Eat, sleep, mow, repeat…..but it terms of the lawn it should be fertilize, irrigate, mow, repeat. Its that simple, that’s how you start to promote growth and get your lawn looking better.
- Mow – You must mow frequently and at the correct height for your grass type. If you’re like me and have bermuda and zoysia grass, then you’re looking at 1 1/2″ – 3″. Keep in mind that when your mowing you don’t want to cut off more than 1/3″ of the current blade. Keeping to the 1/3″ rule you should be mowing at least every week. This keeps your grass at the proper length and promotes growth.
- Fertilize – You need to feed your grass and fertilizer is how do it. There are many options out there, whether it be the type or the company that produces. The key to fertilizer is knowing what outcome you desire and how much to put down. The first thing to look at are the three numbers with dashes in between them, for example 6-4-2. The first number is how much % of nitrogen is in the bag. The second number is how much % of phosphorus is in the bag, and the third is how much % of potash (potassium) is in the bag. Nitrogen promotes growth and color, phosphorus promotes root development and potassium helps strengthen your grass against disease and drought. So if you have an established lawn that needs some greening up, then you’ll want more nitrogen, where if you have a newer lawn you’ll want more phosphorus.
- Irrigate – Watering your lawn is a must, especially during the heat of the summer. Your lawn needs at least 1″- 1 1/2″ water per week, split up into 2-3 days of watering. A deep watering is preferred, at least 1/2″, so the water gets down to the roots to keep your grass healthy. You also need to ensure your sprinklers are set up to water the entire lawn. If you want to make sure the correct amount of water is getting put into your lawn then you can set up cups on random spots of your lawn and then measure after watering to determine how much that area got.
Remember, fertilize, irrigate, mow, repeat!