Tips To Maintain The Lawn

Almost everyone has heard the phrase "curb appeal" in referring to one's first impression of a home. People take only an instant to decide if a house is worthy of their time and attention by checking out how things look on the outside when they first arrive. One of the best ways to make sure that your home has a strong and inviting curb appeal is by making sure the lawn gets good lawn care.

While that can sound easy enough, sometimes getting the back and front lawn to look beautiful, immaculate and attractive can be a daunting task, especially if there have been some problems with the health of your lawn recently. Below is a collection of lawn care tips and suggestions that can help you cultivate a lawn that draws people to your home, welcomes them, and gives your curb appeal a real boost.

Tip One: Find out the condition of the lawn soil. You can get the soil tested through the agricultural extension agencies in your area. This test will identify what is lacking in the soil so you know what it needs to make your lawns flourish.

Tip Two: Have a regular lawn maintenance routine that includes fertilizing three to five times every year. Make sure this is done on a regular schedule and is the right kind of food for the grass in your garden lawn. The extension agency can also help you with information in this regard as it relates to your local area.

These simple tips should give you a good starting place from which to improve the health, vitality and appearance of the lawn that is the introduction to your home. With careful lawn maintenance you will enjoy great curb appeal and you will also be able to use and enjoy your yard more fully.

To read more tips: Tips To Maintain The Lawn

Better Lawn Care During Winter

An essential approach to being sure that you have a beautiful and healthy lawn that springs to life vibrantly once the dormant phase has ended is to make sure that it is given appropriate lawn care at the end of the growing season.

People make the mistake of thinking that no special care needs to be given. But there are some simple things you can do that will help you to enjoy a lush and thriving lawn when spring arrives.

Even if you are not expecting much in the way of snowfall, it is still important to be sure that the grass isn't left under piles of leaves or other rubbish that can interfere with the grass receiving proper moisture, nutrients and air.

While the growth of grass often comes to a halt in the late fall, it can still die if it is buried under any kind of yard debris.

Winter grasses, such as rye, do best when they are planted in mid to late October. And, even though it might be chilly outdoors, you should still water your winter lawns if the weather is dry.

Rye grass will thrive best with one to two inches of water each week. These simple lawn care tips should result in a lawn that really stands out when spring arrives.

To read more Better Lawn Care During Winter

Lawn and Garden Without Toxic Chemical Weed Killers

While it may seem like an impossible goal, keeping your lawn and garden areas weed-free without using harmful chemicals can be done. Some people think that it is just too much work and can only mean hours of back-breaking, knee-numbing work.

Fortunately, you don't have to get down on your knees and pull those weeds out by hand. In fact, the whole idea is to work smarter, instead of harder, and still enjoy chemical-free weed control.

Another very effective way to keep weeds out of your lawn and garden without dumping a lot of toxic chemicals all over your landscape design is to install landscape fabrics. These specially made fabrics are very effective and can be considered a great hi-tech partner in battling weeds without chemical treatments.

Vinegar is an effective agent to control weeds, but it must be used carefully so it does not affect your lawn. Keep in mind that vinegar is a "non-selective" natural herbicide, so if you choose to use it to control the lawn and garden weeds around your home, then you must take care to apply it only to the weeds.

For this reason it is not a good solution for use on lawns, other than in areas where the weeds can easily be identified and sprayed individually. However, it makes a fine organic solution to keeping weeds in check without the problems associated with chemicals.

To read more Lawn and Garden Without Toxic Chemical Weed Killers