Have you purchased a new home, or perhaps a summer cottage? Here are some tips for assessing your current property, and what the next steps are for creating the landscaped property you’ve dreamed of!
You are probably aware that a well-groomed lawn can significantly improve your curb appeal, and thus add value to your home. The flipside is that you can sometimes pay less for a new property that is looking a bit… worse for wear, shall we say.
3 Lawn Care Tips for New Homeowners
1) Assess Your Lawn
It doesn’t take a trained eye to notice a bad lawn. Lawns that haven’t been properly cared for will look like it. They are full of weeds and crabgrass, or can be thin, patchy and brown.
Begin your property repair with aeration and overseeding, and then proper watering to ensure strong root growth.
2) Repair Your Grass
If your existing lawn has very little grass and mostly weeds, the best solution is to lay down new sod. This can be done in patches if just certain areas are poor, or you can start fresh by applying sod to the whole property.
First, the old grass is removed and 3-4 inches of topsoil are added. This is then rolled to ensure it is compacted. Next step – new sod. We then roll the sod again to ensure that the root system is compacted to the earth.
Keep sod moist, but not soaking until the roots are growing. You can test your root growth by gently pulling up on the sod. When there is resistance, you know the grass has started to lay down its new root system. Don’t walk on newly laid sod until the root system has fully established.
Only cut when the ground is not soft anymore and your new grass has grown to at least 4 or 5 inches. We recommend performing the first few cuts with a push mower, as it’s much gentler on new grass. Once your grass is fully established, ensure that your sod receives one inch of water per week. Fertilize regularly after growing for one season.
3) Wage the War on Weeds
Make sure to spot-treat weeds with an iron-based weed killer. You’ll want to allow your new grass seed to establish before you start treating weeds. Remember that seed heads can remain dormant in your lawn for many years, so ensure you keep up with spot treatment to enjoy a healthy lush lawn. Spot treatment helps to keep weeds from growing in bare spots.
Weed seeds float through the air, so they can come from anywhere. The war is never won! Remain vigilant in the fight against weeds.
Ah, much better. We love a good lawn-makeover! Let us help you get your new home ready for your enjoyment with full-service lawn and property repairs.
