Like most endeavors, getting and maintaining a luscious green lawn is fairly simple, but not easy. It will take an investment of your time & money, and most importantly, test your patience and persistence. Most of us know what a good lawn needs to survive and thrive, we just need to stay on the right path for the time necessary to get there, and not a minute less!
Just like most life on our blue planet, the most important nutrient that a lawn needs to get and stay healthy is WATER! Without enough water, in the heat of the summer, the grass will begin to go dormant and turn brown. Now in most cases, this is a temporary state that the grass undergoes to protect itself If the drought does not last for more than 6-8 weeks, once the grass is watered again, it will pop right back up to the beautiful green that it was. The trouble comes in the meantime…
Like a predator waiting to spot a moment of weakness, weeds and pests often take the opportunity to easily spread. With the grass roots contracted and dry and bare patches beginning to emerge – the weeds, that are not deterred by the drought, have plenty of room to stake their hold in your lawn. Of course, weeds can be treated after the fact and can be killed off, but this is another time, money, and chemical investment. With grass, the old saying is true, the best defense is a good offense. A thick and healthy lawn simply does not allow for the easy spread of weeds as there are scarce available resources and just no room!
Tip #1 WATER, WATER, WATER, WATER & WATER!
Now that we got the most important aspect of growing and maintaining a healthy lawn out of the way (watering, if you’ve forgotten), let’s move onto the next tip, nutrients. Sticking with the earthly life metaphor, just because water is the most important, doesn’t mean that that is all we need to survive. The base nutrients that grass needs in varying quantities are Nitrogen, Phosphorus, & Potassium. These three nutrients promote healthy, green growth on top, deep, spreading roots underneath, and help ward off disease and the effects of drought. Grass growth takes energy, the energy provided by the nutrients. That said, once they’re gone, they’re gone! That is why the term “fertilizer program” exists. The grass uses up all of the available resources and then it needs some more. Unfortunately, it’s not the best idea to take the “when I think of it” approach here.
Like we mentioned in the previous tip (WATER) a healthy, growing lawn is its own best protection from weeds. If you lose track of time and your lawn begins to deteriorate, even slightly, the weeds will take advantage of the weak points. So not only did the appearance of the grass itself take a turn, the addition of unsightly weeds is just salt in the wound.
Tip #2 Your lawn is hungry, feed it.
Okay – so you’ve managed to turn your crispy dandelion field into a rolling sea of green, great! Now, it’s time for a manicure. Up to this point, your neighbors may have noticed that your lawn has been looking a bit better than usual, or maybe they haven’t. They may not even realize the atomic bomb of neighbor domination that is about to drop in their quiet cul-de-sac. This is the moment you’ve been working and waiting for with all of your might. It’s mow time. You see, the green grass is great, but consciously or unconsciously, it’s the sights and sounds of striping up that rejuvenated lawn that you have been burning for.
This step will take you from “nice park” to “Fenway Park, from “nice house” to “White House”. The smell of the fresh-cut grass mixed with the sweet smell of neighbor-envy. Put your favorite album on the headphones and get mowing. Oh yeah, some actual information…
-
Nice sharp mower blades will keep from burning the blades of grass by cutting them clean
-
Don’t cut more than ⅓ of the height of the grass off to avoid stress
-
Cut as high as you can (3.5”+ preferred), raise your height in the hot months to reduce the chance of burning
-
Change the direction of your cut each week, this creates a phenomenal aesthetic like a checkerboard or diamonds but also prevents your lawn from rutting
-
Put a fresh edge on your garden beds with a shovel or with your weed whacker if they’re in good shape. Same with your driveways, patios, sidewalks, etc…
Tip #3 Mow for the win!
Just like with anything else, there is an endless amount of scientific data on the subject, infinite rabbit holes to go down, a seemingly never-ending amount of information to be learned. All of that will for sure get you closer to perfection, but the three steps above will get you 90% of the way with only 10% of the effort. Let there be no doubt about who has the best lawn in the neighborhood, start today!
