In most areas of the country, winter can be brutal on your lawn, but if you take care of it in the fall, you will be rewarded come next spring. Here are some maintenance care steps to follow before your grass can take it’s much deserved winter’s rest.

1. Rid your lawn of all fallen leaves. In other words, grab a rake and get some exercise or go over the grass with your lawnmower. Those leaves are beautiful when freshly fallen, but eventually they turn grey and slimy-looking, and smother your grass. Put the bag on your mulching lawnmower, and spread the shredded leaves in your garden or put them in your compost pile.
2. No matter how much you hate weeding, do it now. Many weed heads, the flowers, are ready to throw their seeds around your yard in the fall, so the sooner you gently yank these out, the better. Oftentimes you can find weeds easier in the fall because your grass is turning brown and the weeds are still in their green glory.
3. The temperature is cooler in autumn and that’s a more favorable time to grow new grass in your problem areas. Time to overseed or reseed and get those baby grasses growing before the severe weather kicks in. If you’ve got bigger problems, now is the time to lay down patches of sod.
4. Keep mowing, even though your grass isn’t growing as fast. Why? Well mostly because it just looks better if your grass is neatly trimmed before it sits there looking brown and grim all winter.
5. Watering? Yes! Sure, you can cut it back if the temperature outside is not as hot as it was in summer. But keep an eye towards rainfall and water accordingly.
6. Take some time to apply a winter-type fertilizer appropriate for your type of grass and your area of the country. Give your lawn some food before it hibernates.
7. Aerate in the beginning of fall for all the right reasons – allows water to get down deeper to encourage deep root growth, allows nutrients to the roots, and breaks up ground compaction.

Your grass may be dormant through the winter, but it is not dead. Take care of your lawn this fall with a little TLC and it will reward you next spring.

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Practicing an environmentally-friendly lifestyle is not always the easiest of things to do. In fact, it’s probably true to say that for most of us we instinctively know that when it comes to gardening it’s often a lot easier to achieve the results we’re after by going down the chemical route than the one that’s kinder to the environment.

So, with all of the publicity that’s around these days, you just know that we humans have done a tremendous amount of damage to the environment already and you’re ready to make the adjustments that you know you’re going to have to now that you’ve decided to be a good citizen and do your bit to protect the environment for future generations, right?

Ok, one starting point when it comes to lawn care is making a mental readjustment concerning just exactly what you class as a weed. Now, we’ve all been conditioned to regard certain plants as weeds and certain plants as the type of things we wish to grow in our gardens. But is it not true that some ‘weeds’ actually produce very attractive flowers? Of course it is. Dandelions and daisies are two such species that tend to be frowned upon when they dare to grow in our lawns. But are they not attractive when they flower?

Of course, there will certainly be some types of plants that you will definitely not want spoiling your pristine lawn. One of the ways to tackle them is to not really tackle them at all but to focus on the grass itself. If you concentrate on producing the strongest, healthiest, most disease-free grass possible you’ll find that its own resilience will enable it to fight its own battles against weeds. So, with this in mind you should arm yourself with a few organic fertilizing recipes and get into the habit of regularly fertilizing your lawn with these.

It is a fact that grass is a supreme colonizer. It’s always looking to expand its reach, so the stronger and healthier you make it, the more it will show a natural propensity to crowd out weeds.

You must also make sure that you follow a regular mowing schedule. This is because grass benefits from regular mowing whereas weeds are damaged by it.

And don’t forget the most basic of weed killing practices – getting rid of them by hand. It may not sound a terribly appetizing way of getting the job done, in fact it might sound too much like hard work, but it’s definitely a fact that getting stuck in pulling weeds by hand is the most environmentally-friendly way of doing it and it even has health benefits for you because of all that wonderful exercise you’re getting out there in the fresh air.

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Almost everybody realizes what “curb appeal” is and the reason why it is important. This is the first impression that an individual receives as they initially pull up to the house. It only takes a fraction of a second for somebody to ‘evaluate your house and determine a number of different things about you even before they set foot onto your property.

One of the most significant ways that you can provide your house with a needed boost and enrich its curb appeal is feeding the lawn and making sure it is well maintained and carefully manicured.

Although it may seem easy enough, sometimes making the back and front lawn to appear beautiful, impeccable and appealing can be a tedious process, particularly if there were some initial problems with the health of the lawn. Listed below is a set of lawn care suggestions and tips that can assist you in cultivating a lawn that draws people to your house, invites them, and provides your curb appeal with a real boost.

1. Find out about the condition of the soil of your lawn. It is easy enough to get the soil tested. Just contact the agricultural extension agent in your city. This basic test will be able to speedily discover the elements of your soil and will indicate all that is missing so that you can correct the problem.
2. Have a scheduled lawn maintenance routine that incorporates fertilizing three to five times per year. Make certain that it is performed on a regular basis and it provides the right kind of food for the grass in the garden lawn. The extension agency can also assist you with information in this matter as it pertains to your local area.
3. When attempting to mow your grass during the heat of summer, make sure that you cut it to the maximum height that your lawn mower permits. This help the grass to dry faster after rainfall and even allows for shade on the ground, which assists in preventing moisture loss. This will help to conserve water, and it will also help the lawns to crowd out the weeds and smother them. During the cool and wet parts of the year, you can setup the lawnmower to cut lower depending on your preferences.
4. Water approximately one and a half inches at least once a week. When you briefly water every day, you encourage your lawn to develop a more shallow type of root system. Watering just once a week helps to develop strong deep roots that have the ability to better withstand hot, dry summer weather.
5. You should aerate at least once or twice each year. It also helps to promote a lawn with a deep root system and helps water and allow food for the lawn to get past the surface and into the roots, where it can do the most good. Aeration can also repair the symptoms of soil compaction, which is a specific problem if you are using a riding lawn mower to help maintain your lawn.
6. Keep your mower blades sharp and well maintained. Dull blades actually tear off the tip of the blades of grass and give it a ragged appearance and cause browning at the ends of the grass. Also, you should mow your lawn in different directions and patterns each time you mow. This helps avoid soil compaction and ruts.
7. Watch for signals of dead areas. These dead patches can be an symptom of a problem with insects or diseases that attack your home and garden lawns. When you notice this, you should not deal with the problem until you are fully aware of the facts. Your local extension agency will be of great assistance in this case also.
8. Handling weed control with the use of good quality herbicides. You can do this individually or look for a fertilizer that also contains elements of weed control.

