Our Best Tips for a Beautiful Lawn

Taking care of your lawn is about more than just treating it. Watering and cutting your lawn are vital to its success. Some of our best lawn care tips are below, and we also recommend that you take the following steps to water your lawn:

  • Water deeply and less frequently for improved turf growth and increased water conservation. Lawns only take water up from the root, and a light watering only gets the blades wet.
  • Allow your lawn to dry out completely between watering events to prevent fungal growth.
  • Do not water at night, as that promotes lawn diseases.
  • Early morning is the best time.
  • Daytime watering in the heat does not scorch lawns, but is inefficient due to evaporation.
  • Lawns require 1″ of water per week. This is typically achieved by watering 45-60 minutes per zone three times a week.
  • During periods of high heat, syringing is a practice where you irrigate for 5-10 minutes per zone during the afternoon to help keep turf cool.

How high should I set my mower deck?

  • Spring/Fall – 2-3″ high
  • Summer Stress Periods – 3.5″ high. Higher mowing heights during the summer period will help keep soil temperatures down, preserve soil moisture, and help maintain turf grass quality.
  • End of season mowing – 2” high

How often should I mow my lawn?

Don’t cut more than 1/3 of the blade’s length in any one mowing. For example, if Kentucky bluegrass is normally mowed at 2″ above ground level, the turf grass should not be allowed to grow higher than 3″ before the next mowing. This is accomplished by mowing every 5-7 days in cool seasons and every 7-10 days in summer.

What direction should I mow?

Change it up every 1-2 times. Mowing at right angles to the previous direction will help to prevent the grass from laying over in one direction and minimizes the chances of “scalping” the lawn.

tree and shrub fertilization

Should I bag or mulch?

Mulch! Turf grass clippings provide valuable nitrogen to your lawn (30% more) and keeps your lawn green. Turf grass clippings do not contribute to thatch accumulation. If your lawn is struggling with disease, bag your clippings during these times to minimize the spread of the pathogen.

What do I do if there is a drought?

Drought stress can occur any time of year if a lawn doesn’t get moisture for 1-2 weeks. Make sure your watering is effective and reaches the lawn’s roots, before drought stress sets in. Plan to aerate and overseed in the fall to recover from stress and turf loss.

How do you know when your lawn needs water?

Two symptoms:

  • The development of bluish-green areas of discoloration.
  • A lawn that doesn’t spring back when you walk on it. A well-hydrated lawn springs back.

Turfgrass requires 1″ of water each week. If rainfall does not meet this then irrigation is recommended to maintain a healthy lawn.

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