Congratulations on your new home purchase! It's an exciting time, especially if it's your first home when you get the keys to a brand-new house. On the other hand, it may feel too overpowering at times. It will take a lot of work to get the interior of your new home just how you want it, but have you given any thought to the exterior? That is just as significant as the contents themselves! And yet, this is something that many people who have just purchased their first house fail to consider. This is the reason why we are providing advice for new homeowners on lawn maintenance.
Getting used to new grass can be challenging, particularly if it is either brand-new or was left in a poor state by the former owners of the property. You are in possession of a lawn mower and are aware that you need to cut the grass; however, you are unsure of what more has to be done.
Here are some pointers to help you make the most of your new outside space and achieve your goal of a lush, green lawn. There is more to it than just mowing and watering the lawn. New homeowners often don't think about the following lawn care advice, so we've included them here.
Learn Your Way Around Your Terrain
In the case of turf, the events that occur above ground are a reflection of those that occur below. Your grasses will have an easier time accessing the vital plant nutrients required to grow thick, lush, and green when the correct soil pH levels mix with the beneficial microbial activity that occurs in healthy soils.
Consult with professionals in the lawn care industry and do a soil test to determine your beginning for necessities such as soil pH. The local agricultural agent or county extension office in your area will know about reliable soil testing kits and laboratories available to them.
You can take reliable soil samples yourself. Include different samples for problematic areas, such as patches of grass that are barren or have undesired moss growth. Informing the lab that you will be evaluating grass areas will allow them to provide advice to help you get your lawn in line with your plans.
The Right Seed at the Right Time
Timing is essential whenever you are planting new locations, overseeding your lawn, or thickening the grass that is already there. Your seeding should be planned to match the seasonal growth of the grass as well as the optimal time to plant grass. Make sure the seed is correctly planted, and steer clear of the typical blunders that homeowners make while planting their lawns.
Invest some effort into learning how to read a seed tag and become familiar with the company whose seed you are purchasing. There are a lot of companies that offer seeds that were bought on the open market, and the results can surprise you. However, if you buy premium grass seeds such as genuine Pennington Smart Seed, you can purchase the best grass seed with confidence and enjoy a lawn that is more resistant to drought, diseases, and insect pests. In addition, you can have a lawn that is more sustainable.
Mowing
It doesn't matter what time of year it is; you should always keep your grass well-mowed. Always make sure the blades on your mower are sharp since dull blades shred the grass, which makes the grass more vulnerable to being stressed. It is in your best interest to let your grass grow longer during the summer season since longer grass has the ability to take in more moisture and develop deeper roots. It is acceptable to take a little bit more off the top when the temperature is on the chilly side. Are you unsure which lawnmower to purchase? You might want to think about investing in a mulching mower, which is a type of mowing equipment that returns grass clippings to the ground after they have been cut. These cuttings will contribute to maintaining a constant level of hydration!
Avoid mowing your lawn when it is raining or when it is dark outside. These are two of the worst conditions for cutting grass.
- Maintain the cutting edge of your mower.
- It is not recommended to trim more than one-third of the grass in a single cutting session.
- Be sure not to cut your lawn too short; Fescue needs 3 inches, whereas Bermuda needs only 2 inches.
- When you mow your lawn, try to change the direction you cut it each time.
Watering
Your lawn is susceptible to dehydration, much like people and their pets. The growth of grass depends on water, but determining how much water your lawn requires can be difficult. If you provide it with too little water, it won't be beneficial in any way, but if you provide it with too much water, your grass may acquire diseases. During the warm summer months, you should water your lawn two to three times each week and let the water seep down to the roots. Adding an irrigation system might be a good idea if you have problems determining how much water your lawn needs to stay healthy and hydrated on its own.
The following are some general suggestions for mowing:
- You should water your grass in the morning, preferably between the hours of 5 and 9 a.m.
- Water accumulates at a rate of roughly 1.5–2 inches per week.
- Before you water your grass again, give it some time to breathe and dry out between rainstorms.
Fertilising
When individuals talk about fertilising their lawns, you'll frequently hear them refer to it as "feeding." The grass won't be able to thrive without the nutrients that fertiliser offers. When your grass is actively growing in the spring in Tennessee, which is the optimal time to fertilise your lawn, you should do so. We also suggest fertilising your lawn throughout the summer to guarantee that it receives the nutrients it needs, even during the hottest and most demanding months of the year. Both the timing of when your grass needs to be fertilised and the kind of fertiliser it needs are determined by several different factors, some of which are as follows:
- Variation of grass
- Сategory of soil
- The current state of the weather
A skilled lawn care service can remove the element of guessing and assist you in ensuring that your grass receives the optimal amount of fertiliser.
Freshen Up Your Lawn By Breathing New Air
Aeration may be the best answer for cool-season grass when the autumn months leave you with hard, compressed soil due to heavy foot traffic. In the process of aeration, you can either use a plug-pulling aerator or a spike-type aerator to create holes in the soil. The holes make a channel that allows oxygen, water, and other beneficial nutrients to reach the grass's root system, which would otherwise be difficult to do. After that, you can then enhance the appearance of your lawn by overseeding it so that barren places are filled in and the overall colour is improved.
