Landscaping: Chemical Free Lawn Care Tips

Summer is quickly approaching, and for many homeowners the lawn battle is about to begin (if it hasn’t already!). We weed it, we mow it, we water it; all in the hopes of achieving the perfect lawn.  Perhaps it is time for you to stop fighting your lawn and start enjoying it!  Here are some useful tips that can help you kick the chemical habit, and get a great-looking lawn… naturally.

Chemical Free Lawn Care Tips

  •  Start with the soil:  Check the quality by taking a handful and squeezing it. If it crumbles, add some nutrient-rich compost in spring and fall. If it’s sandy, add some humus to help it hold water. Check the pH too. Most garden centres offer this service. If it’s less than 6 or 7, add some lime.
  • Use the right grass – or consider using a ground cover instead:  Spread grass seed in spring and fall and choose a type that is good for your growing conditions.  Clover and fescue are good for dry summers, and bluegrass and ryegrass are ideal for areas that get lots of sun. For shady spots, try fescue or a groundcover like periwinkle or pachysandra.
  • Feed it:  Apply natural fertilize in the spring and fall, and when you mow, leave clippings where they fall for added nitrogen, phosphate and potassium. Water deeply but infrequently to encourage deeper root growth. Set up the sprinkler and let it do the watering for you every four to seven days.  Spread organic material such as compost on your lawn each year.
  • Just a little off the top, please:  Weeds have a harder time growing in the shade of tall grass and longer grass has deeper roots. Setting your mower blade to about 3″ is an easy way to keep your lawn dense and healthy.
  • Give it some air.  To improve drainage and help oxygen get into the soil, aerate by walking around in golf shoes. A spiked roller or aerator works too.
  • Free the soil:  Your lawn gets clogged by tangled dry grass, roots and dead leaves that get between the soil and the living grass. Cut through it every fall with an inexpensive dethatching rake so your lawn gets the nutrients it needs.
  • Think beyond the blade:  Add some clover next time you seed, and you’ll get a thicker, more richly textured lawn. Plus, if you get a few larger-leafed weeds growing, they won’t be as noticeable.
  • Weed after the rain: Pull weeds – by hand – when the soil is wet (it’s easier!).  Drop some grass seed into the hole to help stop weeds from growing back.
  • Not the DIY type?  Then be realistic! Check the yellow pages. Many lawn services now offer natural and/or organic lawn care that’s not much more expensive than chemical services.

Whether you want a nice lawn, a pretty garden or some attractive landscaping, a great-looking exterior helps you enjoy your home and boost its value. Contact me to learn how exterior improvements can increase your resale value.

 

 

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