A healthy lawn provides a great place for outdoor activities and enhances the value of your property. It also helps to improve local wildlife habitat and protects our environment.
A weed-free landscape is safer for children and pets. Weed control also reduces the need for pesticides, which in turn cuts down on fuel consumption. Contact Big Green Lawn Care for professional help.
A well-maintained lawn is not only aesthetically pleasing but it also adds value to your property. Proper grass cutting is a crucial part of lawn care to promote healthy growth, suppress weeds and disease, and enhance overall yard beauty.
One of the most important factors in healthy grass growth is mowing at the right height. Grass cut too short will weaken the roots and encourage weeds to grow. It also exposes more soil to the sun, causing the plant to become stressed and vulnerable to diseases and pests. Consistently mowing at the correct height will help you achieve your dream lawn while also saving on water and energy costs.
During the spring and summer, your lawn will grow at an accelerated rate and may need to be cut more often. It is recommended to keep your mower blade at a higher setting during these seasons and to avoid mowing in the heat of the day to minimize stress on the grass.
Another critical aspect of healthy grass cutting is to use sharp mower blades that are properly maintained. Dull blades can traumatically injure the grass, which leaves it vulnerable to disease and pests. Be sure to change your mower blade regularly to ensure a clean, precise cut and to reduce the risk of damage to your grass.
If you choose to leave your grass clippings on the lawn, it is recommended to spread them evenly and not clump them together. They are an excellent source of organic matter that will benefit the soil and contribute to a healthy, vibrant yard. They can also help prevent thatch build-up and improve your soil’s water holding capacity.
In addition to consistent mowing and proper blade maintenance, other essential lawn care tips include aerating the lawn to alleviate soil compaction, overseeding as necessary, fertilization, and pest control. Adding these treatments to your regular lawn care regimen will further boost the health of your grass, giving you the beautiful yard of your dreams.
Aeration & Dethatching
Both aerating and dethatching are essential lawn care practices that enable vital nutrients like fertilizer, water and air to reach grass roots for healthier growth. They both address soil compaction and thatch buildup but use different methods and tools to accomplish the task.
Thatch is a layer of interwoven dead grass, stems, crowns, and roots that build up over time on the surface of your turf and creates a barrier between the soil and the green shoots you love to see on your lawn. A thin level of thatch is fine, but an excessive amount suffocates grass and can lead to numerous issues, including drought stress, stunted growth, insect infestations, and the overtake of weeds and other unwanted plants.
Dethatching is the process of removing thatch with a specialized tool, enabling your lawn to breathe. This is typically done with a rake or power dethatcher, and it should be performed regularly to keep thatch at bay. Dethatching removes the spongy organic mat that prevents water, air and nutrients from reaching the soil beneath, allowing for improved soil health and a lush, hydrated appearance.
Aeration, on the other hand, loosens compacted soil by poking holes into it with a core aerator or spike aerator, creating an environment for grass to thrive. The aeration process also increases moisture absorption, allows for better nutrient uptake and improves root growth.
To determine which treatment is best for your property, a lawn care professional can help evaluate your soil and thatch levels, then recommend the appropriate method of each. The right timing for both services also matters, as doing one at the wrong time can put stress on your lawn and leave it susceptible to weeds and other issues.
Both aeration and dethatching are easy fixes that can make a big difference in your yard’s appearance, so they should both be included in your lawn maintenance plan. Rentco’s Tool Shed carries a wide selection of high-quality aerators and dethatchers to meet the needs of any property. Visit a Rentco location to learn more about these products, or contact a knowledgeable staff member to assist with your specific lawn care needs.
Irrigation
When a lawn is properly irrigated, water and nutrients are effectively delivered to grass roots. This promotes deep root growth that resists disease and drought stress. It also promotes a lush, healthy green appearance that complements and enhances the landscape. Moreover, properly irrigated lawns conserve and manage local water supplies while promoting sustainable landscape practices.
Lawn irrigation is a vital part of lawn care because it helps to keep the soil moist and healthy while reducing the amount of time and effort homeowners need to devote to watering. Over time, this results in reduced fertilizer and chemical usage. Additionally, it is a great way to prevent the development of weeds, which can be difficult to control without regular mowing.
Regular mowing maintains the proper turf height while controlling weeds and encouraging thicker, healthier grass growth. Proper mowing practices also help to reduce the spread of disease within your yard, particularly during certain climatic conditions. Common lawn diseases include dollar spot, brown patch, leaf spot, rust, and red thread.
Whether you have a lush green lawn or an overgrown weedy mess, your property will benefit from regular mowing and aeration. Both processes encourage the development of deeper roots that resist drought, disease, and insect damage. Additionally, they help to retain water and nutrient resources in the soil and prevent runoff pollution and erosion from the surface.
Watering your lawn can be a labor-intensive process when you have a large property. You may spend countless hours dragging a hose from sprinkler to sprinkler or watering by hand. Smart irrigation systems eliminate this problem by delivering the right amount of water to each plant and lawn in your yard, all at the right time of day.
During your irrigation system installation, make sure that you calibrate it so that it is delivering the correct amount of water to each zone in your yard. In addition, you should water your lawn in the morning before the sun is high or in the evening after the sun has gone down. Watering in the middle of the day can cause your water to evaporate before it reaches your lawn and can promote an environment for mold.
Fertilization
Grass needs regular lawn fertilization to maintain healthy growth and stay green throughout the year. Fertilizers supply nutrients that grass cannot get from the soil, and they help it recover from stressors such as drought and disease. A properly fertilized lawn can also crowd out weeds, reducing the need for herbicides.
Lawn fertilizer can be natural organic or synthetic, but it is important to choose a product that works well with your particular type of grass. In general, cool-season grasses should be fertilized in early spring and late fall, while warm-season grasses benefit from fertilization in mid-spring and late summer. Our team can recommend an appropriate schedule for your yard.
When choosing a fertilizer, keep in mind that it should be applied to wet grass to avoid burning the plants and to ensure proper distribution. It is also important to water the grass after fertilization to help it absorb the nutrients. It is also a good idea to perform a laboratory soil test before adding any type of organic matter to the soil. This will provide valuable information such as the relative proportion of sand, silt and clay.
Depending on the results of the lab tests, the addition of organic matter should be timed carefully to promote a healthy soil ecosystem that encourages nutrient uptake. Avoid over-fertilizing as this can harm desirable plants and pollute local waterways.
It is also a good idea to use slow-release types of fertilizers, which will release their nutrients over an extended period, preventing excessive foliar burn and requiring less frequent applications. Some lawn fertilizers also combine nutrients with weed control, offering an all-in-one solution for your lawn care needs.
A regular lawn fertilization schedule prevents nutrient deficiencies and imbalances, which can result in pale or weak turf. A regularly nourished lawn is better equipped to endure environmental stressors such as drought and extreme temperatures. A well-fed lawn can also resist diseases and other invasive pests. A well-maintained lawn can also limit erosion, improve air quality, and cool the environment while controlling allergens and other pollutants. In addition, healthy turf is also attractive and a great place to play and relax.