Tips You Need to Know to Grow A Green Lawn

At Commercial Lawn, we take pride in making the Midwest a greener place, one yard at a time. That’s why we provide homeowners with valuable tips on how to get the most out of their grass lawns. 

If you’re looking to increase your curb appeal, there’s little better you could do than to maintain a beautiful, healthy yard. 

Sometimes, that can be easier said than done, though. Whether it’s an unforeseen drought or invasive crabgrass, keeping a green yard is oftentimes easier said than done. 

This blog post is here to help!

 Here are our top tips for growing a yard full of green grass year in and year out. 

1. Professional irrigation system installation

   Professional sprinkler system installation is our number one lawn care tip (no surprise!). Simply put, in-ground sprinklers remain the surest way to grow a yard full of healthy, green grass.

   It’s common knowledge that plants, in general, need three ingredients in order to grow: water, food, and sunlight. A residential sprinkler system ensures every blade of grass receives the water coverage it needs in order to thrive. 

   In-ground sprinkler systems are routinely programmed to water at the most optimal times of the day, shut themselves off when rainfall is detected, and are all properly zoned to ensure no area of your yard is overwatered. All in all, home sprinklers are the most solid investment a homeowner could make to set the foundation for a healthy yard for years to come. 

   Plus, with proper automatic sprinkler timer utilization and routine seasonal winterization and start up services, your newly installed sprinkler system pays for itself in no time by saving on your water bill. 

   If you’re interested in scheduling a sprinkler system estimate to get your yard in gear, contact us here!

2. Reseed your lawn at the right time

   It’s only natural that some spots in your lawn might need touch-ups from time to time. Whether that’s due to a lack of sun exposure, watering differences, or some other factor outside of your control, it’s all too common to see yards with brown spots. 

   However, reseeding these areas at the right time can stop those spots in their tracks.
   
   For instance, do you know the most optimal times of the year to seed those trouble spots? 

   We find that the Fall provides the perfect opportunity for seeds to take root--usually sometime between mid-September to mid-October because ground temperatures start to cool down, which allows the seed to germinate quicker. 

   If you happen to miss that sweet spot, though, don’t fret. Another little-known seeding tip is to actually spread seed on your lawn right after the first snow! The resulting snowmelt actually helps your seeds settle into the soil, which is typically not yet frozen over. 

3. Properly aerate your yard twice a year

   First of all, what is lawn aeration? Simply put, lawn aeration is the process of letting your lawn breathe. To accomplish this, you perforate the ground throughout your yard, either using an actual aerator or making do with garden tools.
   
   Aeration is needed because soil tends to become dense and compacted, especially in areas of heavy use. When the soil becomes so dense that it prevents the flow of nutrients and water to your lawn’s root system, well, then you have a problem. 

   At Commercial Lawn Irrigation, we’re in the business of delivering water to your lawn, but we also feel it’s important for our customers to know the steps to properly care for that lawn, even outside of the realm of our expertise. 

4. Follow a regular fertilization schedule

   When your lawn wakes up from its winter hibernation, the first thing a homeowner should do is make sure it’s properly nourished. Fertilizing your lawn ensures your grass has an ample supply of nutrients in order to keep it growing throughout the spring and summer months. 

   This topic is quite the rabbit hole of information in and of itself, so we recommend following a fertilization program run by a professional fertilization company near you. In addition to simply providing your lawn with food, there are also aspects like pre-emergence to take into account, which helps prevent crab grass from starting late winter and into early spring. 

   
   In general, though, we recommend fertilizing your lawn once in the beginning of spring, right when your grass appears to be growing enough to be mowed for the first time, as well as once in late spring, just to ensure it maintains the level of nutrients it needs throughout the remainder of the year. 

5. Water according to your soil type

   Soil types have distinct advantages and disadvantages when it comes to growing grass, especially when it comes to how much water you’ll need to keep your grass green. 

   Different soil densities retain different amounts of water before becoming oversaturated, Lawn owners must be wary about the makeup of their soil before programming watering times.
   
   For the most part, you’re safe to simply eyeball the makeup of your soil. Does it seem tacky or clay-based? In that case, you’ll need to lower your watering times, as your soil will become oversaturated quickly. On the other hand, you may find that your soil seems loamy or sandy, in which case you’ll need to water your lawn for longer amounts of time. 

   For those who really want to jump down the rabbit hole, you can even test the pH level, alkalinity, and nutrient makeup of your soil using do-it-yourself soil testing kits. Using the resulting information, homeowners can make more accurate decisions when it comes to providing your grass lawn the nutritional makeup it requires. 

6. Choose the Grass Strain Most Appropriate to Your Climate

   While some might think “grass is grass”, it’s worthwhile to remember that there are many different strains of grass and each perform differently depending on the climate in which you live.
   
   There are plenty of breakdowns to find scattered across the web (we particularly like this one by Pennington), but seeing as our customers are located in the Midwest, we’ll list some of our favorites for this region: 

   Kentucky Blue Grass is great for this area but does require a lot of moisture throughout the summer months. This strain can sometimes be prone to diseases, so while it looks amazing there are some downsides to consider. 

   Fescue is also a great option! This strain handles droughts a lot better than Kentucky Blue and is altogether more resilient. In fact, whenever customers ask for our input, a sports turf fescue blend is what we always recommend.

7. Stop Mowing Too Short

   Yes, we get it--the shorter you cut the grass the less frequently you’ll need to drag that mower out in the first place.

   While mowing the lawn can feel arduous, it’s worth reminding yourself why you’re doing it in the first place. Mowing the lawn is another form of upkeep, and if you continue to cut your grass too short you’ll find that all that hard work will end up resulting in dead grass. 

   Cutting your grass too short can stress out the entire root system of your yard. Remember, grass is just like any other plant found in nature. Think of the grass blades like leaves--they are necessary to provide the plants sunlight and convert their food to energy. Shorter blades mean less surface area for the sun to strike, which means the plant works harder to survive.
   
   Instead, raise your mower blades a notch or two. You’ll find your grass lawn will remain consistently green as a result, all while still boasting a nice uniform length so you’re not sacrificing your curb appeal.