The Grass is Always Greener

Real estate experts all agree that the number one factor in curb appeal is a lush green lawn. As a ground cover, turf grass is the least expensive to install and maintain. Lawns provide a transition between planting areas, play areas for kids, and provide excellent erosion control.

Green lawns can also make your neighbors green with envy! Did you ever wonder why healthy lawns seem to stay that way and lawns that perform poorly seem to get worse?

Here are five key second help you to unlock the code to a healthy vigorous lawn:

Soil -  A thin weedy lawn can be an indication of poor soil construction. Too much sand will drain too quickly and cause the grass seed to dry out while the weeds thrive. Too much clay in the soil can present drainage problems and fungus.

As a general rule of thumb, if 50% of your lawn is not desirable turf grass then it's best to remove the existing topsoil and start over. Take several core samples down to 6 inches and observe the composition of the soil. If the soil is is a good mixture of silt sand and clay, then it may be possible to renovate the lawn through overseeding and chemical controls.

Water - Adequate water is critical to the performance of a healthy lawn. Often times homeowners that do not have lawn irrigation systems will recognize the symptoms of a drought too late. The idea in watering lawns should be regular, deep watering.

Lawns should receive 1 inch of water every 5 to 7 days. To find out how much an inch of water is, place a 13" x 9" cake tin in the path of the sprinkler and measure the depth. Deep watering will encourage deep roots to help the turf endure periods of drought.

Hand watering can be erratic--watering too much in some areas, or not enough or often enough in others, wasting time and water. Irrigation systems can be programmed to come on in different quantities at different times for different zones. It gives you the peace of mind knowing that the lawn is receiving the right amount of water everyday.

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