Best Grass Facts: Getting The Best Lawn On The Block

What Factors do I Need to Consider when Planting or Repairing my Lawn?

When contemplating your lawn, there is a lot to consider but to keep it simple we will break it down into 4 main categories:

First, ask yourself, “What is my lawn used for?”

The answer to this question will help direct you toward the sort of lawn that best suits your needs. Is your lawn mainly decorative, or will it be a high-traffic area for people and animals?

Next, what are the environmental factors?

Factors like extreme temperatures, too much or too little rain, and soil makeup play a part in choosing the right grass for your lawn. These factors can also contribute to the success of maintaining a beautiful lawn.

Designed to grow lush green grass:

Next, ask yourself, “How much time do I want to spend on maintenance?”

Maintaining your lawn can be time-consuming. If spending a lot of time on your lawn doesn’t appeal to you, you’re not alone. Luckily, there are plenty of low-maintenance options that look great and save time!

You should also consider the sort of treatments that your lawn will require. For example, your lawn may need to be aerated one or more times a year depending on your soil type. You should have a plan in place for tackling those pesky weeds, and you should pick a fertilizer that is best for your type of lawn.

Finally, you should consider the design aspect of your surrounding landscape. Walkways and well-placed shrubs, trees, succulents or flower beds can really add the finishing touches to your landscape.

Read on to get more information on lawn utility, maintenance, treatment, and design.

Lawn Utility:

Which grass is best for my lawn?  With thousands of grass species in the world, it can seem overwhelming to choose the right one! No fear, we’re here to help!

You should choose a grass that best suits your lawn’s needs. For instance, if you have kids or pets that frequently play or run on the lawn, you should probably look into grasses that are best for high-traffic areas. There are also grasses that are finer and feel softer on those bare feet and rolling limbs.

If your lawn doesn’t receive a lot of wear and tear but the amount of sunlight or water your lawn naturally receives is a consideration, then there are also certain grasses for you. If needed, you can also plant a combination of grass types to meet varying wants and needs.

If you have a particularly shady lawn, you can choose a grass that does best in those light conditions.

On the contrary, if you have a sunny, active lawn, you can steer toward grasses that can handle the high amounts of direct sunlight.

Do you live in a dry area? If so, then water may be a limited resource, so you should choose a grass that requires less water.

Research is the key to selecting the right grass type for your lawn. Your local independent garden center and a peek at your neighbor’s lawn can steer in you in the right direction. If your neighbor’s lawn looks great, ask them what type of grass they have. Chances are, if that type of grass is thriving right next door, it will do well in your yard as well.

Lawn Maintenance:

How much time do you want spend on maintenance?  Maintaining your beautiful lawn can be a lot of work, and it can be time-consuming. Some of the activities that go into an enviable lawn are:

Lawn Treatment:

How should I treat my lawn?  Treating your lawn comes in many forms. There’s aeration, fertilizer, weed control, and more. The number one priority, however, is to make sure that the treatments are organic and healthy for you and your community. Anything you use on your lawn will be taken into the plant, the soil and flow into our waterways.

As previously mentioned, lawns need to be aerated. Aerating your lawn is just a fancy word for perforating your lawn with small holes or removing small plugs of grass and soil, and it is an extremely important step that is commonly overlooked. Aeration reduces soil compaction, which improves the circulation and absorption of water, air, and nutrients. There are tools, like a spike aerator or a plug aerator, that can either be pushed like a lawn mower or attached to the back of your riding lawn mower. These tools make aerating your lawn a breeze.

Another important treatment is feeding your lawn. Everything needs to eat. Fertilizing your lawn with a good, organic fertilizer created especially for lawns will keep your grass nice and happy. Kellogg Garden Organics Lawn Food is a great choice to replenish your lawn. A good lawn fertilizer will feed the soil, help reduce thatch, develop deep root systems, and add important nutrients to your lawn.

Weed control is one lawn treatment that everyone dreads. Often times, frustrated lawn owners end up reaching for a potent chemical weed killer that is lethal not only to the weeds, but to the surrounding grass, our beloved pets, and even humans! The ultimate goal is to achieve a weed-free lawn by utilizing natural solutions. Think it’s impossible? Think again! There is such a thing as organic weed control, and the biggest secret is being proactive, which falls under lawn maintenance again.

The biggest trick to keeping a weed-free lawn is regularly getting out in the yard, and pulling small weeds. If the weeds are pulled while they are small, their root systems are not as extensive, which makes them easier to pull, and they have not yet gone to seed. If you try to pull weeds after they have gone to seed, you will be spreading hundreds or thousands of tiny seeds around, and no one wants to see the aftermath of that!

Landscape Design:

Which design is right for me?  Now for the fun part! After you have all of the other lawn considerations decided upon, you should consider how your landscape around your lawn should be designed.

Shrubs, succulents, flowers, oh my! When it comes to landscape design, there are countless options. You have to choose what’s best for you and your area. Do you want winding paths, water features that look and sound delightful but also capture rain and help water your lawn. Do you want privacy around your lawn oasis or just a Zen space? There are plenty of hedge and shrub options. Shrubs don’t have to be boring; If color is your thing, plant colorful, vibrant shrubs to make your landscape pop.

If you’re a flower person, your options are endless. Daffodils, daylilies, plumeria, and more! Flowers are not only great as a design element, but they can attract those needed pollinators into our yards and gardens. So choose whichever flowers speak to you.

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