Care Tips for a
Beautiful Lawn
By B. Conrad
Photo: © Eugene Bochkarev / Dreamstime
 For many homeowners the lawn is a showplace, a way to show off their creative talents. No matter what type of lawn you have, these care tips will help you get your lawn off to a good start as the summer approaches.
Scarify the Lawn - Scarifying the lawn simply means removing everything but the grass. Things like weeds, moss and other elements should be removed, preferably using a spring tine rake or a general lawn rake. Before starting the scarification process, it is important to make sure that the grass is dry. If it has rained recently, you may need to wait a couple of days until the grass has dried well.
Aerate the Lawn - After the scarification process is complete, the aeration process can begin. Aeration simply means opening up the ground in order to allow the soil to breathe and the water to penetrate the ground more easily.
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Since the ground can become quite compacted during the winter months, aerating the lawn will help bring it back to life.
Aeration can be done simply by placing a garden fork into the ground and allowing it to penetrate the surface a few inches down. If the ground is very hard it may be necessary to actually stand on the fork and move it back and forth to break up the ground. This process should be repeated until the entire surface has been aerated. Since this can be a time consuming process, those with large lawns may want to invest in a motorized aerator.
Weed and Feed - After the aeration process is complete, allow the lawn about two to three weeks to recover before you begin the weed and feed process. If you live in an area where there is a possibility of frost, put off the weed and feed process until all danger of frost has passed. When the weed and feed process is ready to begin, be sure to water the lawn if there is no rain within the first couple of days. Also, try to avoid walking on the lawn until it has begun to become established.
Following these lawn care tips is a great way to get your lawn off to a good start and ensure a season full of beautiful, lush green grass. |
