DIY Lawn Care Guide -

In this section we'll be giving you some valueable lawn care tips that make others see green... and you too.

As you probably know, to make your home stand out you need a beautiful landscape. When most people think of their landscape, they think of their gardens, flowers and shrubs. However, one important aspect of your landscape that must be a part of the thought process is your lawn.

If your home has nice looking gardens but a weed filled lawn that looks unkept, it will detract from the overall look and not be a good thing.

Therefore, taking care of your lawn is equally important to getting that home lanscape in a league of it's own.

Fortunately, we are here to give you the goods! Both Art and me have extensive experience renovating the lawns of our clients - transforming them from weedy yards with bare spots to lush looking deep green carpets.

Here are basic lawn care tips you should know. We'll be covering these in more detail in future articles.

Question: "How Often Should You Mow?"
Answer: "When The Grass Needs It."

You may have heard that the rule of thumb to cut off no more than 1/3 of the grass blade. This is true, but why is that?
Because cutting off more than that will stress the grass, which means it will mostly likely turn brown and not grow as strong and healthy.

DON'T DO THIS...
Here's the common scenario with many of our clients.

They either don't want to spend the money on mowing their grass, or if they're doing it themselves, don't have the time or motivation to cut it often.

As a consequence, the grass gets long and when it finally does get cut, they cut it too short, thinking by cutting it short they won't need to cut it for a while.

This is not what you should be doing if you want a good looking lawn

DO THIS INSTEAD...

Mow your grass so that when you cut off 1/3 or less of the blade, the grass is at a height that you like.

So, how does this answer the question of how often to mow?

The answer is, it depends.

If the weather is cooperating, it's raining enough, it's not too hot, and the grass is growing vigorously, you'll want to cut it often. It's not uncommon for grass to be mowed 1x per week where we live. This schedule is a good one that will maintain a healthly lawn.

Remember, a good looking lawn is a healthy lawn and a healthy lawn will require cutting frequently.

We know, we know. Most people don't like spending a boatload of cash for professional companies to fertilize their lawns. Yes, it can add up. We want you to know this though, fertilizing is necessary for a green, lush lawn.

The proper schedule is 3-4 times per year. Spring, early summer, late summer and fall are the ideal times to apply fertilizer.

Here's the scoop. When you apply fertilizer, you'll give the grass the nutrients it needs for healthy roots and healthy growth. However, once those nutrients are used up, they will need to be replentished to continue to remain healthy.

Think of the human body as being similar. We all need to feed our bodies regularly to keep the nutrients working. What would happen if we stopped eating? You get the picture.

There is a way you can save money and still get that green lawn... do it yourself. It's really not that hard. Check our site for articles on how to fertilize your lawn.

Fertilizer is just that... fertilizer. It helps the grass grow stronger. It won't get rid of weeds. As a matter of fact, the weeds will grow faster and stronger too, so you need a way to combat weeds along with fertilizing.

Now, you could get down on your knees and pull them, one by one, from the roots, getting every last bit of weed. Indeed, some people do this and actually find it rewarding and peaceful. If that's you then go for it.

However, another option is weed control sprays that only kill weeds. There are many on the market and we do have our favorites. Watch for other articles that cover this topic in much more detail.

One of the most common reasons lawns turn brown is from a lack of water. We've seen it over and over again with our clients.

One of the most common questions we get asked is "Why is my lawn turning brown?" and our response would be "How often are you watering it?" and the response is always "I'm not."

You know that golf course you pass with the dark green grass. Guess what. Irrigated. What about that Hilton Hotel with the lush green grass and gardens? Most likely irrigated. What about professional office parks. Most likely irrigated.

Art has worked with irrigation on all 3 of those properties in and around Maryland so we know what they do, and we know how important watering is for green grass.

Watering your lawn is sooo important, if you do nothing else, do this. Set up a sprinkler and water your lawn regularly, especially if you're going through dry spells.

You can also purchase a simple timer that connects to your water spigot and will turn your sprinkler on and off at set times... and even better way to do it.

So fertilize, treat the weeds, cut your grass and water regularly and you too can have that lawn that makes your home stand out.

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31 Comments

getting over it
July 5, 2023

A very interesting topic that I have been looking at, I think this is one of the most important pieces of information for me. And I’m glad to read your post.