best in "loamy" soil, which is a happy medium between primarily clay and primarily dirt composition. Periodically adding organic material such as compost, manure, and glass clippings to your lawn will naturally balance out your soil composition over time. Organic matter lightens a predominantly clay soil and, conversely, helps sandy soil retain water and nutrients.
2. Choose a grass type that thrives in your climate. A grass that fits your lawn's natural needs in your particular climate will make all the difference to keep your lawn looking healthy. The typical weather in your area, the balance of sun and shade cast on your lawn, and even the direction your yard faces will help determine the type of grass you need.
Here are a few varieties of healthy grass you may choose from based on your particular climate. The popular grass Bermuda, healthy in the southern USA, survives fairly well in harsher environments with poor soil and very hot climates, as well as in highly shaded or highly sunned lawns. St. Augustine grass is a sometimes fickle but often worthwhile grass to consider. In the right conditions, St. Augustine grass can be luxurious in your lawn - it remains healthy in warm, well-watered, partly-shaded conditions. Kentucky bluegrass is also a great cool climate grass. Another grass that fares well in northern regions and as a winter seed in the south is perennial rye grass.
3. Mow high and often. Taller grass will grow stronger -- it has simply more leaves to take in the sun. Therefore, by mowing more often and leaving the grass a bit high, you can promote your soil with fresh clippings frequently. Mowing this way leaves the grass blades longer, resulting in stronger growing grass roots. Conversely, cutting grass very short will stifle the overall growth and spread of your lawn.
4. Water your lawn heavily, but not too often. Watering at the right time and in the proper amount is a tricky skill to learn. The two most common ways to kill grass are to over-water or to under-water it -- therefore consider how well your soil holds water before you begin to water your lawn. If your lawn's soil holds water well, then you can water less often. A lighter soil will require more frequent waterings. Secondly, consider the amount of heat cast on your lawn or lack thereof. A lawn that suffers extreme heat will require frequent watering. Still, always be careful not to over-water - your soil needs time to dry out and to breathe in between each watering.
5. Consistently weed and fertilize your lawn. Thankfully, you do not have to be an expert lawn professional to correctly weed and feed your lawn. With all the lawn products available these days, proper fertilizing is just a matter of buying the right amount and spreading it at the right time each year. Typically, a thorough application of fertilizer at the very beginning of each spring should be adequate.
Through intentional lawn care and these helpful tips, you can steadily develop the healthy lawn you wish for. Diligently care for your lawn, and it will reward your time and investment with lush, green, healthy beauty.
1. Develop healthy soil. Even with a minimal understanding of basic agriculture, you can appreciate the fundamental importance of good soil! Three qualities of healthy soil are good texture, a healthy amount of nutrients, and proper chemical balance. Ensure your dirt is not too heavy or too clay-based in texture, or on the flip side not too light or too sandy. Grass grows best in "loamy" soil, which is a happy medium between primarily clay and primarily dirt composition. Periodically adding organic material such as compost, manure, and glass clippings to your lawn will naturally balance out your soil composition over time. Organic matter lightens a predominantly clay soil and, conversely, helps sandy soil retain water and nutrients.
2. Choose a grass type that thrives in your climate. A grass that fits your lawn's natural needs in your particular climate will make all the difference to keep your lawn looking healthy. The typical weather in your area, the balance of sun and shade cast on your lawn, and even the direction your yard faces will help determine the type of grass you need.
Here are a few varieties of healthy grass you may choose from based on your particular climate. The popular grass Bermuda, healthy in the southern USA, survives fairly well in harsher environments with poor soil and very hot climates, as well as in highly shaded or highly sunned lawns. St. Augustine grass is a sometimes fickle but often worthwhile grass to consider. In the right conditions, St. Augustine grass can be luxurious in your lawn - it remains healthy in warm, well-watered, partly-shaded conditions. Kentucky bluegrass is also a great cool climate grass. Another grass that fares well in northern regions and as a winter seed in the south is perennial rye grass.
3. Mow high and often. Taller grass will grow stronger -- it has simply more leaves to take in the sun. Therefore, by mowing more often and leaving the grass a bit high, you can promote your soil with fresh clippings frequently. Mowing this way leaves the grass blades longer, resulting in stronger growing grass roots. Conversely, cutting grass very short will stifle the overall growth and spread of your lawn.
4. Water your lawn heavily, but not too often. Watering at the right time and in the proper amount is a tricky skill to learn. The two most common ways to kill grass are to over-water or to under-water it -- therefore consider how well your soil holds water before you begin to water your lawn. If your lawn's soil holds water well, then you can water less often. A lighter soil will require more frequent waterings. Secondly, consider the amount of heat cast on your lawn or lack thereof. A lawn that suffers extreme heat will require frequent watering. Still, always be careful not to over-water - your soil needs time to dry out and to breathe in between each watering.
5. Consistently weed and fertilize your lawn. Thankfully, you do not have to be an expert lawn professional to correctly weed and feed your lawn. With all the lawn products available these days, proper fertilizing is just a matter of buying the right amount and spreading it at the right time each year. Typically, a thorough application of fertilizer at the very beginning of each spring should be adequate.
Through intentional lawn care and these helpful tips, you can steadily develop the healthy lawn you wish for. Diligently care for your lawn, and it will reward your time and investment with lush, green, healthy beauty.
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