Proper garden care can seem difficult, but it’s not as hard as it looks. Here are a few general tips for making your garden green and healthy no matter where you live.
Water it right. In general, you should imitate nature by giving your lawn a single long soak per week, rather than spreading your waterings out to shorter sessions each day.
Don’t cut too short. Long grass looks naturally greener—there’s more surface area on each blade, so more green showing. Longer blades keep the sun off the soil, keeping moisture from evaporating as quickly.
Don’t mow in the rain. When it rains, the water forces the blades of grass to bow over—meaning your mower blade won’t get an even cut.
Fertilize your lawn with clippings. Your grass clippings are approximately 10% nitrogen—and that helps your grass grow.
Use the right grass for your climate. The best grass for your lawn depends on where you live.
Feed and reseed at the right times. Reseeding your lawn can replenish it, and most experts recommend homeowners do this once a year. When to reseed depends on your location.
Don’t try to control weeds too much. It isn’t realistic to expect that your lawn will have only one species of grass in it. Getting rid of every single weed you see can lead to over-application of pesticides.
A perfect green carpet of grass doesn’t occur very often in nature—and it’s not easy to get your garden to bow to your will. But with a little effort, you should be able to have a lawn that’s attractive and healthy.
July 10, 2009
Seven Tips for Good Garden Care
by: Geoff Wolfenden
