Lawn Care 101

Everyone loves a lush, green lawn to play in and enjoy during the warm summer months. Proper lawn maintenance is vital to keeping your lawn healthy, particularly in the midst of challenging drought conditions in San Jose and surrounding areas. Here are three best practices to follow for maintaining your lawn year-round.

Water Deeply and Infrequently

Contrary to popular belief, water conservation and effective lawn irrigation can be achieved simultaneously. In fact, the ideal lawn irrigation schedule only calls for watering your lawn once a week. The key is to ensure that your lawn is watered deep enough to soak into the top six inches of soil. According to HGTV, deep watering encourages strong root growth, but also prevents pest infestations that can add additional stress to your lawn. Shallow and frequent watering can actually encourage tougher thatch growth instead of the thick grass you desire.

Let Your Lawn Grow Tall

Although it may be tempting to mow your lawn shorter, trimming more than the top third of your lawn at a time can ultimately discourage healthy lawn growth. Taller grass will develop stronger roots, which leads to less water evaporation and slower weed growth. A common misconception is that mowing your lawn shorter results in having to mow less often. But this is actually not the case—grass grows so quickly that you’ll maintain the same mowing regimen regardless of length. Because of this, it makes more sense to opt for healthier, longer grass rather than a shorter, distressed lawn.

Fertilize Throughout the Year

Finally, fertilize your lawn regularly every spring, summer, and fall. Choosing the right fertilizer for your lawn can be tricky because the variety you use must be formulized for your lawn’s specific nutrient needs. Soil testing may be an essential first step in identifying what nutrients are lacking in your lawn. The experts at your local nursery and garden center can help you choose a soil testing kit that meets your lawn maintenance needs, as well as the right varieties of fertilizer to use based on your soil nutrient composition.