subject: Find Out The Basics Of Lawn Maintenance [print this page] If you want to have a great back or front garden then you will need to take great care of your lawn because it is what surrounds your garden as its frame. In the same way that an ugly frame will detract from the beauty of a picture, an unkempt lawn will ruin the overall effect of a garden even if you place a great deal of time and money into the garden. The good news is that if you keep up with lawn maintenance making it presentable does not have to be too difficult or even time consuming.
The following are a few tips that can help make lawn maintenance an afterthought instead of a constant dread.
First of all, you should always keep your mower on high because ideally you only want to cut off about a third of the length of the grass blades each time you mow. This is due to the fact that at this length the blades of grass will remain strong and it discourages the growth of weeds and presence of pests.
Next, you need to avoid the tendency to overwater your lawn. For some reason people think that the trick to proper lawn maintenance is constantly watering their lawns so that the grass stays luscious and green. However, too much water can actually ruin your lawn. As a general rule of thumb you only need to water your lawn during dry spells. On average, once a week is permissible if there has not been any natural rainfall in which case you do not need to worry about it for the week in question.
The third trick is actually one that many people are shocked by, as it seems to be the antithesis of lawn maintenance, but it is extremely useful: leave the grass clippings in the lawn. While you may be tempted to rake it up because it makes the grass look more composed, the truth is that by leaving the clippings in the grass they will decompose and form a fertiliser that will keep your lawn fresh and green throughout the year. This is much better for grass than purchasing fertiliser and is overall much better for the environment.
If you must purchase fertiliser to place on your lawn be careful not to overdo it since doing so can kill your lawn and make sure to choose one that is high in nitrogen. In terms of fertiliser and lawn maintenance, twice a year is generally enough: once before winter and once towards the end of summer since these are the time periods in which the grass is the most fragile.
Finally, for those that live in areas where the leaves fall, leaves need to be promptly raked on a regular basis because the leaves block the grass from receiving the sunlight that it needs to stay healthy. Given the fact that the grass in essence hibernates every winter you need to allow it to store up as much food from the sun as possible during the autumn which means keeping it clean of leaves.
