When they say the grass is always greener on the other side of the fence, well, sometimes it’s true.
We can hear you muttering way over here: “Why is my neighbor's lawn greener than mine?”
Chances are, they do everything right, from proper mowing and watering to staying on top of weeds and fertilizer.
Follow their lead. Here’s how you can make your grass as green as your neighbor’s:
Your neighbor’s grass is always greener because they’re strategic about their watering, so their grass gets the water it needs, but not too much.
Early morning is the best time — it’s still cool, so all that valuable water won’t evaporate in the hot sun.
And don’t think your grass needs watering every day. It doesn’t.
Water too often, and it encourages shallow, needy roots.
Water less often but deeply, and roots will grow deeper and healthier — and your grass will be greener.
Consider installing an irrigation system. Unlike hoses and sprinklers, an irrigation system distributes water exactly where your landscape needs it. Sprinkler heads are placed precisely. Timers shut the system off automatically.
Smart irrigation controls hone in on local weather forecasts and your exact landscape conditions, so the watering schedule is precisely right for your landscape.
The result? You use as little water as possible while your grass thrives.
These squishy little villains feast on your lawn’s roots, causing whole sections of it to turn brown, wilt, and die.
Make grass greener by giving grubs the boot.
The trick is to kill grubs before they hatch, so apply preventive lawn grub control to nip them in the bud.
Technically, your grass can still be green if it has weeds. If the weeds are green. But that doesn’t mean your lawn is healthy.
Kick pesky weeds to the curb with professional weed control that includes pre-emergent weed treatment in the spring, to battle weeds before they sprout; broadleaf applications to hit dandelions and clover; and spot treatments when pesky intruders sneak in.
Mowing seems easy enough, but a surprising number of homeowners mow their grass too short, hoping to stretch out the time between mowings.
But cutting your grass too short stresses the grass, and makes it more susceptible to damage from insects and disease. Never cut off more than a third of the grass blade at any one time.
That way, the grass will develop a deeper root system to support the longer blades and need less water. That leads to a fuller, greener lawn.
One of the reasons your neighbor’s grass is greener may be he or she keeps their mower blades sharp. When’s the last time you sharpened your mower blades?
Mowing with dull or nicked lawn mower blades will tear the grass, rather than leave a clean cut, and a torn or ripped blade of grass is more prone to disease and insect damage.
Your neighbor’s grass is always greener because they stay on top of their fertilizer schedule.
We know, it’s easy to forget about lawn fertilizer.
Your calendar is already jammed. Life moves fast. Next thing you know, it’s July, your grass looks crappy and you think, “I was supposed to fertilize by now, right?”
Fertilizer is your lawn’s food, and timing is everything.
When to fertilize your lawn?
When your soil becomes compacted, your lawn can't breathe. Its roots can't take in water or nutrients, which weakens your turf and opens the door for disease and weeds.
Soil with a high clay content is especially likely to get compacted, as the particles squeeze together tightly, making it tough for water and oxygen to get through.
Aeration uses a machine to pull out tiny cores of soil from your lawn, allowing water and oxygen to get to the roots. You can almost hear your lawn sigh with relief — and get greener.
One of the reasons your neighbor’s grass is greener is she gets her soil pH tested.
If your lawn isn’t looking too great, even though you’re staying on top of your fertilizer applications, it could mean its soil pH is off, and needs lime or gypsum to balance it.
Soil pH is a way to measure the amount of acidity or alkalinity in your lawn’s soil.
If your lawn soil pH is too low, it’s time for lime, a soil amendment made from ground limestone rock, which contains calcium carbonate and magnesium carbonate.
Or, if your lawn soil pH is too high, your lawn might need gypsum, a mineral that contains hydrated calcium sulfate.
Both work to balance the pH level of your lawn. Once your lawn is balanced with the right pH, your soil can actually use the nutrients in your fertilizer, and flourish.
A simple soil pH test will tell you if your lawn’s soil needs a boost.
No wonder your neighbor looks tired all the time. And you thought he stayed up too late binging Netflix.
A healthy green lawn takes a lot of work. If all this sounds like a big pain, you’re right. You have better things to do than toil in your yard every weekend, right?
Why not leave it to the pros?
Professionals do all the pesky scheduling for you. They also have access to fertilizers and weed control you can’t buy without a license. And they know exactly how much of each product to apply.
When the guy down the street says “Why is my neighbor’s lawn greener than mine?” wouldn’t it be great if he was talking about you?
Make it happen.
If you want simple, hassle-free lawn care in Idaho Falls or Boise, ID that offers quality core lawn care services for a healthy green lawn, it doesn’t get easier than Lawn Buddies.
No stressing about which complicated combination of lawn care services will get your lawn back to its beautiful green again.
You don’t have time to fuss with all that. Give yourself a break.
Welcome to one premium, six-visit lawn care program that includes everything your lawn needs to grow healthy and green.
Fertilizer, weed treatments, and grub control, all wrapped up in six visits, each perfectly timed throughout the season, so your grass is green and strong and resists weeds.
We’ve got your back.
Got a few minutes? That’s all you need to get started.
Fill out the form on this page.
Call us at (208) 656-9131.
Or read more about our services.
Then kick back and relax in your healthy, thriving yard.
Image Sources: Sprinkler head, pH meter