Lawn Maintenance - The Key to That Healthy, Lush and Green Lawn You Desire

Lawn maintenance is an essential ingredient that impacts the overall look and health of your lawn. Proper grass care is critical in producing a lawn that is free of lawn weeds, lawn pests and lawn diseases.

That healthy, lush lawn gives you that overwhelming sense of pride. Whether your lawn is new or old, you want the grass to wake up, stand tall and be green.

Getting to know every inch of your lawn, whether you do your own lawn maintenance or you hire someone to do it for you,  is a good practice.  It will help you understand which areas will respond well to your TLC and which won't.  It will also allow you to spot and respond to problems quicker. 

Decide on a Lawn Maintenance Schedule That Fits Your Needs

Your first step should be to assess your lawn care needs as well as the amount of time and money you are willing to spend to get the results you desire.

The 3 most common lawn maintenance levels are low maintenance, moderate maintenance and high maintenance.

Low Maintenance Grass Care

• You may be willing to sacrifice the way your lawn looks to be able to devote time to other more important matters that require your attention.
• Your lawn may have some weeds because of the bare and thin patches.
• The grass may turn yellow or brown (go dormant) during the drier weather.
• The lawn must be mowed on a regular basis. You follow the minimum guidelines for your specific type of grass.
• When rainfall is infrequent, you water your lawn every 10 days or you may decide to let your grass go dormant.
• You fertilize your lawn 2 times per year.
• You leave the grass clippings on the lawn because it acts as a nitrogen fertilizer.

Moderate Maintenance Grass Care

• You spend twice as much time caring for your lawn than if you chose low maintenance care.
• You may have a few weeds.
• The grass is typically thick and lush.
• You water weekly during the height of the summer. The grass may not be green all season but most likely it won’t go dormant.
• You cut the grass weekly. The lawn is kept at the maximum height for your specific type of grass.
• You fertilize your lawn 3 times during the year.
• You leave the grass clippings on the lawn because it acts as a nitrogen fertilizer.
• You aerate every few years to help with the soils compaction.
• When necessary you practice weed control.

High Maintenance Grass Care

• You want an impeccable lawn that is a showcase for all to see.
• You frequently cut the grass. The lawn is kept at the shorter end of the height range for your type of grass.
• You make sure the lawn receives 1 - 2 inches of water per week.
• You fertilize the lawn 4 times per year.
• When necessary you practice lawn weed control, lawn pest control and disease prevention.
• You aerate annually to help with the soils compaction.

My Own Grass Care Regiment

You may wonder, how does a lawn care professional maintain their own lawn. I personally take elements from all 3 methods. I am very pleased with the results.

• I cut the grass weekly, keeping the grass length on the longer side.
• I fertilize 2 times per year.
• The majority of the time I leave the grass clippings on my lawn. My lawn benefits from this because the grass clippings act as a nitrogen rich fertilizer.
• I use the weed wacker everytime I cut the grass and the lawn edger as necessary.
• I water when the rainfall is infrequent. Just ask my wife, our water bill is pretty hefty in July and August.
• I deal with other lawn problems as necessary (lawn weeds, lawn pests, etc).

Lawn maintenance includes more than just cutting grass, line trimming with a weed wacker, using a lawn edger or the lawn clean-up. Possibly even more important is the lawn care equipment that you use, your lawn mower maintenance practices and lawn care safety measures you take. After all, in order to take care of your lawn, you need equipment that works properly and you need to ensure the safety of you and your family.

Cutting Grass

This is the single most important step in your weekly lawn maintenance regiment.

There is nothing more unsightly to see than grass that is so overgrown that it is a foot tall. To avoid a situation where the grass length is out of control it is important to set up a mowing schedule and stick with it.

In order to set your mowing schedule you need a plan and there are important questions that need to be answered.

• When in the spring should I start mowing and when in the fall should I stop mowing?
• How often should I cut the grass?
• How to cut the grass?
• What length should the grass be?
• Should I mow wet grass?
• Should I cut the grass during a drought?
• Should I bag the grass clippings?

Learn more about cutting grass.

Weed Wacker (Line Trimmer) and Lawn Edger

This lawn maintenance step helps achieve that well manicured look.

The term weed wacker and line trimmer can be used interchangeably.

Each time you cut the grass you should follow by using the line trimmer. It should be used around tree rings, planting beds or a shed.

You only have to use the lawn edger bi-weekly or even monthly. The lawn edger is used to make the grass edge straight with the pavement (driveway, sidewalk or street).

There are questions that need to be answered regarding line trimming and lawn edging.

• What is the proper way to use the line trimmer?
• How do I know when the lawn edger should be used?
• Where should the weed wacker and lawn edger be used?

Learn more about weed wacking and lawn edging.

Lawn Clean-Up

The lawn clean-up is the final step in your weekly lawn maintenance regiment. This step is purely cosmetic but it gives your lawn that “finished look”. This is the difference between having a nice lawn and having the lawn that others take a second look at.

Learn more about the lawn clean-up step.

Lawn Care Safety

Lawn mower safety should always come first and foremost in your lawn maintenance regiment. Accidents with lawn care equipment is very common and can cause serious injuries.

When you are finished with your weekly grass care regiment you want to enjoy the rest of your day, evening or weekend.

We all have such busy schedules that it is hard to find enough leisure time. You don't want to spend what little leisure time you have in the emergency room with an injury because you didn't practice proper lawn mower safety.

Learn more about lawn care safety.

Lawn Care Equipment

Using the proper lawn care tools (lawn mower, weed wacker, lawn edger, grass blower, etc) is important.

At one time or another we have all made purchases we later regretted. Choosing the right lawn mower is an important decision. Buying the most expensive or the least expensive lawn mower may be the wrong decision. You want to make sure that it is the right choice for your particular yard and that it performs all of the functions you need it to perform.

Before you invest in a lawn mower, it is a good idea to look at lawn mower reviews to see what others think of and have experienced with the lawn mower you want. Mark at www.mowerwizard.com has great insight that can help you in your decision making.

Learn more about lawn care equipment and which may be the right choice for you.

Lawn Mower Care

Proper lawn mower maintenance is very important. Lawn mowers are expensive. You want to make sure you take proper care of this piece of equipment so it performs the job well for you. You don't want your lawn mower breaking down in the middle of your weekly lawn maintenance regiment.

There is routine lawn mower maintenance that needs to be performed prior to the beginning of the mowing season, during the mowing season and before you store your mower for the winter.

Following this guide will help extend the life of your lawn mower.

Learn more about lawn mower care.

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