Having a great looking lawn adds to the appearance and appeal of your house. For some people the look of the lawn in front of the house makes or breaks the look of your house. To some extent this is true. Curb appeal is very important. If you don't know how to care for your lawn, you might just give up or pay a great deal of money to have someone else do it for you. There is no need to pay a great deal of money to have a great looking lawn just by following these simple lawn care tips.
The key to a great looking lawn is proper mowing. There is a right and a wrong way to mow your grass. When you first lay grass, experts recommend that you leave it until it grows above your ankles before you mow it. This will give your grass time to take root and for the pieces to grow together. Cutting too soon will show the seams and the grass may die. When you do mow your grass from the first time on you should always keep the blade of the mower two and a half to three inches high, off the ground. Mowing the grass too soon after it starts to grow weakens the roots system. Gardening experts say that you should only remove two thirds of the grass blade.
Each time you mow your grass and especially for the first couple of times, you should mow in different directions and you should alter the pattern each time. For example if you decide that you are going to mow your grass in a circle pattern then do it opposite directions each time, the first time clockwise and the second time counter clockwise and so on. While maintaining the appearance of your grass you are also reducing soil compaction and turf wear from the wheels.
In order to mow your lawn correctly you need to make sure that you have sharpened your blades frequently. A general rule of thumb amongst gardening experts is to sharpen the blades at least once a year. While you may be able to leave it longer on newer lawn mowers if your mower is not used frequently you cannot do this on older mowers. When the blades are not sharp the grass will look choppy and uneven. This is because the blades are not really cutting the grass but rather they are tearing it.
Most of the mowers that you buy today will come with a bag attached that will allow you to collect the cut grass as you mow it so you don't have to rake it up after. While this saves time it is not always a good idea for your grass. When cutting freshly lain grass you should always keep your blade high and then allow the cut grass to go back into the grass and the soil. This will fill in any open spots and it will help to improve the look and feel of your grass.
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