We take great pride in the way our lawn looks. It can make a good first impression or a bad one. Unfortunately, year after year many homeowners make the same mistakes when they take care of their lawn.

Common Lawn Care Mistakes

1. Don’t Cut Grass Too Short. Your lawn will go into shock if you cut the grass too short. The leaves of the grass cannot absorb sunshine if it’s cut too short and the roots won’t have as much shade. The grass becomes less healthy and more prone to disease. Grass that is cut too short will also encourage weeds to grow because there isn’t as much competition for space. If you look at bare areas or grass where the weed whacker has scalped it you will notice how fast weeds will take over. If you have a healthy thick lawn it will crowd out weeds and is the best way to prevent weeds from growing. The mower needs to set to about 2 ½ inches and never cut off more than 1/3 of the grass blade when you mow.
2. Do Not Overwater Lawn. When lawns are overwatered in not only wastes water but will discourage the grass from developing the deep root system that is needed to keep it healthy. A deep root system takes water deep into the soil and makes the grass less dependent on supplemental watering. Deep root systems allow your grass to survive periods of drought if there are water restrictions placed. The key is water less often but deeply. This makes the grassroots push deeper into the soil.
3. Sharpen Lawn Mower Blades. If you use dull or nicked lawn mower blades it will tear the grass instead of providing a clean cut. This is called “white tipping” because the grass will look like it has white tips after it has been cut and will look dry. You then think it needs more water and leads to overwatering problems. These torn ripped blades of grass are also more susceptible to disease and insect damage. Make sure the blades are sharp and check them often to make sure they stay sharp all season.
4. Apply Fertilizer Correctly. A common mistake with fertilization is applying it too early or applying it at the wrong time of the year. Too much will cause excessive leaf growth and limit root growth and can even burn the grass if the application is too heavy. It’s best to use a slow-release fertilizer to release the nutrients over a longer period of time. Fertilizer should be applied when the grass is growing rapidly.
5. Don’t Bag Up the Blades of Cut Grass. Leaving some of those grass clippings behind is a good thing. You can consider it free fertilizer. It helps the soil retain water which promotes root growth and a healthy lawn. Evidence suggests that these grass clippings can contribute as much as 2 pounds of nitrogen per 1,000 square feet.

Professional Lawn Care

If you can avoid some of these common mistakes with lawn care you will have a healthy, green lawn to enjoy! If you continue to experience problems with your lawn, call the experts at Rentokil for help. We offer professional lawn consultations, fertilization, weed control, lawn aeration, insect control and more!