Having a beautiful lawn all through the year is every homeowner’s dream. This is an area which you would love to flaunt and it also adds to the curb appeal of your property. Your home lawn serves as an amazing venue for barbecue evenings or for resting outdoors during the sunny days. This is the reason that you should not mind going an extra mile and spending an extra buck to make the lawn appear lush green and beautiful.

Considering the challenges that the weather poses during the extremes of summer and winter, this is easier said than done. But you can still ensure that your lawn looks green and beautiful all through the year. You can get following a good care routine or seek professional lawn care for this purpose. Therefore, it becomes essential to know all that you need to do to fulfill the maintenance and care requirements for your home lawn. Here are a few tips to help.

1. Start by testing the soil

First things first, you need to pay attention to the soil because this is where the grass will grow. Start by testing its pH because this parameter determines whether the grass will thrive. This might seem like a waste of time and effort but it truly matters a lot. You can buy a testing kit or have the soil tested by a professional service provider. Further, if the soil does not pass the test, you can take the requisite steps to make up for the lack of nutrients.

2. Fertilize the soil

Fertilizing the soil is the next key step. Since you need to consider factors such as the type of soil and grass in your lawn, there is no one-size-fits-all formula for the job. The soil test will give you a fair idea about where it lacks and the kind of fertilizer that you need to use to replenish the soil. Using organic fertilizer is the best bet because it is nourishing and eco-friendly. This is not a one-time task as you may need to fertilize the soil periodically for the best results.

3. Fertilizer application matters as well

While choosing the right kind of fertilizer for your lawn is important, its application also matters. Start by applying to the outer edges and covering up the middle of the lawn, while you overlap each pass by just a few inches. A mistake the homeowners make is the over-application of the fertilizer in the shady areas. These areas grow lesser grass because they get direct sunlight for fewer hours. So their need for water and fertilizer is also less.

4. Know when to water the lawn

Besides the right fertilizer, your lawn also needs an optimal amount of water to thrive. Ideally, you should water it in the morning because the soil will be able to absorb it better and the grass can use it up for photosynthesis during the morning hours. Watering at night does not leave enough water for photosynthesis the next morning and may cause lawn disease due to excessive dampness. You should not water in the middle of the day during summers because most of the water will evaporate before being absorbed. Morning hours, therefore, are the best.

Practice flexibility with watering

Of course, your lawn needs watering to stay hydrated and healthy but it is important to be flexible according to the weather. This means that you need not water when it is raining. If you have installed an automatic watering system in your ground, make sure that you turn it off during the rainy days. Check the lawn and water it again in case the rain does not seem to deliver adequate saturation. Similarly, you may need to water more than once on days when the weather is excessively dry.

5. Ensure plenty of oxygen as well

The right amount of water, sunlight, and fertilizer to make your lawn green and healthy but it needs plenty of oxygen as well. You need to keep the lawn aerated by perforating the soil periodically. This will alleviate compaction of the soil and ensure that the air, water, and nutrients are able to penetrate deep enough. For smaller lawns, using a garden fork is the best and most inexpensive technique. If you own a larger one, you may hire a machine or avail professional services for the job.

6. Prevent weeds from growing

Looking after the nutritional requirements of your lawn is essential but so is preventing weeds from gaining a foothold. If you talk to experts in lawn care boise, they will recommend using a pre-emergent herbicide to prevent the appearance of weeds in your lawn area. The product controls crabgrass and other kinds of weeds by stopping their seeds from sprouting up. Ideally, you should use a pre-emergent during the spring. Even a single application can make all the difference and keep your lawn free of crabgrass through the entire year.

7. Nix the weeds

You may give the best care to your lawn, in terms of fertilizing, watering, and aerating and weed prevention. But they may still appear and spoil all your effort. The best approach is to be vigilant and pull them out when they appear. Even if you have to dig and till, do it to maintain the health of your lawn. Spot treating is effective if there are just a few places where they tend to appear. Apply the treatment early in the morning because it works well in moist conditions. If weeds get troublesome, seek professional services to handle them for good.

8. Mow properly and frequently

Mowing your lawn frequently and to the right height is another useful tip to keep your lawn looking lush and green. As a rule of thumb, you should not cut more than a third of the blade of grass. Raise the cutting height of the lawnmower, particularly during the summer, as the roots will get better protection with the longer blades during this time of the year. Mow once in every two or three weeks to keep the area looking clean and tidy. However, you may need to do it more frequently if the grass grows faster during the rainy season.

9. Alternate mowing patterns

Mowing grass in the same direction is not a good idea as it will cause the grass to lay and grow in the same direction. Most homeowners do it out of habit as they become comfortable with the same mowing routine. However, you should try to alternate the mowing patterns and direction. It makes the grass grow more evenly and the lawn appears neater in the long run.

10. Work on the bare spots

Bare spots are common even in the well-tended lawns and you need to invest a little extra effort to get them covered up for good. This is all the more important for your lawn’s health because weeds love to grow in bare spots and may spoil all the good work that you may have done. Reseeding these spots is the best way to fill them in and prevent weeds from appearing. Also, make sure that they are nourished with plenty of water, air, and fertilizer to speed up growth so that you are able to achieve full coverage for your lawn.

11. Maintain the lawn

Having a lawn is a responsibility that goes much beyond fertilizing the soil, mowing the grass periodically and looking after everyday needs. It involves regular maintenance and repairs as and when required. You need to be constantly vigilant about the soil quality, bare patches, and weed overgrowths. Also, you need to address these issues immediately when they appear. Further, the maintenance of the equipment and irrigation system is equally critical. If you cannot invest enough time to lawn care, have a professional provider to do it for you.

12. Go organic and eco-friendly

As a smart and eco-friendly homeowner, you can go organic and eco-friendly with the products you use for lawn care. Organic fertilizers are always better than synthetic ones as the latter are made with chemicals and throw quick-release nutrients at the grass. These cannot be absorbed as quickly as they are released and end up as runoffs that pollute the water sources. Organic fertilizers, on the other hand, offer slow-release nutrients that are safe and eco-friendly. Plus, they are cost-effective too as you can prepare them at home by composting organic wastes.

These simple lawn care tips are easy to follow yet give great results. Just knowing your lawn better and giving it good care is enough to make it appear green and healthy. If you think that you cannot handle its needs yourself, you can avail professional lawn care services to look after it. Make sure that you find experts who can nurture the lawn area and pay heed to the end-to-end care and maintenance needs it has. After all, this is an area of your home that you would want to look welcoming and beautiful always and every penny you spend on it is worthwhile.