Every lawn is not the same but for some lawns all they need is just a little TLC from their owners. To make your lawn stand out from the rest, you need a simple, two step maintenance plan.
Fertilize
Start with a spring, summer, and fall fertilizer treatment. All grass and soil needs regular safeguarding either to help in soil fertility and/or grass' demands. Make sure the all-purpose, dust-free, pellet fertilizer you choose is made for your region and applied at a 2-2-1 ratio. Most common components to look for are nitrogen, phosphorus and potash. Nitrogen in various forms will give you the long-lasting green you desire, with quick and extended release formulations. Make sure to water your lawn after application and to keep it well saturated throughout your dry season.
Pest and Disease Control
The next step to a lush lawn is to rid it of pests and disease. Among the first pest to look for are the annoying tan colored moths that come out at dusk. These pests lay eggs that become sod webworms that dine on grass bases. Chemical products for these pests from Ortho and Bayer will help you get a handle on these bugs. This same chemical can be applied for white grubs that prefer eating at your grass deeper down. You can tell you have grubs when you find dead patches in you lawn that you can lift up.
Some common lawn diseases are brown patch and snow mold. The first is a fungal disease that attacks your lawn in circular shaped spots and makes your grass turn dark green to light brown. To cure your lawn, apply a fungicide, water the diseased lawn less and aerate the soil, a good lawn fertilizer is not going to help.
Snow mold and moss growth can benefit from fertilizers rich in nitrogen, iron and sulfur. The soil will be too healthy for these to grow in. To identify snow mold, your lawn will appear pink and cotton-like. This develops from compact snow melting off the top of your lawn. Make sure to sweep or brush the affected lawn before fertilizing. The presence of moss is a bad omen. It means that your soil lacks fertility, your grass has been watered too much or too little, it has improper soil drainage, extra acidity and/or has been too compacted. Again, nitrogen will save your lawn and return the green to the diseased areas.
About the Author:
Keith Markensen shares his vast knowledge at http://www.plant-care.com. There is more to learn on best lawn fertilizers.
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