Lawn Care Guide

Richard O asked:


I am starting my own lawn care business and would be very grateful for any tips or hints as to how to get started off on the right foot. Thank you in advance.

Lydia

andrewdoane asked:


Just moved into a new house. My lawn has several spots where there is no grass. Do you just go buy grass seed and lay it down? Do I have to plant the seed some distance under the surface? Are there any tricks for getting it to grow?

And when I go to buy grass seed, how do I identify which kind of grass I have, therefore which kind of seed to buy?

Renee

Martin Haworth asked:


So, when you are wistfully looking out over next doors green and pleasant land, it’s time to take some lawn care advice and find out just what you can do, easily, to get that verdant pasture you desire.

It’s All In The Watering

Water is vital in getting a beautiful green lawn. These days, when temperatures are rising with the climatic effects that we are experiencing around the world, and rainfall is erratic, the best lawn care advice you can have is to get your watering just right.

If you get this right, you will find that you neither waste water, nor do you undersell your lawn either.

If you water early in the day or late, these are the right times. If you try it on in the heat of the day, you will waste water as much of it will evaporate off before it’s had the chance to do good. And, what make matters worse, some grass types will scorch if watered in this way as well.

It’s also to water in the right conditions for your lawn as well. the best lawn care advice would suggest that you water when the lawn needs it and not before.

Saturating the lawn can cause other problems as well as encouraging weeds to grow with a lawn that is under water for too long.

If you think about how well a lawn copes with the natural pattern of rainfall, you will start to appreciate how an irregular pattern of watering will be the best to develop good strong root systems (which like a little thirst!), without drowning the lawn and suffering other diseases.

Mow Your Lawn Carefully

Important lawn care advice is continued with the simple rules for mowing your lawn properly and in the best manner to encourage strong and healthy growth.

By ensuring that you mow in such a way as to cut at the higher end of the recommended grass height (as advised by your grass grower or other lawn care advisor - often found at your local garden center), you will increase the proportion of green surface area.

This will enable a strong plant. A bit of grass length is also good to hold back weeds that are trying their best to force their way through.

Taking proper care of your mower is also good lawn care advice. Make sure that your mower blades are sharp; a sharp blade will cut cleanly and prevent damage to your grass, which will also inhibit growth.

Take your blades to be sharpened by a professional each year. The small expense will be worth it as your summer progresses.

Thatch Control

Thatch is the material that comes from dead grass and other materials laying on the ground and inhibiting growth rather than decomposing.

Good lawn care advice means recommending that you do your best to fight thatch. This is more a project to be handled yearly rather than week by week.

Cutting grass at the recommended height for your type of grass will help reduce thatch, as will aeration of your lawn in the spring and fall.

By following this and other good lawn care advice, you’ll be able to have a lush lawn that you can be proud of.



Jesus

Michelle Bery asked:


The daily schedule of the average American family today is one that includes a bevy of demands on a minute-to-minute basis. From work, to kids, to home - there simply doesn’t seem to be enough time in the day to accomplish everything that needs to be done. Those who have found joy and accomplishment in do-it-yourself projects soon find that something has to give. For many, that means the hiring out of household duties that used to be accomplished over a weekend - including the services of a lawn care professional.

For those of use who inhabit suburbia, our lawns are part status symbol, part responsibility to the neighborhood. A beautiful, thriving lawn at one house raises the value of the whole street - a fact not lost on any homeowner. And so, we work all hours and spend significant money in an effort to maintain an envied lawn. But when the hours begin to dwindle or the time simply becomes not worth it because we don’t enjoy the activity, then a lawn care professional can be enormously worth the money.

A lawn care professional can come to your property and very quickly ascertain the condition of your lawn and your needs going forward. They can be hired for weekly maintenance work such as mowing and watering, or for longer contracts that include seasonal care throughout the year such as weeding, seeding, fertilizing, and aerating. The demanding upkeep of a well-maintained lawn becomes the responsibility of the lawn care professional which be incredibly freeing for most homeowners.

Finding a lawn care professional can be accomplished in a number of ways. First and foremost, word of mouth is always the best way to find a lawn care professional of quality. Speak to some of your neighbors who have lawns you admire. If you find a lawn care professional that appeals to several people on your street, you may be able to negotiate a neighborhood group discount.

Also, when searching for a lawn care professional, keep your needs in mind. If you have a smaller lawn that can be well managed by a small crew, then some of the smaller neighborhood services may be just fine for your needs. If you have a larger lawn that requires larger machinery, then you may want to check out a larger lawn care professional.

