The Dos and Don’ts of Lawn Care for an Effortless, Gorgeous Yard
A green lawn is a cherry on top of a beautiful home, and it can be frustrating when your grass keeps dying or losing its luster. While there are many reasons why lawns can appear dull, brown, or lifeless, there are also many ways to reverse them.
You’ll need a strategic plan to keep your lawn green and shining without excess work on your part. Many people make small mistakes that have big consequences when it comes to lawn care; the first step is knowing what contributes to a lackluster lawn.
Do: Water Your Lawn Regularly
Grasses, like most plants, need a regular supply of water to grow properly. Rain provides this water supply most of the time, but it doesn’t always rain enough to penetrate roots fully. In dry areas or drought, you’ll need to provide watering more frequently.
In most cases, including rainfall, your lawn should receive at least one to one and a half inches per week. Watering in the morning helps mitigate fungus that can grow overnight.
Don’t: Overwater
While all lawns need adequate watering, if you water too much, you can cause problems like fungi and shallow roots. When you provide too much water, the grass won’t have to dig deep roots to receive it, resulting in weakened lawns.
Too much water can provide an ideal environment for fungus spores to grow without competition, as excess water can eliminate beneficial microbes in the dirt. You’re also wasting water and driving up your water bill unnecessarily!
Do: Keep Your Equipment Maintained
Your equipment can contribute to an unhealthy lawn when it isn’t maintained properly. Keep all of the gas tanks filled or batteries charged, and check these levels often. You will need to ensure that you sharpen your lawnmower blades regularly, at least once a season, to keep chopping healthy and fresh.
If your equipment is broken, you should be able to repair and replace parts. If these parts aren’t accessible, you may want to upgrade your equipment to a different brand or model. Consider models that have accessible and replaceable parts.
Local suppliers may be a great option for lifetime service and warranty options. I found some affordable lawn mowers for sale near me with accessible parts and lifetime guarantees.
Don’t: Use Dull Mower Blades
As you cut your grass, your blades will grow duller with each mow. When you mow with a dull blade, your grass becomes more susceptible to disease. They excessively tear the grass at vulnerable angles.
As previously mentioned, you’ll need to keep your mower blades sharpened to prevent this. Sharp blades provide a clean, even cut that doesn’t leave an open wound on the grass stalk. If you find your grass weak or overly susceptible to fungi, you may need to check your mower blades.
A decent lawnmower will provide an easy way to access the blades for sharpening. You may need to upgrade your equipment if blades aren’t accessible.
Do: Use Fertilizer Each Season
Fertilizer keeps your lawn healthy and nourished, but only in the right doses. It’s recommended to use fertilizer at the start of the growth season for your grass at a minimum. At most, experts recommend early spring, late spring, summer, and fall.
Some may find that four times a year may be too much fertilizer; if you’re experiencing symptoms of overfertilization, cut down to two times a year at most. Start with a lighter amount and observe the results. It’s normal for grass to turn brown in the late fall or even summer for cool-season grasses.
Don’t: Overfertilize or Incorrectly Time Fertilizer
Overfertilizing can overload your grass with nutrients like salt, which can actually cause burns to the plant. Burnt grass can cause yellowing at the tips or entire stalk. Too much fertilizer can also limit growth and eventually lead to death.
If you’ve got bald patches in your lawn and you fertilize often, overfertilization is likely the culprit. Fast-acting fertilizer, like most liquid forms, can increase the risk of burns.
Don’t: Mow the Grass Too Short
While frequent mowing is often required, especially in the growth season, you should watch how short your blades get cut. Blades that are too short will have trouble with photosynthesis, the process by which plants get nutrients from sunlight.
Inadequate photosynthesis leads to a weak root system and a lawn that can be vulnerable to disease and pests. Most lawns should be two and a half to three inches tall at its shortest. Don’t worry; you can still get that manicured lawn look at this length!
Conclusion
Most people find mowing their lawns once a week is ideal for maintaining growth. However, there are many types of grasses, so what may work for other grasses may not work best for yours. Identify the problems your lawn is seeing to create a plan of action that works best for you.
If you’re seeing a lot of fungus growth, you may need to reduce or change your watering schedule. If your lawn cuts are jagged and uneven, you’re likely dealing with dull mower blades.
Lawn can be picky sometimes, but with the right approach, your grass will be the envy of the neighborhood.
Jenny Kakoudakis likes to blog about interiors. She launched award-winning Seasons in Colour in 2014 and the luxury interior design blog All The Pretty Homes in 2024. When she is not chasing criminals out of the financial system (her day job), she gets creative by redecorating her own home.
