3 Keys to a Healthy Lawn

Lawn
Photography by: wili_hybrid

Since becoming a homeowner nearly 9 years ago I have taken a keen interest in maintaining the nicest lawn in the neighborhood. Guests, neighbors and passers by regularly request my secrets. There are three key elements to having a healthy lawn. Note that I reside in the Sacramento area in California (Zone 9).

Water
Mowing
Fertilizing

Water

Watering the lawn needs to be addressed in terms of both frequency and amount. General rule of thumb is that a healthy lawn needs one inch of water per week. The key to delivering the one inch is to do it in large chunks, and not by watering for a few minutes each day. By watering once or no more than twice per week for extended periods you promote deep root growth that encourages a healthier, more disease resistant lawn.One concern over extended watering sessions is the waste of water through runoff. This can be greatly reduced by programming your lawn timer to run for 30 minutes at 4am, then for another 30 minutes at 5am, for example. This allows the water from the first session to drain.

Mowing

Of course, in order to keep a nice looking lawn it will need to be cut with some regularity, but the importance in mowing has everything to do with the cut height. As the weather begins to warm in my area I set the mower height at its highest where it remains until grass growth becomes less robust in the late fall. The purpose here is twofold.

Taller grass helps prevent airborne weed seeds from establishing themselves in your lawn
Taller grass aids in protecting the roots from exceptionally harsh weather, primarily heat

Mower height can be lowered in the Winter months to make it easier for those dealing with heavy leaf cleanup, but there’s no danger in leaving the grass tall through its dormancy in the Winter. The other key to a healthy lawn related to mowing is mulching the grass clippings, as opposed to bagging them. Many mowers offer both capabilities depending on the need. I have been extremely pleased with my Honda Harmony II that has been in service since day 1. Mulching returns the finely chopped grass back to the turf where it decomposes and provides key nutrients. The process provides natural fertilization and, in fact, can reduce fertilization needs by around 10%.

Fertilizing

I fertilize 4 times annually in April, June, late September, and December with consistent results year after year. I prefer a good natural fertilizer, such as Bandini ProGreen. As mentioned earlier, mulching the grass clippings contributes to a reduced need for fertilization.

Summary

These three key fundamentals, water, mowing, and fertilizing will yield a spectacular lawn that will be the envy of the neighborhood. In addition, lawns will also benefit from annual aerating and bi-annual dethatching. However, regular care as prescribed above can greatly reduce these requirements.

chris@clawblog.com

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