Get your grass looking green and lush in time for summer

Nothing beats walking into your backyard and feeling lush, green grass under your feet.

But chances are the drier and cooler conditions of winter have taken their toll on your lawn.

With summer fast approaching, now is the time to get your grass green and lush in time for the warmer weather.

Here’s how you can get your grass green and lush.

1. Weed control

It’s important to get any weeds such as clover, bindis, thistle or dandelions under control before they take hold of your lawn. Weeds compete with grass for space, grow and spread faster and suck up vital soil nutrients and water. The most effective way to get rid of weeds is to dig them out and remove the roots, according to professional landscapers. But if you don’t want to dig up your lawn or the weeds are too wide spread, you can use an organic weed killer or herbicide to spray the weeds. Always read the labels on these products and use as directed.

2. Fertilise your lawn

Like a person, your lawn needs nutrients to continue growing healthy and strong. Using a lawn fertiliser helps spread nutrients such a nitrogen, potassium and phosphorous to strengthen roots, promote lush growth and keep the weeds at bay. Fertilisers come in a range of blends, including synthetic and organic brands and are available as both liquids such as sprays or granules like potting mix. When applying fertiliser, it’s important to make sure you don’t use too much in one area – especially if you’re using a granule blend. Gardening experts and landscapers also warn against using too much quick-release fertiliser in spring, because heavy rains can cause grass to grow too thick and allow fungus to grow. You can also try leaving grass clippings on your lawn after mowing, which will put nitrogen back into your lawn.

3. Don’t mow it too short

While it’s nice to want your lawn to look like a bowling green and perfectly short and manicured, experts suggest letting it grow longer and mowing it more often. Giving your lawn a buzz cut can put stress on the grass and limit deep root growth, causing it to resist pests, drought and weeds. It’s also recommended to set your mower blade to three inches tall, and you must remember that taller grass will shade out weed seeds and prevent weed growth. Short grass can also scald and burn under the summer sun.

4. Use grass seed

If you have bare spots in your lawn or your lawn isn’t very thick, using grass seeds is a great way to promote extra growth. To get the grass growing, try rough up the soil and mixing the seed with some soil and compost or fertiliser. Make sure the seed isn’t sitting on the surface of the soil and water it in. If you have a spot of grass that’s completely dead, you should remove down to the soil and apply the grass seed in its place.

5. Water it properly

Watering your lawn is vital to getting to grow right. But that doesn’t mean you should stick a hose on it for a few minutes every day and leave it go. Experts recommend watering your lawn in the morning , that way the lawn can absorb it and photosynthesis can work its magic. Watering at night creates a damp environment and photosynthesis cannot work without sunshine. Watering during a hot day will lead to most of your being evaporated. How frequently you water your lawn is also important. Instead of giving your lawn a quick hose each day, try giving it a long soak two to three times a week instead. This will give you a deeper root system for summer. And of course, you should avoid creating run off or puddles on your lawn. If there’s run off before you get a chance to give your lawn a good soaking, let it soak in and water it again after 15 or 20 minutes.

What lawn care tips do you have for getting your lawn green and lush?