Healthy Lawn Tips
We at Bryan Pest Control have years of experience in taking care of lawns in our area. Here are just some of our helpful tips to keep your lawn and ornamentals healthy and beautiful.
MOWING
Proper mowing heights are essential in maintaining a healthy lawn. Recommended heights are from two to three inches depending on the grass type and time of year. Cutting your lawn at the proper height promotes a healthier root base. A sharp mower blade is an advantage to maintaining your lawn. Also, if you are cutting your lawn on a regular schedule, periodically leave your grass clippings; this will act as a natural fertilizer for your lawn. If you don’t cut on a regular schedule, we recommend you bag your clippings to prevent too much thatch. Do not mow when your grass is wet. Alternate your mowing directions, this prevents ruts in the yard, which allows the grass to be cut from different sides. Sharpen your mower blades periodically, dull blades wound and tear the blades of grass which can introduce disease.
WATERING
Watering your lawn is as critical as mowing. Maintaining a functional irrigation system is a key component to a successful watering program. Ensuring you have full coverage from your sprinkler heads will promote an even color throughout the lawn. Frequent inspections of your heads will prevent browning due to lack of water. Your lawn professional can assist in planning a watering schedule that will be conducive to your specific needs and the time of year. We recommend watering early in the morning before the heat of the sun can get to the grass; watering early will allow the sun’s natural heat to dissipate the water on the grass blades while allowing the water to penetrate the roots. Watering in the evening can promote disease and fungus as the water congregates on the blades and does not dissipate in a reasonable time – allowing disease and fungus to grow.
PRUNING
Ornamentals and lawn plants should be pruned on a periodic basis. Cutting shrubs back from your home or business will reduce entryways for insects and rodents. Pruning also promotes healthy growth and removing some of the excess of the plant creates new growth.
MULCHING
Mulching helps ornamental plants by conserving moisture, which maintains a more uniform temperature in the root zone and allowing newly planted ornamentals to become established more quickly. Mulching also protects trees and plants from mechanical injury by lawn mowers and string trimmers. It also limits weed growth and improves soil structure. While being beneficial, too much mulch can create a good environment for funguses to thrive.
