5 Easy Ways to Create a Beautiful Lawn

Take Advantage of This Golden Opportunity to Maintain a Beautiful Lawn.

Fall is upon us and harsh winter climatic conditions are coming. The environment is turning browner by the day. The fall season is the last chance of the year to keep your lawn looking its best. Lawn care activities in the fall will reap the benefits in the months to come. So, start now by making a plan to maintain your lawn in the fall.

Proper Watering

One of the key factors to a healthy lawn is proper watering. Ideally, you should water your lawn once a week for the first couple of months of the growing season, and no more than twice a week for the rest of it. If you do come in multiple times throughout the season, it may be a sign of a problem. Here are some tips to keep your lawn healthy and looking great all year long.

Make sure to monitor the weather conditions outside and the time of day you water your lawn. A rainy day will require less watering than a hot, dry day, while a sunny day will need more watering. The NRCS recommends conducting a test on your lawn to determine if it needs watering.

Water early in the morning before the soil becomes too dry to withstand the heat of the day. It's also important to water early in the day to allow the grass time to absorb the water and send it deep into its roots and plants.

You can also water at the beginning of the day, as water evaporates quickly during midday. Windy days will also cause the water to evaporate before it can reach the grassroots.

Water early in the morning or late in the afternoon. During the early morning and early evening, watering is less likely to evaporate and your lawn will stay moist throughout the day. Alternatively, water your lawn in the late afternoon, when the temperatures are cooler.

A well-watered lawn will be able to survive a week without water and recover when the rain returns. But if you must water the lawn late in the day, make sure it is not overly wet. The wet lawn will also be more prone to fungus and disease.

Fertilizing

If you're not sure when to start fertilizing your lawn, you can start by following the recommended schedule provided by your county extension office. This schedule is for a Northern lawn and includes bluegrass, ryegrass, and fescue. The amount to apply depends on the location and grass type.

You can also ask a lawn care professional for specific recommendations for your region. Always read product label directions and instructions carefully before fertilizing your lawn. Commercial fertilizers may not be appropriate for certain types of grass.

There are two types of fertilizers: organic and inorganic. Organic fertilizers are made from natural ingredients and contribute to the nutrition of the soil. Examples of organic fertilizers are manure, compost, bone meal, and alfalfa. Inorganic fertilizers, or chemical fertilizers, are synthetically produced products that contain specific amounts of nutrients. Use an organic fertilizer when possible to avoid burning your grass.

The first fertilizer feeding should be done early in the spring after the soil temperature reaches 55 degrees Fahrenheit. Check your soil thermometer before fertilizing, or look for lilacs to determine the exact temperature. A second fertilizer feeding should occur in mid-May, with the third feeding made from organic material.

During the summer months, cool-season grass plants go dormant, so fertilizing them early will help them keep green. Fertilizing lawns for a gorgeous lawn starts with a soil test. A thorough test will reveal which nutrients your lawn needs. The pH level of the soil will also determine what type of fertilizer you should use.

Once you have the proper test results, you'll be on your way to a lush, green lawn. You can then choose which fertilizers to use, and follow them religiously. Check out our article on fertilizers what you need to know.

Keeping an Eye Out for Pests

Keeping an eye out for pests is an important part of lawn maintenance. Not only are these creatures ugly, but they can also be dangerous to humans. If your lawn is full of insects, you're more at risk of getting sick from their stings. In fact, insect-related illnesses have reached record highs in the US this year. Luckily, there are some ways to deal with these pesky insects without resorting to expensive treatments.

One of the easiest ways to prevent pests from destroying your lawn is to keep it mowed regularly. Long grass can become a perfect hiding place for insects, such as Chinch bugs. By regularly mowing your lawn, you can prevent pests from breeding in your yard and ruining your beautiful lawn. Also, make sure your lawn doesn't have overgrown trees and bushes, as these can also be attractive places for pests to breed.

Chinch bugs are tiny black insects that are less than a quarter of an inch long. Their signature white X-shaped spot on their backs is an easy way to identify them. These pests typically live in the thatch layer of your lawn. They can be found in large numbers on grass leaves, and they prefer hot, dry environments. They tend to congregate near sidewalks and paved areas.

Mole crickets are a common culprit of brown spots on lawns. These winged insects burrow under the turf, eating the roots and leaves. Their damage usually occurs between February and June and can be very costly. So, it's essential to keep an eye out for these pests. If you notice a mole cricket on your lawn, try to spot it immediately! If it's too large to see, try washing the mole crickets with soapy water to kill any infestation.

Keeping an Eye Out for Grubs

Keeping an eye out for grub infestations is an important part of maintaining a beautiful lawn. Grubs can be a small nuisance, but when you notice large numbers in one area, it's time to act. These little creatures can wreak havoc on your lawn, leaving it spongy and easy to pull. There are many signs that you should look for to protect your lawn from grub infestations.

Grubbs usually live in the soil above the roots of your grass. If you spot any of them, simply pull up some soil around the base of the sod and dig it up. Grubs live in the top few inches of soil, so they'll be deeper in the winter than in spring or late summer, or fall. If you find more than six grubs per square foot of turf, it's time to treat it.

You should monitor your lawn carefully for moisture levels, as moist soil can cause more damage. However, if you spot an adult beetle on your lawn, you should pick it up and drop it in a bucket of water.

To kill grubs and keep your lawn beautiful, consider planting resistant grass varieties, such as ryegrass and fescue grass. Unlike grubs, these grasses produce alkaloids that repel insects.

During the spring and fall, grubs are active and feed on the roots of the grass. During the winter months, they spend their time underground and emerge as adult beetles. In the spring, they will begin feeding again and can damage your lawn until mid-May. If you don't treat for grubs, you may need to hire a professional pest control company to get rid of them completely.

Learning about your yard's soil

The health of your lawn often depends on the soil. Whether it's green and lush, or brown and patchy, your soil may need a little TLC. By testing your soil, you can learn how to apply nutrients to improve your grass's health. If it's clay-based, for example, you should supplement it with organic mulch. It may even need fertilizer to thrive.

The pH of your soil is also important. A healthy lawn requires a pH level between five and seven. If the pH is more than seven, use sulfate to increase the pH, while less than seven means you need lime to balance the pH. You can test your soil with a soil-testing kit from a lawn care company. You should use a pH test to determine the type of fertilizer your lawn requires, and aeration treatments to loosen compacted soil.

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