When you’re looking down the street, how many of your neighbors are struggling with their yard? Grass is especially troublesome, with some homeowners preferring to plant trees and reduce the area grass is growing.
Not you, oh no! You want to have a carpet of green that a greenskeeper would be proud of. It adds so much to curb appeal that you feel you can’t have it any other way.
Keep reading to find out the top four yard care mistakes you’re making and how to fix them.
Table of Contents
1. Using the Wrong Fertilizer the Wrong Way
Grass uses a lot of fuel to grow and rarely gets as much as it would like. It usually needs feedings four times a year. Early spring, late spring, summer, and fall are best.
Depending on where you live the grass is likely to go dormant in the winter, so it’s a bit of a waste to do it then.
We know that you can’t often use a boom sprayer on a residential yard, though it’s the most efficient. What that means for you is that you can walk your yard a little more often to feed it and keep it weed-free.
Liquid fertilizer is quickly absorbed into the soil and helps to provide a more even nutrient care for your grass and other plants. Liquid fertilizer is a quick-release option.
Solid fertilizer is saltier and grass roots will avoid it. It takes more effort, but liquid fertilizer is usually the better way to go.
2. Watering Too Much or Too Little
Grass only needs one inch of water per week, preferably during the morning. There are many misconceptions that grass needs a ton of water every morning. It doesn’t seem like a major issue, but the EPA would disagree.
The average plot size is 1/5 or 1/4 acre, that’s 8,982 or 10,994 sqft respectively. This means your weekly water consumption should be 420 and 576 gallons. This is opposed to the average of 320 gallons per day most households use.
It also isn’t taking into account natural water sources like rain and the area that your home is taking up on the plot. It’s best to know how to calculate the volume of a liquid on your own plot.
3. You’re Mowing With Dull Blades
Mower blades are usually things we try to steer clear of, but instead of cutting or shearing top growth, dull blades rip it up. To get an accurate blade height and even-looking cut it needs to be sharpened more often.
Even worse, when it has a jagged, flagged end, it browns further down the blade of the leaf, killing further material. It leaves it open to bald spots and disease.
4. You Cut It Too Short
Every species of grass has a different optimal growing height. However, think about the next statement the next time you’re about to cut your grass.
The roots of your grass will only grow as deep as their top growth.
The plant needs its leaves to convert nutrients and water into new plant growth. If you’re cutting the grass and taking the clippings, not fertilizing enough the right way, and taking away its means of growing, it won’t get very far.
Let it dig deep and soak up the fertilizer and water you give it. Never remove more than 1/3 of the top growth at a time.
Top Yard Care Mistakes You Should Avoid
Now that you’ve found out the yard care mistakes you’re making and working to avoid them, you’ll be the emerald gem of your neighborhood. Not to mention you’ll have curb appeal you can feel.
Keep browsing our articles for more tips on improving your home’s appearance and asking price!
