Our state’s hot temperatures and erratic moisture levels can make it difficult to keep a lawn healthy. This means that Florida homeowners should be even more concerned with taking the proper steps to keep their lawns beautiful and in good condition. But this is easier said than done. The problem is that when you start to see signs that your lawn is unhealthy, you may not always know why. Without knowing the cause of the problem, you can’t know how best to resolve it. So, to help homeowners diagnose the problem, we wanted to share our Top 5 Reasons Why Your Lawn is Unhealthy.
Hopefully, these tips will help you to identify and resolve your lawn care issues.
Your lawn has TOO much water or not enough.
Keeping your lawn properly watered can be difficult. While there is no perfect rule for how much to water, generally speaking, you should water your lawn 2-3 times per week. An average lawn needs around 1-1.5 in of water per week, but this can vary depending on rainfall and temperature. As a general rule, it is better to water more deeply and less frequently. You may have to experiment to find the perfect amount of watering for your lawn. Be careful not to water too much, as this can wash away fertilizer and stimulate the growth of weeds. On the other hand, you should also avoid not giving your lawn enough water. This will lead to brown patches in the grass. It is important to note, however, that a lack of moisture is not the only thing that causes these patches. If they do not respond to increasing watering, it is probable that they are caused by some other factors.
Your lawn is not properly fertilized.
Fertilizing your lawn is one of the most complicated and important parts of lawn care. There are a variety of different options for fertilizer types, distribution methods, and dispersal times for different species of grass. For this reason, you need to know what type of grasses are in your lawn to know when and how to fertilize it. Generally speaking, most of the grasses on lawns here in Florida are warm-season grasses such as Bermuda or Zoysia, and these should be fertilized sometime around late spring or early summer. For many lawns and seed packet products, a mixture of warm-season and cold-season grasses will be included to help keep your lawn growing all year. When applying fertilizer, make sure that you use the correct quantity as specified by the product, and it is best to apply fertilizer a day or so after watering so that the soil absorbs as many nutrients as possible. Over-application of fertilizer can cause problems by increasing the growth of weeds in the lawn, which compete with the grasses for nutrients.
Your lawn is being invaded by pests.
There are a variety of pests that can attack your lawn. Pest incursions into your lawn can result in large dead spots and reduce the overall health and quality. Some pests, such as mole crickets, can establish large infestations and attack your lawn from within. Due to this threat, it is important to identify any evidence of pest activity in and around your lawn. Pest removal can be difficult without professional assistance, but for many pests certain steps can be taken by homeowners to reduce the probability of infestation. Mole crickets, for example, are attracted to lawns with a lot of thatch, and as such, reducing those conditions will make it less likely that your lawn will be invaded.
Your lawn is not aerated
Aerating your lawn is an important step in maintaining its general health. Aeration is essentially the process of creating small holes throughout your lawn. These holes allow water and nutrients to more easily penetrate the soil, thus contributing to the overall health of the lawn. Aeration is typically done once a year, though for certain grasses and dry climates, you may need to do it twice. Researching the grasses in your lawn can help you to identify the best aeration schedule for your specific situation. You can buy or rent an aerator from many home and garden stores, and for larger lawns, you can also call in a licensed landscaping company.
You don’t have a reliable lawn care company.
As a responsible homeowner, you are committed to keeping your property in good condition. While some of the steps required to keep your lawn healthy can be done by yourself, sometimes the problems your lawn is facing are more complex. If you are having chronic problems with your lawn, it is possible that a bigger problem exists, and the best way to diagnose such problems is by calling in an expert service to inspect your lawn. A reliable lawn care company can keep your lawn healthy and beautiful all year round, saving you time and frustration!
At Arrow Pest Service, we are a full-service pest control and lawn care company with years of experience in both industries! Due to our unique dual knowledge of these interrelated fields, we are better able to diagnose problems with your lawn and identify the best possible solutions! As an industry leader in Panama City lawn care, we are committed to providing effective, affordable service that leaves you, our customer, 100% satisfied! So, if you are looking for lawn care professionals that you can trust or simply have a question, call us today at 850-204-0318!
PS. Don’t forget to ask about our three-month FREE Pest Control Offer and one-month FREE Lawn Spraying!!!
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