Saturday, 16 July 2022
7 Things Your Lawn is Trying to Tell You
Lawn maintenance can sometimes be challenging, especially if you are busy. Many people assume that, in order to maintain a healthy and thriving green lawn, you need to be an avid gardener. However, the truth is that all you need is a pair of eyes and some intuition.
7 things your lawn is trying to tell you
1. Not enough water?
You will definitely know if your grass lacks water. This is a common problem that lawns face, especially during the summer. If you see yellow patches or brown spots on the turf, or if your footprints get imprinted onto the grass when you walk on it, you’re dealing with wilting or dead grass. In order to prevent this, you need to water your lawn more often and establish a regular watering schedule for the hotter months!
How to prepare your lawn for the summer
2. Too much water ?
The most obvious sign of an over-watered lawn is if mushrooms start to grow on your lawn. After a heavy downpour or in humid conditions, you may start to notice mushrooms in your lawn. These generally disappear quickly. It is when they constantly appear on your grass that you need to worry.
If the problem persists, you might need to reduce your watering schedule to sort it out. However, if your grass has been completely saturated with water, you should drain your lawn. Using a lawn aerator can help with drainage by reducing the moisture in your grass.
How to get rid of mushrooms in your lawn
3. Bad lawn mower ?
If you have a bad lawn mower or if you are mowing your lawn incorrectly, it will cause the blades of your grass to turn brown. A bad lawn mower will rip the grass instead of cutting it. This will damage the grass blades and make them change color. It is also important to know that different types of grass require different cutting heights. For example, cool-season grasses and warm-season grasses require virtually opposite approaches to lawn maintenance.
What is the ideal mowing height?
4. Too much fertilizer ?
Because fertilizer is rich with nutrients and it helps grass grow, many people spread too much fertilizer across their lawn. This can end up being extremely detrimental to the grass. Too much fertilizer will turn your grass yellow, or in severe cases, brown.
This is because most of the fertilizers bought from stores are chemical-based fertilizers that create acidic soil, thereby burning and damaging grass roots, and ultimately killing the grass. The best way to avoid applying too much fertilizer is to ensure you do not use it too often and, if possible, use organic fertilizer.
How do I know what fertilizer to use?
5. An insect problem ?
Insects in your garden are inevitable. In fact, in some cases, they can actually be beneficial to your lawn as they maintain specific conditions and cycles that allow your grass to thrive. However, they are only beneficial in small amounts, and as soon as you begin to experience larger infestations of bugs or grubs on your lawn, you have a problem.
Brown spots and patches on your lawn indicate that you might have an insect issue. Grubs dig into the soil underneath your grass and eat the roots of the grass blades. This causes the grass to die and turn brown. This usually occurs only in isolated parts of your garden so this issue is easy to identify.
Guide to turn pests and diseases
6. Poor soil?
Soil quality is key to healthy grass growth as it is what holds the roots and provides the grass blades with the nutrients they need. If you have bad soil quality, your grass will struggle to grow.
One of the biggest issues with soil is soil compaction. If you have compacted soil, there is no room for the nutrients to reach the blades. Luckily, this is an easy fix. All you need to do is loosen the dirt below your grass to create a looser, less compact environment. Doing so will also help spread grass seeds to promote additional growth.
If you’ve noticed that your soil is still struggling despite your efforts, you might be growing the wrong kind of grass for the soil type you have in your garden. For example, some grasses such as Bermuda grass and Bentgrass prefer dry soil, whereas other grass types prefer a wetter soil that absorbs more moisture. It is important to know both your soil type and your grass type if you want your lawn to thrive.
7. Not enough sunlight ?
Shaded lawns tend to find it more difficult to thrive than lawns that are exposed to an abundance of sunlight. Just like other plants, grass needs to have significant access to water and sunlight for photosynthesis to occur. The only thing you can really do if you have a garden in the shade is choose a grass species that fares better in darker conditions.
Lawn care services
Lawn care is essential, but not everyone has time for it. This is why Eagleyard provides lawn maintenance services. With 35 years of experience under our belt, we are well-equipped to look after your lawn. We offer different lawn care packages to meet all your needs.