Lawn care is an integral component of home ownership, contributing to increased curb appeal and property value.

Homeowners can successfully manage lawn care with just a few tips. A few basics include watering deeply, aerating regularly and monitoring for insects. The goal should be keeping soil healthy so it can absorb nutrients and moisture properly.

Mowing

Attracting professional service providers for ongoing lawn maintenance can help homeowners to identify potential problems early and take appropriate measures to keep their grass healthy. A typical program will include mowing, debris removal, sod installation and spring and fall clean up services.

One common misstep when cutting grass too short is cutting it too short, which weakens its roots and leaves your lawn more susceptible to drought, weeds, insects and diseases. Experts advise leaving grass at its highest height during summer so as to lock in moisture and shade the soil against weed growth.

Lawn mowing can be an intricate, time-consuming task requiring specific tools and expertise. Many service providers offer lawn mowing and maintenance packages designed to make lawn care simpler for homeowners with limited time or equipment to maintain their own yards. Some charge by the hour while others use flat rates. Choosing a company offering comprehensive set of services is the key to reaping maximum value from any service agreement agreement.

Fertilizing

Lawns require proper fertilization to look their best. Fertilization helps them withstand daily wear and tear from kids’ football games, weather events, weeds and insects, etc.

Choose either liquid or granular fertilizer; liquid fertilizers work quickly but must be applied frequently, while granular releases its nutrients slowly over time.

Fertilize grass twice each year when soil temperatures are optimal for its development, such as spring or autumn. Avoid summertime fertilization which could scorch the turf and compromise its ability to absorb essential nutrients.

When applying fertilizer, be sure to stay at least 6-8 feet away from bodies of water and avoid placing excess on sidewalks, driveways and streets. Otherwise, rains washing away this fertilizer into rivers, lakes and ponds could lead to excessive weed growth as well as toxic algae blooms which will threaten aquatic life.

Weeding

Weeds are plants that sprout where they’re not welcome, competing with grass for water, sunlight and nutrients. While these flora may seem harmless at first glance, they’re difficult to remove completely and tend to return despite attempts at control measures being put into place. It is therefore vital that identification takes place prior to devising any program of control measures for them; common lawn weeds include clover, chickweed, dandelions and Florida pusley among many others.

Preventing weeds from germinating and germinating in your lawn is the first step toward having a lush lawn. Mowing at a higher setting will shade the ground, and block sunlight from reaching any potential weed seeds. Aeration and overseeding can also help, along with using pre-emergent herbicides as preventative measures.

Professional lawn companies include weed control as part of their standard lawn maintenance programs. Implementing an all-encompassing maintenance schedule which includes mowing, fertilization and aeration will help your thick and healthy grass choke out weeds naturally while adding curb appeal and increasing home values.
Insect Control paving installations

Lawn insect pests are an ever-present danger, capable of damaging or killing grass. Cultural practices (including choosing grass species appropriate to climate regions, thatch removal, mowing height and frequency, as well as beneficial insects/invertebrates/microorganisms in the soil that feed on or parasitize lawn pests) can significantly decrease insect populations. Additionally, various parasitic insects or organisms found naturally can also help.

However, when circumstances disrupt the natural balance between insect predators and prey insects, pests quickly become abundant and damage lawns. Products containing botanical pesticide azadirachtin extracted from neem seeds have proven particularly effective against chinch bugs, cutworms, larvae of beetle moths that produce sod

webworms in turfgrass lawns as well as parasitic activity of entomopathogenic nematodes which attack roots of grass species as well as disease-causing fungal pathogens that infest these same grass species and ornamental plants. Finally fungicides provide broad spectrum coverage against disease-causing pathogens which attack these same areas while broad spectrum fungicides provide protection from disease affecting lawns as well as ornamental plants against disease-causing fungal pathogens infesting these lawns or ornamental plants.