Why can't I grow beautiful green grass like my neighbor? He must be using a lawn service. I can't spend that kind of time and money to maintain my lawn. This is the common mantra of most home owner's. We spend hundreds of dollars a year on fertilizer and grass seed every year. We primp and pamper our seedlings and jump for joy at the onset of little green blades of our future lawn. Then it happens... brown spots... more weeds than grass... or the potential blades of grass simply wilt away. If you are reading this article, chances are this is you!
Establishing New Lawns
You have cleared out a wonderful patch of dirt and you can just imagine a carpet of lush green grass in just a few weeks time. Before you grab that bag of seed and start throwing handfulls on the ground, consider soil preparation first. If you haven't done so already, rent a tilling machine and break up at least the top 4 inches of soil. Rake out any rocks and level out the ground. Next, add manure or a premium top soil to give the top layer an extra boost of nutrients. Run the tiller over the lawn area once more to blend it all in. While you were tilling, did you notice the presence of any earth worms? If not, add some. Yes, go down to the fish bait shop and get some worms. Now that your top soil layer is broken up and full of nutrients, the earth worms will keep up the cycle, assuming you intend to keep the ground moist.
Watering Is Key
If you do not have a sprinkler system, I think it is a worthwhile investment and essential for a beautiful lawn. Sprinkler systems do not have to be elaborate. Today you can even install flexible PVC tubing with no joints with relative ease. The time taken to lay out a simple sprinkler system will save you time and money in the quest for lucious green grass. The configuration of your lawn will determine your required sprinkler layout. Rain Bird Sprinklers offers a free design service for laying out a system. If you do not want to go through this process, just pay attention to two things. If you run a system off of your garden hose spigot, most homes are 20-30 psi, and 8 gallons per minute(GPM). If your sprinkler run is under 60 feet, pressure should not be an issue. The number of heads on this type of line will simply be a matter of adding the GPM output of a nozzle and subtracting from the 8 GPM for the hose. For instance, if I have a 30 foot run with 3 - 15 ft nozzles putting out 2 GPM, I should not have any performance issues with this run. If needed, I could add one more nozzle without consequence.
What's Next?
Seed, fertilizer and a well maintained mower are the final pieces to the puzzle. Do not scrimp on seed! Read the label on the package and make certain there are no noxious weed seed and very little filler. If you are doing your own fertilizer program, read the manufacturer recommendations for seasonal applications and watering requirements. Keep your mower blades sharp and the engine tuned. This is a simple yearly expense that will greatly enhance the look and health of your lawn.
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