8 Simple Tips for Maintaining a Beautiful Lawn

Who doesn’t love a lawn that’s a beautiful green hue and provides total ground cover? Achieving this goal is a little more involved than mowing the grass a couple of times a month. In fact, there’s quite a bit to lawn maintenance Arkansas that property owners sometimes overlook. Here are some tips that will make it easier to keep the lawn looking great all year long.

Don’t Mow the Grass Too Short

Property owners who choose to do their own landscaping rather than hiring a service sometimes yield to the temptation to change the settings on the lawnmower wheels and cut the grass a little shorter. While that can mean mowing the lawn less, grass that’s too short paves the way for quite a few other issues.

If the cut is too short, it could expose bald spots in the lawn that you would not see otherwise. This is true with certain types of grass that tend to grow in clumps. Blades that are too short also retain less nutrients. The result is that the grass may begin to yellow and eventually die for a lack of proper nutrition. If you still need more motivation, grass that’s cut too low increases the potential for weeds to flourish.

Stay on Top of Weeds and Moss

If you do notice that weeds are beginning to sprout here and there, don’t allow them to remain in place for very long. The same goes for patch of moss. Weeds steal nutrients from the surrounding grass, increasing the odds of dead spots developing. Moss may be considered picturesque to some people, but it also has a way of killing off grass that’s nearby. One of the joys of calling on the skill of landscape gardeners Arkansas is that they can get rid of problems like moss or flourishing weeds before they can cause a lot of damage to your lawn.

Edging After Mowing is Essential

Now that you know not to mow the grass too short, it’s time to think about the edging. That’s the spaces around the perimeter of the lawn. Some examples would be the line where the driveway meets the lawn, or the area where the flower beds start and the grass ends.

You’ll find that the better lawn care services Arkansas make it a point to edge lawns immediately after mowing. What does this accomplish? It helps to improve the appearance of the grounds. The lawn looks more manicured and finished. It also helps to create what’s known as a root barrier around the flower beds. That barrier helps to reduce the potential for the grass to take over the bed.

Take Care of Bald Spots Promptly

There are several reasons for bald spots developing. One has to do with erosion. Water could be washing away seeds before they can settle in and flourish. There’s also the possibility that the bald spot developed because of some type of grass disease. In the latter scenario, you need to find out what’s happening before the disease can spread to other parts of the lawn.

Once the issue is resolved, you do want to seed the area. A landscaping professional will know how to match the seeds with the type of grass that’s already present. With the right fertilizer and general care, it won’t be long until those bald spots begin to fill in.

But Avoid Over Seeding

When it comes to seeding a lawn, more is not always better. If you have what’s known as a cool grass in the lawn, more seeds are not likely to produce any poor effects. The worst that can happen is the lawn becomes a little thicker than you expect.

With other forms of grass, you’re basically wasting money and seeds. The coverage won’t be any better and you may find the outcome is not all that great. If you’re in doubt about how much seeding to use, consider leaving the task in the hands of a professional.

The Same Goes for Too Much Watering

Is it really possible to water a lawn too much? Even during the summer months, you can overdo things a bit. Some of the potential outcomes will set your overall lawn maintenance Arkansas back quite a bit.

What can happen if you water the lawn too much? The grass roots may begin to rot as the ground becomes saturated. There’s also the possibility of the grass developing fungus that has to be removed before it can spread. Along with these major problems, the grass may begin to turn yellow and die. That’s tied back to the rotting of the grass roots.

Aerate the Lawn During the Spring or Autumn

Lawn aeration is the process of perforating the soil with a series of small holes. The goal is to create points of entry where nutrients and water can penetrate ground that’s compacted and less capable of supporting the root system for most types of grass. Aeration can be accomplished using different types of equipment, including footwear that makes it possible to walk around the lawn and systematically create those perforations.

When’s the best time aerate a lawn? Spring autumn are considered prime seasons. That’s because the ground is more likely to be compacted after the winter or the summer. It’s also two of the seasons when property owners are most likely to seed their lawns. Aeration increases the potential for the seeds to sprout, roots to develop, and grass to grown.

Pay Attention to the Drainage

Pay close attention to what happens with the lawn when it rains. After a heavy rain, are there spots where water tends to stand for a longer period of time? That’s an indication that the drainage is not the best.

You already know how too much water can affect the lawn. Along with too frequent waterings, rain that stands for a long time has the same effect. If you notice this happening, it pays to call in a professional landscaper and see what can be done to improve the drainage. Doing so will prevent a number of potential problems in the years to come.

Remember that proper lawn care pays off in the form of a beautiful landscape. It also means having a space where you can relax and let go of whatever happened earlier in the day. If time is an issue, do consider hiring a professional lawn services. Doing so will ensure that your lawn remains healthy and always looks as if you spent the entire weekend caring for it.