How to Maintain a Home Lawn – Care for your Grass

Even the best lawn care program will not succeed if the grass is  not maintained properly

Spring and Fall cleanup

• Spring and fall cleanup is important to remove all leaves and debris from the grass as this is where chinch bugs overwinter.
• A thorough raking lifts the grass and allows air to circulate preventing snow mould and diseases. It also removes dead grass that will build thatch.

Watering

• Watering is recommended as soon as the first signs of drought appear.
• A healthy lawn should receive an average of 1 inch per week.
• It is best to water early in the day before the sun is too intense to avoid evaporation.
• Avoid watering in the evening, leaving grass wet overnight, providing a perfect breeding ground for fungi.
• Encourage roots to grow deeper by doing a thorough(3-4 hrs.) watering once a week, rather than short watering more often.
• A rain gauge is an ideal way to check and ensure that the grass is receiving the proper amount of water before drought stress appears.
• If access to water is unfeasible or restricted the grass will go into dormancy, and turn brown, this is a normal protective stage and does not kill the grass.
• If you cannot water consistently to keep the grass alive do not give the lawn a smaller amount of water to revive it periodically during a drought as this weakens the grass.
• After 4 weeks of dormancy grass plants will start to die at this time a good soaking is necessary to revive the grass.
• Hot dry periods allow chinch bugs to thrive and cause damage. It also thins the grass allowing crabgrass to germinate.

Mowing

• Keep the lawn mowed at a minimum height of 2.5-3 inches to prevent weed and insect infestations.
• No more than 1/3 of the height should be taken off during each cutting.
• When the grass is overgrown, bagging may be necessary to avoid an accumulation of clippings mulching is preferred as it allows the grass clippings to be recycled, providing extra nutrients for the lawn.
• Avoid cutting grass with dull mower blades; they shred the grass rather than cutting it, the shredded ends will then dry out giving the lawn a brownish twinge.
• Cutting the grass too short especially along walks and driveways allows light and heat to reach the soil aiding the germination of weed and crabgrass seeds.

Free Professional Lawn Analysis

The place to start, for a great looking lawn  is to have a professional check out your lawn and give you an analysis and recommendations.  It’s free!

The Enviro Masters Free 50 Point Lawn Care Checklist

The Enviro Master professional will complete a 50 point checklist with each quote and in mid-season, included in every program.

Analysis and recommendations will be presented with every report with no obligation.