Top 7 Common Lawn Care Mistakes

There are top tips to care for your lawn. Just as important as lawn care tips are the lawn care mistakes that we should know how to avoid. Lawn care and maintenance takes more than just the usual cutting and watering.

Here are the top ten lawn care mistakes that many people make. Some are so common that we think it's just normal, when in fact it is actually damaging to your lawn.

1. Cutting the lawn too short. Many of us would like to save time in mowing our lawns so we opt to cut them too short. This will give us a longer break between mows, but this does not bode well for your lawn. The idea here is that removing more than a third of a grass blade will weaken its root system. This will gradually result to future lawn problems.

2. No or very little preparation on the planting strategy and methods. Keep in mind that plants grow better when they are planted at the appropriate depth and spacing. Naturally, this would require some research about the plant and its most favorable conditions and some preparations to take better care of it. Conducting soil tests is particularly relevant because the pH balance can help determine which type of grass is best to grow on your lawn.

3. Disregarding the difference between mature plants and the young ones. It may not seem like a big thing, but noting which plants are new and which are mature is important. This concern involves the water intake of the plants. The water needs of the new and young plants tend to be bigger. They need more water and they may need to be in a sun condition different from that of the mature and established plants.

4. Watering and fertilizing at the wrong time and schedule. A watering schedule is recommended for homeowners who would like to maintain a healthy lawn. Watering amounts will depend on the seasonal changes, the weather and climate, and the area. Generally, the best time to water your lawn would be early in the morning, when you will have the least amount of evaporation. Timing and scheduling also applies to fertilizing you lawn. Depending on your location, fertilization of the lawn varies.

5. Ignoring the importance of mulch. Mulch is important for lawn care and maintenance because of its various uses. Mulching can help add or retain nutrients in your soil, repel insects, control weeds, and can reduce fertilizer needs by a third. 

6. Mistaking when to use seed and sod. Most homeowners choose one or the other based on the amount of time to build a lawn. The truth is, you should choose between seeding or sodding by the its most advantageous purpose in lawn care. Sodding helps against soil erosion and is the most effective in building a new lawn. Seeding is better in filling gaps and bare parts of a lawn.

7. Using powder products and “green” products. Power products may be cheaper but they can get blown away before it can get into the soil. Using organic products, or “green” products, can be time-consuming since it takes longer to work and a lot of applications are needed to get results.

We can see that these are all normal mistakes. But we can also see how each of these lawn care mistakes can hinder us from making a great and healthy lawn.