Columbia Resident's Complete Guide To Proper Lawn Maintenance

Lawn maintenance is about more than just mowing your lawn. You know this. If you've maintained a lawn for more than three years, you know that weeds can take over, bare patches can appear, ants can invade, and your lawn can start looking dry and brittle if all you do is mow it. If you've battled with maintaining a healthy lawn, you may have learned along the way that you need to fertilize, apply weed control, give your lawn the water it needs, and provide other essentials. Some Columbia residents successfully tackle lawn care, but more than a few are left perplexed after months of hard work ends with them spending more when they get local lawn treatment services. Lawn care isn't straightforward. You can select the wrong fertilizer for your lawn, apply too much, not enough, or put fertilizer on your lawn at the wrong time of year—and proper fertilization is only the beginning of the challenges. There are many ways your lawn care efforts can fall short. Join us today as we discuss ways to maintain a beautiful lawn, what to do about weeds, how aeration can help, and how professional lawn care services and lawn pest control in Columbia fit into the picture.

What You Can Do To Maintain A Beautiful Lawn

The primary needs of a lawn are weed control, moisture, fertilizer, and proper mowing. In some cases, these are all that are needed. It depends on many factors. You may need more if lawn pests enter your yard, certain weeds take over, fungus attacks your turfgrass, or if you have lots of foot traffic. There is no simple list of tips we can provide to provide you with what you need for success. But there are basics every Columbia resident can apply.

• Cut your grass about two inches. If it is too long, you can invite a pest problem. If it is too low, the weeds in your yard will get the sun they need to grow strong and outcompete your turfgrass.
• Use sprinklers to apply water to areas of your lawn where your turfgrass is turning tan or brown. Your lawn needs water, but not too much water. If you overwater, it can invite a fungus problem.
• Trim tree canopy in areas where your lawn is struggling in the shade. Your grass needs sunlight because vegetation feeds on sunlight through a process called photosynthesis.
• Perform a soil test to check the pH balance of your soil, and use this information to select the right fertilizer. You need to select a fertilizer with the right nitrogen levels. Check the N-P-K ratio of the fertilizer to match it to the needs of your soil.

These are the basics. When you apply these basic steps, you'll give your lawn the foundation it needs for success, but as you know, there is a lot more to it.

What To Do About Weeds

A healthy lawn is naturally resistant to weeds. If you use the tips provided above, you may not have trouble with weeds in Columbia. But, when weeds move in, it is critical to deal with them fast. Examine the weeds and find out what weeds you have. Match them to pictures on the internet and find pre-emergents and post-emergents that will address your specific weeds. A pre-emergent deals with weeds before they appear. A post-emergent tackles the weeds that are already appearing. Be careful with post-emergents as some may damage your turfgrass as well. If you need to address weeds that are already appearing in your yard, we recommend removing them by hand. It is a lot of work, but it doesn't require any knowledge of weed control products and it won't harm your grass. When you remove weeds from your lawn, grip them near the base and pull evenly. If needed, use a tool to dig around the base of the weeds and wiggle them out. Doing so, can get even the most pernicious weeds, like dandelions, completely out of the soil, roots and all. Use the same technique for the weeds you find in your landscaping.

Weed control is about balance. As you work to target and arrest weed growth, you need to provide your turfgrass with what it needs. Healthy turf will outperform the weeds and keep them from getting the nutrients they need. Maintaining grass that is tall enough to block the sunlight is also essential.

What Is Lawn Aeration And Do You Need It?

Most lawns can benefit from aeration, but lawns that get lots of foot traffic need it most as aeration addresses the issue of compacted earth. Why is compacted earth bad? It prevents water and nutrients from getting to the roots of your turfgrass. An aeration machine removes plugs from the soil and provides a route for water and nutrients to get down into the soil below the roots. There is also a form of chemical aeration that uses microorganisms to break down the thatch layer of your lawn, which provides a pathway for water and nutrients. It is less expensive, but it takes longer to achieve results.

If you decide to get an aeration machine and address your own aeration, there are a few things you should consider. Here are some tips to help you get things done right.

1. Before you get started, mark out the locations of sprinklers and underground pipes. These can get damaged during the aeration process and may cost you a lot to repair.
2. Take time to learn how the machine operates before you use it on your lawn, particularly near walkways or your driveway. That machine can get away from you and damage your property.
3. Select an aeration machine that pulls plugs from the soil, not one that pokes holes in the soil. Machines that poke holes tend to compact the ground and reduce the impact of the aeration process.
4. Wear protective gear when you operate an aeration machine. They tend to throw up rocks. Guard your eyes with safety glasses, your legs with pads, your feet with work boots, and your hands with thick gloves.
5. Do your aeration in the early morning or at dusk. Pushing that machine around your yard will cause you to build up some heat, and with your protective gear on, it will be miserable to aerate in the hot sun.

If your lawn has a thick layer of thatch or your turf is compacted, aeration can bring your lawn back to life. It isn't easy work, and it requires skill, muscle, and determination. When aeration is needed, most people turn to a professional lawn care service provider for assistance. A professional does more than aerate your lawn. They bring knowledge and experience to the table, and are able to tell you all of the many things your lawn needs for health and beauty. Best of all, they can provide the lawn services in Columbia required to get your lawn vibrant again.

Lawn Service For Columbia Homes

When you want a happy, healthy, vibrant lawn, it pays to get a lawn service plan. Are you in Columbia? Let the lawn care experts at Go-Forth Home Services help bring life back to your lawn, get rid of unsightly weeds, and keep your lawn looking beautiful. We offer all the services you need. All you have to do is mow and water.

• We start with an evaluation of your lawn and landscaping to consider pest pressures, the soil composition, specialized needs of your grass type and ornamental plants, the climate, and other key factors. We provide this service free with no obligation to get lawn and landscape services.
• We provide industry-leading pest control because we aren't just a lawn care company, we're also a pest control service provider. There are many pests that can harm your turfgrass, and our techs know exactly what works to stop them.
• We give your grass the strength to outcompete the weeds that enter your yard by selecting the right fertilizer and administering it at the right time and in the correct amounts.
• We target the weeds in your yard and also work to prevent weeds from germinating.
• We aerate your lawn to give it all the benefits we spoke of above. For some lawns, aeration is the most important step.
• We seed areas of your lawn where bare spots are developing, and your Columbia lawn care expert knows what seeds to apply and what those seeds need to grow.

Would you like to learn more? Are you ready to get started? Either way, we're here to help. Connect with us through our contact page or give us a call.

We look forward to assisting you with your lawn care goals. There is no lawn we can't save. Choose from our three service plans: The Basic Turf, 2nd-Level Turf, and The Elite Lawn & Turf. When you select our elite plan, you get added services, such as fungicide applications, winter boosters, a summer water-smart application, year-round mulch bed weed coverage, specialized weed and pest control, and so much more. Get connected today and request your free, no-obligation lawn evaluation.