It is essential to dethatch the area before aerating it. The layer of dead and living shoots, branches, and roots that is built up between the surface of the earth and the plant is called thatch. Because it contains a high concentration of lignin, it is resistant to the breakdown caused by microbes. Removing accumulation through dethatching makes the area less prone to infection from diseases and insect infestation.
- Aeration confers a great many benefits, including the following:
- Enhanced circulation of the air
- Increased capacity of the soil to absorb fertiliser
- Improved fertilisers
- Decreased level of soil compaction
- Enhanced capacity for rebounding And even more!
It is recommended that you water your grass before attempting to aerate it so that the holes may be penetrated more easily. When the ground is dry, the aerators are unable to make deep penetrations into the ground.
Fix Underlying Issues
With the test results in hand, recommendations can be turned into projects. Fix the issues right away; don't put up with them in the future. To maximise the potential of your grass, incorporate soil amendments in accordance with the advice of a laboratory. The pH of the soil is balanced again by lime, for instance, allowing grasses to utilise the available nutrients.
Firstly, tackle the problematic locations, and then move on to repair the bare spots. This product comes pre-mixed with premium grass seed, professional-grade fertiliser, and protective wood mulch, and it is sold as a single unit.
This premium product not only brings your lawn drought-resistant Smart Seed, fertiliser, and mulch, but it also brings beneficial microbes that improve your soil's well-being and actively work to neutralise underlying soil and lawn problems, regardless of the cause.
If you have pets in your family, there is a good chance that you will have some pet harm. But you shouldn't be worried about it because it repairs barren places in the lawn while also addressing soil problems caused by dog pee. It doesn't take long for lush new grass to take root, which means that thriving lawns and contented pets can coexist.
Learn Which Grasses Are Best For Your Area
The best lawns are comprised of grasses that are adapted to their growing location. There is a wide variety of turfgrasses, each with its own set of climate preferences and varying degrees of tolerance for drought, shade, and other environmental factors. When compared to sod, seed gives you a wider selection of grass varieties, each of which has its own unique characteristics, ranging from how long they last to how they feel when you walk on them barefoot.
The periods of time in the fall and spring when temperatures are the coolest are optimal for the growth of cool-season grasses like Kentucky bluegrass. They are most successful in arctic regions. Warm-season grasses, like Bermudagrass, thrive in the heat of summer and in regions that are generally warmer. Lawn grasses that are adapted to the local environment use less water and other inputs, including the amount of time spent on maintenance.
Protect Your Lawn Against Grubs
Grubs are white larvae with the shape of a C and feed on the roots of your lawn. Grubs are quite small. This will not only cause harm to your lawn, but it will also make it simpler for weeds to take root and grow. The easiest strategy to prevent grubs from damaging your lawn is to water it seldom but thoroughly. Grubs feed on the roots of the grass. This stimulates the establishment of deep roots, which makes it more difficult for grubs to get to the grassroots that you are trying to protect.
You can apply an insecticide to your grass if you discover that it has a problem with grubs. However, you should make sure to read the instructions on the package very carefully because certain insecticides will kill both harmful and helpful insects. If you get the impression that the grub problem is growing worse, you should probably seek the assistance of a professional to maintain the health of your grass.
A primer on lawn maintenance during the spring and summer seasons
As your lawn emerges from the cold of winter and gets ready for the heat of summer, here are five things you can do to keep it looking green and healthy.
- Crabgrass should be prevented from growing on your lawn just before spring officially begins.
- Get up, shine your brightest, and water your grass. If you water the lawn in the morning, it will assist in keeping it moist throughout the day. The recommended amount of water for lawns is one inch per week, which translates to around twenty minutes of watering three times per week.
- Don't just give up and let your lawn become brown throughout the summer; use these strategies to keep it green.
- It is recommended that you cut your grass to a height of between two and four inches, but you should never cut more than one-third of the total height of your lawn all at once.
Fight Lawn Weeds
Lawns almost always receive weeds and weed seeds from their previous owners, even when they are newly established. Weeds are grasses' main rival for nutrients, water, and light in an area. If you are familiar with the common weeds that may be found in lawns and the methods for eliminating broadleaf weeds, you can reduce the need for recurrent treatments, which will save you time and money.
Wherever you plan to sow new grass seed, you should avoid using any pre-emergent weed controls, such as crabgrass preventers, as well as combination weed-and-feed fertilisers. These chemicals are formulated to prevent the germination and proper rooting of weed seeds; however, they also have the potential to be effective against grass seed germination. Effective spot treatments can be used to eliminate persistent lawn weeds.
How to maintain a lawn in the autumn
Autumn is the optimum time to prepare your lawn for the winter months when it will be dormant and to see the growth that will occur in the following year. The following is a list of five things that should be done for your lawn during the fall season.
- It is best to overseed your lawn in the early fall if you have tall fescue grass.
- As the temperature drops, there is no longer any water. Your lawn needs watering no more frequently than once or twice weekly while it is falling.
- Reduce the amount of time you spend raking leaves throughout the fall by using a mower that can mulch the leaves.
