5 lawn care tips

Centipede grass is a type of grass used for lawns. This type of grass comes from China and other countries from Southeast Asia. Due to its qualities, centipede grass is preferred by many home owners.

Centipede grass requires little maintenance, which makes it the perfect grass for busy home owners who still want a lawn. Centipede grass also is able to adapt to poor soils like sandy type or clay-based. Centipede grass is also inexpensive and it does not require too much fertilizers. Centipede grass is also drought resistant.

In caring for a centipede grass lawn, avoid putting too much fertilizers as well as over mowing. Unlike other types of grass, centipede grass must not be reseeded, as this kind of operation ends up decreasing the quality of the grass. Centipede grass must be kept well moisturized, but excess watering should be avoided.

Centipede grass has several enemies. One of them is weed, particularly during the cold season, so weed control is advised. Known diseases for centipede grass are “brown patches” or “dollar spots” as they are called, and pests include nematodes, ground pearls, grubs, mole crickets and caterpillars. The nematodes are especially bad for centipede grass as they may cause wilting, but they can be fought against with proper watering.

Another problem with centipede grass is that it gets old, and when that happens, the lawn suffers. This is also called “centipede decline” and it can also be caused by over fertilization, pests, excessive thatching and other factors. It is recommended to mow the lawn and to maintain it properly all along the year.

Centipede grass lawns can look like they have a heavy thatch layer as stolons lead to excessive lignin. Despite the problems, centipede grass still has a lot of advantages, which is why many home owners prefer them for their lawns.

One of the most relaxing places at home is the lawn where you can have a wider and more pleasant view of the neighborhood, thus, serving as a suitable place for you to spend quality time with your kids.  The lawn also gives the house remarkable beauty when seen from an outsiders’ perspective.

Lawn maintenance is always part of the trick to make all these possible. The beauty and inhabitability of the lawn can be preserved by avoiding the use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides and using organic methods of lawn maintenance that are presented below instead.

Basic Benefits of Organic fertilizers

One source of the grass’ vital nutrients is organic fertilizers. The slow release of this is very safe because it abolishes the risk of damage and burning of the grass due to the application of excessive amount. Benefits of this approach also include health and vitality of the grass and soil, and lengthening and strengthening of grass roots helping them fight off pests and diseases.

Seaweeds as Fertilizer

Iron, magnesium and zinc are few of the elements that can be found in seaweeds, which support plant health and root development. When applied monthly, the liquid form of seaweed helps the grass in its battle against fungal diseases.

Techniques in Daily Plant Watering

Lawns need deep watering, at about one ounce of water per week. However, (1) insufficient evaporation would risk the plants to fungal invasion and (2) too much of water may cause shallow grass rooting. Watering the plants early in the day would be a solution to these concerns and frequent light sprinkling, an alternative.

Natural Way of Weed Control

An effective way of controlling the weeds such as crabgrass, dandelions, lambs quarters and purslane is by the use of feeder roots and quality organic products.

Some Cleaning Methods

Dead grass and grass clippings can be removed with the use of a thatcher or an iron rake while plugs of dirt can be eradicated through aeration with the use of good aerators. Both methods help and enhance water retention.

Natural Way of Bug Control

A simple way of getting rid of pests and dangerous bugs such as grubs and fungus larvae is to sprinkle the plants with a dish of soap water. In addition, fungus can be controlled by adding three tablespoons of vinegar per gallon of the sprinkled water.

These simple methods may still be insufficient in battling various kinds of pests in your lawn, but combining these with advanced organic products will surely paralyze the backbone of weeds and pests. After all, the goal towards having a healthy and vibrantly green lawn can be best achieved through organic methods.

A lot of unpleasant surprises for your lawn can come from your dog. Its urine and feces are not especially good for your lawn due to their chemical characteristics. Large quantities of dog urine and feces can cause the lawn to become burnt.

How Dog Waste Affects Your Lawn

The high amount of nitrogen in dog waste is very bad for the lawn. Dog urine causes the most damage as it is released at a high quantity at a time, unlike feces that can be slowly absorbed in the ground. Also, dog feces can be removed quickly because they are very visible, but urine is not so easy to clean.

Another cause for lawn damage is a dog’s habit of marking all surfaces with urine. Lawn experts call the brown spots that appear on the lawn where the dog has released its waste, the “female dog disease.” There are types of lawn grass that are more resistant than others to the action of nitrogen in the dog waste. For instance, it is preferable to use Festuca grass rather than Cynodon grass when the owner has a dog.

