Having a green lawn is a mark of pride for many homeowners. A beautiful, lush, and natural-looking lawn becomes a big part of how people come to define “home.”
When you consider your own landscaping options, there might be some decisions on whether to hire a professional lawn care company or if you can do it yourself.
Where do you start with getting your lawn in shape?
Every solid project requires a good foundation. The foundation for a good lawn is the soil in which it grows. If you have soil issues, you will have lawn issues. Perform a soil test for your lawn soil. This will give you valuable information on what your soil has and what you need to add to it.
What type of grass seed should you use?
The type of grass you have in your yard depends on your location. For people living in Michigan likely the local neighborhood favorite would generally consist of bluegrass or bluegrass mixtures. One good tip is to locate the best-looking lawn in your neighborhood and initiate a conversation with the owner. They can give you a good idea of what types of seed, fertilizing and watering schedules might also work well in your yard.
Kentucky Bluegrass
Kentucky bluegrass is the most widely used turf grass in Michigan. With proper management, it forms a long lasting lawn, and it is an aggressive sod former. Bluegrass grows rapidly during cool, moist weather, with slower growth during hot, dry weather. When rainfall is not adequate, watering is necessary to maintain high quality. All cultivars respond well to a mowing height of 1 ½ to 2 ½ inches.
Many cultivars of Kentucky bluegrass are available, and new selections are constantly being introduced. Cultivars may differ in color, disease resistance, vigor, and amount of care required for best performance. Unfortunately, no single cultivar provides ideal performance under every condition. Even disease resistance can change as new strains of diseases appear.
How should you fertilize the lawn?
Fertilizing provides your lawn with the nutrients it needs to grow thick and green. In order to fertilize a sizable lawn you will need a spreader. Spreaders come in two varieties: drop and broadcast.
Drop spreaders drop the fertilizer directly below the spreader, while broadcast spreaders drop fertilizer in a pattern out and away from the spreader. Drop spreaders are more accurate while broadcast spreaders cover larger areas in a shorter amount of time.
When should you fertilize and seed your yard?
You should do both during the cooler parts of the spring and fall. In the northern states, the Spring seeding would be handled from April to early June, while the fall seeding might occur between September and early October.