There’s nothing quite like that several million years worth of hard labor it feels like that you spend maintaining your lawn, is there? Then there are the mysteries of why that bald patch is ten times bigger and heading to the opposite coast, and why you’re suddenly seeing some sort of alien things growing happily in your lawn.
Then you get to play “What’s wrong with the lawn mower this week?” and other party games. If you’re really lucky, you can even watch your topsoil move next door and wonder what you’re going to do with the resulting mini Grand Canyon. You can also wonder why your insurance guy is suddenly smiling like that and real estate people suddenly don’t know who you are.
If you’re not a masochist, all this entertainment can get to be a bit too much. It really shouldn’t be a choice between having a lawn and having a life. Owning a lawn isn’t actually a crime. You shouldn’t be punished for it.
You should at least be able to use the lawn yourself, not just be its personal therapist. If maintaining your front yard is turning in to something that feels like weekend jail time, you really do need better options.
Lawn maintenance choices
The best way to manage a lawn is with regular maintenance. You don’t want, or need, the maintenance to turn in to just a different type of hard work, though. To create a low-maintenance lawn, you need to do a bit of planning.
The choices are:
- Plant sod – This is always a good option. You can repair weak spots and prevent spread of existing problems.
- Seeding – Good for many lawns, seeding revitalizes the lawn. The new lawn will takes over all available empty spaces, and avoid that “comb over”” effect of half-baked replanting. (Both sod and seeding are also good for preventing weed growth.)
- Regular fertilizing – This is a very simple approach to making sure the lawn is able to grow well. It’s not a hard job, but needs to be done properly
- Less mowing, at higher blade levels – Low blades can do incredible damage to lawns. A higher setting prevents bald areas. The grass should be about 2 inches long after mowing. This is a good size, and the grass has enough size to absorb sunlight for photosynthesis.
- Basic maintenance – Aeration of the soil, weeding, etc.
- Drainage fixes – Make sure the lawn drains properly to manage local site issues and prevent overgrowth and lawn damage.
The result of this work will be a lawn which can pretty much self-manage to a large extent.
Best option – Get professional help with your low-maintenance lawn
If you’re thinking that a low maintenance lawn sounds good but you’re not sure or keen about doing all the work yourself, you’re quite right. Lawn maintenance isn’t necessarily that simple, either. Some sites have their own special issues. The work has to be done properly.
Now the really good news – Get someone like us to do it all for you. We do this sort of work all the time in New York. We know the problems, and how to fix them, permanently. Give us a call, and let’s talk lawns.