June 13, 2013

Tips for a happy, healthy and green lawn

With summer just around the corner and many new homeowners moving into their new Vancouver custom homes we thought we’d provide some quick, simple and easy tips about how to maintain a happy and healthy lawn. There are just three basics to it: mow, fertilize and water.

(1)Mowing your lawn

Mowing your lawn when you haven't done so in a long time can leave your yard sunburnt. This is due to the fact that you are exposing the lower parts of the grass blades which have grown accustomed to little sun. And much like how our skin burns when exposed to the sun for the first time, grass will burn too.

If your lawn has grown rather lengthy, mowing it is like putting your lawn on a sudden diet. The roots have become accustomed to a large amount of food coming from the long grass blades but now that they have all been cut shorter the roots are receiving less nutrients.

When you mow regularly you won’t have to pick up the clippings. Mowing on a regular basis allows you to leave the lawn clippings behind as a way to fertilize the lawn. But if you leave too much behind, then the clippings will end up smothering the grass and damaging your lawn.

Most sources recommend cutting the grass at the highest height setting on your mower. Besides bringing in more nutrients, tall grass that is about 1.5 to 3 inches tall shades out weeds better, locks moisture into the soil for longer, and grows healthier roots which will help the grass better survive the winter.

(2)What to know about fertilizing

Fertilize in the fall. The Lower Mainland's warm autumn temperatures and consistent rain allows for grass to continue to grow even though the weather turn tells us that winter is not far away. Fertilizing your lawn in Coquitlam during the fall will encourage deeper root growth thereby strengthening your lawn. A strong lawn will be better able to weather the winter and will support a happier greener lawn the following spring through to the summer.

But don’t over fertilize. Nitrogen is the magic chemical that grass needs to grow, but give too much of it through your fertilizer and your grass will begin to brown.

(3)The basics about Watering

Your lawn doesn't need to be watered daily or even every other day. Your lawn only needs one inch of water per week, either from your garden hose or the clouds above, and it is best served in one big dump (living in Vancouver it will get plenty of rain in one spring week). Getting a good dousing every week or so promotes deep root growth, because the roots aren't getting water every day they have to go foraging for more water deeper in the soil. Whereas watering daily encourages an increased density of surface level roots, which are weaker.

For those hot dry summer months in Greater Vancouver read your cities website on sprinkling regulations.

Whether you have recently moved into a Burnaby Wallmark custom home, or are waiting with anticipation for your new custom home to be completed or are just dreaming about a new home , we hope that these lawn care tips enable you to kick off your shoes, lay back and relax throughout the summer.