After a boring routine, everyone wants to sit and relax on a lush, green lawn in their home premises. A well-maintained lawn shows real beauty and radiates positive energy. In comparison to colder regions, landscaping, and lawn maintenance are more challenging and expensive in dry and warm-weather countries. That said, the advantages of a landscaped yard outweigh the inconvenience of regular lawn maintenance.
Building a new landscape requires extra attention and care. But once the landscape matures, you must strictly follow the lawn maintenance schedule.
Here are tips for landscaping and lawn care.
Water Your Landscaped Lawns
Overwatering landscaped lawns can lead to poor root establishment. It is preferable to water ordinary grass once or twice weekly if necessary. Change the hose pressure when watering to allow adequate absorption in the soil.
The guidelines set by DEWA for landscaping are mentioned below.
- Water your plants before 8 am or after 6 pm to decrease evaporation losses.
- Regularly inspect sprinkler system valves for leaks and ensure the condition of the heads.
- Adjust the timer of sprinklers based on the seasonal water requirement.
- Make sure that the sprinklers are strategically placed to water the lawn, not the road. Doing this is one of the crucial steps to prepare your home for the summer season.
- Stop using sprinklers that generate fine mist, as the vapor can evaporate more quickly.
Mulch Every Year for Making Comprehensive Lawn Care Easy
If you use a stone mulch or have a xeriscape lawn, neglect this one. Otherwise, apply wood mulch in the spring at least once a year. This makes weeding and Comprehensive Lawn Care so much easier. But mulching twice a year is even more beneficial.
Furthermore, a fall mulch application can prevent weeds in summer. In winter, using this mulch can keep your beds a few degrees warmer through the cold months and increase your plant’s probability of survival.
Avoid putting mulch around the base of trees, shrubs, or plants, as it can kill them. However, winter mulching can impact certain plants like roses, potentially saving their lives or preventing their death.
Inspect the Soil to Promote Grass Growth
Soil is not just a dirt mound where grass magically grows. The health of your soil has a great effect on its condition. If your soil is deficient in nutrients and organic matter, then without fertilizers, turf may struggle to thrive.
Additionally, soil texture impacts yard maintenance. For example, clay soils are more water-retentive than sandy soils, reducing the frequency of watering a clay lawn. So, before deciding on your lawn care routine, you should inspect your soil. You can do this by conducting a soil test.
A soil test reveals a lot of mysteries about your soil, including:
- Fertility levels
- Salt levels
- Organic matter percentage
- pH levels
- Texture
Manage Pests and Weeds Proactively
A well-maintained landscape is less susceptible to pests and diseases. For growth and strength, start with healthy plants, good soil, and the right combination and quantity of nutrients. Then, monitor your lawn regularly for indications of problems. Early problem detection enables more effective treatment.
You should use natural pest control techniques like insecticidal soaps or helpful insects whenever possible. Pull weeds by hand before they establish a significant presence in your yard. A well-maintained landscape may take less intervention.
Mow Lawn Grass
Lawn mowing is essential when the grass grows 2 to 3 inches tall. After winter, your lawn needs time to recover. However, excessive grass growth shades the roots, allowing fewer weed seeds to germinate.
If you use an outdated lawn mower, spring is the best season to clean or change the filter and spark plugs. Sharpening the mower blade every month for a clean cut is crucial. When you cut grass and leave it with open cuts, you expose your yard to potential fungi and disease.
Moreover, if you’re looking for alternative mowers, consider using a reel or electric mower for a more environmentally friendly option. These mowers perform well if the size of your land is one-third of an acre or less. So, you should mow your grass regularly, as it’s much more challenging to cut the grass if it grows too tall.