Best Practices For
Maintaining Your Lawn
As a property owner, there are many things you can do to keep your lawn healthy and beautiful. By incorporating these best practices into your yard maintenance routine, you can ensure your lawn care service provider’s hard work lasts longer and is more effective.
- Water regularly. In general, turf requires one inch of water per week during the active growing season and should be adjusted based on weather conditions. It’s best to apply water in smaller amounts during the week instead of all at once. It’s also better to water in the morning or early afternoon during the heat of the day. Watering at night produces a wet lawn, creating ideal conditions for disease. Irrigation during heat and moisture stress periods can encourage turf recovery, reduce weed encroachment, and help alleviate certain diseases and insect damage.
- Maintain a recommended mowing height. Mowing height recommendations vary by grass type. Mow regularly and avoid removing more than one-third of the surface of the turf blade, as short mowing can damage the turf. Grasses with higher mowing heights can better compete with weeds and tolerate drought stress.
- Ensure mower blades are sharp, as dull mower blades tear the turf rather than cutting it and create a ragged appearance. Additionally, mow when your turf is dry to avoid clumps of clippings, which will smother the turf if they are not removed. Mowing dry turf allows even distribution of clippings over the lawn. The following is an overview of recommended mowing heights for various grass types.
Turf type Recommended mowing height (in.) 1 Bermudagrass (common or hybrid) 0.75–2” Bahiagrass 2–4", Centipedegrass 1–1.5” St. Augustinegrass 2.5-4” and Zoysiagrass 0.75–2 3”.
- Don’t over-fertilize. While fertilization directly influences turf's ability to tolerate disease pressure, too much can be detrimental. Ensure your lawn is properly fertilized, but avoid adding too much fertilizer, which can cause unwanted damage such as yellowing, browning, or even kill healthy grass.
- Aerate soils that are subject to heavy traffic which are prone to compaction. Aeration can help loosen compacted soil, which helps water, air, and fertilizers reach the turf roots. It can also help with overseeding. Typically, you should aerate once or twice a season by removing small cylindrical cores of soil and thatch from your lawn. Tools like a mechanical core aerator can help with this process and can aerate a yard quickly to maximize the area covered. When the soil is moist, the best times for aerating cool-season turf are spring and fall. Warm season turf should be aerated in the summer.
- Manage shaded areas. Growing turf in shaded areas can be challenging. Turfgrass needs a significant amount of sunlight to thrive, and lawns can thin out when adequate amounts aren’t received. Pruning tree foliage to help increase the amount of filtered light, can help improve the look and feel of your lawn.
- Prevent brown patches. You may begin to see brown spots on your lawn that are likely caused by insects or disease rather than lack of water. If you begin to see damage, contact your lawn care service to develop a treatment plan to help stop the problem from spreading and protect the investment you have made in your lawn.
By incorporating these practices into your lawn care routine, you can create strong, dense turf which can better withstand weed and disease pressure throughout the season.