There’s nothing quite like the feeling of pulling onto your street after a long workday and being greeted by a well manicured lawn. Lawns are a point of pride for many Americans. There are 40 million acres of lawn in the United States, and people spend roughly $30 billion on lawn care each year. But you could be your own lawn’s worst enemy. Are you ruining your grass with these common lawn care mistakes?
6 Ways You’re Ruining Your Lawn
- Mowing a wet lawn. Not only is grass more sensitive to tearing when wet, mowing wet grass causes clippings to clump, which spreads weeds and disease through the yard.
Letting the dog do his business. The combination of paw traffic and sodium from dog urine can kill a lawn in a hurry. “Dog spots” leave circles of brown or yellow grass, and doggie play spots often wind up as bare dirt. Either dedicate a small, out of the way corner of the backyard to your pet’s business or be vigilant about hosing down dog spots after each trip outdoors. - Killing good bugs. Nobody wants mosquitos in the yard, but some homeowners are indiscriminate in applying pesticides. Insects like ladybugs, bees, and spiders do more good than harm in the yard.
- Ignoring mower maintenance. Your mower might not start if you don’t replace the spark plugs each year, but sharpening the blades is just as important. Mowing with dull blades rips grass instead of cutting it, which increases your lawn’s risk for disease.
- Over fertilizing. Too much of a good thing (or the right thing at the wrong time) does more harm than good. If you use too much fertilizer you’ll burn your lawn, causing it to brown.
- Watering at the wrong time. Georgia lawns need a lot of love to make it through scorching summers. The best way to guarantee your grass gets the moisture it needs is to water during the early morning hours. By watering before the sun gets hot, you allow the moisture to soak into the soil. By watering at the beginning of the day, you limit the chance for mildew to grow on soggy grass.
Visit Ace of Gray for annual mower maintenance and other supplies for growing a healthy lawn.
