Tango Pang asked:


A luxurious lawn is one of the most inviting sights in the world. The pictures of beautiful homes in a wide variety of magazines usually include a beautiful, always bright green, lawn in the backyard or front yard of the property. The homes pictured in these magazines are often elegant mansions, but other photographs show a small patch of lawn off a patio. Dedicated owners or paid landscape professionals with an assortment of lawn care equipment produce and sustain the lawns in these pictures.

The typical pieces of lawn care equipment are necessary to create and care for a wonderful, green lawn. A knowledgeable gardener will have the lawn mover which will probably have some kind of mechanism for grooming the lawn to a perfect height. No skilled gardener will want to mow the lawn too close to the soil for this will result in an inferior look. A lawn that is left too long will not have the desired look of a smooth carpet of greenery. The lawn mower is the staple of lawn care equipment, but these machines come in a wide variety of makes and models which means choosing the proper lawn mower is an important decision. Manual mowers are still available and there are gardeners who still insist on pushing their mower around the property. Most gardeners choose a model with a motor to make the task easier.

Lawn Care Equipment Provides for the Latest Techniques

A beautiful lawn requires more than just the proper cut, and agricultural scientists have studied techniques for the best results. A beautiful lawn needs to be aerated periodically and lawn care equipment is available to perform this task. Professional landscapers will have sophisticated lawn care equipment to aerate the lawn properly, but there is simple lawn care equipment available for the gardener responsible for only the lawn in their home.

In order to start a lawn and to keep it vibrant, grass seed needs to be distributed throughout the targeted plot. Uneven distribution of the seeds will not produce the desired effect. Most nurseries and garden centers have lawn care equipment for distributing the seeds evenly over the plot so that the lawn has a smooth, luxurious appearance. Small, manageable tools are sold in the stores that a gardener can fill with the appropriate seed to distribute it evenly over the area. These machines can also be used to distribute fertilizers and lawn care products over the lawn when necessary.



Melanie

Chanaka Dunuwila asked:


Pet owners are rightfully worried about spraying their lawns with any number of toxic chemicals which can pose significant health risks for not only their pets but family members as well. However, there is actually very little reason to be worried at all as you will find out. There is only a small chance that improper pesticide or herbicide application will pose a health risk, and that small chance is entirely negated with proper application. With proper usage, all lawn care products are pet safe, although you can purchase specifically natural pet safe lawn care products. Either way, you’ll be protecting your pets which can be like family to you.

Proper Application and Pet Safe

As previously mentioned, commercial lawn care products are almost entirely safe when applied correctly. The problem really arises under two conditions. Firstly, volatile chemicals can release toxic gases over time, and many pesticides and herbicides include volatile chemicals for their sheer strength. Fortunately, liquid pet safe lawn care products allow you to specifically target problem areas in your yard, so you aren’t forced to spray the entire thing, severely reducing the amount of chemicals that you need to use in the first place. Also, proper application will only use a small amount of chemicals in a given area, so the pet safe lawn care products won’t be concentrated enough to release enough toxic fumes to harm humans or pets. The second risk comes from spraying toys like tennis balls. Lawn care products sprayed on toys can remain toxic for weeks, so you’ll want to remove any toys from the yard before spraying.

If you want the marketed pet safe lawn care products, then there are a number of substances which still get the job done without any harmful side effects. Naturally occurring bacteria can be implanted into your yard. For example, beneficial nematodes attack insect larvae by injecting them with toxins, and then they eat the dead larvae. When all the larvae are consumed, the nematodes die off themselves, so you are left with absolutely no harmful substances in your lawn. Your job is completely done, and you don’t need to dirty your hands at all.

You can also use essential oils derived from garlic, citrus oil, and pepper extracts to combat many problems facing your lawn. Completely natural and completely safe, you won’t need to worry about any harmful side effects from these products. Remember: with proper application and keeping toys out of the way, all lawn care products are safe to use with pets around. However, the only surefire way to protect your pets is to purchase pet safe lawn care products, so any mistakes on your part won’t make you or your pets sick.



Shane

anonymous asked:


Most homeowners would love to gaze out at a beautifully landscaped lawn and yard. It is not as hard to achieve an attractive outdoor living area as you might think. With the proper maintenance and lawn care, your landscape can provide a lovely backdrop to your home.

