There’s no denying that a beautiful lawn is one of the best ways to boost the curb appeal of your home. You can create a gorgeous green yard with just a few key strategies, and now is the time to start!

Herbicide/Weed Control

In late February through early March, apply a pre-emergent herbicide/weed control to help manage weeds. Pre-emergent herbicides kill the seeds of weeds such as crabgrass before they take root and begin to grow. If you have St. Augustine grass, it’s important to monitor for brown patch fungus. Brown patch fungus is recognizable by brown circle-shaped spots on your lawn that usually start showing up in the spring. If not treated, it can eventually infect the entire yard.

Fertilizer

You’ll likely want to apply Spring fertilizer sometime mid-March through mid-April. It’s important to time this correctly. If it’s too cold or too warm, the fertilizer won’t be as effective. Drew Demler, Manager at the Errol McKoy Greenhouse on the Midway, says to fertilize when the lawn is about 50% green.

Watering

Late April to early May, be sure to start a consistent watering routine for your lawn. Demler recommends an inch a week, ideally splitting that into two half-inch applications. Continue watering like this throughout summer into fall. Not sure how much water your sprinklers are actually putting out? Place an open container in your grass when you water so you can see how much has accumulated. Then adjust watering times as necessary. It’s also important to water when the sun won’t evaporate the water but you also don’t want water sitting on your lawn all night since that can cause fungus, so early morning is the best time of day to water.

Mowing

How you mow can have a surprising effect on the health of your lawn. First, if you let your grass get long, don’t cut more than a third off at a time. If you need to cut more than that, do it on two separate occasions. While it can be tempting to mow the gross very short so that you don’t have to mow as often, grass that is too short can be damaged by the hot weather of summer. Here are the mowing recommendations for the types of grass most common in the DFW area:

• Zoysia grass can be mowed at 1½ to 3 inches.
• Bermuda grass should be mowed to 2 inches in height.
• St. Augustine grass can be mowed to 2½ to 4 inches.

Aerating and Overseeding

Some experts say these steps are vital to a beautiful lawn and some consider them bonuses, but I personally do both for my yard. Aerating is when “plugs” of dirt are pulled from the lawn and can help fertilizer more effectively reach the roots. Overseeding is when new grass seeds are spread, and it can help revitalize your yard with healthy new turf.

Last But Not Least…

Don’t let all that hard work go to waste—be on the lookout for pests such as grub worms and cinch bugs that can damage your lawn. If you suspect an issue, visit your local garden center for some recommendations on how to treat the problem as soon as possible.

Curious about other ways to boost curb appeal? Give me shout and let’s talk about it!

All the best,
Ian Van Kooten, REALTOR
303-589-3364
“It’s good to be home.”

References

https://www.grassperson.com/blog/7-of-the-most-important-lawn-care-tips-for-texas-homeowners

https://bigtex.com/lawn-care-101/