Keeping Your Lawn Green

Have you ever noticed how hard keeping your lawn green can be? While most can have a difficult time with this task, it doesn't need to be as difficult as we would like to make it out to be. In reality there are only a few things that you really need to keep in mind in order to get your lawn green and healthy looking. Before you begin undertaking this task though, there is something that you need to keep in mind. Many people believe that keeping your lawn green is only a task to worry about during the spring and summer months. The truth is, this is a task that can require your attention all year round. Use these guidelines to make that task as easy and successful as possible.

• Water carefully. One of the most common mistakes that people make when trying to keep their lawn green has to do with watering. Frankly, most people either water too much, or they don't water enough. While you need to water your lawn frequently during the summer months, you don't want to overdo it. Rather, come up with a schedule that is as natural as possible, and stick that. When you do water, do it either in the early morning or late afternoon to help prevent the water from burning the grass, or from evaporating too quickly to do any real good. Ideally, you would have a drip irrigation system installed to feed the roots of your grass directly, but if not stick to the morning and evening watering.
• Mow properly. It may be a bit surprising to learn, but most people do not mow their lawn properly. The reason is rather simple in that most homeowners would like to have their lawns to be rather short as they think this is more attractive. Instead of cutting the lawn as short as possible, it should have a decent amount of length, at least enough so that the soil is in a constant state of mild shade to help protect the roots and soil. In addition, lawn mowers should be kept in a good working order, and be given regular maintenance. Periodically check your spark plugs to ensure that they are working correctly, have your blades sharpened regularly, and change the oil every season.
• Fertilize properly. Most homeowners do not even fertilize their lawn, thinking that this is the "natural" way to do things. While this is true, you will not get a green and vibrant lawn without fertilizing properly. All you really need to do is fertilize a few times a year with a fertilizer spreader and a nitrogen rich fertilizer. Do not fertilize your lawn after you have watered the grass, or you can end up burning the lawn. Rather wait until the lawn is dry and freshly mowed. Typically you should only need to fertilize your lawn about twice a year. The first time is during the early springtime, and the second is during the middle of summer.
• Identify and repair trouble spots early. If you notice any brown spots (such as those from pets) take care of them immediately. Do not wait, or you can find your lawn burning from the unintentional damage being done by a pet. For those areas that you do not spot right away, then utilize either a commercial grass repair kit, or create your own. Often the ingredients found in a grass repair kit are simply some sand, seed, and a little bit of slow release fertilizer to help feed the grass seed.