What You Need to Grow Lush Green Grass
Growing and maintaining a thick and healthy lawn, you need sunshine, air, food and water. It really is as simple as that.
The Best Lawns Grow in Direct Sunlight
Sunshine is self-explanatory – healthy lawns need the warmth and UV light from natural sunlight to grow. You can still have a great lawn if your grass is shaded by trees, but it’s always better to have as much sunlight as possible on your lawn during the day.
Your Soil Needs Air to Grow Grass
Air is a given but what most people don’t know is that the lawn itself needs to be aerated to allow enough air to penetrate into the root system of your lawn. Over time, your soil becomes compacted. When the ground is hard and compacted, it doesn’t let enough air into the soil.
Additionally, when you mow, the grass clippings stay in the lawn. Some break down and actually feed your lawn, but if you don’t mow enough, the grass clippings could be too big and won’t break down as compost into your lawn. The layer of dead grass that hasn’t broken down is called “thatch” and it’s choking your lawn to death!
There are two ways to prevent your lawn soil from becoming too compacted and getting too much thatch build up: aeration and dethatching.
Lawn Aeration
Lawn aeration is a process of basically pulling “plugs” or pieces of soil out of your lawn so that it’s not compacted. Roots can’t grow in a very compacted lawn and you want your grass to grow deep roots. Lawn aerators can be rented at any big box home improvement store but you can also buy your own.
Lawn Dethatching
Dethatching is the process of removing thatch, or dead grass, out of your lawn so that sunlight and air have direct contact with the soil. There are dethatching machines available for rental and you can also buy one. Another option is a good old-fashioned rake and some elbow grease.
Aerating and dethatching your lawn makes the difference between a lush lawn and the average lawn.
Lawn Food: You’ve Got to Fertilize Your Lawn
Just like flowers and vegetables, the best and brightest need to be fertilized to yield maximum results. We recommend fertilizing your lawn once per month for optimal results. Most lawn fertilizers contain three key elements for a healthy lawn: nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium. These elements are essential for a healthy green lawn that grows thick.
Water is a Lawn’s Best Friend
The most important thing to do to keep and maintain a healthy lawn is to water it. Just like any other plant, grass needs water to grow and thrive. Without water, your lawn dies.
If you want your lawn to stand out from the rest of the lawns in your neighborhood, you’ve got to water it regularly. We recommend watering very deeply and less frequently. To do so, you need some dependable sprinklers that will ensure even coverage across all the square footage of your lawn.
