Lawn. Some people hate it, others, like myself LOVE it! Growing up, we were an outside family. In fact, I have photos of me following my dad around as he raked the yard or trimmed bushes. As I got older, my occasional job was to mow. I'm sure I complained about doing it, but I actually enjoyed something about seeing the cut grass blades fly out the side and chop making cool designs in the lawn. By cool, I mean, spelling my name in the front yard or one giant circle (I'm sure the neighbors enjoyed watching me!).
Fast forward to now owning a home and taking care of the lawn, I've become even more particular. Straight Lines. No weeds. Weedeat (or scissor cut because I don't know how to weed eat!). No grass in the driveway. That perfect edge down the driveway.
By no means am I an expert on Lawn Care, or consider myself one, I just thought I would pass on some helpful tips, tricks and things my parents taught me over the years for those that choose to DIY. I will have "Lawn 101" and "Flowers 101" segments for those that want to follow along!
A quick note about my home. We have lived in our current home 7 years. The lawn had lots of holes, dead spots, sooooo many weeds, no flower beds and per our neighbor - was skinned each mow by the old resident. We still have weeds (as long as there are animals and wind we probably will forever) and still have dead spots. In the heat of summer, our grass goes dormant, we do not have sprinklers. And that is okay, it cuts back on the mowing in late Summer! :)
This week - Lawn 101- is about Fertilizer & Weed Preventive. And surprise, these can be done at the same time!
Fertilizer is something super easy and pretty cheap, but will pay off for a long time in the end. You can save some big time money by doing it yourself instead of hiring out a lawn service. When looking for a fertilizer, most times there will be three numbers (5-10-5 or 13-13-13 for example). The first number represents nitrogen which promotes growth, second is phosphorus for root growth and third is potassium which helps in the health of the grass and resistance to weeds. Before I bore you, in summary, I fertilize at least twice a year - Fall/October and Spring/April or May. Based on the Region in which you live, the "three numbers" might change a bit due to weather, types of soil and grasses. (I use XXXXX in the Fall and 13-13-13 in the Summer).
Weed Preventative makes your job easier in the Summer, especially when it's hot out! I think the technical word is "Pre Emergent", but I typically go with what is on sale and has "Crabgrass Prevention". When I first started spreading, I had a lot of dandelions and henbit (purple flower weed). This didn't help immediately, but over time I noticed less and less coming through.
Before spreading Fertilizer or a Weed Preventative look at the weather. You want to spread this right before a gentle rain. Not a hot day as it will burn your lawn, or before a super sonic flood. Gentle is the key word here.
Step 1: Purchase Fertilizer & Weed Preventative - Look on the package instructions and see how many square feet each bag covers and buy accordingly.
Step 2: Spreader - You will need a spreader with settings (nothing fancy), especially if you use fertilizer, weed & insect preventative. Each granular is a different size. Think of it this way - this is a one time investment upfront, but worth it! Here is the one I have.
Step 3: Read the instructions for which setting on spreader.
Step 4: Fill, Spread and Watch your lawn grow! Get ready to mow!
Check your local depot stores sale flyers, they are begging you to buy from them and have sales on fertilizer and Pre-Emergents in the Spring and Fall. For example, Home Depot, Lowes, MFA, Southerlands.
Bonus, you can also spread an insect granules to cut down on ants, pesty June bugs, grubs and fleas. I use Spectracide Triazicide. Get this- One 10lb bag is $6.88 and covers 12,500sq ft!
Below are photos from Before (2012) and now (2017). Enjoy & Happy Mowing!
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