Since your lawn will be one of the biggest focal points of your landscape, proper lawn care will keep that large area lush and green. If your lawn looks good, it won’t be as difficult to make the rest of your yard look good as well. Proper lawn care to enhance your landscape is not that difficult, as long as you understand a few basic principles about how to keep your lawn healthy.

A Healthy Lawn Is A Happy Lawn

The first step in caring for your lawn and landscape is ensuring that you have a healthy soil for planting. All plants require certain nutrients in the soil they grow in, along with particular soil conditions. For example, some plants like a sandy soil, where others prefer dirt that is rich in nutrients and holds water well. Soil requirements for lawn can vary based on the type of grass you plant as well.

It is best to check with a local nursery or garden center to learn what your lawn specifically requires. You can also pick up a soil test to make sure that your ground is providing the best balance for your lawn. The healthier your soil, the lower maintenance your lawn and landscaping care will be.

Next, you want to provide irrigation for your lawn. Water is a vital element, and few climates will provide sufficient water without supplemental irrigation. Most lawns require about an inch of rain per week. If you are in doubt as to whether Mother Nature is providing enough rain, you can use a rain gauge, and water your grass when necessary.

If you do turn to irrigation, always try to water in the early morning hours, since this is the healthiest time of day for your lawn to take a drink. Keep in mind that healthy roots will require less water, so aeration is an important step in caring for your lawn and landscape. Aeration pokes holes into the ground to allow nutrients access to the roots of your plantings. It should be done every two or three years.

Lawn care is a key factor in a beautiful landscape. A lush, green lawn can be the focal point of your yard and offer space for playing and entertaining. With a little effort, you can keep your lawn healthy for a long, long time.



Sara

Bruce Knight asked:


Natural Lawn Care – Get your lawn off Drugs!

By Bruce Knight

GreenTerraFirma.com

Your Soil

Similar to Greening Your Garden, the basics of lawn care start with your soil. If you haven’t had a soil sample taken in the past 5 years, this is where you need to start. Many local Garden Centers carry soil kits. The do-it-yourself kits will provide you with a bare minimum of information. You should really send a soil sample away to a lab for an “organic” analysis. An organic analysis will tell you exactly how much of each “amendment” you need to add to your soil to bring it up to par. A “regular” soil analysis tends to include only the PH level and the three main nutrient levels you can correct with fertilizers – nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium. Ideally, you should take your soil sample in the spring.

PH of Soil

Most grasses like a ph level of 6.5 which is slightly acidic. A ph of 7.0 is neutral. Dandelions on the other hand, like soil with a ph level of 7.5, slightly alkaline. Thus a proper ph level will support the growth of your grass and at the same time retard the growth of dandelions. Dolomitic lime is used to increase the alkalinity of the soil, where magnesium and calcium are also needed. Hi-cal lime increases the alkalinity where the soil has adequate magnesium. Flowers of sulphur is used to increase the acidity of the soil.

Organic Fertilizers

Fertilizers list the percentage of Nitrogen, Phosphorous & Potassium on the bag, such as 7-7-7. Soil also requires other macro-nutrients including sulphur, calcium and magnesium and trace elements such as iron, boron and zinc.

Organic Nitrogen Sources:

Canola seed meal: (6-2-1) maximum of 5 kilograms/10 sq meters (10lb/100 sq ft). Lasts 5 months.

Fish meal: (10.5-6-0) max 2.5 kg/10 sq mtr (5lb/100 sq ft). Lasts 6-8 months.

Blood meal: (12.5-1-3) max 1.5kg/10 sq mtr (3lb/100 sq ft). Lasts 4 months.

Organic Phosphorous Sources:

Bone meal: (3-20-0) plus 20-30% calcium. Max 2.5 kg/10 sq mtr ( 5lb/100 sq ft). Lasts more than 12 months.

SingleSuperPhosphate: (0-20-0) plus 20% calcium & 12% sulphur. Max 2.5kg/10 sq mtr (5lb/100 sq ft). Starts to release in 2-3 months.

Organic Potassium Sources:

Kelp meal: (1-0-1.2) plus 33% trace minerals. Max 0.5kg/10 sq mtr (1lb/100 sq ft). Lasts 6-12 months.

Wood ashes: (0-0-1 to 0-0-10) Raises PH level also. Max 1 kg/10 sq mtr (2lb/100 sq ft). Lasts more than 12 months.

