218-454-0604 - If you are interested in summer turf services please apply using our waiting list form. Apply Today!

lawn care tips

Six great tips for homeowners that build and maintain a lawn.
get on our turf waiting list

6 Great lawn care tips

Do Not Mow Short

Do not mow your grass short. A healthy lawn is produced when they are cut to a higher height.

Use Proper Watering

This depends on soil conditions. For soil types that are more clay based water less frequently but water deep, this is typically 1/2 to 1 inch in depth. This will soak to an 8 inch depth. For coarse soil types that are sandy you must water more often and less deep.  

Use Sharp Blades

Mowing with a dull blade will tear the grass and therefore develop a brown appearance at the top which will make it more susceptible to stress and disease. Using sharp blades will help the grass heal faster.

Use One-third Rule

Never remove more than one-third of the grass height at one time. This will keep your lawn cooler and have less change of burning out in extreme heat.

Remove Excess Thatch

Thatch causes trouble for your lawn when it exceeds 1/2 inch thick. Cutting through and removing thatch will improve your lawn's health.

Mow Regularly

Mowing your lawn on a regular schedule encourages dense growth. Do not mow when the lawn is very wet or during drought conditions in summer.

The Clipping Myth

The lawn care industry has been claiming for years that clippings are actually beneficial to the lawn, as they act as a slow-release fertilizer for the plant as they decompose. Which is actually returning a small amount of nitrogen back to the lawn. Todd Graus, a lawn care professional for 35 years, claims that this is a myth. In Turf Magazine's July 2016 article, Todd claims that he has never seen a visual difference between lawns mulched and lawns bagged. He adds that mulching can promote thatch buildup and also increase the possibility of lawn diseases because disease spores on clippings can re-infect emerging grass blades. Are you bold enough to wait for your clippings to decompose in order to give your lawn the amount of nitrogen it needs?

Lawn Care Video Tips

aerate your lawn

Many people seem to forget or don't know that aerating is one of the most important steps in keeping a healthy lawn. Aerating is the process of perforating your lawn with small holes to allow for more water circulations and oxygen flow to the soil and roots. It helps fix lawns with poor drainage, compacted soil and lawns with heavy thatch. It's one of the most important steps you can do to your lawn and is essential in restoring  a worn out lawn.

aerate your lawn
maintain grass in extreme temps

maintaining grass in extreme temperatures

There are some really simple rules to following to maintain your lawn when the temperature is hot out. They are:

  1. Do not mow your lawn too short
  2. Never cut more than 1/3 off the current height of your lawn.
  3. Only water your lawn when it needs it.
  4. Keep your lawn mower blades sharp.

top dress your lawn

Getting and keeping a healthy lawn starts with your soil. So to create a healthy lawn you should first improve your soil. Topdressing is a technique used to do that.

The process of topdressing a lawn consists of adding soil or other organic matter directly over the top of your lawn. This technique also helps smooth out rough or uneven spots in your lawn, which can also help in seeding those bare spots in your lawn.

The three benefits of topdressing a lawn are:

  1. It aids in the breakdown of existing thatch in your lawn, the new top soil works its way down into the turf to help speed up microbial activity and the soil particles speed up the process of decomposition.
  2. It will help smooth out the bumpy areas of your lawn which fills in the low spots and any other damged lawn areas.
  3. It can change your soil conditions by creating a better growing environment for your grass. 

When adding a topdressing be sure to only spread 1/4 to 1/2" across the lawn. Adding too much can create poor growing conditions. Make sure to water the soil after topdressing.

top dress your lawn
test your soil

Test your soil

Testing your soil will indicate your soil’s current pH and nutrient content, and will tell you what to add to achieve the correct pH and nutrient levels. Soil samples are taken from your lawn and sent to a local university that has a soil lab. Test results are sent back indicating the current status of your soil which in-turn is used to determine what needs to be done to get a healthy lawn.

Get Started Today!

Call us today at 218-454-0690 to receive a free estimate on any of our property services or click the button below.

Request summer services