Looking for a few simple secrets to a healthy, thick and beautiful lawn without having to spend a fortune on expensive fertilizer and weed killers?
One thing is for sure, no matter the size of your lawn, it can be expensive to care for. Especially if you are having to purchase fertilizers and weed killers on a regular basis. And if you are paying someone else to do those tasks, it can be even more outrageous!
In addition, aside from the expense, more and more homeowners are looking for a more natural approach when it comes to their lawn. After all, all of those chemicals, herbicides and pesticides are not the best for us, our pets, or the lakes and streams they often end up in.
But here is the good news – you really don’t need them to grow a thick, beautiful lawn. In fact, with just two simple steps, you can start having your lawn looking better in a few weeks, all without wasting valuable cash on fertilizer!
2 Simple Secrets To A Thicker, Healthier & More Beautiful Lawn
There is nothing more satisfying that having a lawn that is thick, luscious and green. Not only is it beautiful, it also happens to be much easier to care for and maintain in the long run.
A thick lawn helps retain moisture in the soil by acting as a living mulch for the soil and grass roots below. The more dense the blades, the more they can help to shade out the hot sun’s rays. That same thickness also helps keep the soil from drying out in windy conditions too.
All of that means a lawn that needs far less water to survive and thrive. But even more, a thick lawn also helps to keep weeds out. It does this by not allowing the seeds of weeds that blow in a chance to find the soil below to germinate.
So what is the easiest way to get your lawn thicker? You might think that fertilizer is the answer. Or perhaps making sure it gets even more water? Interestingly enough, the first secret is to simply start mowing your lawn higher!
#1 Mow Your Lawn Higher – The 2 Simple Secrets To A Beautiful Lawn
One of the biggest mistakes homeowners make with their lawns is to mow them too low. Mowing your lawn close to the ground can cause a long list of issues for your grass, starting with never allowing it to grow full and thick.
A low cut leaves a lawn vulnerable to drying out quickly. And once it does, that leads to your grass turning brown and lifeless in a flash. Mowing too low is also hard on your mower, as the blades scalp soil and rocks, and the deck can easily clog without space to discharge fresh clippings.
But the issues don’t stop there. When lawns are mowed too low, they also open up the floodgate for weeds to take over. With a low lawn height, weed seeds find an easy route to the soil. A low mow also allows creeping weeds such as Creeping Charlie, Crabgrass and Purslane to easily take hold and thrive.
Setting Your Mowing Height – The 2 Simple Secrets To A Beautiful Lawn
For most fescue and perennial rye grass mixes, the mowing height should be set between three and three and a half inches during the spring, summer and early fall season. At this height, the blades are long enough to protect the soil. They also allow new emerging grass underneath cover while they grow.
Unfortunately, when a lawn is mowed short, any new grass attempting to grow fails easily without protection. But by raising your mower deck higher, you allow for the lawn to fill in at a faster rate.
The only exception to this rule is in late fall when you are mowing your lawn for the final time. For your final mowing, it is best to cut the lawn back to a height of two and a half inches.
This is done to help the lawn handle the snow and ice without the long blades becoming matted and damaged. Other than that – keep those blades high!
#2 Sharpen Your Blades Regularly – The 2 Simple Secrets To A Beautiful Lawn
Believe it or not, the second best thing you can do for your lawn is to keep your blades sharp!
More often than not, a brownish, sad looking lawn is the result of dull blades – and not a lack of water or fertilizer. Dull blades do not cut grass, they tear it. And when they do, the tips of the blades quickly turn brown.
Ever mow your lawn one day, and the next day it suddenly all looks brown and dry? It is probably because all of the tips of your grass have turned brown from a poor cut.
One of the easiest ways to keep your lawn looking green is to sharpen your mowing blades regularly. To keep your grass cut clean and green, sharpen your blades at least once a month. Replace blades that are old or have huge knicks or gouges that cannot be smoothed out.
Mower & Blade Maintenance – The 2 Simple Secrets To A Beautiful Lawn
The more nicks and cuts in your blades, the more wear and tear it will put on your turf. In addition to sharp blades, keep the underside of your mower clean and free of wet or clogged grass. This can keep the grass from discharging freely, and leaving wet clumps throughout the lawn.
And sharpening doesn’t have to be expensive or time-consuming. You can find inexpensive blade sharpeners that fit on a common drill that keep your blades honed and sharp in mere minutes! Product Link : Blade Sharpening Stones
Finally, always try to mow your lawn when it is as dry as possible. Mowing wet grass not only injures your turf, but it will also dull your blades quickly.
Here is to keeping your lawn looking lush, green and thick all summer long – and to saving money in the process! For more great tips for your lawn and landscape, check out our Lawn & Landscape tab on the website.
