Homeowners become discouraged with lawn maintenance, especially when their lawn doesn't look like they care at all. It's tempting to turn everything over to a professional company, but it's more satisfying to do it yourself and get pleasing results. Soil conditions dictate whether you'll have a beautiful yard or a sparse, weedy place where grass struggles for survival.
During the winter months you have time to read up on grass and what makes it thrive or decline. There's no mowing or watering to be done in many regions, and the colorful flowers and vegetables in enticing seed catalogs are months away. If you want a gorgeous yard, you need to believe that grass can be as much fun as flowers.
The first thing is to learn the causes of your problems. You can analyze soil conditions by checking which weeds grow in your yard. List the kinds of weeds, the color of the foliage of both weeds and grass, and the luxuriance or sparseness of growth of any kind of plant. It's both easy and fun to find out what the different plants in your grass are.
A weed is fairly specific about the pH of soils in which it will take root. Knowing that the weeds you see like acid soil shows you that grass, which prefers a neutral pH, will be struggling. Alkaline soil is more rare but just as bad for most grasses chosen for green lawns.
There are also weeds which thrive on compacted soil that smothers grass from the roots up. Others, like moss, grow where drainage is poor or water puddles after rain or irrigation. Many grow in conditions of low fertility where grass can not compete and gets crowded out. Of course, there are other ways to check pH levels, mineral deficiency, and moisture levels. Soil test kits can be ordered or obtained at the local extension office, and electronic monitors also answer questions you'll have.
If you learn more about your soil, you can move on to researching which grasses grow best in your area. You need to know your planting zone; for example, Blue Springs, MO, is in zone 6 with temperate weather and four seasons. It also has adequate rainfall for most plants. The grasses suggested for this region are fescues and Kentucky Bluegrass.
Know the best times to fertilize, aerate, and compost your soil. However, it's never wrong to add nutrients and to loosen your soils, even if it might not be the best time. Find the right grass seed mix for optimum results in your area, and learn which mowing and watering methods foster growth in those particular grasses. Tall fescue does best when it is three and a half to four inches tall. Everything in your garden will grow better if you water in early morning, from six to nine AM. Watering in the evening encourages fungus and other disease organisms that like damp conditions.
It's easy to turn all these tasks over to lawn maintenance companies. However, if you prefer natural gardening and you like to care for your own plants, having a beautiful yard is entirely possible. Plan ahead for the next growing season and keep records of what works and what you learn as you go.
During the winter months you have time to read up on grass and what makes it thrive or decline. There's no mowing or watering to be done in many regions, and the colorful flowers and vegetables in enticing seed catalogs are months away. If you want a gorgeous yard, you need to believe that grass can be as much fun as flowers.
The first thing is to learn the causes of your problems. You can analyze soil conditions by checking which weeds grow in your yard. List the kinds of weeds, the color of the foliage of both weeds and grass, and the luxuriance or sparseness of growth of any kind of plant. It's both easy and fun to find out what the different plants in your grass are.
A weed is fairly specific about the pH of soils in which it will take root. Knowing that the weeds you see like acid soil shows you that grass, which prefers a neutral pH, will be struggling. Alkaline soil is more rare but just as bad for most grasses chosen for green lawns.
There are also weeds which thrive on compacted soil that smothers grass from the roots up. Others, like moss, grow where drainage is poor or water puddles after rain or irrigation. Many grow in conditions of low fertility where grass can not compete and gets crowded out. Of course, there are other ways to check pH levels, mineral deficiency, and moisture levels. Soil test kits can be ordered or obtained at the local extension office, and electronic monitors also answer questions you'll have.
If you learn more about your soil, you can move on to researching which grasses grow best in your area. You need to know your planting zone; for example, Blue Springs, MO, is in zone 6 with temperate weather and four seasons. It also has adequate rainfall for most plants. The grasses suggested for this region are fescues and Kentucky Bluegrass.
Know the best times to fertilize, aerate, and compost your soil. However, it's never wrong to add nutrients and to loosen your soils, even if it might not be the best time. Find the right grass seed mix for optimum results in your area, and learn which mowing and watering methods foster growth in those particular grasses. Tall fescue does best when it is three and a half to four inches tall. Everything in your garden will grow better if you water in early morning, from six to nine AM. Watering in the evening encourages fungus and other disease organisms that like damp conditions.
It's easy to turn all these tasks over to lawn maintenance companies. However, if you prefer natural gardening and you like to care for your own plants, having a beautiful yard is entirely possible. Plan ahead for the next growing season and keep records of what works and what you learn as you go.
About the Author:
Whether you have a large or small project that needs lawn maintenance, we happily do both! We are the best for professional advice and service available to you. Find us at http://www.marshallslawnserviceinc.net.
0 comments:
Post a Comment