Compost – that old black magic

All soils benefit from nutrient rich applications of compost at any time. Compost from rotted organic matter is the best all round soil conditioner.It improves drainage, provides plant nutrients and provides beneficial micro-organisms.Aply any time of the year and often.

Watering

Most people water their lawns to much. Lawns need about one inch or water per week. If you haven’t received enough rain in the past week to make up a full inch then you can add your own rain water from your rain barrels. One deep watering is much better then short spurts of water. Soaking the soil once a week will encourage deep root growth which will withstand the dry periods better.

Water early in the morning before it gets to hot and the water evaporates. Don’t water at dusk as this leaves the grass wet at night which can encourage disease.

Cutting

Don’t cut your grass shorter than 3 inches. Longer grass crowds out the weeds and can withstand pest attacks better. Leave nitrogen rich grass clippings on the lawn to feed it.

Aeration

A major cause of weed problems is compact soil. The compact soil stresses and kills the roots of your grasses, allowing weeds to move in and take their place. Aerating the soil allows oxygen to penetrate and restores proper drainage. Most lawns should be aerated at least twice a year, once early in the spring and once in the fall.

After the spring aeration, top-dress with screen compost and pest-resistant grass seed. Immediately after aerating in the fall, apply organic fertilizers as needed. A mid-season aeration is recommended for lawns with heavy thatch.

Use an aerator that leaves a “plug” of dirt on your lawn. By removing some of the soil you are sure to get air and water down into the soil. aerators that just use “spines” to make a hole could compact your ground further and the holes can quickly fill back in.

De-thatching

Thatch is a dense layer of dead grass stems and roots compacted on the surface of the soil. It is resistant to decay. A thick layer of thatch tends to prevent water from soaking into the soil.

Thatch, thicker than a half inch encourages insects and disease. De-thatch in the FALL. If you discover in the spring that you have a thick layer of thatch, aerate and wait for fall. De-thatching will create some stress for your lawn. It will help if you add a layer of compost afterwards.

Insects

Ants

Ants are attracted to nutritionally poor, dry soils, low in organic matter. Generally, if you increase the organic matter in your soil by top-dressing with compost, your soil will retain more moisture and the ant problem will take care of itself. You can apply sand, borax or bone meal to the mounds also.

Chinch Bugs

Chinch bugs like lots of thatch, dry grass roots and soil low in nitrogen. Aerate in spring and summer and de-thatch in fall. If you have hordes of chinch bugs and they are killing patches of your lawn, put a capful of dishwashing soap in a sprinkling can filled with water and drench the problem area. Then lay a piece of white flannel over the problem area. The chinch bugs will cling to the flannel as they try to escape the soap. In 15 to 20 minutes, vacuum the flannel or rinse in a bucket of insecticidal soap. Sounds crazy but it works.

Sod Webworm Moths

If you notice small whitish moths darting about, you likely have sod webworms. Best action is to aerate and top-dress with endophytic grass and de-thatch in the fall. If you need more help that this, you can try introducing beneficial nematodes as a “natural” control.

White Grubs

These grubs are soft and white, with a C-shaped body. They can be from a quarter inch to 3 inches long. And they can cause patches of your lawn to turn brown and die. The best defense is a dense healthy lawn. De-thatch, aerate and keep surface moisture to a minimum by watering deeply and infrequently.

Milky Spore Disease – a naturally occurring bacterium will control white grubs for years once well established in your soil. You can also try introducing beneficial nematodes.

Beneficial Nematodes

Beneficial nematodes are nature’s way of effectively controlling the larvae stage (white grubs) of the Common Chafer, European Chafer, Japanese Beetle, Asiatic Garden Beetle, Black Vine Weevil, Strawberry Root Weevil, plus May & June Beetles.

They are a safe and sensible way to reduce white grubs infestations and other pest insects while not harming your grass or beneficial insects.

How to apply: normally you just add them to water and spray onto the lawn. Follow the instructions from your supplier. A package of 50 million nematodes will cover 2500 sq. ft. or 250 sq. metres.

Weeds

Most weed problems can be attributed to poor soil conditions. Look after the soil and you also look after the weeks. Aerate, de-thatch, check PH levels, add compost.

Chickweed

This annual plant sends out tangled stems that root rapidly in acidic, moist soil. Check your ph level and adjust for acidity. Hand pull the weeds and your problem will soon disappear.

