Houses represent feeling and a sense of belonging. Whether you are living in a house for years or whether it has been put up for sale, it is very important that these houses give a good impression. The easiest way to set your house apart from others on a street is to organise and beautify your lawns!
Lawns give a comprehensive look to your house. They make your house look cleaner and greener, while also boasting of many environmental benefits. Lawns are more than just keepsakes for looks as they offer a huge number of benefits. They help in cleaning the air and trapping CO2 that makes the house and its surrounding areas cleaner and purer. Lawns also help in reducing noise pollution and improving the soil structure in and around the house. Thus maintaining and beautifying a lawn goes beyond the idea of impressions and looks, serving a myriad of different functions. The task can seem daunting, and may require a certain degree of research and planning. Don’t worry! We have compiled a list of easy tips to beautify your lawns using the right approach!
Cutting the Grass
Cutting is essential in order to maintain consistency in the lawn. When done regularly, it also helps in making the grass thick and strong. The technique used to cut grass is important here. The ideal way is to follow the rule of the thumb-shortening the stem by two-thirds to approximately 5 centimeters always. It is also advisable to cut smaller patches of grass at a regular frequency rather than cutting all grass at once. Climatic conditions also have to be taken into consideration while cutting grass. For example, during the summer months, you might want to keep the grass of our lawns slightly longer, as it helps in withstanding long periods of drought better. Similarly, in winters it is advisable to raise the cutting blade a little higher than usual i.e 2.5-3 inches.
Watering
You can ensure that your lawn is lush, green and airy all summer with the help of adequate watering. Though the frequency of watering depends on the temperature and humidity of the place you live in, it is advisable that you water your lawns with 1”-1 ½” of water per week, year-round at the very least. Your lawn grass will start turb=ning blue-gray in colour when it is short on hydration. Experts also debate over the ideal duration that grass should be watered for, with 30 minutes being the most widely accepted option. If you live in areas with higher temperatures (above 30 degree celsius) then deep-seated watering with more frequency is highly recommended.
Aeration
Aeration simply aims at letting the soil underneath the lawn breathe. You can do this by spiking the green turf at every 20cm interval, with a depth of around 10-15cm with the help of a garden fork, or simply employ an aerator for a larger lawn. The buildup of lawn thatch makes it difficult for your lawn to breathe. That is why aeration is highly recommended. It allows you to control thatch outgrowth while also allowing air, water and nutrients to permeate the root zone of the soil. Areas infested with grass outgrowths require lawn aeration more frequently and with greater force. Lawn aeration happens best when the grass is at its peak growth period.
Getting rid of Weeds
Rampant weeds have the tendency of stealing nutrients and water from the soil. In order to maintain your lawns, it is necessary to know how to deal with these unneeded outgrowths. Smaller weeds (veronica, white clover etc.) can be removed with the help of a manual scarifier, which disrupts their nutrition cycle and stops them from growing. For larger weeds, you can use a root weeder to stop outgrowths. It is also very important to ensure that you weed out as much of the root as possible in order to prevent regrowth. In some serious weeding situations, you can even consider using a herbicide. You might be faced with instances where the weeds overgrow the grass patches. In such conditions, it is advisable to restructure the soil and cover it with rolled turf. The most ideal solution is to prevent weed seeds from germinating in the first place.
Using Fertilisers
When you cut grass to prevent outgrowths and weeds, you are also removing important nutrients which are necessary for the grass to achieve maximum growth. These nutrients need to be replaced. This can be achieved through fertilisation. You can apply fertilisers to the lawn every 4-5 weeks. You have to make sure that these fertilisers have adequate amounts of nitrogen, potassium and phosphorus which are imperative for proper growth of the grass. Apart from helping in the replenishment of lost nutrients in the soil and grass, fertilisers also help in ensuring weed control, by preventing them from taking a foothold in the first place. Similarly, well fertilized lawns can also help in ensuring fewer pests in the lawns and encouraging a healthy ecosystem of microorganisms. They support the overall growth of the lawns, providing better resistance against diseases.
Reseeding Bare Patches
Many times you might come across bare patches in your lawns as a result of heavy foot traffic, overgrowths and infestations and a myriad of other causes. The ideal way to deal with such patches is to reseed the bare patch area. This involves taking the area and removing any debris or dead plant material and inspecting for damage. This is followed by breaking up the soil with the help of a garden cultivator and amending it by adding compost or loamy soil. Sprinkle grass seeds evenly across the surface but make sure that they do not pile one top off each other. You can now lightly water the area to rejuvenate it. If you are using hot water, you can burlap the covered patch to keep the seedlings from dying out. Ensure that you allow the patched grass to grow slightly longer than the rest of the lawn before mowing to ensure that it starts blending with the rest of the lawn.
Search for Free Mulch
Mulch in the form of branches and trees that get swept away in storms or collected in homes after Christmas can also add value to your lawns. Mulch is usually collected by municipalities and laid free for citizens to use. They add cosmetic as well as functional benefits to your lawns. They add finishing touch to your gardens and flower beds while also decreasing the amount of weeds. Additionally, mulch also helps in increasing the amount of nutrients in the soil. Thus, given the multi-use facets and holistic benefits, mulch is one of the best items to keep in your lawns.
Decorate With Accessories
You can bring a great degree of charm and personality in your lawn by adding certain accessories to beautify it more. Stepping stones can help make your lawn even more appealing and functional, for something as simple as navigation. For beautification, you can cast a vibrant glow of string lights for a relaxing ambience in your lawn. Your lawn can also be a place where birds sing and chirp throughout. Birdbaths can help provide a permanent residence to them! Fill your lawn with colours, life and lively chirps by incorporating a birdbath in your lawn. You can also install decorative edging around the flower beds. With the help of landscape edging you can bring about a picturesque and visual pop in your lawn! This addition can also contribute to making the process of lawn maintenance significantly easier for you.
We have seen how important lawns are in giving an overall impression of your house. They boast of attractive as well as functional benefits which help in making the surroundings of your house greener and healthier! Initially, the idea of lawn maintenance and beautification might seem daunting, but with the right knowledge and approach, you will be able to own lawns that will leave people in awe! It is all about taking the right steps!
