Exploring Landscape Setups

Exploring Landscape Setups

3 Lawn Care Tasks You May Be Skipping

by Tanya Green

Do you have the luxurious lawn you dream of? You water and fertilize it, yet your lawn may not be as lush as you expect. It could be your lawn has special maintenance needs that you don't know about. These aren't daily or even weekly tasks, but they could have a significant impact on the health of your lawn.

Aeration

Over time, foot traffic compacts your lawn, creating poor drainage. This results in a thin, sickly-looking lawn. To combat this, lawn care professionals recommend aerating your lawn to loosen up the soil. The most common way for aerating the lawn is the core method. An aeration machine removes plugs of soil to relieve the compaction. A relatively new method of aeration is aerovating. With this process, contractors use an aerator with vibrating tines that dig into the soil and vibrate. The vibration breaks up the compaction without removing plugs of soil. You should have your lawn aerated once a year at any time during the growing season.

Dethatching

As Oregon State University points out, lawn dethatching is an often-overlooked lawn task. As grass grows, it creates a surface of both living and dead stems and roots. This can create a thick layer, called thatch, that doesn't allow water and fertilizer to penetrate to the buried roots. It can also provide an ideal environment for insects and grass diseases. Sometimes yearly aeration is enough to keep your lawn from becoming overthatched.

According to OSU, though, if mowing your lawn leaves brown patches, you may need to dethatch the grass. Dethatching the grass involves using a machine that cuts and loosens the thatch layer. You may need to spread grass seed to rejuvenate your lawn. Dethatching should occur in spring for best results.

Liming

Lawn grass prefers a specific pH. According to Today's Homeowner, the ideal pH for lawn grasses is 6.5. If your soil becomes too acidic, though, you may need to lime your yard. The presence of acid-loving plants such as rhododendrons and moss indicate your lawn may need liming. You can also test the pH levels of your soil. To raise the pH level of your soil, you should apply limestone, which comes in different forms. The application method depends on the type of lime additive you choose. After applying the lime, you'll need to wait some time for it to sink into the soil before testing its pH again.

Talk to your local lawn care professionals--such as those from Sunlight Landscape--about taking complete care of your yard for a beautiful, lush lawn.


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About Me

Exploring Landscape Setups

Hello, I am Manny Juanez. When I moved into my home, I instantly started to plan out my landscape features. I knew that I wanted a small waterfall leading to a pond for my fish. I also wanted to create a few raised beds around the sitting area by the pond. What I didn't know, however, was that the project would take a lot of manpower and a bit of professional help. My site will explore the process from grading the land to setting up the electrical components. I will also talk about building the garden beds with pavers and other found materials. The information I provide should help you create a beautiful layout in your back or front yards. Come back to my site whenever you need some inspiration.