How to Get a Green Healthy Lawn
The grass isn’t always greener on the other side. With a little regular maintenance, your lawn can be the envy of the neighborhood. Learn how to get a green healthy lawn in this Lowe’s video:
A healthy lawn has six basic components: weeds, soil, seeding, feeding, mowing, and watering. By following these easy steps, your lawn can look great with just a little time and effort.
Weeds: Look at the overall health of your lawn. If you have large areas of weeds with very little grass, it may be time to start over. Spray the weeds with non-selective week killer and wait for them to die (“non-selective” means it kills all plants, so be careful what and where you spray). If your lawn is in better shape and you only have the occasional weed, use a selective herbicide and spot treat only the areas with weeds.
Soil: Once the weeds are eliminated, it’s time to improve your soil. Over time, the soil under your lawn begins to degrade in quality. De-thatch using a garden rake. Start by raking your lawn vigorously to remove thatch, the dead grass and other debris that prevents water, nutrients and air from reaching the root system. Next, aerate your lawn. Aerating reduces soil compaction by poking holes in the ground. The best option is to use a core aerator which removes small plugs of dirt to loosen the soil. On small yards, you can use a spiked aerator.
Seeding: Now that your weeds and soil are in check, you’re ready to seed. There are two categories of seed, warm-season grass like Bermuda and centipede, and cool-season varieties like fescue and bluegrass. Choose the grass that’s best for your region. If your lawn is in good shape, you’ll want to overseed, which means to evenly spread seed over the entire lawn. Check the label to determine which spreader setting to use. If you have bare patches, you’ll need to spot seed. Loosen the soil with a rake and evenly spread seed directly on the soil. Rake the seed in and tamp it down with the end of the rake. This seed to soil contact is essential for germination. Spread a small amount of mulch or straw on top for insulation. Finally, keep the seeded area consistently moist for a couple of weeks until you see the new growth. Make sure not to overwater the area; just enough to keep it slightly wet. With the soil prepared and the seed down, you’re well on your way to greener grass.
Feeding: Begin by measuring your lawn’s square footage to determine how much fertilizer you will need. You can use either a broadcast or drop spreader. Just be sure to check the bag for the correct spreader setting. You want to get the amount of fertilizer right as too much can be just as bad for your grass as too little. Apply the fertilizer evenly; do not overlap passes. Using a weed-and-feed is a convenient way to deal with weeds and fertilize your lawn in one pass; just don’t use this type if you are sowing grass, because it works by preventing seeds from germinating. If you are sowing grass, use a lawn starter fertilizer instead.
Mowing: Now that you’ve fed your lawn, it’s time to think about mowing. First, only mow when the lawn is dry, otherwise your grass clippings may clump. Next, make sure to cut the right height for your type of grass. Typically cool-season grasses are cut taller and warm-season grasses a little bit shorter. If you’re not sure, use the 1/3 rule: only remove 1/3 length of each blade. Be mindful of your grass type when mowing and slow your mowing frequency for cool-season grasses when the weather is hot and arid. Keep your mower blade sharp for a clean cut that’s disease resistant and alter your mowing patterns so grass won’t lean in one direction.
Watering: Last but not least comes watering. Most lawns need an inch of water per week. A rain gauge can help you monitor rainfall. Deeply water your lawn in the morning to avoid loss of moisture from evaporation. Watering deeply is the most efficient method; it gives the water time to reach the root system and allows the soil to dry between watering. It’s a good idea to hook your sprinkler to a timer to avoid runoff and wasted water.
