A healthy lawn is a major asset to your home’s curb appeal and property value. It also provides many environmental benefits.

A regular fertilization schedule starts in spring and ends by mid-autumn. Based on soil test results, the right lawn amendments (lime to increase pH for acidic soil, sulfur to decrease pH for alkaline soil, and nutrient-rich compost for balanced soil) are applied to encourage healthy grass growth. Contact Lawn Care Cornelius NC now!

Mowing the lawn at the proper times is one of the most important aspects of good lawn care. A quality mower helps provide a clean cut, but more importantly, the right height for the grass type and growing conditions. Mowing too frequently stresses the lawn and can lead to damage or disease. Keeping up with a regular schedule (every week in spring and summer, every other week in fall, and then weekly in winter) will ensure the health of your yard.

Lawn care services often include other types of outdoor maintenance, such as pruning trees and shrubs and removing leaves and debris from the yard. Clearing the landscape of these elements provides a more attractive appearance and keeps lawns free of overgrowth that can interfere with the growth pattern.

Watering is another essential element of proper lawn care. A well-designed sprinkler system provides even, consistent moisture that supports healthy grass. It also helps avoid problems like overwatering that can cause brown spots and other damaging diseases.

Fertilizing the yard also contributes to healthy turf. However, before deciding on which fertilizer to use, the soil composition should be tested for pH and other factors. Some home and garden centers will test the soil for you for free, and once you know what your yard needs, you can pick out the best fertilizer.

In addition, weed control is essential for healthy lawns. The best way to get rid of weeds is to pull them by hand, but some lawn care services offer chemical spray options that are quicker and more convenient. Using these products, however, can have negative environmental impacts because excess chemicals may wash away and pollute local waterways.

Pest control is another common service that many lawn care companies provide. Depending on their method, this may involve using insecticides to prevent or eradicate harmful insects. However, some lawn care services use targeted control methods to reduce the risk of harmful side effects, including the death of beneficial insects and earthworms that aid the growth of healthy turf.

Adding mulch to flower beds improves the aesthetic of the yard, and keeps weeds from spreading. It also moderates soil temperature and retains moisture, both of which are important for the health of plants and grass.

Watering

Lawn care is the treatment of grass and soil for a healthy lawn. This includes fertilization, weed control, insect control, soil health, and appropriate irrigation. A healthy lawn is drought tolerant and resistant to disease. Lawn services also include seasonal cleanups, such as spring and fall yard cleanup.

Lawn service providers offer a wide variety of options to keep your grass green and healthy, including mulching, mowing or grass cutting, seeding and overseeding, aeration, organic weed control, and tree and shrub pruning. In addition, professional lawn care companies can help you choose the best watering techniques for your property, such as deep watering to promote a thicker root system that is more resilient to drought and other environmental stresses.

Frequent, shallow watering (such as from an irrigation system) keeps the top layer of soil near a point of saturation most of the time. This restricts the roots from growing deeply and increases the risk of disease, weeds such as green kyllinga and yellow nutsedge, and insect problems like grubs. Aim for deep, infrequent watering to encourage a strong, healthy root system that is more resistant to stress and diseases.

It’s important to note that watering schedules vary according to weather conditions and natural rainfall patterns. The best way to determine if your lawn needs water is by observing the surface of the turf, looking for signs of dryness, such as a bluish-gray tint or footprints that don’t quickly disappear. If the turf becomes bluish-gray, water immediately to prevent further drying and wilting. Aim for at least 1 to 1.5 inches of water weekly, including rain.

Infrequent, deeper watering is better than frequent light watering because it gives the roots time to grow deep into the soil. To ensure you’re watering your lawn correctly, place an empty tuna can on the ground during a watering cycle and mark the time when the soil is completely saturated. This will help you water more efficiently and avoid wasting time and money on unnecessary irrigation or overwatering, which can cause fungus development and other damaging plant diseases. Also, remember that it’s better to water early in the day when evaporation is less likely, and the grass won’t get scalded by the sun’s intense heat.

Fertilizing

Lawns require nutrients to grow and stay healthy. Grass plants use most of the nutrients they get from the soil. Nutrients are also depleted from the soil due to mowing, watering, and other stresses that affect the grass. Adding fertilizer supplements the soil’s nutrients.

There are different types of lawn fertilizers, including quick-release varieties that deliver the nutrients to the grass more rapidly. These may need to be applied more often and are most commonly found in liquid form. Slow-release fertilizers release the nutrients into the soil over a period of time, usually from spring to fall. They’re usually cheaper than quick-release varieties and are recommended for the majority of lawns.

Some fertilizers combine weed control with the nutrition, providing a one-stop-shop for achieving a beautiful yard. They typically contain a post-emergent herbicide to kill existing weeds and a pre-emergent herbicide to prevent new ones from sprouting.

The type of fertilizer you need depends on your region and the type of grass in your lawn. Generally, people living up north with harsh winters and cool-season grass need a fertilizer that’s high in nitrogen to boost the growth of the grass. Those in warmer areas with scorching summers need a fertilizer that’s high with phosphorous and potassium, which help the grass stand up to heat and drought.

Regardless of the type of lawn you have, it’s important to prepare it before applying any kind of fertilizer. Make sure the lawn has been mowed and aerated and that any weeds have been pulled. Also, the soil should be moist before you apply a fertilizer to ensure that it can absorb the nutrients.

When you’re ready to feed your lawn, you can either spread granular fertilizer by hand or with a rotary or push spreader. If you choose a rotary or push spreader, it’s best to practice first in a small area. This will give you a feel for how much the product spreads and how easy it is to control. The last step is to water the lawn if needed. This is particularly necessary if you’ve used a quick-release fertilizer.

Weeding

When a lawn becomes overgrown with weeds, it can take a lot of work to reclaim the space. While regular mowing at the proper height promotes grass density and discourages weed growth, a complete lawn care program also involves pre-emergent weed control, post-emergent weed killer and manual weed removal.

Grass requires the right amount of water for optimal growth and health, but overwatering can damage the root system. If the soil is saturated, it can’t absorb enough oxygen and the roots may die. This type of overwatering is often a sign of poor drainage and nutrient uptake in the soil. In addition, overwatering can create a breeding ground for fungi and other lawn diseases.

Fungus thrives in moist environments, which is why the wettest parts of your yard are likely to be a hotbed for fungi and other lawn diseases. Fungi can wreak havoc on the health of your grass, so it’s important to control them with fungicides.

The wettest areas of your yard are often the first to suffer from fungus, so it’s essential to reduce the amount and frequency of water you apply to your lawn. If you’re unsure how much your yard needs, contact a professional lawn care company for an assessment.

A spongy lawn or puddles of standing water are telltale signs of overwatering. This can deplete the number of nutrients the soil is receiving and cause discoloration. Overwatering can also encourage the growth of weeds and other pesky plants, which can overtake your lawn.

Lawn aeration and dethatching help improve the drainage of your soil, allowing air, water, and nutrients to reach the grassroots without restriction. To perform aeration, rent an aerator or use a garden fork to dig holes in the soil.

Adding topsoil to your yard improves drainage and nutrient uptake. It also helps keep your soil loose and prevents the build-up of thatch, which can hinder root development. The best time to add topsoil is in the spring.