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Proper, regular mowing is the most important thing you can do to keep your lawn looking its best. Even if your lawn is in rough shape now, proper mowing can help get it back into shape.The biggest mistake people make when they mow their lawn is cutting it too short. You should cut off no more than 1/3 of the actual grass height each time you mow. This means you might have to adjust the cutting height on the mower according to the growing conditions.
Here are some more mowing tips: Don't give your lawn a bad haircut. Keep your lawn mower blade sharp. A dull mower blade tears and shreds grass blades so that the ends dry out and turn brown. This produces a dull, tarnished - looking lawn and provides access for disease. Change your mowing pattern each time you mow. Always mowing the same way trains the grass to grow in one direction, eventually flattening it out.
Fertilizer manufacturers use a ratio of three numbers to identify the nutrients in the product: Nitrogen, Phosphorus and Potassium. So a 5-10-5 fertilizer contains 5 percent nitrogen, 10 percent phosphorus and 5 percent potassium.
Look for a low nitrogen number; that indicates a slow-release fertilizer that won't produce a lot of top growth (and more mowing), but will help build up the root structure in the lawn.
Fall is the best time to fertilize; mulching your clippings in the spring and summer will take care of your lawn's nitrogen needs until the fall. Why fertilize at all? The thicker and healthier your lawn is, the less likely weeds will be a problem.
It's often thought that mulching your grass clippings will result in a thick, unsightly thatch layer on your lawn. NOT TRUE! Believe it or not, grass is about 90 percent water, so when you mulch, the clippings disappear in a day or two.
The trick is to have a sharp blade and a mower specifically designed to recycle lawn clippings, so you don't end up with ugly clumps of grass on your lawn that will turn brown and kill the grass underneath.
Why mulch? Well, you're not only saving time by not having to stop the mower every few minutes to empty the bag, you're adding nitrogen to the soil. In fact, mulching can eliminate a fertilizing session or two, saving you more time and money.
The number one problem we hear from homeowners is how to handle lawn damage caused by your dog. If ugly yellow spots are on your lawn, try this easy tip:
Just mix a small box of baking soda into a watering can full of water. Saturate the dog spots every few days. In a few weeks, the baking soda should take the acidity out of the soil and the turf should turn green again.
Top dressing your lawn with good organic material like compost once a year will help guard against pet damage, but the best solution is to keep your dog off the lawn when nature calls!
You should try to give your lawn the water it needs - and no more. How much water your lawn needs depends on the healthof your lawn and soil, rainfall and on your climate.
You may need only two waterings per year or as many as two per week. The best approach to deciding when to water grass is to follow nature's pattern of rainy periods followed by dry ones.
Apply enough water to penetrate to the grasses roots all at once, let the soil almost dry out, and apply water
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