Everybody dreams of a well-maintained, vibrant green lawn that instantly elevates your home look and feel. Unfortunately, the dream of a green and lush garden requires a lot of hard work. The path to achieving a picturesque landscape is fraught with challenges that can rapidly inject a sour taste into your sweet lawn dream. Bare patches, wilting grass, and muddy zones. Sometimes, despite your best efforts it seems that the lawn is working actively against you!
Not sure what is going on? Ultimately, managing your garden when you already juggle a lot of your plate can be tricky. So, it is no surprise that many homeowners struggle to stay up to date with garden maintenance. But, if you want to fix your lawn, this little guide of the top most common issues will help you understand the underlying cause of your lawn problems.
The silent undermining lawn grubs
Lawn grubs are the larvae of beetles. They are stealthy foes that will work their havoc beneath the surface. So, you may not be able to notice you have grubs until the damage is already done.
How do you recognize grubs? Lawn grubs are small, C-shaped larvae. They feed on grassroots, which means they leave behind unsightly brown patches in your lawn. They tend to go into feeding frenzy towards late summer and early fall, which can cause extensive damage if left unchecked.
That is precisely why you want to consider mastering grub prevention and control techniques to get rid of these subterranean invaders before it is too late. While there are chemical products available, you may want to reach out to specialist lawn professionals who can preserve your garden without putting the surrounding wildlife at risk.
Tackling larger pests in the garden
While bugs may escape your notice, larger pests such as rodents can be just as destructive on your lawn. Moles, voles, and other rodents burrow beneath the surface, upending soil and root systems. This can result in unattractive mounds and compromised grass health all over your garden. Your priority is to erect physical barriers, such as fences, that can deter these invaders. You also need a comprehensive pest management plan, especially if you are concerned about pest invasion on your property. If you suspect that pests are a recurring issue for your garden and your home, it may be time to reach out to professional pest removal companies that can help stop the problem once and for all.
Lawn aeration
Did you know that when your soil is too compact, it can create a hostile environment for healthy grass growth. Indeed, soil compaction can restrict air, water, and nutrient movements, which means that the roots may not receive the fuel they need to grow. Lawn aeration is a typical technique that is usually applied before the start of the summer to loosen the winter soil.
Regularly aerator your lawn will prevent water runoff and enhance the lawn’s resilience over time. Typical signs that your soil is too compact will include poor water drainage, such as stagnant water after the rain, increased thatch accumulation, and overall reduced vitality.
Lack of maintenance
It would seem obvious that you can’t keep a green and lush lawn without regular maintenance. However, when you work long days and have little time to rest, it is fair to say that the lawn is probably not going to be your top priority. How does lack of maintenance affect your garden?
There could be many devastating ways. Firstly, a poorly maintained lawn means that existing problems can go unnoticed for a long time. Imagine for instance that you have pests settling in. If you don’t spend enough time in the garden, you may not notice their presence until they have done substantial damage.
Secondly, if you fall behind lawn mowing, you could rapidly get into trouble with an overgrown garden. Overgrown gardens can be a source of risk as they hide the presence of pests. In fact, they can even appear inviting to local pests as they can enter the garden unnoticed. This can also hide issues surrounding the soil, as the tall grass will hide them. Finally, it can feel overwhelming to manage an overgrown garden as removing all the unnecessary growth can take a lot of time and effort.
Not creating a play area for pets and kids
Children and pets love playing in the garden. But this can take a toll on your lawn. Excessive foot traffic can compact the soil in places, or it can also create worn patches in others. You may soon find out that your efforts to grow lush and green grass are in vain if you allow your kids to run around or your pets to dig the garden up.
Unfortunately, you can’t ban them from playing outside. However, what you can do is create dedicated areas where they can play safely without putting the rest of the garden at risk. This will also present another advantage, as you can precisely control the plants and structure in the play areas. For instance, if you have pets, you can actively research pet-friendly plants to border their play space.
Neglecting soil health
What type of soil do you have? Is it acidic? Do you notice that plants are struggling to thrive in your soil? This may be linked to soil health.
Ideally, you want to test your soil regularly to gain a better overview of your soil pH. Your soil could be either acidic or alkaline. It could also be neutral, which means neither acidic or alkaline. Different plants flourish in different types of soil. So, if you notice that you are struggling to grow some plants, it is worth checking the soil pH and whether your plants are ericaceous (acid-loving) or not.
Improper fertilization
Fertilization is the nutritional lifeblood of your lawn. As such, improper application can do more harm than good. Improper could mean either over-fertilizing or under-fertilizing, which could affect grass and growth. So, you may want to develop a fertilization schedule that is specifically tailored to your grass quality and type.
The green and lush garden of your dreams requires knowledge, commitment, and diligence. Once you understand which issue is affecting your grass, you can take the right measures to manage it!
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