Knowing the common mistakes made in lawn care, Des Moines homeowners can make better use of their time and investments.
Simple missteps can undermine your long term efforts for keeping your lawn green and healthy.
You’ll spend more time and money fixing a mistake then if you would have known how to do it correctly the first time.
We’ve outlined three lawn care misconceptions that homeowners should avoid:
Misuse of Fertilizers and Pesticides in Des Moines, Iowa
Lawn fertilization and pest control is important to the health of Des Moines area lawns.
Much attention should be given to the type and amount of fertilizer and pesticide used. Misuse could kill beneficial organisms that naturally help your lawn. Synthetic fertilizers should be spread evenly so as not to deteriorate the lawn or leave stripes like this:
The same applies to pesticide applications. Careful attention should be given to reading all labels and ensuring that the proper amount is being spread evenly across the lawn.
Mowing the Grass too Short
Proper lawn mowing is very important to keeping a healthy lawn. However, when done incorrectly, you open your lawn up for a lot of problems.
Many people want to mow their lawn short so that they won’t have to mow as often. However, they don’t realize that they’re inviting weeds to invade the lawn.
Des Moines, IA homeowners should keep their lawn height around 3 or 3 1/2 inches long. This helps the roots grow deeper and makes the lawn more resilient to weeds and drought.
Over Watering the Lawn
One of the biggest misconceptions about lawn care in Des Moines, Iowa is that you should water your lawn every day. This simply is not true and is not good for your lawn.
By over watering, not only are you spending a lot of money on your water bill, you are also prohibiting grass roots from growing deep and strong. Your lawn will become dependent on receiving water regularly that it will become less resilient during drought periods.
Also, when you are constantly giving your lawn water, it has no need to grow deeper to seek natural water sources. Therefore, the grass roots are short and weak.
It is best to water you lawn deeply for approximately one hour, 2-3 times per week.
As always, we are here to help you with your lawn care needs in Des Moines, Iowa City, and Cedar Rapids areas. Please contact us locally at (319) 310-1553 or Toll Free (877) 220-4414 or fill out our online free estimate form.
