Is your grass full of dry spots or overrun with weeds? Do none of your regular lawn care efforts seem to help?
If so, you’re not alone. That is, these issues are probably due to some extremely common lawn care mistakes.
For example, it’s possible that you’re watering too much or not enough. And when was the last time you sharpened your lawnmower blade? Improper lawn care also accounts for your out-of-control weeds and pests.
But here’s the good news. We’re going to teach you how to avoid these mistakes with the following guide.
It covers how/when to water lawns, how short to cut your grass, weed/pest control tips, and more! Correct the mistakes that are ruining your lawn by reading this guide.
1. Cutting With a Dull Blade
Aside from watering mistakes, cutting with a dull blade is the most common lawn care blunder people make. Many people just don’t bother keeping their blade sharp or replacing it when necessary. But here’s why it’s important.
It’s easy for the grass to heal from a clean cut made by a sharp blade. But ripping the grass with a dull blade leaves jagged cuts that harm your grass a lot more. When you think about it, this is the same way that our skin works.
In any case, grass that’s torn by a dull blade takes longer to recover. In fact, it will still be trying to do so the next time you assault it with your dull mower.
Grass in this weakened state is more susceptible to diseases and weed infestations. It also won’t look as green or healthy.
Sharpening should be done twice every lawnmowing season. When the blade is irreparable or is getting too short, replace it.
2. Cutting Too Short
Another common issue is cutting your grass too short. The above-ground part of the grass is what takes in the sunlight and converts it into food energy.
When you cut your grass too short, you’re basically minimizing its food supply. Your starved grass will be too weak to compete with weeds and other lawn invaders.
There should be a way to adjust the height of your mower blade. Set it to 3 inches to avoid scalping your grass.
Also, hills/contours in your lawn may cause scalping as well. If you notice this, adjust your blade to a higher setting when you mow these spots.
3. Mowing Without Ear Protection
There’s a very real risk of hearing damage if you mow your lawn without ear protection. Wear earplugs or use sound-blocking headphones/earbuds.
Be careful, though, about listening to music while you do this. If the peripherals you use don’t block sound well enough, you’ll turn the music up to cover it. And listening to extra-loud music for an hour can damage your hearing just as easily as your lawnmower motor.
4. Watering Mistakes
It’s common sense not to underwater your lawn. That is, if you see that your lawn has dry patches, you probably adjust the sprinklers so they run longer.
But it also matters what time of day you water. If you water in the afternoon when the sun is hottest, a lot of the water evaporates before your grass can drink it. That’s why early morning waterings are best.
And, sometimes, your lawn problems are due to overwatering. Pests called sod webworms and weeds will thrive when your lawn is overly moist. These will destroy your grass and take over your lawn.
You want to water deeply but not every day. Three times a week is good.
Your lawn should get a total of 1.5 inches of water weekly, including rain. You can strew flat-bottomed containers around your lawn to measure how many inches of water it gets.
5. Neglecting Lawn Tidiness
Leaving a bunch of children’s toys and other junk on your lawn will take its toll on your grass. This is especially true of large objects like plastic kiddie pools.
Namely, if the objects compact the grass underneath and/or block the sunlight, the grass starts dying. After only a few days of this, the grass beneath the object may be permanently destroyed.
If you have kids that tend to leave things on your lawn, consider an outdoor toy chest to make cleanup easier. Or, if patio furniture is the issue, get some outdoor flooring installed to have a permanent place for your furniture.
Also, your pets’ bowel movements are harmful to grass, too. Remove these every day.
6. Doing It Yourself
Furthermore, if you follow all the tips on this list and you still get no results, recruit a professional lawn care service. They will apply effective solutions and end your lawn’s suffering.
How to Avoid Lawn Care Mistakes
Now that you know, don’t make these lawn care mistakes again. Keep this guide bookmarked and follow these tips to avoid lawn problems. Also, if you know someone else who’s struggling with lawn issues, please share this guide with them.
Better yet, let the yard experts here at BAM’s Landscaping tackle your lawn issues for you. Go here for a free quote on our lawn care services.
