A beautiful and clean lawn is easier to have and maintain, which is opposite to what professional lawn care individuals wanted you to think. Sad to say, their means of maintaining the lawn is usually dictated by chemicals and fertilizer makers and not really by grass science or knowhow. Conquering weedy lawns can be challenging however, you can possibly be successful if you keep in mind that weeds are indications that grasses and plants on your yard are no longer happy.
Spraying and applying fertilizers is not the only solution to this problem. There are other ways on how you can maintain a healthy and weed free lawn. These ways are as follows:
Step 1 – Remove the existing weeds
Few woods are said to be inevitable in most lawns. Pull the weeds and roots using your hand or with a hand-held weeder. There are three ideal types of weeders recommended and these fishtail, leverage or hoe. If weeds turned to be out of control, try using herbicide like glyphosate for effective direct application on the weeds. You can also apply weed and feed product to the lawn. Make sure to follow the right application instructions recommended by the manufacturer. Be aware and careful when using these products. You can only expect for efficiency only if the weeds are identified properly and products are carefully applied on the right time of the year.
Step 2 – Dethatch your lawn
Thatch or matted accumulation of organic debris between the roots and grass blades can trigger dead patches on turf and can open spaces for unwanted weeds to exist and grow. It is advised to inspect the lawn for about one inch thatch layer. Use a power dethatcher or thatching rake in removing thatch. The lawn will surely look terrible afterwards but this will recover in about 3 to 4 weeks.
Step 3 – Aerate the lawn
Inspect turf for possible compaction problems. Dig about one square foot section in the lawn and then examine the roots. In case the roots do not extend deeper than two inches, then your lawn clearly needs to be aerated. Watering the lawn 1 or 2 days before the aeration is necessary. You can also run rented core aerator on the lawn at least once. Apply sand or compost over your aerated lawn.
Step 4 – Put grass seed on bare spots
In early fall or early spring, you can overseed the lawn with some cool-season grass like fescue or Kentucky blue grass or rye. You can also overseed your lawn with warm-season Zoysia or Bermuda grass in early season of summer. For the seed’s even application over the lawn, use a durable broadcast seed spreader. To help the seeds establish, watering them is highly necessary.
Step 5-Mow the grass properly
Healthy lawns are denser and are better able to resist the weeds than those neglected ones. Avoid scalping the lawn and remove only one-third of the top grass. The height of the mower deck must be set appropriately so that the grass will be only about two to three inches tall. In case the grasses are taller, this helps in shading out the weed seeds and prevents them from germinating. The mowing pattern should be alternate and mowing must be at 45 or 90 degrees from the last direction of mowing. This step helps in preventing soil compaction. This also aids in helping grasses grow upright. Just always make sure to keep the blades of the mower sharp.
Step 6-Feed and water the grass
Provide sufficient moisture to the grasses most especially during periods of drought and heat. Put turf fertilizer regularly throughout the year and follow the instructions of the manufacturers.
Following these will surely give you a weed free and healthy lawn.