Curb appeal is something we usually devote a lot of our time to. A big part of it is the lawn and it’s not uncommon to want a luscious green carpet that is the envy of everyone on your block. However, for your lawn to be healthy and look attractive, it requires care all year round. You need to be aware of some basic principles and implement preventative maintenance. Here is what you should do for your lawn every season, so take note.
Spring
To have a healthy lawn, you need to start from the ground up. The first thing on your to-do list should be testing the soil each spring. For the grass to grow well, you need a neutral pH soil. In case the soil is not favorable, you might experience problems during the whole year so look into ways of improving it. Soil testing is relatively cheap and some nurseries even do it free of charge.
If your lawn is still bare, spring is the right time to sow seeds. Seeing how there is usually enough rain during this season, the germination process will go smoothly. On the other hand, if there is grass already, you should trim it and then mow it. Doing this will kick start the growth of the lawn. And, in case your lawn is quite dense, dethatching might be necessary.
You also need to feed and water the lawn during spring. When it comes to fertilizing, make sure not to overdo it. You can choose pre-packaged feeds that contain nutrients like nitrogen, potassium, iron and phosphorous. If there is less rain than usual, you should also water it. Moreover, aerating the lawn is also something you can do in spring.
Summer
Our lawns endure a lot of stress in summer so we need to be careful about how we treat them during this time. Watering is crucial when the days are too hot, so either think about investing in an irrigation system or get up early in the morning and do it manually. Keep in mind that lawns usually require 1 inch of water per week and it’s best to do this every five to six days.
When it comes to mowing, you should keep the grass a bit taller during summer. If it’s too short, the sun can scorch the ground which leads to compaction and evaporation, in addition to allowing weeds to develop. Furthermore, if it’s extremely hot or dry, you should not fertilize the lawn as that will only put more stress on it.
Fall
Just like during spring, you need to get rid of thatch so that the sunlight and moisture can reach the soil. Remove it by using a rake, just make sure you’re not too aggressive and accidentally tear out healthy grass. Also, deal with the falling leaves as they appear as it’s much easier to remove them in smaller amounts.
The lawn should also be fertilized in the fall, especially with nutrients that include potassium which will allow the grass and the roots to be stronger and toughen up in time for winter. Moreover, aeration should be done around this time as well. Early fall can also be used for seeding the yard, just make sure you choose a variety that thrives in your climate. All in all, fall is the time when you should start prepping your grass for the colder months, so make sure not to skip any steps.
Winter
The truth is that during winter there is not that much to be done when it comes to taking care of the lawn. Keep collecting fallen leaves and adding them to your compost pile. Moreover, don’t let any twigs or branches accumulate either. Leaving debris on the grass can result in dead spots in the spring. Also, you should avoid walking on the grass if you want to prevent the creation of “cow paths”, which are very hard to turn back into healthy, green grass.
While waiting for spring, you should make sure your equipment is well-maintained. So, remove all grass clippings from your equipment, change the oil where necessary, apply lubrication to joints and pivots and sharpen all the blades.
Also, you can use this downtime to educate yourself more about types of grass and how they should be managed. You can discover new ways of taking care of the lawn and look into some new equipment you might possibly need.
As you can see, keeping your lawn healthy all year round is not an easy task. You need to put in a lot of effort and time into its maintenance. Hopefully, this article showed you what needs to be done and when, so that you can enjoy a lush-looking lawn and be proud of your efforts.
