A lush and green garden lawn is a home owners dream, and can be achieved with a bit of work and forward planning. The good news is that a beautiful green lawn need not take a great deal of time, just a bit of effort. Read on for 5 helpful tips for creating that lush green lawn you dream of.
1: Springtime care
Springtime is when you should get your lawn properly prepared. Your lawn will likely have suffered slightly over the winter period with issues such as compacted soil. So, as soon as the spring season has started have a proper inspection of your lawn area and the soil. You need to first check the condition of the soil to ensure that it is not compacted, as this will prevent grass seed from rooting properly. To check this simply stick a garden fork into the ground, and if the tines fail to easily penetrate approximately 2 inches of soil, your soil is compacted. Counteract this by loosening the soil with an aerator. Next fill in any depressed areas with soil and flatten any raised areas down. Then, make sure to remove any weeds that have grown up.
2: Re-seeding technique
Once the soil has been prepared you may find that you are left with areas of your lawn which are bare, brown, or patchy. You can fix this up by re-seeding with grass seed. Re-seed small areas simply by hand and for bigger areas re-seed with a broadcast seeder. Once re-seeded, fertilize and moisten the area to ensure a good growing environment.
3: Fertilize the lawn
In order to help your lawn to grow lush and thick, make sure that you feed it with a good quality fertilizer. A slow-release nitrogen fertilizer applied early in the season will help provide your lawn with the correct nutrients as the turf begins to grow.
4: Keep the grass trimmed
Keeping the grass trimmed will help to keep it dense. However, make sure that you do not cut it so short that it exposes the soil to sunlight, as this can dry out the soil and also allows weeds to take hold more easily. Keeping the soil at a reasonable height shades the soil and allows it to retain water. A good quality lawn mower will help to keep the grass down at a reasonable level.
5: Edge the lawn
When cutting your grass, don't forget to edge your lawn also. This will greatly help the attractive appearance of your lawn. Neatly edged lawns will help keep borders neat around flower beds and paths, and can help cut down on weeds taking hold.
Lastly, an alternative to a great looking natural lawn is to consider having a synthetic lawn installed. Artificial grass will always look great no matter what the season, and takes little effort to keep it looking good. An artificial lawn will also mean no weeding will be required. Synthetic lawns are an easier option for those with little in the way of free time or who are unable to maintain a natural lawn.
