7 Steps to Your Best Lawn Ever

With the sun out, birds chirping, and spring officially upon us, it’s time to start tending to your yard after a long winter’s rest. That means planting new flowers, filling up your birdbath and feeder and, of course, sprucing up your lawn.

While a picture-perfect green lawn can seem like an elusive dream, it’s not as unattainable as it may seem. Follow the simple tips and tricks below to have your best lawn yet, and it will be sure to make your neighbors green with envy!

1. Stop the Mower From Attracting Clumps

Sick of pesky clumps getting stuck on your mower blades when tending to your yard? You’re not alone! In order to prevent this from happening, we have a simple solution—coat the blades with cooking spray before use! It’s as simple as that. This will lead to a smooth and hassle-free cut, and therefore a healthier and more beautiful lawn. In using this tip, note that if you must turn your mower over to reach the blades, your mower is gas-powered so prior to spraying the blades, ensure that your tank is empty.

2. Keep Mower Blades Sharp

Dull mower blades provide a poor cut and therefore a poor overall look to your lawn. Dull blades can even be harmful to the health of your grass as they can shred it with an uneven cut, leaving it susceptible to disease. This also means that your lawn will need higher levels of nutrients to repair the damage done from an uneven cut. Sharp and balanced blades, on the other hand, play a big part in cutting your grass evenly and cleanly, adding to the beauty of its appearance.

3. Use Grass Trimmings to Your Advantage

This is a tip certainly not shared by those working at your local gardening center, but those grass trimmings you have been bagging up can actually help your lawn to thrive. If your mower is one that drops clippings back onto the lawn, it can reduce the amount of fertilizer you need to use by a third, or even up to a half—meaning more money back in your pocket! Mulching mowers help your grass get the nutrients it needs and can save you from having to buy and spread pounds of chemical fertilizer at the beginning of each season.

4. Water Longer and Less Often

When watering your lawn, you want to ensure that the soil gets enough water to stimulate the root growth, which requires the moisture to get down pretty deep. The easiest and most efficient way to do that is to let your sprinkler run for longer periods of time, meaning you don't need to water every day. The longer the water runs, the deeper the water will penetrate through the soil, allowing for healthier and greener grass.

5. Make Your Lawn a Cocktail

Believe it or not, your lawn could benefit from a mixed drink! This is made from simple household items like a light beer, a can of non-diet soda, a cup of ammonia, a cup of liquid dish soap, a cup of either molasses or corn syrup, and a half-cup of mouthwash. After mixing them all together, use a hose-end sprayer to apply it to your lawn once every three weeks to help stimulate your lawn. The beer, soda, and molasses benefit the microbes while the ammonia serves as a source of nitrates, which is the main ingredient found in leading fertilizers. The soap helps to spread the solution more evenly and assists in binding everything to the blades of grass. As an added bonus, the mouthwash can play a part in deterring common yard pests. Overall, this solution will make your lawn more lush and will also help in requiring less watering.

6. Add Earthworms to Your Yard

This hack may make you squirm, but earthworms are actually a great help to your lawn! They chew up the soil and eat their way through your lawn. In the process of doing so, they leave behind nutrients that help grass and plants while simultaneously creating air pockets. Start by introducing them to the stubborn areas of your lawn that you just can’t seem to keep green and you’ll soon see a difference! This is a simple and economical way to improve the aesthetic of your lawn.

7. Mow Your Grass a Bit Less

If you have a regimented mowing schedule and are used to doing it often, you may want to cut back on the number of trimmings. Keeping the grass blades long can actually make your yard greener and aid in blocking weeds from getting the sun they need to prosper in your lawn, keeping those eye sores away! Long grass also helps retain moisture in the soil. Plus, who isn’t looking for an excuse to mow their grass less, anyway?

As you can see, you don’t need to move mountains to have a lush and lovely lawn. These steps are simple, budget-friendly, and don’t take much time to put into motion.