Tired of keeping up with the Jones’? Get out in front with a beautiful lawn. Here are 5 tips to help you achieve that lush green lawn you’ve always dreamt about them! (Once your lawn is the envy of the neighborhood, maintain in with the help of the MOWZ app!)
1. A pH check
For the greenest lawn, you need to find that “perfect pH”. Either use a soil test kit, or take a tablespoon-sized sample of soil from three different areas in your lawn and bring them to a garden center service to determine the pH level for you. The ideal number is somewhere between 6 and 7.2. A high pH often requires more iron sulphate or sulfur, while pelletized lime stone can aid a low pH. Your local garden center can recommend the boosters you need for a greener lawn.
2. Scheduled water breaks
Often, consistency is key. Try to water your lawn at the same time each morning. This is the time of day where water is least likely to evaporate in the heat, and winds aren’t as strong. Note that your grass only needs one inch of water per week, including rainfall. Use the tuna can trick found in our last blog. For the greenest results, stick a spade or shovel 4-6 inches into the soil to see if the water has reached that ideal depth.
3. Ammonia in action
Get your grass’s engine running with an ammonia boost. Ammonia, nitrogen in liquid form, is known to stimulate green foliage. Mix together a cup of ammonia and a cup of Epsom salts with five gallons of water, and spread it over your lawn. The combination of the nitrogen source and the magnesium sulfate from the Epson salts will react to produce thicker and greener grass. Hose down your lawn after the solution is distributed to ensure it reaches the roots.
4. Aerate in autumn
Lawn maintenance is really a year-long project, and for the greenest, lushest grass, stay with seasonal care. When fall approaches, it’s good practice to aerate your lawn. Aeration can reduce runoff by permitting better drainage within the soil, and repeating for several seasons can improve your grass type and leave your lawn more protected against droughts. The process of aeration includes cutting hundreds of small holes in your yard to loosen the soil, which allows the roots to better soak up air, nutrients, and water.
5. Done at dormant
If your emerald grass has gone brown, it’s not necessarily dead, just dormant. Proceed with caution before applying weed killer or fertilizer to the lawn in the summer. If done incorrectly, a heat-stressed lawn may burn under the conditions. If you haul your sprinkler system to and from browned areas of grass, the inconsistency of dormancy can be unhealthy. Remember to follow a watering schedule as closely as you can, as well as the importance of fertilizing in the fall.
If all else fails
You can achieve the green of your dreams with lawn paint! This idea is growing in popularity, especially in areas affected by droughts. Seek out a non-phytotoxic pigment based treatment to spray your yard, and, as they say, fake it ‘til you make it!
Sources
http://www.wikihow.com/Get-Green-Grass
http://time.com/money/2951475/greening-up-the-grass/
http://www.familyhandyman.com/landscaping/lawn-care/how-to-grow-greener-grass/view-all