Lawn Care Tips

-Aeration: Aerating your lawn can help oxygen reach the roots of your grass. Normally, soil has tiny air pockets that provide this oxygen, but your yard can become compact due to sports, kids, mowing and animals. You can aerate with spikes, but they can actually contribute to compaction. The recommended method is core aeration, which takes small plugs of soil from your yard.

-Fertilize: Fertilizing may not be necessary if you mow your yard often. Providing the lawn with too much fertilizer can actually give your grass a shallow root system and cause more problems. If you do use a fertilizer, use it sparingly and only if you need to tackle a major weed problem. One of the best things you can do to fertilize your yard is to leave grass clippings when you mow.

-Mow: Mowing on a regular schedule can help keep your lawn healthy. Do not let the grass get so tall that you will need to cut more than half of the blade height. Cutting off too much of the grass can damage it, causing it to turn brown or even die. Make sure your mower blades are sharpened every season to avoid ugly, brown, jagged tops. Do not mow in the heat of the day because grass will be sensitive to heat for a couple of hours after being cut.

-Compost: Compost dry leaves and yard clippings along with other organic waste to create your own fertilizer. Compost is great for your flower beds, tree growth and makes good filler for holes in your lawn. Not only will you save money, but you will save quite a few lawn bags and the environment.

-Problem Areas: Sloping areas in your yard can be a big problem. Some people try for years to grow grass on slopes, but it just keeps washing downhill. Talk to a nursery or landscaper in your area about native plants that have deep roots. They will anchor themselves to the slope better than grass and usually require very little maintenance.

-Water: You may not have to water your lawn often unless you live in a very hot or arid climate. Water your grass in the morning so that water has time to soak in before the sun can evaporate it. Watering mid-day is just about useless. Watering in the evening can over-saturate the lawn, causing root rot and other problems. Water your grass deeply and less often for optimal lawn health. Keep a hose reel handy for easy watering so that watering does not become a chore that you want to avoid.

About the Author: Stacy Pessoney is an award winning author and writer of web content for many different web sites. She is well versed in many different areas, including gardening, hose reel, lawn care and landscaping.