Caring for the Lawn Is Caring for the Home

Maintaining a healthy lawn all year round is not an easy task, but it can be an important one. Just look at how many Internet articles offer tips and how many professional services are available to help you. They exist because dying grass is not only unattractive, it’s stressful and does not reflect the care and pride you take in your home.

Every home owner wants soft, green grass that the family can enjoy with bare feet in the spring and summer, and no cares. However difficult it may seem, you can manage it. Here are some of the most common lawn care problems, with tips on how to cope with them for a healthy lawn that is safe for your family.

Brown and Yellow Spots

Brown and yellow spots could be the result of a few things, including lawn disease, pet waste, or fungus. The spots are undeniably unattractive and don’t feel anything like soft, healthy grass. To help prevent these spots from occurring, you want to carefully choose your grass early on. Test the soil, keep the lawn trimmed and fertilized, and water the grass regularly (but be careful not to overdo it, and watch for unleveled areas that collect water).

To prevent these spots from spreading, the best things to do are to keep the grass trimmed regularly and avoid letting infected grass taint other areas after cutting. To get rid of the problem, you’ll need to specifically identify what’s causing it, and that’s where you may need to get some help and hire a professional to take a look and provide you with the best lawn care.  

Pests

No one likes pests, hence their moniker. Children may enjoy playing with the caterpillars and grubs, but even these harmless creatures can cause problems. They hurt your grass growth and attract their natural enemies (small animals) that dig in your yard. Unfortunately, pest control, something most people don’t want to do, is the best way to attack this problem.

There are plenty of pesticides out there to help to take care of this yourself. There are also some natural approaches, and some research, or a lawn-care specialist, can help you figure out which method you prefer, and which will work best for your lawn.

Dead Grass

Dead grass comes with different appearances that taint the look of your home, and it can be tough to fix. It looks like brown spots, patches of dirt, and grass that simply will not grow no matter how healthy your soil appears. Watering and fertilizing are the simplest approaches to dead grass. Sometimes, however, no amount of watering or fertilizing will prevent or change this issue, particularly if a lack of sun is causing the dry, dead grass. You will have to make sure that your grass is the right type for your lawn’s soil and location. If not, you may have to switch.

Weeds

 Weeds are a classic lawn problem. No matter how pretty their flowers may sometimes be, they can ruin your soft, green, healthy grass. There are herbicides that you can apply and not worry about making children or pets sick. However, there are plenty of other options including different fertilizers and implementing other plants into the environment that take over the weeds.

Before you select your approach, make sure you know what you’re dealing with; do some research or make a call to a professional. No matter what you choose, you want to apply the treatment before the weeds’ peak growth periods to help prevent the vicious cycle of pollination. Hopefully, you can avoid a complete takeover of your lawn and the need to completely replant your grass.

Mushrooms and Other Growths

Mushrooms, though cute to some and delicious to others, are a sign of decay. Lawn mushrooms signify decaying material in your yard, and no one wants their home surrounded by dead things. Watch for watery, shady areas of your lawn where mushrooms may have found decaying materials on which to feed and thrive in the dark.

Too much moisture is a common reason for mushrooms, as is decaying grass or mulch that wasn’t removed after your last day of lawn care. To target the problem, reduce the amount of moisture on your lawn in those areas, reduce the shade, and, if the problem is growing, consider a fungicide.

These are only a few of the possible problems with lawn care. It’s a year-round, tough, stressful job. So, while there are many things you can do to care for your lawn, hiring some help may be the best idea. You need the time and energy to spend on the most important things in your life — your home and family — which are the same reasons you want a nice, healthy lawn.