Great Tips to Help You Nurture the Perfect Lawn.
Mowing grass too short causes stress, discourages deep root growth, and results in rapid loss of soil moisture. Letting grass grow too tall causes excess grass clippings that can smother the turf. Raise the mowing height during the hot and dry season. A higher setting reduces moisture loss and encourages deep root growth.
Keep your mower blades sharp and clean, and mow when the grass is dry. Mow over leaves so they will decompose along with grass clippings. Collect leaves and grass clippings for mulching or composting if they are too heavy or wet for grass-cycling.
In general, it's best to water your grass deeply and infrequently rather than a little bit at a time. If you water too frequently, the grass won't develop a deep root system and will die out if there is an extended drought or watering restriction imposed. By watering once a week or less, you are training your grass to develop much deeper roots than otherwise.
Do not water in the heat of the day, as heat causes water to evaporate before it can help the grass at all. It is a big waste of water. Water in the early morning or in the evening, when it is cooler and there is less direct sun.
Thatch on your lawn works like a thatched roof. A layer of plant parts, roots and stems shed water and prevents fertilizer from moving freely into the soil where they are most effective. Aeration is a great method for breaking down moderate thatch build-up naturally, and thickening up lawns in compacted clay soils. Aeration removes small cores of soil from your lawn, which in turn `melt' back into the lawn after a few rainfalls.
The holes created by aeration catch fertilizer and water. Turf roots naturally grow toward these growth pockets and thicken in the process. Aeration holes also relieve pressure from compacted soils, letting oxygen and water move more freely into the root zone. Performed once or twice a year, aeration can significantly reduce thatch and increase the effectiveness of your turf building programs.
