A house’s lawn is a lot like a person’s smile—it plays a massive role in people’s first impressions. You wouldn’t want anyone to not give what’s on the inside a chance because of what’s on the outside. With that being said, the importance of adequate lawn maintenance is a crucial aspect in sustaining comfortable stomping grounds for family and friends.
Read further to find out how you can ditch the outdated methods and take your lawn care to the next level.
Get Rid of the Rake
Raking a lawn is immensely time-consuming and tiring. The time and exhaustion you can save yourself by investing in a leaf vacuum mulcher would grant you enough extra free time and energy to start your own business. If you didn’t know this type of technology, even existed until now, but you like the way it sounds, make your way over to CleanersExpert.com to see how they rank these handy tools. You don’t need to give your kids an allowance or break your back trying to clear out the leaves in your yard. Use the vacuum feature to suck it up in minutes and the mulcher feature to crunch and dispose of it easily.
Ward off Broadleaf Weeds
Broadleaf weeds are pesky plants, like dandelions or ivy, that will overtake any lawn or garden if left unchecked. Don’t even think about pulling all those fuzzy flowers yourself though. Take it out the easy and most efficient way to ensure those little buggers won’t come back. Check with your local outdoor home improvement store or nursery to find an herbicide that will suit your home’s landscape.
There is a right and wrong way of application, so make sure you’re at least semi-educated on how to properly apply herbicides. Read the label and make sure your grass isn’t sensitive to those types of chemicals so that it doesn’t die as a result. Keep all children and animals off the lawn for several hours following to avoid any kind of adverse reaction to the chemicals.
Fertilizer Is Your Friend
Once you’ve killed off all the lawn nuisances, now it’s time to give it a little life. The fertilizer will help make your lawn a luscious, evergreen wonderland. Fall is usually the most ideal time to fertilize, as it will keep the dead brown stage of the season short, and will improve the liveliness of the grass during its long growing season. However, keep in mind that the most suitable time to fertilize your lawn will depend on the type of grass you have. Nitrogen is the main ingredient for most fertilizers, but there are many other chemicals that your lawn might be sensitive to that could be in the fertilizer you select. So, be mindful of that.
Mowing
Your lawn should be mowed every week, without fail, until its growth slowly comes to a halt. If your lawnmower has a mulcher feature, then use it around all the big shady trees so the grass gets a better cut. If your mower doesn’t have this feature, then just use your rake or leaf vacuum mulcher and dispose of the leaves and brush before you begin mowing.
Consider a Rock Lawn or Vegetable Garden
There are roughly 58 million lawns in the United States. Tens of billions of dollars are spent on caring for lawns every year. Between five and ten percent of the pollution in the U.S. is from gas lawn equipment, and almost 20 million gallons of gasoline are spilled every year while attempting to fill lawnmowers.
Did any of these statistics startle you? They should. Who knew that lawns contributed to the planet’s pollution? Now that you’re aware, you can’t unread those stats, but you can do your part in saving the earth by investing in an alternative to the typical lawn.
Not only are rock lawns cheaper, but they’re unique and eye-catching. At the very least, you could cut the amount of grass you have in half by putting little plots of rocks scattered throughout the lawn.
If you don’t like the idea of a rock lawn, then ponder on a vegetable garden in lieu of grass. Vegetable gardens won’t just provide a new aesthetic appeal to your home, but they can provide you with actual sustenance that can feed and nourish your family. What says “home sweet home” more than a home-cooked meal with garden-fresh veggies?
By following these lawn care guidelines, you should be able to keep your front and back yards in tip-top shape. Always research any necessary methods of care for rare or sensitive grass or plant species, and remember to always store herbicides and fertilizers in a safe place and out of the grasp of children and pets.