Looking after your Lawn in an Organic Way
A well kept lawn is the most attractive part of a home garden. It needs regular care and maintenance to keep it looking clean and healthy always. It needs to be taken care of in different ways according to the seasonal changes. For example, during the fall, it will have a lot of leaves falling which have to removed, scarified and aerated properly in an organic way. So let us see the benefits of organic care for your lawn.
During the fall it is obvious that there will be a lot of leaves falling to the ground. However, they may cause some harm to your lawn by leaving bare patches. So you can begin by removing the leaves using a spring rake or a leaf sweeper. With these you can push the unwanted leaves into a sack. This must be done when they are dry. A rotary mower can also be used to remove the leaves. Lawn Sweeper Info has a lot more information on automated methods for collecting leaves from your lawn that will save you a lot of time.
Another important procedure is scarifying. It helps to remove dead matter from the lawn which suppresses new growth and the soil. If you feel that your lawn is badly drained, or if the soil is very acidic, then this is a good way of treating your lawn. It will also help the grass to grow properly. There are special tools available for this purpose.
If you feel that the soil is very compact then you need to think of aeration. You can make this out when you see the browning, bare patches, lack of vigor, moss growth etc. Aerating is making deep and thin holes in the lawn surface to allow penetration of air, encourage root growth and reduce compaction by improving the drainage. This is usually done during early-mid autumn.
If all these procedures are done properly, your lawn would look clean, healthy, attractive and welcoming. It will be a highlight of your home garden and enhance the overall appearance.
Lawn Care Techniques For Homeowners
Landscaping comes in a variety of forms, ranging from majestic desert to lush greenery. While many people prefer a low maintenance lawn, some people chose or are stuck with a pad of grass to maintain. Keeping grass green requires more work and time than just setting the automatic sprinkler system. It takes frequent upkeep to keep the lawn healthy. Fertilization is needed a couple times a year to return much needed nutrients to the ground. You may not have considered this, but the soil in your yard has a limited amount of available nutrients which are constantly being used up by the grass. As the seasons change, seasonal seed must be laid out as the grass dies.
Watering frequency will depend strictly on the weather conditions in your area. Hopefully you have an automatic watering system installed in your home. For dry areas, water once a day for about 5-7 minutes. Sprinklers are notorious for not applying even water, so you may want to supplement it with hand watering in drier areas. Moist environments will not need daily watering, but more like every other day.
Fertilizing should be done about twice a year when you put down seasonal seed. Fertilizer can be something natural like cow manure or man-man ones like those that Scotts makes. These usually come in the form of pellets and contain the nutrients necessary to support grass seed. Components like phosphates and nitrates promote deep and strong roots which generates lush green foliage. New seedlings should be kept moist for the first two weeks until they sprout. Don’t wait too long into the season to plant the seed, or extreme temperatures of deep winter and summer can kill the seeds. Mow the lawn about once a week. Make sure the lawnmower has a well sharpened blade for a clean cut. These basic lawn care tips can help you get started on the right track.