Getting a lush, thick lawn is a lot like grilling the perfect steak – lots of people will tell you that they know the secret to doing it, and most of them are only partly right.
Having a carpet-like lawn of healthy green comes down to being diligent and being prepared. It won’t happen overnight, but if you get on a proper schedule and keep at it, before long you’ll be inviting the neighbors to come over and wiggle their toes in your fescue or Kentucky blue.
Let’s take a look at a year in the life of a healthy lawn.
January – It’s cold outside, and you definitely don’t feel like doing any yardwork. We don’t blame you. Instead, make a pot of chili and catch up on classic movies. Also, be checking the home improvement stores for sales on gardening supplies. Right after the New Year is a great time to get discount Christmas lights, but you can also get your lawn supplies on the cheap.
February and March – You might feel like it’s still a bit too early to get started. If you like weeds and scraggly grass, then by all means, go with your gut. Otherwise, it’s time to start feeding your lawn with the good stuff and putting those weeds in their place. Pre-emergents can help prevent crabgrass and annual weeds. It’s also a good time to dethatch your lawn if you have lots of debris like sticks, leaves, and mulch matted down from last year. Finally, apply a 15-5-10 fertilizer for early spring feeding.
April – A good weed-and-feed product is something you need to apply now while everything is starting to come to life. Scott’s makes a good product, but there’s more than a few good choices on the market. A high nitrogen fertilizer will help the weed killer work, and if you need a broadleaf weed killer, now’s the time to put it down.
May – Congratulations! Everyone else just remembered to start worrying about their lawn, but you’ve been hard at work for months. By now you should focus on feeding the lawn while Mother Nature takes care of the watering duties. Look for a fertilizer or feeding product with an iron content around 4% for a healthy green color in your grass. Once you find a product you like, go ahead and buy a couple big bags right now. Trust us; don’t get just one small one.
June – July – August – Right now you’re mowing, edging, and keeping the plants watered. Remember that lawn food you stocked up on in May? Just keep applying that at regular intervals, according to the application instructions. Generally, no more than one application every two weeks is standard. Prepare yourself to accept the praise and adulation of your neighbors and guests, because it’s coming.
Mid-August to Mid-September – Labor Day is almost here, and much like your chances to wear white pants, lawn maintenance is almost over for the year. Apply a product like Surflan to prevent winter weeds and put down a 15-5-10 fertilizer (do you have any left over from February?) to winterize the lawn.
Mid- October to Mid-November – While you’re out buying Halloween candy, pick up a couple bottles of broadleaf weed control product if you still have some weeds that you were giving you trouble during the spring or summer.
The Rest of the Winter – While you’re in the holiday spirit, we should mention that we would never turn down a pie if you felt like you wanted to show your appreciation. Now that you’ve got a handle on your lawn-maintenance schedule, you know that the coming year is going to be lush and green.
Believe us when we say that nobody loves a thick, healthy lawn more than Red Valley Landscaping. Make the choice to get that next level lawn and let one of our specialists show you how to get your grass on point. From rehabbing an existing lawn to reseeding or even adding new sod, we can give you the golf-course level greenery that your home deserves.
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