Here are some general ideas on lawn care. We have
also given some tips on garden lawn fertilization.
Lawn Care
It's amazing to experience walking barefoot across a
healthy lawn. But the point is how to maintain a healthy lawn; obviously
lawn care is very much required if you possess a lawn. Don't be panicked
on the term lawn care; it is quite easy if done with a detailed
planning. First of all, prevention is the key to a well-maintained lawn.
By proper watering, mowing, raking and fertilizing, you can prevent
weeds, pests and their costly treatments. And thus, harvest the benefits
of healthy, beautiful lawn. Though grass grows and spreads naturally
without involving any special procedure, it still requires some
nutrients to prevent it from becoming prone to disease and insects.
Given here are some tips to maintain a healthy lawn:
Watering:
Though it's a common belief that there's no need to water the lawn
every day, it might not be true according to weather conditions. For
sure, try to avoid watering the lawn daily as it may cause shallow root
growth, and making the lawn more prone to drought conditions. During the
growing season, grass needs at least one inch of water in every three
days. While in scorching summers, more frequent watering is essential.
The best time to water the lawn is early in the morning, as grass left
wet overnight augments the risk of disease and fungus.
Mowing:
It's essential to mow the lawn on a regular basis, if possible during
early evening hours. Experts suggest cutting off only one-third of the
grass blade growth at a time. In case you cut in excess, you might come
across yellow patches all over the lawn. To save on fertilizing and to
promote recycling, leave the clippings on the lawn itself. Grass
clippings decompose in about 7 days and provide the lawn 25 percent of
its fertilizer needs.
Raking:
Every lawn requires light and air to grow and to stay healthy and fend
off disease. Leaves serve as a major deterrent; it is recommended to
remove fallen leaves as soon as possible. In snow-prone areas, it is
better to remove the leaves; otherwise they'll get wet and matted down.
Fertilizing:
A lawn occasionally requires some fertilization to remain healthy and
to correct damaged areas. For example, a nitrogen fertilizer provides
lawn a healthy green color; a phosphorus fertilizer increases root
growth and a potassium fertilizer helps to fight diseases.
Given below are some of the common lawn diseases that call for
fertilizer treatment:
- Brown Patch is frequent in warm, humid regions; it emerges as
large, round patches of brown grass. Brown patch is actually a
fungus, generally occurring in lawns with too much nitrogen. It can
be treated with a fungicide containing chlorothalonil.
- Septoria Leaf Spot is widespread in northern regions that observe
cool, wet weather. In this, the tips of the grass blade change color
to turn pale yellow or gray with tiny black dots. It can be treated
with a fungicide containing mancozeb.
- Powdery Mildew is the consequence of too much shade, limited air
circulation, or high humidity. This fungus becomes visible on the
lawn as white or gray mold. It can be treated with chemicals;
however, it's better to plant shade-tolerant grass.
- Pythium Blight is a fungus that becomes evident in hot, humid
weather and generally occurs on over watered lawns. In the initial
phase, the lawn gets slimy, water-soaked spots, which later turn dry
and the grass blades turn brown and die. As this fungus spreads
quickly, treat your lawn right away with a fungicide containing
chloroneb or ethazole.
- Dollar Spot is the result of warm, wet weather. It is known by
brown blotches on the grass blades. It can be treated with a
fungicide containing chlorothalonil, iprodione or thiophanate.
- Root-feeding Pests can refer to several types of insects, like
billbugs, fire ants, chinch bugs, grubs, mole crickets, scales and
wireworms, which feed off the grass roots. Such pests can be
difficult to spot as they hide deep in the thatch. If your lawn
looks wilted despite that fact that you water it properly, pests
might be the reason. To treat this problem, general pesticides are
the best treatment.