Also, in addition to fees associated with the services, be sure to check the references of each lawn care professional. Look for someone with a solid reputation; you’ll be sure they will do a good job when it comes to your property.



Vincent

Ling Tong asked:


A great deal of effort is needed to care and look after your lawn. It is important that you take the time to care for your lawn to ensure that is looking great at all times. People often think that caring for a lawn or garden requires a great deal of time and effort but in actual fact it doesn’t take a lot of time if you do a little each day or take a day. Lawn care basics is a simple and easy task if you know what you are doing or if you know what you would like your lawn to look like. However it is important to note that if your lawn is larger than the typical lawn then it will require that more time be spent caring for and maintaining it.

 

The easiest and quickest way to care for your lawn is involve as many people as you can in the process. It is a great idea to make it a family event. Taking a Saturday afternoon with the family and doing some yard work is a great way to spend time together. In addition to caring for your lawn it is also a good way to instil a sense of responsibility in your children when they are expected to help out around the house.

 

Once you have enlisted the help of other family members there are other great ways to maintain your lawn. The key is choosing beautiful plants really require little attention besides for the occasional watering. For example if you would like a hedge in your yard instead of a fence a great idea is to use stately blue columns of juniper. It is a good idea to place them at the corners for visual anchors for other flowers that you may choose to run along your hedge. These trees require slight watering if you are living in a dry area.

 

A great way to maintain your lawn is to make sure that you do not mow your grass when it is too hot and the sun is high in the sky. When you do this you are exposing your fresh grass to the hot sun and this may in fact burn up your grass causing it to turn brown. You should mow your grass when it is cool and dry. It is recommended that you mow your grass after the morning dew is dry. During this time the sun is not high in the sky and it is typically cooler during this time of the morning. It is important to wait for the dew to dry as you want to avoid getting wet clumps of grass in your yard.

 

It is also important that you make every attempt to keep unwanted pests away from your trees. There are a number of chemicals that you can use to rid your lawn of pests but the best way to keep the pests away is to actually get down on your hands and knees and do the work yourself. When scouting for pests you need to part the turf and pull the thatch apart. In one or two places dig holes into the ground and check the stems for evidence of insects and pests that you might think are killing your lawn and plants. Doing this on a regular basis will help you prevent any possible pests. 



Jane

Tango Pang asked:


A luxurious lawn is one of the most inviting sights in the world. The pictures of beautiful homes in a wide variety of magazines usually include a beautiful, always bright green, lawn in the backyard or front yard of the property. The homes pictured in these magazines are often elegant mansions, but other photographs show a small patch of lawn off a patio. Dedicated owners or paid landscape professionals with an assortment of lawn care equipment produce and sustain the lawns in these pictures.

The typical pieces of lawn care equipment are necessary to create and care for a wonderful, green lawn. A knowledgeable gardener will have the lawn mover which will probably have some kind of mechanism for grooming the lawn to a perfect height. No skilled gardener will want to mow the lawn too close to the soil for this will result in an inferior look. A lawn that is left too long will not have the desired look of a smooth carpet of greenery. The lawn mower is the staple of lawn care equipment, but these machines come in a wide variety of makes and models which means choosing the proper lawn mower is an important decision. Manual mowers are still available and there are gardeners who still insist on pushing their mower around the property. Most gardeners choose a model with a motor to make the task easier.

Lawn Care Equipment Provides for the Latest Techniques

A beautiful lawn requires more than just the proper cut, and agricultural scientists have studied techniques for the best results. A beautiful lawn needs to be aerated periodically and lawn care equipment is available to perform this task. Professional landscapers will have sophisticated lawn care equipment to aerate the lawn properly, but there is simple lawn care equipment available for the gardener responsible for only the lawn in their home.

In order to start a lawn and to keep it vibrant, grass seed needs to be distributed throughout the targeted plot. Uneven distribution of the seeds will not produce the desired effect. Most nurseries and garden centers have lawn care equipment for distributing the seeds evenly over the plot so that the lawn has a smooth, luxurious appearance. Small, manageable tools are sold in the stores that a gardener can fill with the appropriate seed to distribute it evenly over the area. These machines can also be used to distribute fertilizers and lawn care products over the lawn when necessary.



Eileen

JD asked:


I am looking for the total package in lawn care. I don’t want to pay more than $20.00 very 2 weeks ($40 a month). I also don’t want any contracts. This will be for the summer months only. Please provide good contact information.
My yard is small in front and back. I just need lawn service every two weeks, to keep it looking good. Nothing special.

