3 Ways you might be Ruining Your Lawn

The warm summer weather is finally here and that means that if you've prepared and maintained your lawn correctly during spring, you should start to see the fruits of your labour. If you're noticing your neighbours' lawns are beginning to get green and lush, but yours isn't giving off that same fresh and healthy look, you may be doing something wrong.

Doing something wrong? Impossible - you've aerated, you've overseeded, you've fertilized and you've been watering it every day since the snow has melted and the ground has dried up. Even when it seems you've done everything by the book, there are some common mistakes that homeowners can make that cause their lawns to suffer. Luckily, there's still time to diagnose the problem and find the proper solution before summer officially arrives. Below is a list of the three common mistakes homeowners make when caring for their lawn.

Mowing Incorrectly

Perhaps you've been cutting your lawn regularly to get it looking fresh for the warm summer weather. What you may not know is that cutting your grass too short can actually harm your lawn and kill your grass. When mowing, it's best to leave your blade at the tallest setting so you are not cutting your grass too short. Additionally, if you start mowing your lawn too early in the spring, you may actually be harming it as your grass may still be trying to shake off dormancy from the winter months.

Overseeding at the Wrong Times

Overseeding is a great way to create a thick and healthy lawn as a lush carpet of grass helps to resist pests and diseases and helps choke out weeds. But like mowing, overseeding can be done incorrectly. For successful germination, grass seeds need soil that is consistently warm. If you overseed too early in the spring the soil will not be warm enough to allow successful germination. In addition to warm soil, grass seeds also need consistent moisture, so if you overseed when the weather is hot and dry you are not going to get favourable results.

The quality of the grass seed you spread on your lawn may also play a part in unsuccessful germination. While it may be tempting to buy the cheapest product available on the shelf, the cheaper seed is usually lower in quality. The higher quality grass seed - with a little higher of a price tag than the low quality product - will have a higher yield and germination rate which will help you grow a lush and healthy lawn.

Watering

When it comes to watering your lawn, it may seem like there's some kind of unsolvable magic number for how often and for how long you should be watering your lawn in order to get favourable results.

Truth be told, watering is tricky. If you water your lawn too much you'll drown it. If you don't water it enough you'll cause it stress and leave it vulnerable to drought and disease. If that isn't hard enough, there are other factors that contribute to watering mistakes.

For example, if you apply fertilizer to your lawn and don't water it enough, you can damage it with fertilizer burn. With so many factors to consider, an inground sprinkler system is often your best bet for giving your lawn the water it needs to thrive. With a programmable timer, customizable settings and weather sensor technology, an inground irrigation system will be able to tell exactly how much water your lawn is getting, and will adjust its watering schedule accordingly. Not only will this help you get the vibrant, green lawn of your dreams, but it will also provide you with convenience and peace of mind.

Contact a Sprinkler System Professional

Whether you'd like to schedule an installation, a free consultation or you simply have more questions about the benefits an inground sprinkler system can offer you, our team of sprinkler system experts can help. Contact Nutri-Lawn Burlington today to get started.