There are many obstacles when you want to keep your yard in tip-top shape. The top five are listed below with common solutions.

Weeds

Every year a constant battle is waged between lawn caregivers and weeds. The top two problem plants are dandelions and crabgrass.

Crabgrass

Crabgrass grows quickly and is very adaptable. It thrives in lawns that are under fertilized and mowed too low. The worst thing about it is that it looks horrible, especially in an otherwise great lawn. These weeds are easy to control, but you've got to do it in the spring, before they get a good hold. Late spring and summer are too late to do anything. If you are going to apply an herbicide, early to mid-spring is the best time.

Dandelions

Dandelions grow well under the same conditions as crabgrass, under fertilized, thin and low mown lawns. This weed is a little harder to deal with than crabgrass, however. With dandelions, you need to pull out the entire root or it will spread and it is best to do this before the plant flowers and spreads its seeds. If you don't feel like killing you back pulling out all the roots, you can use a broad-leaf herbicide, which is probably going to work best in the fall. Make sure to follow all of the directions on the container and pay particular attention to safety procedures.

Insects/Grubs

Insects are a normal part of every lawn and are often very good for your grass. However, too much of anything can be bad. Not only can they hurt your lawn, they can also become a nuisance in you home. There are many pesticides on the market that are very good at controlling the populations of many common insects. If you decide to use one, make sure, as above, that you follow the directions carefully. Many of these products are bad for humans and animals, as well as insects.

Grubs, in particular, are very bad for lawns in large numbers. If you have more than ten grubs per square foot in your lawn, and there are several ways to check that, they will start killing large sections of grass by munching on the roots. Pesticides will work on them, too, especially when used in late July or August. One natural way to get rid of them, or at least lower the population, is to introduce nematodes into your yard. These are natural parasites that feed on grubs. Check with your local lawn and garden center to find a product with nematodes that will work for you.

Animals

Animals can be hard a yard, too. Moles in particular can undermine the soil and leave trenches through your yard, especially in the spring when soil is softer. Most often, they dig through your yard to find grubs and earthworms to eat. Decreasing the grub population, and the populations of other insects, may make your yard less attractive to them. You can also try to barricade your yard by burying chicken wire about a foot down. This isn't always effective as it is possible for them to dig deeper than that. Catching them in a trap or calling a professional exterminator are the surest ways to get rid of them.

Page 1 of 2 :: First | Last :: Prev | 1 2 | Next