Is Regular Lawn Care Important?

What is the best method for growing a lush healthy lawn?

A lawn capable of causing envy in your neighbors does not happen overnight, but with the correct lawn care and factors in place it can be yours. Timing is of the essence here, the best time of year for new lawns it early fall (September to mid-October), if this is not possible springtime is your next best opportunity. We begin with the loam base; a quality blended and screened loam is your best bet for grass seeds to take root, try to avoid “free” loam from dumps or other areas as they are prone to weed seeds and unbalanced amounts of organic matter. Make sure you have a four to six inch deep base to work with, the deeper the base the deeper grass roots will grow making them healthier and more drought tolerant.

Pick a quality grass seed to apply. Grasses used in Massachusetts generally consist of bluegrass, ryegrass, fine fescue, or mixtures of these grasses (a mixture is recommend), apply grass seed liberally to the areas in need and lightly rake or roll into the loam. Apply a quality quick release starter fertilizer at its recommended rate to the seeded areas (a good starter fertilizer will have high and equal amounts of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium). You may also apply a seed starter mulch to the loamed and seeded areas at this time, a seed starter is similar to hydro seed but applied by hand, it retains moisture to aid in quicker seed germination.

Proper lawn care requires you to keep all seeded areas moist by lightly watering several times per day until germination occurs, at this point watering intervals can be slowly reduced as the lawn fills in.

Four to six weeks following germination proper lawn care dictates that you apply a second application of starter fertilizer to your new lawn areas. New seedlings have a big appetite so don’t skip this important feeding. As your lawn matures remember to water deeply and infrequently, this will force root systems to grow deeper and a much healthier lawn will result.

Why should I mow my lawn on a regular basis?

Proper lawn care requires regular mowing. Mowing the lawn serves a two-fold purpose.  First, the cosmetic benefits can be noticed immediately. A properly cut lawn is something that is beautiful to behold. Mowing the lawn on a regular basis helps keep the grass short, neat and even.  This gives your lawn a very well-manicured and orderly appearance.

The other benefits that come with mowing the lawn on a regular basis may not be as immediately obvious, but they are just as important. The first health benefit that is achieved is the way that the grass grows. By slicing the growth down to a short and uniform level on a regular basis, all of the growth gets an equal distribution of resources.  Due to this fact, mowing on a regular basis will allow the lawn to remain consistent in nature, because all of the resources that are gained from the sun and water are spread out evenly throughout the yard. Consistency is important to both health and appearance, so making sure that resources are evenly distributed is very important.

A second benefit is that when the grass is cut, the hardiest and the healthiest shoots are the ones that do the best.  With every cut, the best shoots will proliferate making the grass much more visible in nature.

The last health benefit is that the fallen shoots of grass will help to fertilize the lawn. Even if you are bagging, some of the extra debris will be returned to the earth, this plant matter composts quickly and revitalizes the soil underneath it. During periods of high growth (spring and summer) you may find it best to mow your lawn on a weekly basis as nutrient uptake is very high. As the growing season comes to a close (fall into winter) mowing’s may be reduced to bi-weekly or even less until the lawn stops growth all together.

So regular lawn mowing is important to proper lawn care and a gorgeous, lush lawn

What is the importance of sharp blades when mowing?

There are several reasons having a sharp blade is important, but the main reason is to keep your lawn looking good which is the main point of providing proper lawn care.  When a lawn mower has dull blades the grass will begin looking very ragged or start having a whitish tinge to it right after its been mowed.  This is an indication that each blade of grass is being torn off rather than cut.  When you think about cutting the lawn, just remind yourself that lawn mowing should be about cutting rather than ripping. Ripping your lawn up is not good for appearances, and it’s certainly not good for its overall well-being, making it susceptible to drought, insect damage and diseases. After all, lawn mowing shouldn’t just be making sure the grass doesn’t overrun your house; it should be about keeping your entire yard manicured and healthy through the growing season.

If you don’t feel like going through all this trouble or feel you can spend your time doing something more productive or fun, feel free to contact us for your lawn care needs. We will be glad to come out and give you a free quote on our professional lawn care services.