A lot of science (and work) make up a well-maintained lawn. (C) Dollarphotoclub.
We’re moving into the gardening season, so let’s talk about the lawn. For a lot of people, that’s what gardening season is: Mowing the lawn, fertilizing it, watering it, worrying about insects and disease, and killing weeds that show up amid the grass.
What if I told you that you had to grow a plant that was never allowed to flower, that needed constant pruning and demanded a lot of fertilizer and water. Would you put that plant in your garden? That’s the lawn.
I readily admit I have a love-hate relationship with the lawn. I love the way rich, green grass defines landscaped areas, serving as the perfect backdrop for flowers, trees and shrubs. But the pressure to keep the lawn weed free, lush and beautiful is sometimes overwhelming.
If you are interested in selling your house, forget the bath and kitchen remodel. The National Association of Realtors ranked seeding lawn the highest, recovering 417 percent of the project cost at resale. That’s followed by implementing a standard lawn care program (303 percent of cost recovered), and updating landscaping with sod (143 percent recovered), as the most cost-effective projects.
Nearly seven in 10 Americans who have a lawn say theirs could use improvement, according to research by the National Association of Lawn Care Professionals. A lot of people don’t realize that there’s science behind controlling weeds, insects and diseases in the lawn, as well as watering and mowing. Here are some tips for the season:
- Water the lawn deeply every few days rather than daily. This encourages the grass to develop deep roots, which enable the lawn to withstand drought, insects and disease problems.
- Mow high. I’m sure you’ve heard that before. Keeping the lawn at about 3 inches tall shades out opportunistic weed seeds from taking hold and it cools the grass roots.
- Don’t remove the grass clippings when you mow. Leaving the clipping on the lawn eliminates at least one application of fertilizer.
- Learn the best times to control weeds, insects and disease. Knowing the lifecycle of insects, such as grubs, means that an insecticide will be applied at the correct time to control the pest.
- It’s generally considered better to treat broadleaf weeds, such as dandelions, in late September into October. An herbicide applied then is more readily taken up by the plant.
If you work with a lawn service, consider asking the crew to eliminate the spring fertilization, especially if there was a fall application of fertilizer. The lawn is going to grow anyway and fertilizer in spring increases mowing duties. If you do it yourself, always read and follow the directions of the product you use.
Consider working with a lawn care company that uses organic products and sustainable practices. Several people I know use Total Lawn Care, which has been around since 1989 with its organic lawn care program. Another is Natural Lawn. Talk to other lawn care companies to see if organic options are available.