Disclaimer: and it doesn’t mean spending all weekend in the garden!
Growing and maintaining a pristine lawn does not have to be a hugely time consuming task if you understand the basics. Instead of spending all weekend, every weekend, battling with your lawn, follow these 5 simple steps to achieving a lush lawn year round that is the envy of your neighbourhood!
1. Know your measurements
One of the most important tricks to achieving a lush lawn and maintaining it over the long term, is the rule of thirds. You never want to remove more than ⅓ of the current length of the grass while mowing. It may not sound like much of a trim, but cutting too much of the grass will weaken it. Even if your lawn is excessively long to begin with, it is important to adhere to this rule! That may mean you need to mow ⅓ of the length, wait a few days to let the grass recover, and then mow another ⅓ of the grass length after that.
Additionally, you do not want to cut your grass less than approximately 5cm high. Cutting the grass to a length lower than that will further weaken the grass and can increase the risk of weeds, pests and other diseases. During the Summer months, you will benefit from keeping your grass longer again, at closer to 10cm in length. Tall grass will hold more water and also help shade the ground below, meaning that during the Summer heat less water will be lost to evaporation and the roots will face lower levels of stress.
2. Feed & hydrate your lawn appropriately
It is crucial to keep your lawn well hydrated and nourished if you want it to have that lush green look, aka to be healthy! When it comes to fertilising your lawn, you are best placed feeding the lawn twice a year at a minimum. Spring and Autumn are ideal times to fertilise your lawn for best results.
Lawn hydration is important to keep in mind year round, however is especially key during the hotter months when the water the lawn needs to thrive evaporates more quickly. Sprinklers can be an effective way to save time and effort watering your lawn, however manual methods can be more environmentally friendly and waste less water in the process.
3. Let your lawn breathe
It may sound obvious, however a factor that is often overlooked with lawn maintenance is that it is critical your lawn can breathe if it is to thrive! This means keeping on top of clearing weeds, cleaning up grass clippings after every mow, cutting back overhanging trees or bushes that may start to compete with your lawn, and keeping the lawn clear of debris that will inhibit its growth by preventing air as well as key nutrients from reaching the grass’ roots.
Aerating the lawn at a minimum once per year will also go a long way to allowing the lawn to breathe, with the additional benefit of helping to maintain drainage. And shuffling around any items that sit on your lawn, for example outdoor furniture or a trampoline, will also help to minimise heavy damage to particular sections of the lawn.
4. Invest in a quality mower
The step that will save you the most time by far, is to invest in a quality lawn mower from a trusted brand. It’s important to understand that there are a number of different types of lawn mowers when choosing the ideal mower for your lawn and requirements.
For larger properties a ride on mower may be the best tool for the job, however for most residential properties a lawn mower will likely be more than adequate and generally comes at a lesser cost. Also consider the power type of the lawn mower you choose, with petrol, battery and electric power types each having their own set of pros and cons.
If you are unsure how to best decide, contact the friendly team at GYC for their expert advice and to ensure you invest in a mower that makes sense for your budget, requirements and property.
