If you have moved into a new house, or just need a new lawnmower, there are a lot of choices available. Now-a-days, you can purchase anything from a basic reel mower that just uses your body for power to riding mowers that can also be used to work in the garden and around the yard. There are even automatic lawnmowers that let you s... Read more
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There are many obstacles when you want to keep your yard in tip-top shape. The top five are listed below with common solutions.
Weeds Every year a constant battle is waged between lawn caregivers and weeds. The top two problem plants are dandelions and crabgrass. Crabgrass Crabgrass grows quickly and is very adaptable. It thrives in lawns that are under fertilized and mowed too low. The worst thing about it is that it looks horrible, especially in an otherwise great lawn. These weeds are easy to control, but you've got to do it in the spring, before they get a good hold. Late spring and summer are too late to do anything. If you are going to apply an herbicide, early to mid-spring is the best time. Dandelions Dandelions grow well under the same conditions as crabgrass, under fertilized, thin and low mown lawns. This weed is a little harder to deal with than crabgrass, however. With dandelions, you need to pull out the entire root or it will spread and it is best to do this before the plant flowers and spreads its seeds. If you don't feel like killing you back pulling out all the roots, you can use a broad-leaf herbicide, which is probably going to work best in the fall. Make sure to follow all of the directions on the container and pay particular attention to safety procedures. Insects/Grubs Insects are a normal part of every lawn and are often very good for your grass. However, too much of anything can be bad. Not only can they hurt your lawn, they can also become a nuisance in you home. There are many pesticides on the market that are very good at controlling the populations of many common insects. If you decide to use one, make sure, as above, that you follow the directions carefully. Many of these products are bad for humans and animals, as well as insects. Grubs, in particular, are very bad for lawns in large numbers. If you have more than ten grubs per square foot in your lawn, and there are several ways to check that, they will start killing large sections of grass by munching on the roots. Pesticides will work on them, too, especially when used in late July or August. One natural way to get rid of them, or at least lower the population, is to introduce nematodes into your yard. These are natural parasites that feed on grubs. Check with your local lawn and garden center to find a product with nematodes that will work for you. Animals Animals can be hard a yard, too. Moles in particular can undermine the soil and leave trenches through your yard, especially in the spring when soil is softer. Most often, they dig through your yard to find grubs and earthworms to eat. Decreasing the grub population, and the populations of other insects, may make your yard less attractive to them. You can also try to barricade your yard by burying chicken wire about a foot down. This isn't always effective as it is possible for them to dig deeper than that. Catching them in a trap or calling a professional exterminator are the surest ways to get rid of them. Shade Even species of grass that claim to be shade tolerant don't like too much shade. Sunlight is crucial for the growth and development of grasses. Make sure to trim back your shade trees every three to five years. This will make sure that the grass under the tree will at least get some sun. You may also want to consider replacing grasses in these areas with some other sort of shade tolerant ground cover, which may hold up better, and then planting your shade tolerant grasses on the outer edges of the shaded area. Heavily Compacted Soil As your lawn sees more and more traffic, it gets packed down. One of the best things you can do is aerate your soil every year. You can generally rent light weight aerators at most lawn and garden centers and hook them to the back of your riding mower. This will help loosen up the soils and make it easier for water and nutrients to enter and get to the grass' roots. If your soil has become too heavy, you may want to hire a professional to come out and aerate your yard using a piston driven aerator. This doesn't have to be done every year, but can help when things become desperate.
Crabgrass has been the bane of landscapers and lawn enthusiasts since the first yard appeared. The fancy, scientific name for the most common crabgrass found in North America is Digitaria sanguinalis. This weed is sometimes call... Grubs are, basically, baby beetles, mostly Japanese Beetles and Masked Chafer Beetles although there are many varieties. In July, adults look for a good place to lay the eggs for the next generation of beetles, and, all too ofte... Do you strive for the perfect lawn? Do you want your lawn to rival even the best kept baseball diamond outfield, soccer field and golf green (before a game, of course)? Have you gotten down to measure individual blades of grass ... Having a beautiful lawn doesn't have to be a lot of work, provided you are willing to get ready for it ahead of time. A lot of people don't even give their lawn a second thought until they're well into the spring season, by whic... For most lawn aficionados, the color, height, and health of the lawn are all-important. Many people consider that edging isn't necessary, but in fact it's a finishing touch that can make all the difference between a good-looking... Keeping your lawn alive and as healthy as possible when the cold weather hits requires that you start thinking about lawn care long before winter actually arrives. If you neglect your lawn during the fall and winter, it will bec...
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