Lawn Care Tips for Utah County
Taking care of your lawn can leave you feeling amazing. The reward of seeing green lush grass and properly trimmed bushes because of your hard work is a true homeowners’ joy. Despite the joy that can come from maintaining a beautiful yard, there can be times of frustration. Here are some tips for lawn care in Utah County to keep your yard headed in the right direction:
1. Feed Your Grass Well
Lawn grass doesn’t thrive when it’s just given water and sunshine. Proper nutrition is a key element in having a thick, lush and healthy lawn. Fertilizers containing nitrogen are going to be what you’ll want to look for. Nitrogen improves the color of grass, turning lawns from a greenish yellow to a rich deep green. Nitrogen also increases the growth rate and density of lawns, eliminating patches and dead spots. Applications of organic nitrogen fertilizer will provide a steady supply of nitrogen to your lawn over time.
2. Get Rid of Weeds
Although not the most exciting element of yard maintenance, fighting lawn weeds is important. Weeds will compete with your grass for nutrients, light and water. If you decide to pull weeds by hand, make sure you get the entire root out, or the weeds might return. If you decide to use a weed-and-feed fertilizer, follow the instructions on the label and don’t apply too much.
3. Water Wisely
Grass grows best when watered deeply at less frequent intervals. By watering too much, the roots of the grass will remain shallow and will be weak during droughts and other stresses. Most lawns need the equivalent of 1 inch of rainfall each week. If you anticipate rain, either turn your water off for that day, or shorten the length of time that your sprinklers are scheduled to run.
The best time to water your lawn is between 4 a.m. and 10 a.m. Running your water early in the morning reduces water loss to wind and it gives the water time to soak in before the midday heat evaporates the water.
4. Improve Your Mowing Techniques
When it comes to having a great looking lawn, mowing plays a bigger role than most people think. Each type of grass has a recommended mowing height. Find out which type of grass you have and mow at the proper height.
Never remove more than ⅓ of the grass length at any one time. The bottom ⅔ of the blades of grass are where nutrients are stored, meaning that if you cut too much at once, you’re hindering the ability your yard has to properly grow. Repeatedly mowing too short also has the side effect of increasing lawn pests.
5. Aerate Your Lawn
Aerating a lawn can drastically improve the health of your grass. Aerating creates holes in the soil and grass roots, increasing the amount of oxygen, water and fertilizer that your grass receives. You’ll want to time aeration so it’s done just before your grass enters its active growing phase in the late spring.
By following these steps, you will be on your way to having a full, healthy lawn. If you decide that you don’t want to have to worry about your yard, My Guy Pest and Lawn Solutions has you covered. Give us a call at (801) 404-4042 to learn more.