- Remember to schedule the final mowing of the season for around the month of November.
- Your lawn will benefit from having fertiliser applied to it about two weeks before the ground begins to freeze.
Do not allow leaves to accumulate in your yard.
If you reside in a region that has deciduous trees, which are trees that shed their leaves in the fall, you should rake the leaves that have fallen from the trees very carefully. During the fall, you should avoid getting leaves on the grass. It makes no difference if leaves lie there; it may just as easily be a plank of wood or a tarp. The grass will die as a result of the leaves.
Periodically rake the leaves or collect them with a leaf blower, then bag them up and dispose of them, preferably in a compost pile. You can also use a lawnmower that has a mulching attachment to shred the fallen leaves into smaller pieces so that they can decompose more quickly and restore the nutrients to the ground.
Equipment, Tool Storage, and Preventative Tool Maintenance
Look around and determine what your storage requirements are before you move in. Do you have a place to store your barbecue? Where do you plan to store the garden tools, including the lawn mower, the blower, and the trimmer? If there isn't a shed, you can be left racking your brain trying to figure out where to put all of your belongings if there isn't one. Remember that there are prefab sheds, storage pods, and other options that you can employ; alternatively, you can forego purchasing tools and instead call in an expert who will bring their own gear.
The most typical problems with lawns and how to fix them
Trying to figure out what the issue is with your grass and how to fix it? Let's get to the bottom of what's going on here. The following are three typical lawn issues, as well as some advice on how to fix them.
Problem: After you fertilised your lawn, you noticed that it had begun to turn yellow.
Solution: Your grass can get burned if you use too much fertiliser. Fortunately, there are a few different paths that can be taken to make things better. First, try water, and only if that doesn't work, move on to the other troubleshooting steps.
Problem: The weeds have completely taken over your lawn.
Solution: Your mission is to transform your grassy area into a hostile environment for weed growth. Maintaining a regular schedule of mowing, seeding, and fertilisation will be of assistance.
Walk Before Attempting to Run
Make sure that you can easily maintain your yard. The inspiration you get on social media platforms like Instagram and Pinterest isn't always based on the real world. Make yourself at home in your new house, figure out your personal aesthetic, and postpone making significant alterations until you have a firm grasp on lawn maintenance responsibilities.
If you need assistance with your do-it-yourself job, don't hesitate to call in the experts. It is in your best interest to get answers to your queries and to properly care for your lawn rather than to make critical errors that will require you to spend a significant amount of time and energy correcting them. Grass maintenance is not a difficult task, but maintaining a consistent routine is essential. Homeowners frequently allow many weeks to pass between mowing their lawns, at which point they find it difficult to keep the lawn under control and back into decent condition.
In general, the grass that you plant is going to require the least amount of maintenance of anything else in your landscaping. Even though it takes careful attention and regular upkeep, it is one of the most straightforward aspects to manage. If you let things build up, it just gets worse.
Summary
It would help if you were prepared to prune and maintain the appearance of the landscaping when you purchase a home. You will have a lawn that requires you to cut and fertilise regularly. This will include the pruning and sculpting of various bushes and trees. It is up to you to maintain its attractive and welcoming appearance at all times. Before spring arrives, you may even want to enrol in a crash course in gardening to understand the ins and outs of caring for your grass, or you could just hire a landscaping professional for assistance. You can delegate as much or as little of the landscaping work as you see fit to experienced landscapers. They can perform tasks such as mowing the grass, applying weed control and aeration, fertilising the lawn, getting rid of pests in the yard, and a variety of other outdoor duties for you.
Frequently Asked Questions
How often should I aerate my lawn?
Aeration helps to loosen compacted soil, allowing water and nutrients to penetrate the roots of the grass more effectively. It's recommended to aerate your lawn once a year, preferably in the fall or spring when the grass is actively growing.
How can I tell if my lawn needs more water?
An easy way to tell if your lawn needs more water is to look for signs of stress, such as wilting or discolouration. You can also perform a "footprint test" by stepping on the grass and seeing if the blades spring back up or stay flattened. If they stay flattened, it's a sign that your lawn needs more water.
How can I improve the drainage in my lawn?
Poor drainage can lead to waterlogging, which can damage the grass and create ideal conditions for diseases to thrive. To improve drainage, you can add organic matter such as compost or topsoil to the soil, create drainage channels or ditches, or install a French drain. Avoid overwatering and ensure that any irrigation systems are not leaking.
Is it better to use a rake or a leaf blower to remove debris from my lawn?
Both a rake and a leaf blower can be effective at removing debris from your lawn. A rake is ideal for small lawns or areas with a lot of obstacles, as it allows you to be more precise. A leaf blower, on the other hand, is better for larger lawns or areas with fewer obstacles, as it can cover more ground quickly.
How can I prevent weeds from taking over my lawn?
Regular maintenance is the best way to prevent weeds from taking over your lawn. This includes mowing regularly, watering deeply, and fertilizing appropriately. Additionally, you can use pre-emergent herbicides to prevent weeds from germinating, and spot-treat weeds with post-emergent herbicides. Read and follow the instructions on the herbicide labels carefully to avoid damaging your lawn.
