Lawn Road to Lawn Maintenance Success

There is nothing more synonymous with American landscaping than the lawn (except maybe Bob Ross). So when we tell people we're in the landscaping field, we will estimate most of them involuntarily picture a lawn mower. And that's not without reason. Two percent of the land area in the United States is covered in turf. And a whopping eighty percent of Americans have a lawn! So they're ubiquitous as a sign of the American Dream. But lawn maintenance is more than mowing. Though many of those American households have a mower, that doesn't mean they know how to use it, let alone what their lawns need to thrive. But that's ok because that's what Lawns and Beyond are here for! Today, we'll discuss everything your Portersville lawn needs to thrive. A Mow with More It's best to start with what you know, so let's begin with mowing. Nearly all of us have operated a lawn mower, even if we no longer do it regularly. But do you know what it takes to mow a lawn well? The Equipment Like with everything in life, in lawn maintenance, the quality of your equipment affects the results of your work. No matter how you slice it, a mower is not just a mower. One of the most vital ways this shows up in your lawn is with your blade. Did you know that you need to sharpen your blades regularly? It's true! A dull blade can completely ruin your lawn. If you're a home chef, (or watch cooking shows), you know the importance of having a sharp knife for cutting your food. The sharper the blade, the better the cut. A dull knife mashes what you're cutting, which is why you don't use a butter knife to shave truffles. Mower blades are no different. A dull blade can damage the grass, causing yellowing and death. The Grass When we say "grass" or "lawn" to describe the short green carpet growing in front of each of our homes, we're not all discussing the same thing. There are over 11,500 grass species! So naturally, they don't all need the same things. While the number can seem overwhelming, the good news is that you can divide them into two major categories cool season grasses and warm season grasses. In Pennsylvania, we have some of each. The Climate Also relevant to how we cut our grass is the time of year. In the summer, your grass needs a little more height to insulate it from the summer height. But if you leave it too tall, it can collapse on itself and die. The Rest of Lawn Maintenance As you can see, mowing is more than just riding in or pushing a mower! But even so, mowing is only the beginning of your lawn maintenance routine. To have an exceptional lawn, you also need to edge, trim, and do blowout - and that's not even getting into seasonal lawn care! Edging If you could only add one more item to your lawn maintenance routine beyond mowing, edging would get you the most bang for your landscaping buck. Edging makes your lawn stand out, taking it from looking fine to fabulous. Bold lines accentuate what's inside them, as any comic book artist would tell you. But edging also has practical benefits. For example, it prevents your lawn from creeping into your gardens and hardscaping, causing extensive damage. That's because the shallow trench we create when we edge is difficult for roots to cross. Finally, edging makes the rest of lawn care: mowing and trimming, easier. Trimming In landscape maintenance, mowing and trimming have different meanings. You already know what mowing is. Trimming is what you do after you mow to finish the job. Because a mower is an imprecise tool, it will miss some spots. Your ground is uneven, so much like when shaving, the razor blade can miss a raised area, and the mower can leave a few cowlicks. We use a trimmer to even those out. We also use it to get closer to the objects in your yard that the mower couldn't. Blow Outs Finally, the finishing touch on a good mow is using a blower to blow out all the stray grass clippings. Of course, you want beautiful grass only on your lawn, not your driveway! Mowbody Can Do the Lawn Like Pros Do Lawn maintenance is more complex than meets the eye, but even maintenance is only the beginning of lawn care. Your best bet is to hire a pro like Lawns and Beyond to handle your landscaping while you relax and enjoy it!