Last Updated on June 17, 2023 by Stewart
Making a lawn look great is something that can be easily achieved, as long as the lawn is well maintained. When talking about improving the lawn, it means two things. The first is the overall quality of it in terms of the strength of the grass blade as well as the nutrients within the soil.
The second is the appearance of it. A lush, green lawn looks amazing, and it is something that many want to achieve, but they never quite manage to do it. As it happens, both the quality and colour of the lawn go hand in hand with each other. As such, the steps below will put you in the right direction to make your lawn look amazing.
Cut the Lawn Properly
This may sound like a silly suggestion, but you would be surprised by the hatchet jobs that some people do on their lawns. There really isn’t any need to do this. My recommendation when cutting the lawn is to start on the highest cut setting on the lawn mower, and then work down there after. Remember, you can always take off more, but you can’t put it back on.
A lawn that has been cut way too short looks awful, and by taking your time, it can mean that you don’t end up butchering the look of it. There are a lot of great lawn mowers on the market. If you’re wanting a petrol lawn mower, then I can highly recommend this page.
In addition to this, it’s also important to factor in the weather when cutting the lawn. During periods of intense heat and very little rainfall, it is actually recommended to NOT cut your lawn. The reason for this is that any moisture that is in the soil is protected from drying out by the grass acting as a canopy, or an umbrella for it. The longer the soil has moisture in it, the better the health of the lawn.
If you need to cut the lawn in the intense heat then I would strongly recommend that you only cut off a small amount of it, on the highest cut setting.
An important thing to remember is that any lawn clippings (unless they have been mulched by the mulching function in your lawn mower) should be raked up from the lawn after the cut has been finished.
By leaving it on the grass, it effectively suffocates the lawn, causing it to look brown and eventually die off which is the last thing that you want!
Keep The Lawn Watered
It’s important to make sure that the lawn is well watered, especially during the summer months. However, it is important to note that it should not be watered in situations where there will be a lot of heat and direct sunlight. The reason for this is that it will end up burning the grass.
Instead, water it in the early morning, or late evening when the sun is going down, and it’s also cooler.
When watering the lawn, it is possible to use a sprinkler. However, for those on a budget, it’s perfectly acceptable to use a hose spray gun instead and putting it onto the “shower” setting.
You need to be mindful as well of over watering the lawn. If you do this, you will effectively flood the soil. When this happens, you are flushing out the nutrients that are within it. The end result of this is that the lawn will be starved of these nutrients, and it will start to brown and degrade.
More often than not, for lawns that are showing signs of browning, they are simply needing a light, routine waterings (ideally twice a week when it’s cool) in order to bring it back to its former glory. However, there are instances where further intervention needs to be used. This can be in cases where the lawn has been completely neglected, as well as in cases where low quality turf was used in the first instance. In situations such as this, it would be necessary to feed the lawn.
Feed The Lawn
There are a variety of lawn feeds available on the market, all at different price points. I have tried a lot, but I really like using liquid lawn feeds since they are a lot easier to apply, and I feel you get a lot more value for money from them.
The important thing to note about lawn feeds is that they do have optimum temperatures that they can be applied in. These will have been tested over a period of years, so please follow these instructions when using them.
My favourite feed is from Richard Jackson. It is moderately priced, but it has improved not only the appearance of many lawns I have worked on, but also the strength of the grass blades and the roots. An indepth review can be found, here.
- FOR A GREEN, HEALTHY LOOKING LAWN: To grow beautiful, luscious-looking greener grass that’s stronger, healthier and more resilient for pets, children and day to day use
Last update on 2023-12-09 As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. As an Amazon Associate, I may earn from qualifying purchases.
I have also used lawn feeds on those that aren’t showing signs of browning. The reason for this is that prevention is better than cure. By feeding it on the intervals laid out by the feed manufacturer, you are giving the lawn a nutrient boost. Not only will it help to strengthen it and make it very green, but it is also giving it a strong fighting chance to survive throughout the winter when you can’t feed it and the hours of sunlight aren’t as plentiful as they are in the summer.
I liken this to animals the hibernate in the winter. Before they do so, they have a huge meal to get them through the cold months. The lawn is the same; feeding it with a high quality lawn feed will be enough to sustain it during the winter.
With fast acting lawn feeds, you can literally see the transformation within days of applying the feed. By having healthier, thicker blades of grass it can also help improve drainage in the soil. The reason for this is that due to the grass being fuller and thicker, it will absorb more liquid from the soil and as such help to drain any excess liquid from it.
Seed The Lawn As And When Required
A natural part of any lawn is that over time, sections of it may die off. However, these patches can severely impair the overall look of it. The easiest way to resolve this is to overseed bald patches on the lawn. There are quite a lot of lawn seeds available on the market, some which claim to be fast acting, and some which aren’t but promote stronger blades of grass.
At this point, you need to consider how much money you want to spend on a lawn seed. Generally speaking, they all work well, but if you’ve got quite a lot that you need to sow, it’s always better to buy a bit more than what you need. The reason for this is that birds will peck away at the seeds. When this happens, you’ll need to reapply it to the impacted area, so having some seed in reserve is a great idea.