Making the most of your current lawn means taking care of it, mainly via cleaning, watering, feeding and grooming. Lawn maintenance will look different for every homeowner, but basic principles for growing a healthy, lovely lawn hold true:

Mowing:

• Don’t Cut Below 3 Inches: Mowing grass shorter than 3 inches risks killing your lawn. 3 ½ inches makes for a nice-looking, thick green carpet.
• Change Mowing Patterns Weekly to Biweekly: This practice prevents the grass from always leaning in the same direction. The blades become long and slanted when they lean one way too many times, making it more difficult to cut.
• Mow Once a Week in Summer and Spring: You will likely need to mow once a week to avoid having to rake or bag clippings when your grass is growing fast during these seasons.
• Mulch Your Grass Clippings: Use the mulching feature on your mower if you have it, and Leave on your lawn for extra nutrients.
• Remove Heavy Layers of Grass Clippings: If you end up with big grass clumps, clear them off your lawn so it isn’t smothered or blocked from the sun.

Watering:

• Time of Day: Water grass and plants in the early morning (we recommend 5 AM) or the late evening to avoid the sun drying the ground too quickly, or worse yet burning your grass.
• Track the Weather: During rainy times, your yard won’t need much water, but during hot, dry weeks you will need to water frequently, whenever you notice your soil drying out. Windy days are deceptive; the wind dries the ground fast even on cooler days.

Fertilizing:

• Choose Between Kinds of Fertilizers: Some only boost the green in your grass while others include herbicides. Clover and other plants don’t harm grass, but if you want a weed-free lawn, fertilizers with herbicides will be your likely course of action.
• Determine the Proper Grade Fertilizer: You can test the soil of your yard for exact needs, or you can research and choose a high-quality fertilizer that will most likely work on your lawn.
• Fertilize Most in Fall: Apply most of the fertilizer in fall rather than spring.
• Steps: 1) Spread the fertilizer in two directions; 2) Sweep up any scattered fertilizer on sidewalks, driveways or streets; 3) Water your lawn immediately after.
• For Quick Release Fertilizers: Use no more than 1 lb Nitrogen (N) per 1000 sq ft in a single application.

We always tailor our services to what our clients are looking for. From weekly and seasonal maintenance to a once-a-year checkup, we can keep a trained eye on your lawn and help make it grow to its full potential. Call Eagleson Landscape Co. at 317-997-4803 or email us to discuss options or ask our landscaping experts any questions you may have.

Eagleson Landscape Company provides landscape and hardscape services in the Greater Indianapolis area, including Carmel, Zionsville, Westfield, Fishers and Geist.