Saturday, August 23, 2014

By Colette Foreman


Lawn maintenance is a demanding job, but if well done, the results can be stunning. Market value and the aesthetic beauty of a property can be raised a lot by a well maintained lawn. The process of attaining a healthy lawn should begin immediately the land is sawn with seed. Lawn maintenance in Attica IN is of high quality because it is done by professionals.

The major activities involved in the maintenance process include watering, mowing, fertilizing, aerating, de-thatching, weeding, pest control, and fighting diseases. Watering is a simple process and normally comes first before the others. Generally, watering should be done heavily when the grass needs water. Some people prefer watering lightly but frequently. That is not good for grass because most species can withstand extended periods of drought.

When watering is done heavily, the resultant root system is deep and extensive. According to the opinions of most experts, the water should be able to soak the soil up to a depth of 20 cm. The level and frequency of watering should however depend on climatic conditions and soil type in an area. The amount of water lost through evaporation can be reduced by irrigating during early mornings or late evenings.

Mowing is important in reducing the workload done by root systems. The work done by roots is reduced by less foliage, which requires reduced water and nutrients. Grass plant also expands when mowed frequently to the required level. Therefore the plant grows heavier and thicker. Thick and heavy growth helps in resisting diseases and weeds better. Frequent mowing should mostly be done during growing season. Only a third of the leaves should be chopped off when mowing to avoid ruining growth and health of the grasses.

Seasons should be used to determine mowing height. For example, taller grass does better in cold seasons than in hot ones. In addition, mowing patterns need to be alternated with every instance of mowing. This can be done by altering the direction of mowing from south-north to west-east. Mower blades must be sharp enough to give a clean cut.

Occasionally the nutrients supplied by soil need to be supplemented by fertilizer. Frequent mowing encourages uptake of nutrients. Sometimes the uptake is too high for the soil to maintain hence fertilizers become handy. Spreading commercial granular fertilizer that acts slowly once or twice in a year is most encouraged. Granular fertilizer provides nutrients for several months as opposed to water soluble products that only act on the leaves. Natural fertilizers are also a good choice.

Frequent mowing and traffic in lawns cause soil to be compacted. This blocks oxygen from reaching microbes underneath the ground. Microbes help to enrich the soil by decomposing organic matter hence, if they cannot do that, the soil loses fertility. To avoid soil infertility, soil aeration should be done occasionally. Both manual and powered aerators can be used to aerate soil.

Less thatch can help in preserving moisture. However, when it grows big, it hinders water and air from reaching down to the roots. As such, it must be removed as soon as it grows over 6 mm in thickness.




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