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Lawn maintenance can depend on how upkept you want your lawn to appear. Not everyone cares about lawn appearance, and that鈥檚 okay. But, if you do care about your lawn鈥檚 appearance, knowing how to maintain it can feel overwhelming.

First and foremost, you should consider testing the soil in your lawn. says, 鈥淓xperts recommend having your soil tested in a laboratory every three years so you can get to know your soil.鈥� There are also DIY soil tests you can do at home to help you understand the basic nutritional levels of your soil. The four most common soil types include clay, sandy, silty, and loamy. There can also be combinations of these. Soil tests can tell you about your soil鈥檚 fertility, salt levels, and organic matter percentage. The more you know about your lawn鈥檚 soil, the better you can care for it.

Soils have , and keeping it in a recommended range is essential for growing healthy grass and plants. Soil pH levels affect nutrient availability and soil health. Lawn Love says, 鈥淚deally, the pH of your soil should be between 6.0 and 7.0, which is slightly acidic.鈥� If your lawn鈥檚 pH level is too high or too low, it could signify disease, nutrient deficiencies, or water retention problems. To amend overly acidic soil, incorporate lime. For overly alkaline soil, add sulfur as a soil amendment.

Next, you will want to understand your grass as best as possible. Knowing the type of grass you have will determine your care routine. Each grass has a different growth cycle that determines fertilizing and watering, meaning that different types of grass will need specific treatments at different times. There are two main categories of grass types: warm-season grasses and cool-season grasses. Warm-season grasses are more common in southern states, because they thrive in hot weather. Cool-season grasses, on the other hand, thrive in cooler temperatures, so they are more common in northern states.

Watering your lawn is dependent on factors such as location, type, and amount. Many people rely solely on rain to water their lawn, but some people install sprinkler systems to hydrate their lawn. If you want to know more about when and how to water your lawn, visit .

The most basic and arguably the most important thing about lawn care is mowing. Keeping your lawn mowed is essential to a clean, maintained lawn. The kind and style of mower you buy completely depends on your budget, preferences, and lawn size. Some people prefer riding mowers, and others prefer push mowers. One thing many people don鈥檛 know is that you should mow your grass at a specific height. Maintaining an optimal grass height is crucial for lawn health. Excessively tall grass attracts pests and fungi, while overly short grass impairs photosynthesis and long-term growth. A recommended practice from Lawn Love is to avoid cutting more than one-third of the grass blade at a time, and sharpening mower blades annually to help prevent tearing.

One thing to consider is fertilizing your lawn. Fertilizer will help your lawn to be thicker, greener, and healthier overall. According to Lawn Love, turfgrass requires three primary nutrients: Nitrogen (N) to support leafy growth and vibrant green color, Phosphorus (P) to aid in root development, and Potassium (K) to contribute to disease resistance and overall stress tolerance. There are two common ways to fertilize your lawn: liquid fertilizer and granular fertilizer. Liquid fertilizers are easier to apply and more easily absorbed. However, it is more expensive and must be applied more frequently. This fertilizer can be applied using a spray bottle or a hose. Granular fertilizer provides nutrients for longer than liquid fertilizer, and it is much more affordable. However, it is more challenging to apply homogeneously. Unfortunately, if your lawn is in immediate need, granular fertilizer doesn鈥檛 act fast enough. It can be applied with several different types of spreaders. For cool-season grasses, fall and spring are the best times to fertilize. On the other hand, warm-season grasses are best fertilized in mid-spring through summer.

One of the biggest challenges in lawn maintenance are weeds. Weeds compete with grass for nutrients, meaning they can and will ruin your grass. While hand-pulling weeds is effective, it鈥檚 tedious. There are two kinds of herbicides you can use to kill weeds: pre-emergent herbicides and post-emergent herbicides. Pre-emergent herbicides prevent weeds from growing, while post-emergent herbicides target weeds that are already in existence. If you wish to not use chemicals on your lawn, you can try leaving grass clippings in your lawn to create a mulch layer that blocks weeds from the sun, you can spread corn gluten meal in your yard, which can work as a pre-emergent herbicide, or you can water deeply so your grass roots grow deeper, leaving less space for weed roots.

One thing that can hinder your lawn from thriving is leaves. Thick layers of leaves can prevent grass from photosynthesizing and create a home for pests and fungi. While monotonous, raking leaves is essential for maintaining a healthy lawn. provides tips for removing leaves from your yard.

Another important thing to do is to dethatch your lawn. Thatch contains dead grass and other organic matter that gets trapped at the base of the grass blades. Dethatching allows water and nutrients to reach deeper, therefore encouraging growth. For cool-season grasses, dethatch in early spring or early fall. For warm-season grasses, dethatch in the late spring or early summer.

You can also consider aerating your lawn. Lawn aeration involves removing small soil plugs to reduce compaction and improve the circulation of oxygen, water, and nutrients in the soil.While it may look like you鈥檙e ruining your lawn at first, aerating is extremely beneficial. Depending on the size of your lawn and the method used, lawn aeration can cost anywhere between $75 to $225. Cool-season grasses should be aerated in the early spring or early fall, while warm-season grasses should be aerated in the late spring through early summer.

Some other things to keep in mind for your lawn鈥檚 maintenance is covering bare spots, controlling pests, and containing lawn diseases. provides more details on these.

There are plenty of important things to remember in regards to lawn maintenance, but not all of them are required. If you do plan on adding to your lawn maintenance list of chores, make sure you do your research first.