Tips for healthy lawn turf

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Tips for healthy lawn turf
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Landscaping companies can be a valuable source of
information for maintaining healthy lawn turf.
The beauty of a perfect lawn begins with healthy
green grass spread across the stretch of land. It
not only represents a healthy lawn but also gives
a spectacular look to your house. But choosing
the right grass for your lawn can be tricky at
times. In fact choosing the right grass creates
all the difference between a low-maintenance,
environmentally-friendly lawn versus a dull and
patchy, diseases prone lawn. You can consult
landscaping companies for the right guidance when
setting up your lawn. But how do you choose the
right type of lawn turf on your own? First of
all, dont buy seeds on impulse. The type of
grass you select should depend on several factors
such as color, leaf width, characteristic
appearance, density, compatibility with the
climate and soil, water needs, etc.
Here are a few steps to follow before choosing
the lawn grass
Soil testing
Turf grasses usually thrive in well-aerated soil
with pH between 6 to 7.5. Its recommended to
purchase a soil test kit from a lawn care company
and test the soil. To take a soil test, gather
soil samples from several places around your
lawn. Mix it well and place it into the soil
testing bag. Expect to wait for about two weeks
to get the right results.
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Select the grass
There are mainly two types of grasses, warm
season grass and cool season grass. Warm-Season
GrassWarm-season grasses are the ones that
resonate with and grow better in warmer regions
of the country. These include St. Augustine,
Buffalo, Bermuda, Centipede and Zoysia. These
grasses achieve their peak growth when summer is
in full swing. They require full sun to thrive,
although they may tolerate some
shade. Cool-Season GrassCool-season grasses are
the ones that  resonate with and grow better in
cool northern regions of the country. These
include tall and red fescues, perennial ryegrass
and Kentucky bluegrass. These grass turfs grow
the most during the cool seasons of spring and
fall. Cool-season grasses are more
shade-tolerant, especially the fescues. Hence one
key factor while choosing the right grass seed
simply depends on your region.
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Levels of Shade
The next thing to consider is the number of trees
in your lawn. Since different types of grasses
tolerate different levels of shade, dense trees
can be a problem. Most grasses enjoy sunlight and
need a minimum of six hours of direct sunlight to
thrive. Even shade-tolerant grasses need around
four hours of sunlight. If your lawn has more
trees, opt for cool-season grasses, the
shade-tolerant ones like rye and fine and tall
fescues. There are also a few warm-season grasses
that can grow in shade, like Zoysia and St.
Augustine. Its best to blend quality seeds of
several types of shade-tolerant grasses and
spread them around so if one dies, another can
take its place.
Wear and tear of turf
Its important to consider wear and tear of your
lawn in advance. If you have a family with young
children and pets who enjoy a summer pool and
running around in the lawn, opt for a more
resistant grass. Kentucky bluegrass is one such
turf. Its one of the finest choices for athletic
fields, and is also self-mending. When bare spots
occur, the turf can creep in to fill in holes
automatically. However, its more demanding in
terms of mowing, fertilizing and watering
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Fertilizing Your Lawn
Do research or consult landscaping companies to
be sure of the fertilizing needs of the turf type
you choose to grow in your lawn. If youre more
an organic kind of a person and love to fertilize
your plants with organic fertilizers such as
compost and other earth-friendly brews, make sure
the grass you select responds well to that. Some
turfs require more frequent fertilization. Also
make sure youre not planting a high-maintenance
lawn when you have time only to grow a
low-maintenance one. While buying grass seed read
the label carefully. It should show weed seed
content less than 1 and inert material content
less than 4 with germination rate no less than
70.
How to Water
Consider watering needs when you choose your
grass seed. If you live in a region more prone to
droughts and water scarcity, select a grass like
Buffalo turf, tall fescue or Zoysia. Floratam is
the St. Augustines variety thats the most
drought-tolerant, but it requires some shade. You
may also need to install an irrigation system
before planting the seeds.
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Mowing needs
Finally, consider lawn mowing needs when
selecting a grass type. Grasses like fescues have
ideal growing heights and dont need mowing as
often as  Kentucky bluegrass lawn. Among
warm-season turf, Centipede and Bermuda grass
needs more frequent mowing than Zoysia. Native
grasses like Buffalo grass require the lowest
amount of mowing. Turf that goes dormant in
summer heat or winter chill also demands less
mowing during periods of dormancy. Growing a
lawn from seed offers an affordable option,
especially for smaller lawns. Keeping these
points in mind can help you have the best grass
and easiest maintenance for your lawn. You can
always find newer seed types at a nursery or
landscaping companies that specialize in lawn
installation. In fact they can also help you with
the details you need to keep your turf
healthy. Always buy top-quality seed. Its worth
the investment!
Author Bio Tender Care Lawn is a dedicated lawn
care company started by Donald Lapoint and family
in 2004 in southwest Louisiana. Our goal is to
provide affordable, dependable, quality landscape
maintenance services. We believe in complete
customer satisfaction. Our services include grass
cutting, fertilization, weed control, shrub and
hedge trimming in the Sulphur, Lake Charles, Moss
Bluff, Westlake, Carlyss and surrounding areas.