The Grass Can Always Be Greener: Our Top Tips for a Healthy Lawn

As the foremost landscaping company in the Branford and Fort White area, we get a lot of landscaping questions from our clients. It can feel overwhelming to take care of your outdoor space. Gardens require so much care, trees need to be kept trimmed and healthy, and your shrubs, hedges, and plants need attention too.

But one of the areas of most dissatisfaction we hear from our clients is their lawn. The drive to have the best lawn in your neighborhood can be very real. You want your lawn to look healthy, thriving, and in your control. The lush green of a good grass yard exudes all these feelings and provides a generally attractive look.

But it’s not so easy to get there.

Luckily, at Creative Vision Tree & Landscape Services, we have your back. It can be hard knowing how to get started with your lawn, keeping it impressive all through the spring and summer. To get you on your way, here are our top tips to get the most out of your lawn.

Mowing Height

If you are going to keep your lawn looking well-groomed, you will have to mow it. This obviously starts with buying a mower, but we figure if you’re reading this blog, you’ve already gotten that far.

The next step is knowing the best way to mow your grass.

To promote a healthy and vibrant lawn, it is essential that you never cut your grass too close to the ground.

We know your mower will have many height settings, and it can be tempting to go for a really close shave. After all, if it’s shorter, you won’t have to cut it as frequently! But we’re here to say, if you want that lawn to be healthy and full, you’ll have to keep the length longer than you might think.

There are a few reasons for this. First, a taller grass system can support stronger and deeper roots. Cultivating a healthy root system is essential for your grass since this is what uptakes the water and nutrients it needs to grow. Keeping a longer grass blade also allows your lawn to entrap more sunlight, a necessary step of the photosynthesis process. Furthermore, a taller lawn can increase shade at the soil level, which prevents the growth of weeds.

To strike a balance between having a lawn that looks well maintained and long enough to be healthy, the optimum height for grass is about 2 ½ inches tall.

Irrigation

No plant can grow without sufficient water— including grass. There may be ample rainfall to keep your grass healthy in some areas and seasons, but in the heat and sun of summertime, lawns can become yellow and dead due to dryness.

The best way to prevent this is to irrigate the lawn yourself. Some homes may have sprinkler and irrigation systems built into the lawn, but you don’t have to go this far. A simple lawn sprinkler that you move around the lawn will do the trick.

Generally, the amount of water your lawn needs is about 1 inch per week. It’s important that you don’t flood the lawn, but it’s also important that enough water is distributed to penetrate the surface and soak into the soil. This gives plenty of water for the roots to do their job. We recommend watering about two or three times a week, rather than one giant dump of water. This ensures a consistent water supply, so your grass can constantly be growing.

Nutrients

Grass also needs nutrients in the soil to grow. A long summer season of growing can deplete the nutrition in your soil.

You can add it back.

There are many types of fertilizers for nutrition. They are usually distinguished by the Nitrogen (N), Phosphorus (P), and Potassium (K) in the mix. It’s usually safest to go with a fertilizer with over half Nitrogen content. When you fertilize, follow the directions on your fertilizer bag in terms of how much to use, and always make sure you spread evenly.

This step doesn’t need to happen too frequently. Once every 6-8 weeks should do it, keeping your lawn well-fed consistently throughout the year.

Seeding

Lastly, sowing grass seed can be what your yard needs to promote a full lawn. If there are any dead or dry spots, areas of high foot traffic that get worn, or areas you’re just looking to thicken up, seeding will help bolster the vitality of your lawn.

There are a few times to seed your lawn, and the best may not seem so obvious—it’s in the fall, before the ground freezes. This is called “dormant seeding”.

You might think that by this time of year, your days of lawncare are grinding to a halt. But if you want to be prepared for next season, this will make sure your lawn comes in even fuller in the spring. Simply seed in the areas you want, especially in brown or yellow patches. Doing this just before winter will prevent the seeds from germinating until the springtime, keeping them dormant until you need them to grow!

Our Quick Points for Green Grass

These are our most straightforward lawn care tips for any lawn. Always be careful with your mowing height; ensure your lawn receives enough water; provide the essential nutrients your grass needs; seed your lawn in the winter for a great next season. These tips will keep your lawn looking better than it ever has.

Get in Touch with Creative Vision Tree & Landscape Services

If you want to get it the best, it may be a good idea to seek out professional help. At Creative Vision Tree & Landscape Services, we are experts in lawn care and can provide services such as aeration, irrigation systems, and fertilizer spreading that you can’t do on your own.

If you have any success stories with your lawn, let us know in the comments! And if you have any questions about how yours can improve, give us a call at (386) 688-1578.