Your lawn is often the focal point of your landscape; a broad expanse of beautiful lush green grass leading up to your home or framing the pool or patio in the backyard. There are a great many things that go into keeping that turf looking great but there are some things some homeowners are hesitant to have done that can help keep their lawn looking great.
Why Should I Core Aerate My Lawn?
Core aeration one service a lot of homeowners don’t always feel they need to have done to keep their lawn looking its best. A well-maintained lawn sees a lot of foot traffic between the mowing and the fertilization and other maintenance activities and even just the kids and pets running around on it. All this activity leads to soil compaction over time. Compact soils are unable to absorb as much water and nutrients as looser soils. Less oxygen gets down to the root system which is struggling to wend its way through the dense soil. All of this eventually will lead to declining turf. The color will be off because the nutrients are running off instead of being taken up by the plants. There will be thin and even bare patches because the grass simply cannot grow in the compacted soil. Annual core aeration can help alleviate soil compaction. The holes left behind after the plug of soil (the “core”) is removed open the soil to allow water, nutrients, and oxygen get down to the roots. The holes gradually fill in as the walls of the holes collapse so this relieves compaction and allows the roots to penetrate deeper into the soil. A strong root system will give you strong, healthy top growth.
Don't Mow Your Lawn Too Short
One of the simplest things to do to keep your lawn looking good is to mow it at the proper height. Some folks believe if they let their lawn grow too long, they will have to mow it more often. That is not the case. The rule of thumb when mowing a lawn is the 1/3rd rule. You always want to remove no more than one-third of the length of the grass blade with each mowing.
The preferred height for a lawn here in the Northeast is 3 inches during most of the growing season. Keeping your lawn shorter than that can lead to a variety of problems. Shorter grass will not shade the soil as much as taller grass plants will. This will allow the soil to dry out more quickly, causing moisture stress. This will also make the lawn more prone to weeds. With more soil exposed, weed seeds are more likely to get down to the soil and then receive the sunlight they need to germinate. Also, the more top growth your grass has, the deeper the roots will penetrate the soil. Deeper roots mean more drought tolerance and quicker recovery from stresses in general.
Get More Info From The Pros!
Looking for more information on lawn care myths or just ready to let the professionals take over your lawn care needs? The Grassmaster Plus team is ready and willing to answer any questions you have and can provide you a free quote on your lawn care services for the season. Contact our local office today!