A Yard that Looks Great

Lawn care is a very rewarding journey but will take some effort on the homeowners part. Whether you are repairing an existing lawn or you are starting from scratch, meaning, planting some seed, there are certain steps to take to get that beautiful lawn. Of course laying sod is also an option. No matter which process is chosen, the lawn will need watering at regular intervals. This brings up the consideration for sprinklers, if you do not have them already. It's easier to put in an irrigation system before the planting begins but, it can be done with minor disruption to any growth in progress.

There are different ways to start with repairing or upgrading an existing lawn. Sometimes the lawn just needs aerating. Aerating a lawn, or plugging, as it is sometimes called, is the process of removing dirt in the form of plugs or creating holes in the lawn kinda like drilling holes in the ground and removing the dirt to add air to the soil.

The process of aerating can be done with hand tools or machine tooling and can be purchased or rented at local retail centers. You can tell when the ground needs aerating, like during a watering or even a good rain. If the water is not soaked up in a relatively short time, the ground may be packed too hard to receive water and possibly stop any growth from happening. When this happens, the ground needs aeration or needs to be turned (tilled). If you have to turn all the dirt in a given area, you will then have to re-pack and level the soil in that area before seeding or laying any sod products. The packing I mention is to re-pack the soil so it won't create uneven areas in the landscape and also keep any seeding from floating to lower spots.

When the lawn has spotty areas of grass and soil, and you don't want to turn the area, you then need to remove all weeds and scratch the dirt areas in preparation for seeding. Sprinkling the seed by hand is best but, using a spreader will do a good job also. Keep in mind the aeration process we spoke of earlier, may still need to be done if water is not soaked up adequately.

Periodically we need to weed, fertilize and amend lawns due to changing temperatures and seasons. You will need to know what type of seed or what kind of grass was used in the initial planting process to amend or feed your lawn. I have always wondered about this process, spending sometimes a lot of money to keep up the lawn, only to cut it and throw it away...This is where mulching comes into play. You can save the cuttings and store them, which creates more work, and spread a thin coat of mulch over planted areas to keep the soil moist.

So, in conclusion, maintaining your lawn can be some work but at the same time can make your property look great. Even if you do not go to all the extremes we went through, just watering, cutting and doing some occasional maintenance can go a long way.