1. It Starts with The Soil
If the soil in your yard isn’t healthy, nothing else about your yard will be. Reach out to your local county about test kits for your soil and reputable soil laboratories. Take soil samples and submit them for analysis if you’d like, or test them yourself. When you know the pH of your soil, you’ll know what kinds of grass it’s best suited for.
2. Make Adjustments If Necessary
You’re not stuck with the yard you start with. If your testing reveals that your soil is unhealthy, or the grass planted in it is poorly suited for its pH, you might want to make soil amendments. This is best done with the recommendation and assistance of a soil laboratory, but there are some adjustments you can perform yourself, like adding lime to basic soil so grass can access nutrients.
3. Pick Your Grass
Every region has different grasses that are best suited to it, and you shouldn’t assume that the previous owners of your lawn planted the right grass. Research the growing regn you live in and the grasses that flourish there, and find one that is suited to your soil and your aesthetic preferences. As a general rule of thumb, cool season grasses do best in northern zones and warm season grasses thrive in the South.
4. Seed at The Right Time
If you think it’s necessary to overseed your lawn, thicken up existing grass, or seed new areas that don’t have grass yet, you need to be conscious of when you’re planting. Seeding grass in the wrong season is a huge waste of time and can even have a negative effect on your soil. You should also make sure to distribute your seed evenly.
5. Nourish Your Lawn
Plants do not grow on rainwater alone. Your yard needs nitrogen to stay green and vibrant, and that won’t just happen naturally. Use the results from your soil testing to determine how much nitrogen fertilizer you need to use.
6. Attack Weeds Before They Get Started
Although weed preventers are a bad idea when you’re planting new grass seed, since they’ll indiscriminately shut down the growth of your new grass, they’re great once your lawn is planted and growing. Identify common weeds like crabgrass and use spot treatments to kill them before they start really competing for resources with your grass.
Gardening can be a real pleasure, especially when your lawn is verdant, green, and healthy. Follow these suggestions to get off to a great start. After you’ve spent some time shaping up that lawn and need a break, hop in the car, crank up the air and head over to K&S Car Wash for a welcome respite!