Owning a new home is a delight but remember that you will no longer call a landlord to facilitate lawn maintenance. It is now your responsibility. The guidelines below will help you get a starting point for lawn maintenance and gardening in your new home.
Buy A Lawnmower
A budget for a new home may not have included the price of a lawnmower, but it is something worth your investment if you are going to maintain your lawn. Buy one of these lawnmowers according to the size of your yard.
Manual push lawn mowers
A manual push lawn mower is suitable and eco-friendly for an urban home with a small yard because the operator does the hardest work. Gas-powered lawn mowers are suitable for larger gardens. Nowadays you can buy a battery-powered or cordless lawnmower.
Riding mowers
Consider acquiring a riding mower in your yard if your yard is huge. It might be expensive than the other types, but it makes mowing easier. A yard with mixed terrain can be difficult to maintain, requiring a more powerful lawn and garden tractor.
Mow Correctly
Mowing should not cut more than a third of the grass blade unless the lawn is in bad shape. At such time the highest possible setting is the point you should set the mower’s cutting height. Remember to return cutting height to the normal range for subsequent mowing after a few days.
Determine Suitability of the Grass In The Compound
Establish if the grass in your home suits the region from lawn care st. louis. Some types of grass do not grow well in some areas, so they will not become lush as you want despite the efforts to maintain them.
Climate determines the best type of grass for a region. There is grass suitable for:
- Cool-season regions
- Warm-season areas
- Transition zones in between the regions with warn and cool climate
The best grass should be the type that withstands high traffic if there will be a lot of stepping on your yard.
Plant Grass
If there is a need to change the grass or plant a new one, dethatch the yard to expose soil by at least half an inch and soak the yard. Spread the seeds evenly with hands, broadcast spreader, or a slit seeder, and cover them lightly with soil. Water the areas until it is slightly moist. Do not add too much water because seeds will drown.
Aerate the Soil
Aeration is the process of ‘poking’ the soil with a machine to replenish the air with that from the atmosphere. Soil, with time, loses spaces to hold oxygen that supports plants due to compacting caused by a buildup of thatch and foot traffic.
How to aerate
You can do soil aeration with one of these aerators.
- Plug aerator: Removes cylindrical plugs from the soil
- Spike aerator: Contains a spike to poke holes into the soil
Many lawn professionals recommend plug aerators as they are unlikely to cause compaction.
Level The Bumps
Sort out the bumps by removing sod and excess dirt below. Use a hose to soak the point and cover up any depressions created by covering back with compost and soil. Place some dirt around the edges you created for the patch to blend.
Level Depressions
Small depressions require filling with a little topsoil and compost layer. Smoothen and level the area with a landscaping rake. Remove sod and follow up by using soil, humus, compost, and fertilizer to fill the hole. Press it down after filling. End the leveling by watering repaired areas.
Remove Weeds By Hand
Hand weeding is an efficient job with results that last for a long time despite being tedious. The appropriate moment to pull weeds out is before they flower and seed. It prevents spreading. Pull the entire weed plant, including the roots.
Spray Stubborn Weeds
However, you may have to use herbicides if weeds have overwhelmed the yard. Nowadays, you can find natural, organic, and non-chemical herbicides.
Prepare Your Garden
Plants grow well in gardens with high-quality soils. If you plant vegetables, start by soaking the seeds overnight, and then plant them immediately after draining in vertical rows. If you decide to plant flowers, start with those that live for three growing seasons or more like purple coneflowers, as they are low-maintenance plants.
Fertilize The Lawn
The right moment to fertilize your lawn is during the fall, from September to early November, and April to early June during spring. A spreader helps distribute fertilizer throughout the yard for the grass or other plants to grow stronger and evenly.
Prune Plants
Prune summer or fall flowering shrubs and trees in early spring or late summer. Wait until after the flowers fade from spring-flowering shrubs and trees to prune. Always gather the appropriate tools, including hand pruners, shearers, loppers, and saws, so fast.
Kill The Harmful Worms
You can fight a harmful worm infestation by purchasing and spring the lawn with small worms called nematodes. They attack and kill grub worms together with harmful insects that eat roots. You can also spray with chemicals suitable for the maturity and size of worms.
A good lawn is appealing, and you can experiment with many ideas to improve aesthetic appeal. Examine and start improving your lawn soon after acquiring a home. It will look good from the start and will not cost you much money or energy to revamp in the future.