Lawn Lingo—Ten Basic Facts You Should Know

Maybe you're a first time homeowner and you don't know a thing about taking care of a lawn. You look at the neighbors lawns and they are beautifully manicured and a beautiful shade of green with nary a brown spot to be found. You think to yourself, “Can I have that kind of lawn?� Sure, you can. There are just a few basic facts that you need to know.

Lawn Seed: You will need to know what type of grass will grow in your climate zone. Not every strain of grass will grow in cooler climates and some won't thrive in the southern or warmer zone. Investigate what type of seed you need for your soil as well, and is it sunny, shady or a mixture of both? Read the labels on the seed packages; there is important information for you there. Prepare your seedbed and use high quality lawn seed. Re-seed annually and always repair bare patches as soon as you notice them. While you are spreading the seed, shake the box well so the seed mixture is well mixed.

Mowing: Yes there are good and bad ways to mow your lawn. If you are in a drought condition, you shouldn't even mow, as it would take its toll on the health of your lawn. Mow regularly and avoid cutting too low. Don't think just because you cut it lower you won't have to mow as often. If you cut it too low, you leave it wide open to burning or getting taken over by heartier weeds and lawn disease.

Water: Your lawn needs water to thrive just as you do. If you are experiencing a real dry season, be sure that you water your lawn frequently. That goes along with not cutting it too short when you mow.

Fertilizing: The products that are on the market now are normally combined as a fertilizer and a weed killer. Your lawn needs to be fertilized in spring and summer as well as in late fall. Use a fertilizer that is rich in nitrogen. Use a spreader and be sure to spread your fertilizer and weed control evenly. Always fill your spreader on the driveway or somewhere else, never on your lawn. That can cause an excess of fertilizer to fall into your grass and leave a burnt spot.

Raking: We all know it is important to rake leaves in the fall or to mulch them. Leaving dead leaves on the lawn could give you ugly looking brown spots when the grass starts turning green in the spring. You also need to rake out old grass, or thatch, during the spring and again in the fall just before the grass goes dormant.

Trim: Yes it is a little extra work to trim the yard but it also gives the lawn a beautiful finished look. A weed trimmer is important to have if you have articles in your lawn that you can't totally get to with a mower. In addition, if you have a fence it will help your yard look trim and neat and professionally finished.

Weed control: Weed control is a very important factor in having a beautiful lawn. A four-leaf clover might be lucky, but it's still a weed. Dandelions, broadleaf weeds, and other types of weeds can attack a week lawn. There are very good weed control products on the market today and they are usually noted what type of weed the product was developed to get rid of.

Pests: Your lawn might be infested and you not even realize it. Two types of pests, those that exist above the ground, and those existing below ground. Above ground pests would include the chinch bug, cutworms, armyworms and green bugs. One of the most prevalent below ground pests would be the white grub. Using the right type of pesticide easily destroys all of these.

Tools: Some tools will be a must when you have a lawn. One of course is a mower. You can pick the type of mower that best fits your needs from a hand pushed mower to a self-propelled mower all the way up to a riding mower. Along with a mower, you might consider having a weed blower or vacuum, an edger, a trimmer for a more professional looking lawn and a simple rake. The rake will be used in both early spring and in fall to remove thatch, dead grasses, and raking the leaves in the fall.

Lawn Disease: Yes even lawns get sick and end up with some unusual diseases. Lawn fungus can show up as well as mushrooms. Yes even mushrooms, there seemed to be an abundance of those in my area this year and it did seem strange to see them growing in my lawn. Other types of disease are snow mold, found in the colder climates when the snow sits on the lawn for an extended amount of time. Brown patches will start in a circle and often spread outwards in a circular or horseshoe pattern. Dollar spots are brown small spots shaped like a silver dollar and usually brown or straw colored. These can be found in lawns with a low amount of nitrogen.