If one of your main hobbies is pottering around in your yard, and if you see yourself as a keen gardener, you no doubt find yourself spending hour upon hour in the garden each week. There are always jobs to do, whether you are tending to new or established plants, growing your own produce, composting, laying down mulch etc. 

However, do you give just as much attention to the state of your lawn? Many people don’t think of lawns as requiring so much TLC, but they actually do need to be cared for look their best year-round. To have lovely fresh, green lawn to look at, lie on and play on throughout the year, as well as grass that will add to the curb appealof your property, you must put various jobs on your to-do list. Read on for some tips to follow today.

Mowing does keep a lawn looking neat and tidy, but regular grass cutting also helps lawns to stay healthy and thicken up. When you do mow, make sure to be kind and not trim off more than a third of the grass at once. It’s better to mow often but curtly than to trim only occasionally but hack off a lot each time you do.

Cutting back with care is especially vital during the summer months. This is because when the heat hits, your lawn has more chance of withstanding dry times when it has some more length on it. When winter comes, you can chop it back a bit more. At this time of year, a shorter length means sunlight can get down to the crown of the grass, which will help it stay healthier. 

If you struggle to find the time to mow, or just hate the job, it’s worth outsourcing the task to a professional. For example, check out these services for Tampa lawn mowing if you live in that area. 

Watering is key too, particularly during summer. When temperatures soar, the soil beneath lawn dries out and can affect the condition of the grass. Note, though, that watering is needed year-round, especially in winter if you don’t get much rain in your area for weeks or months at a time. 

If you’re not sure when to water your lawn, check its color. If it starts to look a bit blue-gray, this is a sign it needs to be watered. Also, if the older leaf blades appear to be wilting or curling up, this shows that the soil is drying out and moisture is required. 

Also, whenever you lay new lawn, always water more than normal, so the lawn’s seeds can germinate and the root system of the grass can get established. 

If your lawn is full of weeds, it won’t look its best now, and it will continue to struggle as the weeds take over. Weed control is therefore a vital chore. You can do some weeding by hand, but you may also need to use a weed killer. These days there are some great organic products available, which are kinder to the environment and to your pets (and yourself) but still take care of weeds. Apply sprays during the spring and in fall for best results. 

Another tip is to keep an eye on the pH level of the soil below your lawn. If things get too acidic, this will encourage more weeds to grow, and you may pretty quickly find your lawn covered in moss. You can raise the pH level by applying limestone or ground chalk. 

You probably apply fertilizer and/or mulch to your garden beds at least once a year to help plants thrive, but do you do this for your lawn as well? While lawns can be fed many essential elements from the rain, during months of dry weather they often need to be given additional nutrients by way of fertilizer. If you apply this kind of feed at least once per year, you’ll be much more likely to have a lush, green lawn. 

Fall or early spring are usually the best times to spread some feed around. It’s a good idea to do this with a drop spreader if possible, so you end up with an even application that gives all-over coverage. Once you’ve applied the fertilizer, if you don’t get any rain in your area within three days, do some watering to help the feed soak in properly.