Those who own their own home tend to take great pleasure and pride in their lawn. It’s a place where they can display the care and love of their home for everyone in the neighborhood to see. A well kept lawn is also a great place for kids to play. However, having a nice lawn is far more difficult than many people may realize. Lawns can be very fickle and getting them looking their best can take a lot of love and care. Despite that, a lot of people don’t perform lawn care with the forethought and planning that they could. This article is going to look at some common sense tips for your lawn which are surprisingly ignored by many people as they take care of their lawns.  

1 - Don’t be Afraid to Fertilize

Soil has nutrients, grass is like all plants in that it will use up these nutrients over time. Lawns are tricky, since much of the nutrients end up being chopped off when a lawn is mown and then disposed of. Fertilizing your soil provides those nutrients back so the lawn can thrive. Most people like to fertilize in the spring. Depending on the weather and part of the country you live in, you may want to fertilize again in either the summer or fall. Just ensure that the grass is actively growing. If it has gone dormant from cold weather or a long summer drought, then it won’t help the lawn at all. 

2 - Aerate Your Lawn When it Needs It

Aeration is something that a lot of people forget about, or deem as not required. However it actually makes a big difference. Lawns get walked out and this compacts the soil beneath the ground. This is not exactly the ideal growing conditions for roots. Water struggles to reach them and they can’t penetrate through the compacted soil. Aerating the soil alleviates this compacted pressure and the thatch buildup. Water gets through to the roots and voila, better growing grass. Some people commonly aerate at the wrong time however. Aeration should be done when the soil is moist and during active growing sessions. If the soil is already dry and hard, then it’s going to have less impact. Most people will aerate in spring, but some also do it in fall, even if the grass isn’t growing as much then. It depends on the individual climate. 

3 - Mow Frequently for Small Amounts

Cutting grass stresses it. However, this is especially true when a large amount is cut at once. If a grass loses over one third of it’s height, then it will become too stressed and is likely to grow in an irregular fashion. The options are to either keep grass longer if you can only cut it once per week, or to try and cut it more often, say, every 4 to 5 days if you want to keep it shorter. Too many people just keep their lawnmower at one height all the time and don’t pay enough attention to the current height of the grass. 

4 - The Way You Water Matters

Most people think that watering your lawn is simple. However, there’s more to it than that. The key to watering a lawn is to not do it as often as people tend to do. However, when you water your lawn, you want it to be a thorough watering. This way the water goes deeper. This will encourage the lawn to grow deeper roots.