Dealing with the Problem

The best thing that a dog owner can do to protect his lawn from the catastrophic effects of dog waste is to teach his pet that the lawn is a playground, not a toilet. Another measure that can be taken is to build a small fence around the lawn to keep the dog off the lawn. Another solution is to change the dog’s diet to make the urine less concentrated with nitrogen, but this is not advisable, as veterinaries do not approve of it and the result is not always the desired one. 

Treating a Damaged Lawn

When the lawn has been damaged by dog waste, it is advisable to take a little extra care for making the lawn return to its initial stage. There are intensive treatments for this, like using gypsum or lime on the burnt areas. This way, the burns fade in time and the lawn recovers. Other measures to take are supervising the dog when on the lawn and watering the urine spots right after they are made to dissolve the nitrogen. The affected areas can also be seeded again.

In order to solve the problem, it is recommendable to use, in the same time, a training plan for the dog and to undertake the appropriate measures for the affected lawn.

Some Facts About Bermuda Grass

For a beautiful lawn, it is advisable to use Bermuda grass seeds, from which grows a sun loving warm season grass. This type of grass is preferred for golf courses, sport fields and arenas, reclamation areas, parks, coastal areas and pastures, as it is a wonderful medium heighten turfgrass lawn. Bermuda grass lawns are very popular in the Southern regions, because Bermuda grass comes from drought resistant species. Bermuda grass does not need too much attention as regards to maintenance and mowing.

How to Take Care of a Bermuda Grass Lawn?

Lawn care for Bermuda grass includes four time intervals of three month each, all throughout the year. From March to May, June to August, September to November and December to February, for each period, separate operations must be undertaken for the lawn. There are several processes that must be kept in mind.

1. The first step is to mow the Bermuda grass. This operation takes place during springtime and until August when the grass is no taller than 1.5 to 2 inches. In the interval from September to November, the grass height for mowing must be no more than 2 to 2.5 inches. Then during winter, the Bermuda grass must be kept a little shorter, around one inch and no more than 1.5 inches in height.

2. Another process for lawn care is fertilizing. This operation also must be carried out depending on the season. In the spring and in the summer, the quantity of fertilizer per thousand square feet must be one pound; and in the autumn and in the winter, only half. It is not advisable to fertilize the Bermuda grass that is not over seeded. Information on this process can be obtained from the Cooperative Extension Center in the area.

3. The lawn must also be properly irrigated. This process must take place especially during the hot season, due to the pest problems and other issues that may appear. Irrigation must be carried out so that the water runs into soil till four to six inches depth. Clay soil does not absorb water fast, so it is recommendable to irrigate the lawn slowly.

4. The last important step is weed control. Herbicides must be used in order to stop the growth of crab grass, goosegrass and foxtails. There are products especially developed for Bermuda grass lawn.

When the steps described above are followed, any Bermuda grass lawn will thrive and its maintenance will be very easy to carry out.

Also called “South’s Shining Star,” Atlanta is famous for its natural beauty, for the living standards and for its prosperity. Atlanta is a city full of green spaces and the inhabitants really love nature and its benefits. This is one of the reasons many of them, especially those with large properties, like having a very well taken care of lawn. Not only the houses have lawns, but also companies, hospitals, condominiums and apartments, that populate the city due to its high development rate look much better with a lawn in front of them. Of course, the large number of lawns leads means that lawn care services and companies are thriving.

How to Maintain a Beautiful Lawn

Due to the large number of lawns in Atlanta, those in lawn care services do not have much time to spare. It is known that a company in such a field is a thriving business. Packages offered by companies include year-round maintenance with fertilizing, trimming, edging and weed control services. Other packages may include pest control and pruning. Those services, being much difficult then the others, are carried out by specialists who use pesticides and fungicides in order to keep the lawn in perfect condition. You can choose between a large range of packages offered by lawn care companies. The price depends on how many services are assured or on the company’s reputation in the field.

What to Ask a Lawn Care Professional

It is important to keep in mind that a particular lawn needs particular attention. So, to make the right decision when hiring someone to take care of the lawn, ask several questions.

What you must find out from you lawn care taker is, in the first place, the frequency of services like mulching, fertilizing and pruning. Then, it is good to know what kind of weed is controlled, how is the pesticide chosen, if the chemicals used are nature friendly and without toxic effects for human beings. Also, you must find out if the lawn care company contacted has all the necessary documentation and license and if someone from the company will evaluate your lawn before signing the papers.

In order to choose a good company to take care of your lawn, you can check other aspects about them from the Better Bureau site, where you can see if the customers are happy with their services. Other sources to obtain information about companies are the Lawn Care Business directory and, of course, the Internet.