Clover

All clovers are extremely beneficial to lawns. The fix nitrogen in the soil and are often planted as “green manure”. Clovers attract beneficial nectar feeding insects. Think twice before you decide to do away with this “weed”. If you are determined to get rid of the clover, make a solution of one part vinegar and one part liquid fertilizer (fish fertilizer is best). ****** the patch of clover with this mixture. The clover and grass will turn brown, but the fertilizer will bring back the grass.

Crabgrass

This is a sign of close mowing and poor aeration. Improve your soil to get rid of the crabgrass and pull by hand.

Creeping Charlie

Creeping charlie likes mostly shady areas. To get rid of it, increase drainage by aerating, de-thatching and adding screened compost. Allow soil to dry in affected areas between watering.

Dandelions

Dandelions attract the parasitic wasp that helps to keep down caterpillar, fly maggot and earwig populations.

You can control dandelions by pulling by hand, checking the ph levels of the soil and mowing the lawn before the dandelions go to seed.

Thistle

Thistle has a deep root that cannot be destroyed easily. It must be dug out completely as any little pieces left in the ground will grow anew. Fill holes with topsoil and sprinkle with ryegrass.

For more articles like this, please visit: GreenTerraFirma



Bobby

Martin Haworth asked:


Having the perfect lawn involves many things. And with those many things to do in taking care of your lawn, would it not be best if there is somewhere a set of guides to help you along? Well look no more, because here are some lawn tips that could be useful to you.

Important Lawn Care Considerations

If you want a healthy and great looking lawn, then lawn care is important. The lawn care tactics you use are as much a part of lawn maintenance as the actual maintenance steps themselves.

So, first up, When you choose the grass for your lawn, make sure it is the right type. The factors that could affect your choice of grass include your location (because you may be living in a dry or wet part of the country).

Your choice of grass can also be affected by that grasses’ availability at a particular season and certain planting methods. Your lawn and garden will not be as perfect as you wish it to be if right from the start you didn’t prepare adequately.

Guide to Lawn Maintenance

Lawn management requires dedication on your part and good application of the skills you will need, which are not that hard to understand and learn.

One important lawn care necessity is lawn mowing. You cannot just let the grass in your lawn overgrow, can you? When you mow, use a sharp mower so that you would get the job done easily and fast. A sharp lawn mower is also best to avoid young grass seedlings from being uprooted.

Another important lawn care practice is regualr and adequate lawn watering. Naturally, if you do not water the grass in your lawn, it will dry up and eventually die. Know the requirements of the grass type you have planted and water accordingly.

You may need to water your lawn more during the hot seasons and be careful with timing too.

Another important thing to remember when you take care of your lawn is lawn fertilizing and of course you must know the right fertilizers for your grass.

That is why choosing your grass in the first place was important. So, do some research down at your local specialists and decide what you need to do and in what season.

You might also want to take into account insect control and relevant treatment too.

Aside from that, your lawn may need some aerating from time to time. The thatch – mowed bits and pieces of grass can pack the soil of your lawn as well as block the air from entering.

So you might consider that with your lawn management, using a hollow tine fork or other attachments that you might be able to use on your mower.

A lawn scarifier can be found in your garden center, as an attachment or a free-standing piece of kit, often inexpensive and very practical and effective.

Lawn weeding is also important. Though your lawn is mainly grass, you do not want other types of grass to be mixed in there. Also use the proper and best lawn equipment you can find to ensure a good job.

In fact, a good idea here is to meander around your lawn, just after you have cut it, with a small knife and cut out the biggest weeds. As you do this frequently the weeds weaken and die off. It’s a good investment of time for those bigger weeds.

Lawn care is important, for that beautiful expanse of green you have dreamt about, so make sure to do your best with it.



Scott

Aakash Shah asked:


Green Lawn care is not a hard job. You should take care of few things. Green is the main color of the lawn. You have to keep the color intact. For green lawn care you have to follow certain methods and principles.

Mowing

Mowing will keep the lawn green throughout the year. When you mow the lawn at the crucial height, it grows with better health and remains green. Proper mowing helps the grass roots to become strong. Strong roots in turn helps in proper growth of the grasses and makes them green.

Fertilization

Fertilization ensures that your lawn grass is getting necessary nutrients and can grow better and greener. Fertilization at the optimum level helps the grass to grow well. The color, health, and vigor everything will be fine if fertilizers used are in the optimum dose. Do not use more fertilizers as it will make the grass succulent and will invite more diseases.

