A pre-mowing routines should be done before mowing your lawn. First is to remove the debris and any oher objects that are on the lawn surface including the removal of twigs, leaves, stones, children’s toys, pet droppings and bones. The reasons for these are:

-To ensure safety because lawn mowers can throw stones and other objects at great speed that will cause cuts, broken bones and eye injuries.

-Removal of lawn surface objects will prevent damage to the lawn mower blades and other lawn mower parts that can be caused by hard objects.

-The surface debris like leaves and pet droppings will be scattered to lawn surface by lawn mower weight. It could also create unwanted lamps and bumps on the lawn surface that will block the penetration of sunlight that will cause in the grass underneath dying or losing its vigour.

Waterlogged turf will be compacted by the weight of the mower and your footsteps and the mower’s roller or side wheels are likely to sink into the wet turf. Its outcome is unsightly depressions, markings and tracks. Before you start mowing, lawns should be brushed with a besom broom this will prevent grass from lying flat and could help the grass and weeds sit up for the mower blades. This will ensure that the grass is cut at the desired length. Brushing the surface of the lawn will also disperse any worm casts that may be present on the lawn surface. Removal of worm casts is important Brushing the lawn can also remove any remaining dew that may be left on the tips of the grass.

Before starting to mow the lawn determine which direction you want your stripes to go. You should aim to make the stripes at right angles to the stripes that were created the last time you mowed the lawn. Alternating the direction of the stripes with each cut helps avoid the unsightly corrugated appearance that is known as washboarding.

And your last task before you mow the lawn is to check your lawn mower to ensure if it is ready for the job. If your mower is a petrol mower then have you checked to see there is enough petrol in its tank. And dont forget to set your mower blades to the correct height. Because it should vary with the climatic seasons and the type of grasses that make up the lawn.

Source: Lawn and Mower

One of the most important tool of lawn care is to watering your lawn and when it and when watering your lawn, you need to have proper lawn sprinkler. There are six general types of sprinkler to help you determine which of them to use according to your lawn’s size, layout of yard, soil type and price range.

1. Stationary Lawn Sprinkler – This sprinkler is very affordable. They come in different designs. Its lawn’s area mostly depend on the shape, size and pattern of the holes and on the water pressure as well. Stationary sprinkler works best with low water pressure but they don’t throw water too far that’s why they are good for small areas of lawn since most of them spray water through pattern of holes in its top.

2. Rotary – also called a revolving sprinkler because the water is thrown from the tips of two or three spinning arms. This is not recommended for sandy or sloped areas since the water goes down quickly. They work best on similar lawns because rotary types have a low throw radius. And during hot summer, its great for kids to run through.

3. Oscillating – It is the most common among the six types. As we usually see on lawns, they spray out a fan-shaped curtain of water and they are a metal arm oscillates back and forth to cover a rectangular area. It is ideal for watering big areas of lawn because of its Oscillating types. Also, Its gentle spray is perfect for newly seeded areas and clay soils that absorb water slowly.

4. Pulsating – an impulse sprinkler for large lawns and is consider the most effecient among the six types. A very durable kind that has a single water jet that sits close to the ground. Distribution of water is even over large areas with circular or semi-circular patterns. Its spray of water on the ground is very strong making it wide resistant that is close to the ground so the lawns could absorb water easily. And you can select spray patterns as you would like to be so you can control the height of the stream. As well as adjust the spray to full jet and fine mist for newly seeded lawns.

5. Traveling Versions – Also a self-propelled type of sprinkler that have wheels and follow a garden hose. Its cord is laid out by the user. Its pattern is two rotating arms spray water in a circular. The arms can be adjusted to vary the diameter of the spray circle. This type is expensive and well made. The arms can be adjusted to fit the diameter of the spray circle. When choosing a traveling version, this could be the best among other types because it can be use to water large, irregular lawns over several hours and make sure it has an automatic shut off valve.

6. In-ground Systems – Lastly, the in-ground sprinkler or lawn irrigation system that is best for large lawns or in those regions that grass doesn’t grow very well without enough supplement of water. This is also expensive to install and purchase. But once installed, you’ll not gonna be using a hose around to water your lawn. And when you’re away, Make sure they are installed in a pattern that ensures complete and uniform coverage.

