Mistakes To Avoid When Investing In Proper Lawn Care

Posted on: 25 June 2018

If you are a new homeowner who wants to make the most of your lawn, then you need to invest in proper lawn care. Thankfully, lawn care does not require a lot of effort as long as you are doing the right things. There are quite a few mistakes that are easy to make, so keep reading to learn what they are so they can be avoided.

Cutting With Dull Blades

Most people cut their lawns with lawnmowers, and both push and riding varieties are commonly used. Both of the mowers use blades to cut, and either one or two of them are fitted on the bottom of the mower. These blades start out quite sharp, but they become dull over time as they are used. If dull blades are used, then the grass will rip or tear instead of being cut through cleanly. This can cause damage to your grass and leave your lawn stressed and susceptible to disease. 

Make sure to have your lawnmower blades sharpened at the start of the spring and in the middle of the summer. Also, inspect your grass closely for signs that your blades are not sharp enough. An uneven cutting surface is the most obvious sign, and you may notice that your grass looks as though it has been ripped off. 

Inspecting your mower blades and looking for small indentations, uneven spots, and a generally dull appearance on the cutting surface are indications of blades that need to be sharpened as well.

Not Adding Nutrition

Some people will add fertilizers to their lawns every year. However, this is costly, and it may not be necessary. Additionally, the wrong fertilizers are often used, so if you choose to use them, then you should have your soil tested to see what nutrients the earth is missing.

If you want to forego the fertilizer altogether, then you can add nutrition simply by using a mulching blade on your lawnmower. The grass will break down over time and release nutrients back into the soil. Keep in mind that you should not mulch if your lawn is being treated for a disease outbreak. Signs of a disease include uneven brown patches of soil and uneven grass patches, so do not mulch if you see these things. 

Another inexpensive option is to use compost as fertilizer on your lawn. You only need to spread about one-quarter inch of the compost on the surface of your lawn. Do this twice a year in both the spring and the fall. 

If you want to know more about lawns and how you can work to encourage healthy growth, then speak to a lawn care or lawn treatment specialist. 

Share