Use compost to create a pool of nutrients for future use. Compost also improves the soil condition and the physical condition of the grass. So, with the use compost the grasses will be healthier and will return you a greener lawn.

Aeration

Use aeration for better growth of the lawn grass. Aeration will help in reduction of the compactness of the soil. This helps in improved water, nutrient and air circulation to the grass roots. This will help the grass to grow better .Aeration also helps in removing thatch. Thatch is a bigger problem for the lawn. Aeration makes the grass better and helps them to retain green.

Watering

Watering is important to keep the lawn green. When there is a water stress the color of the grass turn brown or yellow. To keep the color green, use optimum water at the right time. To make the grass strong use water at the base and deep into the soil.

Excess of water will create problems thereby robbing the lawn off its greenness. Do not over water. Use water in the morning time only.

Weeding

Removing weeds is another important step for green lawn care. Remove weeds by mechanical means or by using pre-emergence and post-emergence herbicides. Weeding is necessary for the lawn to maintain its health and greenness.

Pest and disease management

Your lawn should be clean and free of insects, pests and diseases. Use chemicals to treat and kill pests and diseases. Use mechanical and biological methods to kill and eradicate the pests. Pest free lawn will be a green lawn.



Holly

Chanaka Dunuwila asked:


If you’re a home owner, then chances are that you’ve already tried the run of the mill lawn care products on the market to little to no success. There is a reason that professionals use the products they do (hint: it’s because they work, and they work well), and most consumers use the products they do because they are cheap, and they are marketed as viable alternatives to those very same professional products. However, there is no guarantee that you will see any results with them at all, so your only safe bet is to go with professional lawn care products for the healthiest lawn possible.

Top Notch Equipment

Professional lawn care products go far beyond your traditional herbicides, pesticides, and fertilizers. You’ll actually be able to purchase equipment to make your job much easier and the work that you do much more effective. Be prepared to pay top dollar for professional products, though the saying “you get what you pay for” comes to mind when choosing between professional lawn care products and cheaper alternatives. Take professional lawn mowers, for example. They are more durable than normal lawn mowers, and they are far more versatile in the jobs they can tackle. If your yard is somewhat hilly or rugged, you may want to check into professional lawn mowers.

Anyone running a business certainly will want professional lawn care products over consumer models. The sheer volume of work that needs to be done requires equipment built to last, and consumer models are simply too prone to breaking from stress. Take equipment that spreads fertilizer on a yard, for example. A consumer model might be meant to be used once or twice a year, but lawn care professionals may be spreading fertilizer several times each day. You certainly wouldn’t want fertilizing equipment to break after a week’s use.

Also, some of the most powerful herbicides and pesticides are only available in professional lawn care products. Cheaper brands sacrifice quality for price so they can sell the product to more people, but those brands do a shoddy job at best of cleaning up a yard. Consumer pesticides and herbicides may market their brands as hurting only weeds or insects, but you may find whole patches of your yard dead after using these cheap brands. If you use those types of lawn care products, you might as well just burn your yard and save yourself a few dollars – the results will be the same anyway. For uncompromising effectiveness, try professional lawn care products.



Corey

Chanaka Dunuwila asked:


Everybody would like to improve the health and appearance of their lawn. However, they believe that it would cost hundreds of dollars each year and more time than they can spare. If you don’t want to hire the work out to a professional lawn care company, then you can save most of the money anyway that you would spend to have somebody come out to your house. Lawn care products by themselves don’t cost much money, but they can vastly improve your lawn over time with regular and proper application. You won’t need to take too much time to apply them, and with a little hard work, you can improve your yard beyond the use of lawn care products alone.

Basic Products and Other Tips

Lawn care products can help improve your lawn in a variety of ways. Firstly, fertilizers increase the number of nutrients in the soil, giving plants more food to draw upon. Herbicides help to remove unwanted plants like weeds, and pesticides get rid of grubs, ants, termites, and other insects which can seriously damage flowers and other plants. All of these are available both as synthetic substances, which most people are familiar with, and natural lawn care products, which are equally as effective without the added toxicity.

Fortunately, you aren’t limited to just using lawn care products to improve the health and appearance of your lawn. Using methods like aeration can improve the flow of nutrients and oxygen in soil. Aeration involves digging up tiny spikes of soil a few inches deep every few inches of ground, and it really strengthens soil. It’s especially useful with grass which receives a lot of use like sports fields. Aeration can mean the difference between lush grass and patches of bare ground that got trampled on too often.

