Your lawn is like a welcome mat for your home, for your entire property, and making sure that you take proper care of the lawn is important. A beautiful lawn is a joy, while a browning lawn is a blight not just for you, but for those who live near you as well.
But how do you get that elusive yard, the perfect yard, the yard that will be the talk of the neighborhood and the toast of every party you hold on your deck? How do you get the kind of yard that makes everyone want to come to your cookout, just so they can enjoy the soft grass on their feet?
The easiest way is to hire a professional, someone who works in the Colorado area and knows the soil, the land, and the climate. You have to treat lawns differently depending on what region they’re in and what the climate is, and failure to understand this can lead to a lawn not looking its best. This guide may not be applicable for your particular yard, but as a general rule, it can help you to get a beautiful lawn in Colorado, a yard that your neighbors will be envious of.
#1 Proper Sprinkler Setup
This is an important rule for any lawn, honestly. Whether you have a sprinkler system installed or you have a sprinkler you move around the yard, you need to check that it is hitting the entirety of your yard. Even with a professionally-installed system, you can find that over time it starts to miss certain areas.
A good tip is to make sure that the first time you run your sprinkler system, you check that it is covering your yard in its entirety. See if there are places that you can tell the water isn’t reaching. Walk around after you’re done and see if there are patches of grass that don’t glisten with fresh water. Catching this problem early ensures that you won’t have a brown patch to deal with, and as the saying goes, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of treatment.
One of the most common pitfalls of lawn care is improper watering. In Colorado’s arid climate, it’s crucial to optimize your irrigation system to avoid over or under-watering. Here are some tips for proper sprinkler setup:
- Check your sprinkler system for leaks, damage, and other inefficiencies.
- Set your timer according to the recommended watering schedule for your grass type and the time of year.
- Adjust spray patterns to avoid runoff and ensure even coverage.
- Use a rain gauge to determine the right amount of watering based on rainfall and weather conditions.
By setting up your sprinkler system properly, you’ll ensure your lawn gets the water it needs for healthy growth without wasting resources or harming the environment. If you are looking for more help or need someone to come out and check your sprinkler system for repair or maintenance, please reach out to us for a free quote.
#2 Seeding Properly And At The Right Time Of Year
How much seed you should be placing on your lawn depends on what you’re looking to do, but in general, overseeding is a good practice that will enable your lawn to look its best.
Overseeding is when you ‘fill out’ the gaps in your thinning lawn by planting new seed, filling in those gaps and making the law look fuller. However, you can’t just dump seed on your lawn and hope for the best; birds will eat it, water will wash it away, and it is less likely it will take if you simply put it on the surface. Properly seeding your lawn requires effort, it requires seed placement at least a bit below the surface, and it requires that you have proper conditions and fertilizer for the lawn.
For the best results, you will want to use a starter fertilizer and will want to properly prepare your lawn. For more information, you will need to do a bit of research into the best way to seed in your area, but the best time to seed is when the temperature is moderate, so avoid doing so in the summer.
Choosing the right grass type is only one part of the equation when it comes to a green lawn in Colorado. Seeding at the right time of year and using proper techniques is equally important. Here are some tips for seeding properly:
- Choose organic, high-quality seed that’s appropriate for Colorado’s climate and soil type.
- Aerate your soil before seeding to improve seed-to-soil contact.
- Seed in the fall (late August to early October) to take advantage of cooler temperatures and consistent moisture.
- Avoid over-seeding to prevent soil compaction and depletion of soil nutrients.
By seeding properly and at the right time of year, you’ll encourage strong root growth and sustainable grass growth.
#3 Mowing The Right Way
Mowing the lawn is important to keep your lawn looking its best, but if you’re not mowing properly, you are doing more harm than good. There are two important things to know about mowing your lawn that will allow it to look better while also ensuring you’re not damaging your lawn when you mow.
Firstly, at no time should you ever cut more than a third of the length of your grass. If your grass is three inches tall, you can cut an inch. Remember that longer grass has longer roots, and that protects you if you have a lot of rainfall or a lawn that is prone to flooding.
Secondly, your mower blade needs to be sharp. A sharp blade will cut the grass in a clean manner, while a dull mower blade is essentially tearing the grass. Torn grass does not heal well, while cut grass heals with ease and without much stress to your lawn.
- Set your mower to the right height based on your grass type (usually around 2-3 inches).
- Keep your blades sharp and clean for a clean cut.
- Don’t remove more than 1/3 of the grass blade length at a time.
- Leave grass clippings on the lawn to return nutrients to the soil.
Contact Westside Grounds
These are good general tips for keeping your lawn looking its greenest in the Colorado area. If you’re looking for more help, or if you just don’t have a green thumb, contacting the Westside Grounds can help to get your lawn on the right track.