Wilma

Mary Ann Porsuelo asked:


There are top tips to care for your lawn. Just as important as lawn care tips are the lawn care mistakes that we should know how to avoid. Lawn care and maintenance takes more than just the usual cutting and watering.

Here are the top ten lawn care mistakes that many people make. Some are so common that we think it’s just normal, when in fact it is actually damaging to your lawn.

1. Cutting the lawn too short. Many of us would like to save time in mowing our lawns so we opt to cut them too short. This will give us a longer break between mows, but this does not bode well for your lawn. The idea here is that removing more than a third of a grass blade will weaken its root system. This will gradually result to future lawn problems.

2. No or very little preparation on the planting strategy and methods. Keep in mind that plants grow better when they are planted at the appropriate depth and spacing. Naturally, this would require some research about the plant and its most favorable conditions and some preparations to take better care of it. Conducting soil tests is particularly relevant because the pH balance can help determine which type of grass is best to grow on your lawn.

3. Disregarding the difference between mature plants and the young ones. It may not seem like a big thing, but noting which plants are new and which are mature is important. This concern involves the water intake of the plants. The water needs of the new and young plants tend to be bigger. They need more water and they may need to be in a sun condition different from that of the mature and established plants.

4. Watering and fertilizing at the wrong time and schedule. A watering schedule is recommended for homeowners who would like to maintain a healthy lawn. Watering amounts will depend on the seasonal changes, the weather and climate, and the area. Generally, the best time to water your lawn would be early in the morning, when you will have the least amount of evaporation. Timing and scheduling also applies to fertilizing you lawn. Depending on your location, fertilization of the lawn varies.

5. Ignoring the importance of mulch. Mulch is important for lawn care and maintenance because of its various uses. Mulching can help add or retain nutrients in your soil, repel insects, control weeds, and can reduce fertilizer needs by a third. 

6. Mistaking when to use seed and sod. Most homeowners choose one or the other based on the amount of time to build a lawn. The truth is, you should choose between seeding or sodding by the its most advantageous purpose in lawn care. Sodding helps against soil erosion and is the most effective in building a new lawn. Seeding is better in filling gaps and bare parts of a lawn.

7. Using powder products and “green” products. Power products may be cheaper but they can get blown away before it can get into the soil. Using organic products, or “green” products, can be time-consuming since it takes longer to work and a lot of applications are needed to get results.

We can see that these are all normal mistakes. But we can also see how each of these lawn care mistakes can hinder us from making a great and healthy lawn.



Ron

Catalina D asked:


i need to furnish all materials, labor and equipment necessary for the proper maintenance of lawn care and landscape work
Cutting and trimming shall include all areas, including courtyards on approximate 13.867
fine turf will be mowed at a height of 2-3 inches. Mowing shall occur on a regular schedule not to exceed a frequency of once a week with the first cut occurring on or around April 5th and the last cut on or around November 1

Brent

Michelle Bery asked:


The modern lawn has fast become the status symbol of today’s suburban family - its health and vitality reflecting considerably on the homeowners. Millions are spent each year as more and more families fork over hefty fees to professional landscapers and lawn care services in an effort to maximize the potential of their property. But for some, the simple joy of working outside - and of achieving a beautiful lawn - can be an achievement not worth hiring out. For those ambitious do-it-yourselfers - or for those who find comfort and relaxation in working outside - a few basic lawn care tips will go a long way towards achieving a healthy and beautiful lawn.

One of the best lawn care tips is to go straight to the professionals to learn what will work for your specific lawn. Depending on your climate, your lawn will respond best to a myriad of different factors that must be considered when implementing a successful lawn care plan. Your local home and garden store is likely well-stocked with everything you will need to best care for your lawn. Additionally, the employees who work in these retail outlets are often vastly knowledgeable and can guide you in your purchases.

Other such lawn care tips include frequent and ample watering of your lawn during inevitable dry spells; the periodic aeration of soil to allow grass roots to receive the utmost sunlight and water; weekly mowing in season to ensure proper and continued growth; fertilization and seeding in fall and spring to lay the groundwork for future success; and the tackling of weeks that can strangle the roots of a growing lawn.

Lawn care tips are varied and numerous; do your part by reading as much information as you can about your specific species of grass, talk to professionals and even neighbors who have success with their own lawn maintenance; and visit the Internet where a vast amount of resources reside for lawn care enthusiasts. The time you dedicate to sorting through lawn care tips will pay off in the way of a beautiful lawn that can be enjoyed by all.



Carla