Source: Lawn Sprinkler

Renovate your dull, full of weeds, thin and thatchy lawn to give new fresh look. Here are Simple steps to follow:

1. Plan renovation so you can reseed during ideal planting time ‘ early fall or early spring for most typical cool-season grasses, such as bluegrass and fescue.

2. Kill the whole lawn if it is hopelessly infested with weeds; spray with a broad-spectrum herbicide like glyphosate (Clean-up or Round-up), and wait the length of time recommended on the label before proceeding with replanting. If weeds are not a big problem, you don’t have to kill anything.

    

3. Dethatch the lawn with a power dethatcher, available for rent at many rental yards.

4. Rake up the thatch and dispose of it, or add it to a compost pile.

5. Aerate the lawn with a power aerator, available at rental yards. Leave the dug-up cores (they’ll break down) or rake them up.

6. Level uneven spots by spreading topsoil and raking.

7. Reseed the lawn with a grass type adapted to your area.

8. Lightly cover the seed with 1/4 inch of organic matter spread with a cage roller; see “How to Plant a Lawn From Seed.” Apply dry lawn fertilizer, and water it as recommended.

9. Keep the new lawn moist until grass is established. Then water as usual.

Tips & Warnings

- It may take several weeks for sprayed weeds to die completely, so plan ahead accordingly. If you have really tough weeds, such as Bermuda grass, you may have to spray again in a few weeks to kill them completely.

- It will be easiest to use a dethatcher and aerator if the ground is lightly moist, not soggy or dry.

- Adjust the depth of the dethatcher blades to match the thickness of the thatch.

- Most herbicides work best if sprayed during hot weather.

- Follow herbicide label instructions precisely. Many herbicides will kill any plant they touch, so avoid spraying on windy days.

- Flag below-ground sprinklers before operating equipment. Otherwise, you may damage them.

Source: eHow

To Fertilize your lawn is the best way to keep it looking fresh year after year. Watering and mowing regularly would also help your lawn grow healthy. However, There are these top Lawn problems you should be aware of and find ways to solve:

1. Crabgrass - This fast growing and adaptable crabgrass could ruin your lawns if its underfertilized and not been mowed regularly. Not hard to control but timing is always crucial some would apply pre-emergence herbicides when it too late for them to patch on their lawns.

The remedy: an option for spring, is to apply gluten meal. To prevent crabgrass and fertilizers. You can keep crabgrass at bau by feeding proper grasses with ample water and fertilizer. And mow properly. Products with dithiopyr, prodiamine or pendimethalin are typical chemical alternatives. The EPA considers all three possible human carcinogens, however. If you do use them, as with all herbicides and pesticides, be sure to wear rubber gloves, eye protection, long pants, closed shoes and a long-sleeved shirt. And follow the directions very well.

2. Dandelions - They are called a perennial weed that thrive in thin lawns with little fertilizer.Also, they develop a long and thick taproot. Before the flowers mature and spread their seeds, you must kill the the entire root or the plant will resprout.

The remedy: Use a specialized, fork-like tool to pull plants and taproots out by hand. While selective herbicides with a combination of 2,4-D, MCPP and dicamba are effective chemical alternatives, the EPA considers 2,4-D and MCPP possible human carcinogens and says that dicamba can cause reproductive problems. If you decide to use those broadleaf herbicides, apply them in fall, not spring. Use granular products on wet grass, liquids on dry (but not droughty) grass.

3. Other weeds - The Dallisgrass, nimblewill, quackgrass and tall fescue develop into unsightly patches and clumps. They’re likeliest to invade areas that are drier, wetter, shadier or otherwise different from the rest of the lawn.

The remedy: There is no selective herbicide or other shortcut for those weeds. While glyphosate and glufosinate-ammonium are effective chemical remedies, the EPA considers glyphosate moderately toxic. What’s more, both chemicals require multiple applications and must be applied during periods of active growth.

4. Fungus - According to experts, Fungicides are a waste of time and money. The symptoms are: dead grass –not the cause,” says Zac Reicher, professor of turfgrass science at Purdue University. What’s more, that patch of dead grass is likelier to have been caused by your neighbor’s dog than by fungus.

The remedy: Fungus must be diagnosed and treated before grass begins to die a challenge for most homeowners because it’s hard to spot or identify. Instead, look for typical causes such as too much water, improper mowing and fertilizing at the wrong time of year. Then replant the dead area with a suitable grass type.

