Home /
Learn /
Blogs /
Do-It-Yourself Lawn Care | What Do I Need to Know?
Do-It-Yourself Lawn Care | What Do I Need to Know?
If you have the time and proper equipment, basic lawn care is doable if you are motivated to learn and follow instructions. The first thing you have to know is the square footage of the area you will be treating. The reason that you need to know this information is so that you can purchase and apply the correct amount of fertilizer or pest control products to your lawn.
The coverage area is usually included on most bags of fertilizer, but sometimes the amount needed is dependent on the type of grass in your lawn. Some grasses, like bluegrass or Bermudagrass, need more nitrogen than Centipedegrass or Fine Fescue. If the bag doesn’t tell you how much the bag covers, then you will have to figure that out on your own. It all depends on the weight of the bag, the percentage of nitrogen in the bag and how much nitrogen you want to apply per 1,000 sq. ft.
Here is the equation: How much do you know about your lawn?
*Pounds of nutrient you want to apply per 1,000 sq. ft. divided by the percentage of that nutrient in the bag equals amount of product per 1,000 sq. ft. Divide that amount into the weight of the bag to determine the total square footage the bag will cover.
You need to know the fertility requirements for the type of grass in your lawn. You can find that by doing an Internet search on nutrient requirements of turfgrasses. You also need to take into consideration the time of year as well as the current weather conditions when the application is made as using the wrong amount of fertilizer could be detrimental to your lawn.
It is important to use the correct equipment to apply the fertilizer. You need to make sure that the equipment is properly calibrated so that you use the correct amount of fertilizer for your lawn.
You also need to understand the proper operation of the spreader so that you don’t apply too much and burn your lawn or not enough and “stripe” the lawn.
In regards to spraying your weeds, there are different products available for different types of weeds. Timing also comes into play, as you want to apply a pre-emergent product before annual grasses germinate in the spring or fall, depending on where you live. If your lawn currently has annual grasses, like crabgrass, foxtail or goose grass, you will need to use a post emergent weed control product that is designed to control these grasses. If you have nutsedge growing in your lawn, you will need another product for that weed.
If you have broadleaf weeds, like dandelions or clover, you need to use a post emergent weed control product for those weeds. Depending on the weed, you may need more than one type of post emergent weed control product. Be sure the product is labelled for use on residential lawns and for broadleaf weeds.
Be careful not to purchase a product that reads “grass and weed control.” You may end up with a lawn that has a lot of brown spots in it that will need to be repaired.
You also need the right type of equipment, such as a hand held sprayer or a hose end sprayer. Just be sure that you are following the label directions and not applying too much material per 1,000 sq. ft. and that it is not too hot, too windy or too cold to achieve good control.
As you can read, there is a lot more to caring for your lawn that just applying some fertilizer and spraying a few weeds. To achieve the best results, contact your local Spring-Green office to receive a free, no obligation lawn care estimate for your lawn. In the long run, it is a much better choice.