Dad’s Guide to the Perfect Lawn

The warm weather is here, and Dad is probably itching to get outside and cut the grass. However, it takes more than a sharp mower blade to maintain the perfect lawn. Unfortunately, the elements that are essential for lawn care (sun and rain), also invite bugs and weeds.

That’s why we’ve put together this guide to the perfect lawn so that Dad can spend this summer in his backyard masterpiece, relishing in the satisfaction of knowing that he did it all himself.

After all, a perfectly landscaped yard is a Dad’s dream!

• Keep Mower Blades Sharp 

A dull blade will tear the grass, resulting in ragged edges and brownish grass. Your mower blades should be replaced at least once, if not twice each mowing season depending on how much grass you have.

• Prevent Weeds Before They Come Up 

Stop lawn weeds from gaining a root hold before they sprout by using a pre-emergent herbicide. The best time to do this is early spring.

• Eliminate Broadleaf Weeds

These are the most noticeable weeds in your lawn, such as yellow dandelions and the white “scatter in the wind” seeded dandelions. Use granular weed control products to remove these, or remove them by hand as they sprout if you only have a few offenders.

• Mow High and Frequently

Essentially, you want to cut less grass more frequently. If you keep your lawn a bit taller, it'll result in healthier grass. The general rule of thumb is to never cut off more than a third of the grass blade. This does mean more work, but it’s worth it!

• Water in the Morning

If you water the grass in the morning, the sun will help dry it throughout the day. Watering at night or later in the day can result in prolonged moisture on the blades which leads to diseases. You also need to make sure you soak the lawn so that the water reaches the soil 2-3 inches down. Merely wetting the yard isn’t enough.

• Feed Your Lawn 

Nitrogen is the most important nutrient in a grass fertilizer. Look for a mix of fast and slow release fertilizers. Northern regions- feed in fall and spring. Southern regions- feed in spring and summer.

• Allow Your Soil to Breathe

The soil in lawns becomes compacted over time, resulting in weak or dying grass. Aerate your soil with a garden fork or a manual lawn plug aerator. The holes left behind allow the soil to breathe and let water and nutrients reach the grass’ roots.

• Reseed When Needed

You can fill large bare spots by re-seeding. Get the right type of seed to match your lawn. It’s usually better to choose high-quality seed, even if it costs a bit more. Avoid any seed that contains more than .01% of weed seed.

• Protect Your Yard from Cicadas!

If you live in Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia, or DC- then you know it’s the year of the cicadas. Cicadas will sprout out of the ground and dig into your plants and trees. Stop them by wrapping your trees, bushes, and shrubs in netting with holes 1 cm or smaller. You can use fine mesh insect netting or barrier plant bags for individual trees or shrubs. Avoid “bird netting,” which usually has net openings too large to keep cicadas out.

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