5. Moss - It is an attractive ground cover spread by spores that many homeowners cultivate. You can kill moss with a spray. A healthy colony of moss in your lawn means too much shade,acidic, compacted, or wet soil; or too little fertilizer.

The remedy: For very shady areas, reseed with shade-tolerant grasses such as creeping red fescue or St. Augustine and mow them high to maximize their light-trapping leaf surface. Also keep trees and shrubs properly pruned. For moss in low-lying or moist areas, water only when you see signs of too little moisture.

6. Too much shade - Most lawn grasses don’t like shade, even “shade-tolerant” varieties. While pruning most shade trees every three to five years is usually a good idea, pruning too often or too much can damage the tree.

The remedy: Replace lawn beneath trees with bishop’s hat, sweet woodruff or other shade-tolerant ground cover as the tree grows and creates more shade. Then use shade-tolerant grasses at the edges of the area. Trim back high hedges. Azalea, Canada hemlock, common boxwood, flowering quince, Japanese boxwood, Japanese holly, lilac, myrtle, privet, rhododendron, roses and winterberry can be cut back as far as needed. Shorten common hedges such as arborvitae, English laurel, firethorn and Japanese yew only a few inches each pruning, and don’t cut into bare, leafless stems. The best time to prune either is in early spring, before the first flush of growth.

7. Compacted soil - The soil in most lawns that usually become hard and compacted, even if you prepared it perfectly before planting. The more you walk on the lawn, the faster the soil compacts. Once soil is compacted, water and fertilizer can’t reach the lawn’s roots, weakening them and allowing weeds to grow. But staying off wet lawns could help delay the inevitable.

The remedy: Soil, or core, aeration is the solution. But it’s a job best left to the specialists. Those professionals use piston-driven aerators with tines that move straight up and down, rather than the lightweight, less-effective aerators you’ll find at many rental yards.

8. Grubs - Those small beetle larvae live in the soil and feed on lawn roots. A few grubs aren’t a big deal. But too many cause irregularly shaped sections to wilt and die. Try to check for grubs by cutting into the lawn near the edge of a brown area and lifting the sod. If it comes up easily, like rolling up carpet, you’ve got grubs. Odds are, you’ll see those milky-white, worm-like creatures with brown heads and three pairs of legs curled into a C shape.

The remedy: Combine Heterorhabditis nematodes (sold in paste-like form) with water and apply to the soil in the spring or fall. Wait a couple of days and reseed or replant any damaged areas. However, chemical insecticides with imidacloprid or halofenozide aren’t effective on mature grubs. So if you choose to use one of those chemicals, apply it in July and August when grubs are immature.

9. Dog urine - Small brown spots surrounded by dark green grass is a telltale sign of dog urine. Nitrogen in the urine kills the grass in the center, where its concentration is highest, while darkening the grass at the edges. Those spots are most likely to show up during hot and dry weather, when lawns are under greater stress. Don’t bother with animal repellents; they’re of little or no use, according to the experts we interviewed. A motion-activated sprinkler system might help discourage droppings, but it won’t distinguish between dogs, deliverymen and welcome guests.

The remedy: Spots of dead grass will often repair themselves eventually. For a quicker fix, cut out the dead spot and fill it in with plugs cut from a strip of sod. Bring a clump from your lawn to the nursery to match grass types. Or wait until grass-planting time — usually in the fall — and sow fresh seed after clearing away the dead grass and loosening the soil.

10. Moles - Those bothersome rodent-like critters tunnel through soil searching for earthworms, grubs and ants. Moles tend to tunnel closer to the surface in spring when soil is moist, leaving a zigzag trail of raised soil. A barrier of chicken wire that extends one foot deep around your yard might help keep them out. But because moles can dig deeper than that and occasionally travel short distances above ground, even barriers are only marginally effective.

The remedy: Trapping a mole is the only way to be sure you’re rid of it. While harpoon-type mole traps work best, handling them is risky and requires skill. Once you’ve spotted an active tunnel, you’ll need to depress the ridge of soil and set the trap over it; the mole will trigger the trap as it moves through the tunnel.Bromethalin, the active ingredient in a new mole bait, is a chemical alternative to mole traps. What’s more, baiting is far more effective than home remedies, according to experts. On the downside, while the mole will die underground, eliminating the need for you to handle and dispose of it, you won’t know whether you’ve killed it.

Source: Lawn Problems