Is Your Lawn Missing Something? Here Are A Few Lawn Care Tips That Everyone Forgets

A well cared for lawn is usually a healthy one, but if you’re still having problems with your turf despite your best efforts, there may be a few lawn care tips that you are forgetting. Don’t feel bad, there are many important lawn care tips that homeowners overlook all of the time. Remember that all lawn care practices are important, and picking and choosing the ones that are most convenient or seem most beneficial can be detrimental to your lawn’s overall health. Here are some of the most commonly overlooked lawn care pracitices:

Rakes are not just for fall

A lot of homeowners keep their rake out of sight and mind from December to September, but this is a big mistake. You should be using your rake during every season other than winter. During winter, when your grass is inactive, using the rake could pull out the dry soil.

Raking your grass even when leaves are not present serves all sorts of purposes. Some of the benefits of year-round raking include:

  • Thicker grass growth
  • Dethatching the buildup of dead grass
  • Fungus and disease control

Raking is also an important step in various lawn treatments such as fertilization and planting grass seed or re-seeing your lawn. During the fall when you are raking leaves away, they benefit your lawn more if you make them into mulch rather than throwing them out. The bags of leaves that you leave out for garbage collection are packed full of nutrients that are beneficial to your lawn.

Scheduling is mandatory

You may be tempted to skip over making a year-round lawn care schedule. Many homeowners think that they can overlook this step and just apply lawn treatments on an as-needed basis. This may seem like a good idea, but if you wait for your lawn to tell you what it needs you’ll be waiting too long.

You should, at the very least, make a loose schedule that breaks the required lawn maintenance into seasonal increments. When making this schedule there are many regional factors that must be taken into consideration. Average rainfall, high and low temperatures and pest threats should all be researched and collected by season.

Mowing heights make a difference

You may have never adjusted the blade height on your mower. If so your grass is paying the price. Ideal mowing heights change by season, just like many other lawn maintenance practices.

The exact heights that you should mow your lawn are dependant on the type of grass that was planted in your yard. Find out about the type of grass that grows in your lawn and the ideal heights to mow it by-season and you’ll see a surprising shift in your yard. Some other important mowing tips include:

  • Only mowing dry grass
  • Change your mowing patterns frequently to avoid compacting soil
  • Mow during the morning when temperatures are the mildest
  • Sharpen mower blades when necessary

Pest control

There are all sorts of lawn bugs that can cause problems in your yard, but many homeowners overlook pest control when caring for their lawn. Mites, crickets, web worms and grubs are some of the most common lawn invaders, but there are dozens of insects that could have negative effects on your grass.

If attempting to perform your own pest control, make sure to identify and familiarize yourself with the type of pest that’s present in your yard and the best ways to eliminate them. Certain pests respond differently to various chemical treatments, applying the wrong type of chemical in your yard could cause grass to die and give pests more time to multiply.

TruGreen will gladly visit your property as often as needed between scheduled visits to make any necessary adjustments and to ensure your satisfaction.

Getting Started with TruGreen

  1. Call or fill out the form above to reach a lawn care specialist.
  2. Know the square footage of your yard, as well as any specific areas of concern.
  3. With the help of your specialist, create a customized lawn care plan that meets your lawn’s needs.
  4. Schedule your Healthy Lawn Analysis2 to start your service.