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Getting Your Yard in Tip-Top Shape This Spring

 


It’s that time of the year when your focus turns to the outdoors and how you can make the necessary improvements to transform your yard into a masterpiece. Making your yard the envy of your neighbors throughout the summer takes a lot of work, but with the right materials and planning, you can make it an easy transformation. Here are a few suggestions that might help you get your yard in tip-top shape this spring.

Laying the Groundwork by Growing the Right Grass 

No matter how much you invest in a new sidewalk, driveway or new front porch, nothing will surpass certain focal points like bad grass. Dead, patchy grass areas can truly depreciate the value and curb appeal of a home, old or new. It’s important that before you start laying grass seed down in your yard that you analyze what type of soil you have, and identify any potential issues before you start planting. If you’re not familiar with grass seed varieties or you’re unsure what is causing your patchy grass areas, you may want to call in a professional landscaper to evaluate your yard. First, he will check the pH of your soil and recommend any additives you may need to bring your soil to the proper levels. The pH is important to grass seed because it determines how well nutrients thrive in the soil conditions. It also boosts the activity of soil organisms and predicts how well they will thrive in the surrounding ground area. A pro will also detect if there are any underlying hazards. Tree roots, ground moles or an improperly irrigated water system can create devastating effects to your yard area. Making sure these problems are addressed and cared for is important before planting the seed.

From there, you’ll have to select one of the several grass options available.  As this Nature’s Seed best grass seed list shows, some popular choices include:

  • Bermuda grass
  • Perennial Ryegrass
  • Bluegrass
  • Bahia

Determine the best turfgrass for your yard by carefully examining your underlying yard needs, your budget, and the region you’re in.

Proper Grass Maintenance

Part of having a gorgeous yard space is having a properly manicured lawn area. This starts with maintaining your newly seeded grass seeds and all other yard areas as well. Make sure that your seeded grass area is free from erosion and gets plenty of water and sunlight for a good boost. Care for the rest of your yard with frequent mowing using a mower that has sharp blades for a precise cut. Fertilize all areas of established grass with an all-in-one fertilizer for optimal lush, green effects. Keep in mind that when planting new seeds, be sure to properly identify the existing grass if integrating the new grass with old, this will eliminate color variations and obvious differences in seed type.

Attacking Weeds

One thing is for certain for every homeowner, there’s bound to be an abundance of weeds throughout the property. No matter how many you pull, they pop back up and often multiply overnight it seems. Keeping the weed population under control can be a challenge. It all starts with adding a protective layer of weed barrier in your plant beds to help prevent weeds around the perimeter of your home. Using a weed trimmer is another way to keep grass from growing too high around outbuildings and landscapes. Creating a small trench and outlining your garden beds and driveway make it easy to mow around the edges and creates a clean line edge around your yard space.

Proper Mix of Flowering Plants

Once you have your grass seed planting and your yard is beginning to flourish, you’ll need to accent the area with a proper mix of flowering plants. Interchanging perennials with annuals is the best way to keep a base of established plants along with bright flowering plants to create a blast of color. Once your soil has improved in the grass area, perennials, shrubs, and trees will also thrive in your yard year after year. Accent your yard space with flowering plants to boost curb appeal and create a welcoming accent to every corner of your landscape.

Starting in the spring with new plantings is the best way to have grass and plants established by summertime. Spend more time enjoying the outdoors in the summer by getting a head start on things early on in the spring.


Becky Wilcox is a freelance writer who enjoys writing about beauty, fashion, technology and more.  She writes for Life with Lisa as well as several other blogs and websites.  Check back soon for more from Becky.

Comments

  1. Mary Ambrosino says

    Having a nice yard makes you feel proud of your home and flowering plants in a yard always make me smile. Crab grass not so much.

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