Maybe envy is green because it's what you feel when you see
a great lawn and want it for your own. Get a great start on
that natural carpet by knowing which kind of turf grass will
grow best in your climate.
To choose a lawn grass, learn three facts about your climate:
Know how cold it is in the winter.
How much it rains and when.
What kind of soil you have to work with.
It will be good if you know what kind of traffic your lawn
will be exposed to - how often kids or pets are going to dance
around. It is very important to look for blended cool-season
turf mixes in seeds. Pick a warm-season turf where winter
is relatively mild.
In spite of following the aforesaid tips in choosing the right
kind of grass, if the lawn looks lousy, the next few steps
may come in handy to make it look better:
Test the soil for fertilizer, lime or sulfur needs and apply
as recommended.
Wait and watch for improvement for a month, then aerate
manually or mechanically.
Look at a manual aerator - a handle on a T-bar with four
hollow pipes that you plunge into the lawn to remove cores
of soil. If your lawn is large or you have time and energy
constraints, consider renting a mechanical core aerator.
Rent only equipment that you know how to operate safely.
Ask as many questions as you need to before taking the aerator
home.
Drench the lawn one day and use the aerator.
Walk back and forth across the lawn in a pattern that ensures
that you cover each area only once.
Fertilize once with a slow-release turf grass formula and
resume your regular watering schedule. Avoid mowing for at
least three weeks (or longer if the grass is slow to grow).
Note: Always wear long pants, closed-toe shoes
and safety glasses when
operating power tools.
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