The appearance of your lawn can affect the entire look of your home's exterior and landscaping, especially when you have a large, expansive lawn. For this reason, it is important to feed, water, and care for your lawn to get it in the best condition possible. Here are some tips to help you maximize the life and look of your lawn.

Water Application Timing For the Best Lawn Health

When you water your lawn is an important detail and can either help or hurt your lawn. It is recommended to water your lawn in the early morning for the best results. In the early morning there is usually less of a breeze; therefore, fewer water droplets get blown off your lawn, and your lawn can receive and use all the water your sprinklers deliver.

Morning watering also prevents the water from quickly evaporating on your lawn before it can get to the roots. Watering later in the evening can cause fungus and disease to grow on your grass, as the water can linger on the blades and cause these problems.

Provide the Right Amount of Water

Along with when you water your lawn, you need to provide the right amount of water. It is recommended to give your lawn anywhere from one inch to an inch and one-half of water each week. And it is better to water less frequently for longer durations than more often for shorter durations. For example, it is better to water your lawn twice a week for 20 minutes each time instead of every other day for 10 minutes.

If you are not sure how long you need to water each week, you can measure how much water your sprinklers provide. Set an empty tuna can in your lawn during a watering session. After you are finished watering, measure the water depth in the tuna can to see how much water was delivered onto your lawn. Adjust your watering schedule to correct the water delivery to your lawn.

Feed Your Lawn

It is important to provide the right nutrients as food for your lawn to help it grow and remain healthy. Look for a fertilizer with a combination of phosphorous, nitrogen, and potassium. Different types of fertilizers will have a different ratio of each nutrient, depending on what your lawn needs the most to help you provide it the right nutrients.

Phosphorous is important in a fertilizer, as it encourages a healthy root growth and also helps your lawn to become established early on. The nitrogen in fertilizer is important, as it helps the foliar or blades of the plant grow healthy with a good dark green color. Potassium is also important, as it helps your lawn use the nitrogen it receives.

You can use a soil testing kit to test the pH and quality of your soil to find out what types of nutrients your lawn needs most so you can buy the appropriately fortified fertilizer for your lawn. You can find soil test kits at most home improvement stores.  

For more information, you may want to contact a local lawn care service like ProTurf.