A green lawn is much more than a vanity project. Sure, it looks beautiful, but it’s legitimately beneficial for your household. The resale price of your house is going to be higher when you present it with a lush green lawn. It’s a lot safer for your kids to play in the garden when the grass is green because it’s thick and healthy – as opposed to an unhealthy lawn, which is usually brown and hard.
All property owners should think about maintaining a green lawn; to be honest, it’s arguably better than a lot of exterior remodelling ideas. Refresh your garden with a touch of much-needed greenery and you instantly improve curb appeal.
With that in mind, what does your lawn need to stay green forever? It’s not rocket science – but it is simple biology. Here’s what you need:
1. Water
Grass needs water as much as we do. If humans don’t drink enough water, we become dehydrated, and everything shuts down. Water helps to carry nutrients around the body and is essential for normal functionality.
It’s sort of the same for grass! Your lawn needs water to help absorb nutrients from the soil. Without it, each blade of grass starts drying out and dying – which causes horrible dry patches of nothingness in your lawn.
How much water does your grass need? As explained by The Spruce, you should aim for around 1 inch of water per week, though this includes rainwater. This will mean you’re watering it more in the summer and less in the rainy seasons. Experts recommend that you use a sprinkler to water your lawn, as it leads to the most even spread of water and prevents bogging.
2. Sunlight
Think back to your school biology lessons, and you’ll remember that sunlight plays a key role in photosynthesis, which is how all plants create energy. Grass contains chlorophyll, which captures sunlight and converts it into glucose. Your grass can then use glucose as food to help it grow and stay strong and healthy.
Adequate sunlight is essential for this process – if your lawn is always shaded, then it will likely turn yellow and become extremely weak. Make sure your lawn can get between 6-8 hours of sunlight every day. This sounds like a lot, but it’s easy for the majority of gardens.
3. Fertilisation
Fertiliser also helps your grass get essential nutrients that leave the soil over time. The more you mow your lawn, the less it’s packed full of things like nitrogen of potassium. Lay down some fertilise to – essentially – feed your lawn. Combine fertiliser with a biostimulant like Carbonizpn-G Granular for even more success; the biostimulant will improve the soil’s ability to absorb fertiliser, which then means the grass can take in more nutrients.
A well-fertilised lawn will stay green for much longer than one that doesn’t get enough fertilisation. It’s not something you need to do all the time; some sporadic fertilisation throughout the year will do the job, particularly if it looks like your lawn is turning yellow.
4. Healthy Soil
Speaking of soil, it’s another key factor in maintaining green grass. This is probably something most of you don’t think about, mainly because you never see the soil. However, all soil will have a pH level, which determines how acidic or alkaline it is. As a general rule, grass loves a soil pH of around 6.5 to 7.
Anything below this is too acidic, while anything above is too alkaline.
How can you test your soil’s pH? There are loads of tester kits online that you stick into your soil and receive a reading within seconds. They kind of look like meat thermometers, only you use them in your soil.
Try to maintain that healthy pH range to keep your grass green and luscious. A lot of gardening experts suggest you use lime juice to increase soil pH and sulphur to decrease it. You can also find plenty of gardening products that will do either job.
5. Aeration
We’re talking about soil, so we may as well continue for another point!
When your soil becomes too densely compacted, it prevents water and nutrient absorption. This kills the grass and makes it look extremely ugly. Aeration prevents this by breaking up the soil and creating little air pockets. As a result, water can get into the roots and feed the grass leaves, which allows it to stay a lovely emerald colour.
6. Mowing/Trimming
Who actually enjoys mowing their lawn? Nobody does – but that creates a problem. You mow too infrequently and are prone to cutting the grass too low. This creates the ideal conditions for your grass to stop being green. Cutting it too low will mean you rip grass from the soil and leave dead patches everywhere. Leaving too long between cuts will make the grass too tall, creating shaded areas and adding weight that kills some blades. It also makes it more likely to see weeds!
There’s a fantastic article by Gardeners’ World that explains everything you need to know about mowing your lawn. It’ll show you how often to do it, the right techniques to use and much more. Healthy grass needs to be mowed or trimmed regularly if it wants to remain green.
7. Weed Control
Finally, you can’t have green and healthy grass with loads of weeds everywhere. Weeds are invasive and will eat away at your grass, leaving you with an absolute forest to take care of.
Get into the habit of looking for weeds and ripping them up before they have a chance to grow. Also, and you’re going to love this, all the previous lawn care tips help to prevent weed growth. So, if you’re looking after your lawn, you shouldn’t face this problem.
There you have it: seven things your lawn needs to stay green forever. Boost curb appeal and add value to your home with a lawn that looks spectacular. Don’t forget to apply these tips to your front garden as well as the back one!