Other simple techniques like cutting your grass to the proper height and keeping it watered from time to time also help to drastically improve your lawn’s appearance, and a healthy appearance is highly indicative of great health. If you spend just one hundred dollars on keeping your yard healthy each year, you will soon find that you need to buy less pesticides and herbicides to maintain your yard’s health. Think of it as a two pronged attack of immediate and prolonged relief. The money that you spend now on lawn care products can pay off iin the long run when you don’t need to purchase those same products at a late date just to save your lawn from a severe drought or weed infestation.



Kathy

Darrell F asked:


Think about fertilising your lawn a final time before the ground freezes. This will be important to grow beautiful grass in the spring. You’ll want to time this just right. Get out your Farmer’s Almanac to get an idea of the best time to fertilise your lawn. Ask at your gardening center the best type of fertiliser to use on your lawn, as it can depend on your area.

Begin to cut your lawn shorter as you approach winter. It is best to go through winter with a very short lawn. Most often we are shoveling snow off of our lawns and you’ll find that a well-kept lawn is very important after the first snow fall. It can be very hard to shovel snow with longer grass mixed in.

This is also the ideal time to organize your children’s backyard equipment and get rid of what they are not using. Perhaps the children have out-grown their playground equipment. This is the ideal time to take it apart and put it out for pick up. You’ll want to enter fall with a tidy and organized lawn. Sometimes Santa has a way of bringing new background play equipment too, and getting rid of the old now can be very helpful.

Prepare your winter lawn care materials. Get the snow blower out and have your local garage test and make sure it is working. Make sure you have snow shovels and ice melt. Check to make sure you have heavy duty winter gloves. Check your garage for antifreeze to start your car in case it freezes over. Make sure you have covers for the cars to keep snow off them. This is the perfect time to get these materials ready, before everyone else is in line for them. If you need to buy them, you’ll also be paying a much more reasonable cost for them – not the higher prices of winter!

Get out the seed and bulb catalogues and start to plan your lawn care for the coming spring. You’ll want to get your order in early and now is the perfect time to start planning what you’ll want to do. The seed and bulb catalogs most often arrive now because they know people want to plan and plot out their lawn maintenance on their spring gardens. Take a look and start to decide exactly what you’ll want to do.

 



Judith

Lee Dobbins asked:


Looking after a garden is a year round job for some. If you get a brief break because there is snow on the ground, then there maybe some things you might want to research before Spring.

Spring isn’t the only nor always the best time to do prep work. If you need to re-seed patches where the lawn looks bare, just before the snow comes is a good time of the year to start. The seeds will get worked into the soil as the snow falls and lay dormant during the winter months.

Once spring and the first melt arrive then the seeds will be in good mud and the early stages of germination will begin. Once they start getting the sun then good, fresh grass should follown in a couple of weeks.

Crabgrass and its relatives don’t thrive in the Fall or Winter and this means that you have a head start on that kind of weed control. As the new lawn grass starts to spread, it has a good chance of stopping the crabgrass, and with any luck it won’t develop at all.

Start applying the Spring fertilizer at the earliest possible time. This will help give the young shoots a good start and, if you use fertilizer that also controls weeds, you may solve two problems in one go.

As that snow continues to melt off there will be areas where the grass has become thatched – this is a condition in which the blades get lain over one another, then compressed from the snow pack on top. Some of these may die over the winter and this can leave you with a kind of straw-like covering, hence the name ‘thatch’.

Doing something about this is easy. Just cut the grass a little later in Fall than you need to so that the length is controlled. This restricts the height and helps keep thatching to a minimum.

In Spring give the grass a good raking. Of course, if you raked in the Fall, there won’t be any leaves to get rid of but the extra raking helps pull up thatched areas and allows air to get to the soil.

If the ground has become hard, or the soil is easily compacted, you can follow that up with an aeration. This can be done either by using a special attachment on a riding lawnmower and running it over the grass, or using special large-drum rollers with spikes poking out.

An inexpensive way is to use special shoes which are like golf shoes with spikes on the bottom. You just put them on then walk around the area you want to aerate. The tiny holes made by the shoes allow air to penetrate the soil more easily. At the same time, it makes channels for solid fertilizer pellets to fall into.

After de-thatching and aerating, your lawn will be ready for you to carry out any weed control and to start seeding, fertilizer application and regular mowing.

Lawn care may not be easy but it is worthwhile.



Oscar