General Lawn Tips And Advice for a Healthy Lawn:
Mowing: Cutting your grass is good for your lawn. The oldest part of the grass is being trimmed away because grass grows from the bottom up. Cutting the grass higher will shade the roots and encourage a deeper root system. This deeper root system can reach water further down in the soil, providing better ability to survive dry spells. To determine the optimal height to cut the grass at, in general, cool-season grasses should be cut at three and a half inches, while warm-season grasses are cut at two inches. If you aren’t sure what type of grass you have or the right height to cut it, consult a lawn professional for advice. Also, when mowing, change the direction each time you mow to keep coarse grasses under control and ensure an even surface.
Watering: To determine when you lawn needs to be watered, there are several common indicators such as a bluish-green color, curling grass blades and footprints that remain on the lawn. Most lawns in our area require about an inch of water per week. Watering is most efficient in the morning because that is when the least amount of water is lost to evaporation and wind drift. Use a timer or rain gauge to help determine a proper amount of water to use.
Weeds and Diseases: Weeds are harmful to your yard because they compete with grass and other plants for moisture, nutrients, light and space. To control weeds there are several steps. In the spring applying a pre-emergent weed treatment prevents the growth of weeds like crabgrass before they can germinate. Proper fertilization, watering and mowing encourages grass to grow quickly while preventing weed growth. When weeds such as dandelion and clover do show up during the season a post-emergence herbicide should be used. Post emergent herbicides are absorbed into the leaves and are then circulated down into the root system. However, this doesn’t prevent the seeds from germinating and re-infesting a lawn.
In addition to weeds, you lawn can become infected by diseases as well if it is not properly maintained. These diseases, if left untreated may spread and damage your lawn. Signs of diseases are usually discolored or spotted grass blades. Some are caused by fungi which result from improper mowing, poor fertilization(or not right balance) or overwatering. Once a disease shows up, a fungicide should be applied since leaving a diseased plant, will cause it to die as well as spread to the rest of the lawn.