Most people are usually attracted by a manicured lawn. However, the problem is that in a few cases, people end up spending a lot of money on the lawn and then finding out later that it’s an exhausting process to take care of them. If you are thinking of getting a lawn for your home or office, having a clear idea of what to expect will help you make better decisions. For instance, if you are keen on taking care of the lawn yourself, you will know what tools to buy and what skills to acquire in order to take care of it well. If you don’t have the time to do so, understanding exactly what takes place in the care of a lawn will help you identify the best people to hire to take care of it.
What you will need to do to establish a well-manicured lawn depends on many things including the size of the lawn and the type of grass that will be grown on it. However, there are a couple of things that are usually common to all types of lawns when it comes to lawn care. These include:
Aeration
This is a process that is usually done on average once a year. It is based on the premise that plant roots need access to a little air in order to absorb nutrients from the soil. The process of aeration ensures that they have access to this. In the simplest form, aeration involves punching a number of holes in the lawn. These are usually around three inches deep, and are made using a hand held tool or a large aerating machine. The latter is better for larger lawns, while the former is ideal for small or medium sized lawns. The fact that you will need to punch many holes throughout the lawn makes it a labor intensive process. For this reason, it’s reasonable to hire a lawn expert to do this for you instead.
Watering the lawn
In most cases, a pattern of deeper and less frequent watering is advised. This means that given the option, it would be wiser to water the lawn once a day for a longer period of time so as to give the water enough time to seep into the soil. Electronic soil testers might need to be used to determine the adequacy of watering.
Fertilizing the lawn
This is the equivalent of feeding the grass. There are two main types of ways of doing so: using synthetic fertilizers and using natural ones such as humus. The latter is usually preferred by many since it’s organic and much safer than using the synthetic ones. If you happen to have pets or children who are likely to play in the lawn, you are likely to be more comfortable using the natural types since there is a lower risk of poisoning.
It’s also curious to know that recent studies have suggested that the use of natural fertilizers is linked to having greener and lusher lawns.
You will need to mow the lawn correctly
Simply getting a lawn mower and moving it around the lawn every so often will not do. There is a technique you have to use in order to maintain the health of the lawn. The height at which the grass is mowed has to be gotten just right, and it’s also important to make sure that the blades are as sharp as possible. This reduces the risk of shredding the grass and making it less appealing. The height at which the lawn should be mowed is usually a function of the type of grass grown.
You might need to have the lawn assessed professionally
Once in a while, it would be wise to get a professional lawn firm to assess the lawn thoroughly. Some of the tests that can be done include finding out the pH of the soil as well as how nutritious it is. The goal of doing this is to determine whether or not you will need to make changes in how you care for the lawn in order to make it thrive. The results of such a survey will often guide you as to what to do in order to achieve this. This is not something that is usually done on very frequently; you can do it every year or so or if you find that the quality of the lawn is deteriorating despite your best efforts to make it thrive.
These are just some of the things you need to be prepared for when you decide to start managing and caring for a lawn. To get more specific data, consulting a lawn care expert would be ideal. They can find out exactly what your lawn will need, and what it will take to make it healthy.