These basic tips should give you a good starting point from which to enrich the health, vitality and appearance of the lawn that is the welcoming introduction to your home. With prudent lawn care, you will enjoy great curb appeal and you will also be able to use and benefit more fully from your yard.

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A basic way to make sure your lawn is substantial as well as healthy each spring is to provide it with the proper lawn care throughout the months of winter and in late fall. While most lawns appear altogether hibernating throughout these months, the way that the lawn is cared for during this time period can make a lot of difference to the overall beauty and health of it when the summer time arrives. Here are a few ideas that will assure that the lawn is as healthy as it can possibly be when warm weather eventually returns.

Clearing Debris

If you happen to live in a region where there is regular snowfall, you want to be certain your strategy includes seeing to it that all parts of the lawn are free of debris as well as clutter prior to the first large snowfall of the year happens. Good maintenance of your lawn and preparation for winter snow include raking the leaves, getting rid of sticks, and removing any other kind of debris that simply does not belong on your lawns.

Even if you do not expect a lot of snow, it is always important to make sure the grass is not left under a pile of leaves or other waste which can interfere with the grass receiving a higher rate of moisture, air and nutrients. While the growth of most grass frequently stops at the end of autumn, it still has the capability of dying if it is buried under any type of yard debris.

Controlling Weeds

There are numerous individuals that have the misconception that the summer season is the most significant time period to control weeds. However, just the opposite is true and it is significant to realize this in order to plan for appropriate and healthy lawn care for the lawns that are around your home and garden.

Weeds actually grow much quicker than your lawn did during the winter, as compared to the summer season. If weeds are allowed to merely grow out of control during the “off season”, then there might not be a lot of lawn left to enjoy when spring comes.

Fortunately, since your grass will be growing at a much slower rate during the fall and winter, it is fairly easy to pinpoint the progress of weeds during this time period. Just make certain that you give a little attention and care to your lawn during these particular months, and get the weeds pulled out, or apply herbicide, so these weeds do not smother the lawn and ruin the appearance of your designed landscape.

Rye Grass and Bluegrass

If you are happy with the look of a thick flourishing lawn through the wintertime, then it is a good idea to plant ryegrass, bluegrass or other types of northern grasses which all have a tendency to be heartier and will survive through the cold winter months.

One of the primary benefits when using rye grass in your lawn, is that it generally grows well when mixed with your current grass and it will make your lawn appear more lush and full. However, the ryegrass will actually die off and the lawns regular grass will then take over as it comes to life in the springtime.

The winter grasses such as rye, will tend to grow better if you plant them in mid and later part of October. If you decide to plant in the fall, you will still need to make sure that your new lawn receives sufficient amounts of water.

If you get a week of dry weather, you want to make sure you water your lawn so that the rye gets one to two inches of water per week. Just by taking a few simple measures of lawn care should help you achieve a healthy and lush lawn that stand out in the summer.

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Nothing says summer quite like walking barefoot through the cool, fresh grass. But many products that promise a greener lawn often recruit the use of thick, heavy pesticides that can be harmful to your skin and health. To help keep your grass thriving all summer long, follow these easy tips!

1. Remember, you want to help your lawn fend off pests and weeds naturally, so your first step is determining the pH level of your soil. Soil testing kits are relatively inexpensive and will give you a good idea of the acidity or alkalinity of the earth in your area. You may need to add lime or sulphur depending on the results, and these can be purchased at garden and home improvement stores for very little money.
2. Once you’ve got your soil test results, add organic fertilizer (the amount will be determined by the soil test) and cover with about an inch of organic compost. This supplies the necessary nutrients your lawn needs to thrive – and the more you can boost its natural immunity to invaders, the healthier and greener it will get. Once you’ve added the organic compost, rake the area over to allow the new soil to settle and the water to drain easily.
3. When choosing a lawn grass, get the most resilient kind you can for your particular area. Check with lawn and garden stores and nurseries about what grows well where you live. For best results, grow native grasses or choose natural groundcovers that tend to grow quickly and spread easily.
4. Be mindful of weeds and pests that try to invade your lawn. Ask a local landscape or garden center about insects or birds that eat these types of pests, and what you can do to encourage them to stay. Even so-called “organic” pesticides can contain harmful chemicals – so the more naturally resistant you can make your lawn – the greater it will look.
5. Water your new lawn every day when you first sow the seeds or plugs. Make sure that the ground is saturated, but not to the point that you get runoff or puddles. Watering in the early evening, especially in the summer, will help prevent your lawn from getting scorched by the sun and still allows the grass to dry by nightfall.
6. You can start mowing your fresh new lawn when the grass reaches about three inches tall. Adjust your lawnmower so that you cut off no more than the top third of the blades each time you mow. How often you’ll need to mow depends on the type of grass you choose. Consult a landscaper or garden specialty store for more information.
7. Finally, be sure to add a new layer of organic compost to your lawn every spring. This will help replenish the natural nutrients it needs to ward off pests and look its best!

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