7 Simple Ways to Create the Perfect Lawn

When it comes to lawns, we all want that perfect movie-worthy lawn. Lawns are mini-ecosystems of their own and sometimes, taking care of them can feel complicated or more trouble than they’re worth. Have you ever looked at your neighbour’s perfectly green lawn and compared it to yours which has patches of yellow? I have. Chances are that your neighbour is following these 7 simple steps in order to get that perfect lawn.

Taking care of your lawn goes beyond just watering it and cutting the grass. There are also steps you can take in the winter that will help you have a beautiful and perfect lawn when spring comes.

How to Create the Perfect Lawn

Protect your lawn from Salt damage

None of us tend to think of our lawns during the winter. When it’s buried beneath the snow, our lawns are the furthest things from our minds. That doesn’t mean, however, that your lawn can’t be affected by the winter. Particularly, the salt that we put down to get rid of ice. The easiest way to protect your lawn from salt damage is to use less salt on your driveway. If you shovel early and often, you won’t need to use salt to melt the ice as often. This is the same for any sidewalks or walkways that you have.

Another way to protect it is to put up small plastic barriers along your lawn. This will help stop road salt or any salt that you put on walkways from getting onto your lawn.

Protect your grass from extreme weather changes

Summers these days are hotter than ever and when it gets hot, people tend to overwater their grass. We want to stop our lawns from drying out, but in doing so we end up drowning the roots of our grass instead. A good way to make sure you’re not overwatering is to let your grass dry out between watering. If you’re like me, you’ll think that you need to water before it dries out… but if you do that, you’ll end up drowning your poor lawn. Instead, wait until the grass starts to dry out before you water it.

Another thing I’m guilty of that you’ll want to avoid is watering after it rains. Don’t do this! The rain will keep the grass healthy without you needing to water it more. Some people stick really rigidly to a watering schedule, but it’s better to just keep an eye on your lawn and water as needed.

Invest in Lawn sodding

Lawn sodding is a lifesaver when it comes to getting the perfect lawn. It can help your lawn in more ways than one, giving it a better chance than you would have if you were growing your lawn from seed. Sodding is grown in special greenhouses where everything is carefully controlled. It will give your lawn a more even look and allow it to flourish. Beyond that, sodding can help enrich the soil of your lawn, helping future lawns even if you don’t sod every year.

The biggest thing for me though with sodding is that it can help with water conservation. Growing lawns from seed is a very water-intensive process and might not even look good. With sodding, your lawn is already grown and you only need to maintain it which will be easier on your budget.

Aerate your grass

Aeration is something I never thought of when it came to lawn care. Basically it’s the practice of poking small holes in your lawn. This will allow air and water along with any nutrients to get down deeper in the soil than they would be able to do otherwise. This helps give your lawn a headstart on the rest of the season. According to the experts, you’ll want to aerate your lawn at least once a year. This is especially true if you’ve been using sod and then decide to seed your lawn.

There can be a layer of richer soil from the sod compared to the less rich soil underneath, so aeration helps penetrate that lower layer.

Prevent lawn burn in the summer

Lawn burn sounds like it’s something that should come from the heat of the sun, but it’s not. Don’t get me wrong, if it’s too hot and dry, your lawn will die. But fertilizers can also have a big effect on your quest for the perfect lawn.

Lawn burn started because of the way that fertilizers used to be made. When they were exceptionally high in nitrogen, they would give too much to your lawn at once. Think of it like putting down too much food for a pet. If you do that, your pet will either get sick or that excess food will go bad. Too much nitrogen and your grass can’t break it down and it would drive the moisture out of your lawn. That’s how you end up with the burned look.

In the end, avoiding it is easy. Be careful with the fertilizers you choose (you can speak to a lawn expert if you’re worried about it) and if your lawn is already suffering from heat damage or dry, don’t fertilize it.

Don’t cut your lawn too short

It can be tempting to keep your lawn short all the time, but doing so can actually stunt the growth of your lawn. You’ll want to make sure that you give your lawn time to grow out between each time you cut it and you’ll want to make sure that you don’t cut the lawn too short. If you’ve got taller grass then your roots will be able to grow deeper. If it’s too short then the roots will be shallow and can even be washed away by strong storms.

Another tip that you’ll want to make sure of is that you keep your mower blades sharp. Dull blades can rip the grass or bend it out by the root rather than cutting it cleanly.

Maintain your lawn

It’s easier to keep something alive than to bring it back from the dead and the same goes with lawns. If you set time aside to do little things throughout the year, it’ll make maintaining your lawn that much easier when summer hits. If you stay on top with these tips, you’ll be able to have a beautiful lawn without feeling like you’re dedicating a ton of time to it. In the end, lawns are meant to be beautiful and enjoyed. If you’re not enjoying having a lawn, then what’s the point?

If you have any questions about lawns, the experts at Nikos Gardening can answer them for you. Your perfect lawn may be closer than you think!

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