You love your lawn. Like a helicopter parent, you cut it, water it and nurse it through the hot humidity that our southern locations are known for. But sometimes, that love can be too much and lead to the detriment of your lawn’s life. Avoid these maintenance mistakes to help you enjoy a happy and healthy yard all summer long.

You Cut Your Grass Too Short

Grass that is mowed too short, is unable to produce strong roots. Without those roots, “rooting” them into place, your grass will be weaker and unable to stand up to this summer heat. The result? Weeds will overwhelm your once-lovely lawn. To keep your yard healthy and thick, make each mow a quick trim instead of a full-blown buzz cut. The general rule of thumb is to cut no more than one-third of the height of the grass at a time. This provides enough greenness to allow grass to photosynthesize and produce the energy needed to survive the cut.

You Water Too Much

We get the thinking here. It’s hot outside! No amount of water can be too much, right? Wrong. In fact, for your grass, you can be dead wrong. In the same way that a human couldn’t jump into a bathtub and drink the water down, overly-saturated soil can’t take in water too quickly. So what’s considered the right way to water? About 1- 1 ½ inches of water each week is healthy. Also, don’t forget to keep a close eye on the weather report for pop-up showers. Though these are often short-lived, mini storms can drop a lot of water onto your yard in a short amount of time.

Pets Have Too Much Potty-Freedom

It’s natural for pets to pee outside. And although its a much better option than your living room carpet; the ammonia, salts and high-levels of nitrogen in your pet’s urine can fry their squatty spot, creating ugly, brown spots on your otherwise lush lawn. So, what’s the solution? A doggie diaper or kitty-litter leggings? Those may be options to consider in the future, but for now, try re-training your pet to find a new #1 location. Placing gravel in an area of your yard where pet pee is acceptable, can be an effective way to protect your property. Of course, if your older cat or dog is not interested in new tricks, try to catch him or her in the act. Then, flush out the area with a water hose to dilute the damage.

If you can avoid these serous lawn care mistakes, our team will take care of killing the weeds and applying the fertilizer needed to help your yard stay its greenest and its healthiest. Call us today at 1-800-300-8565 to get your free estimate and first application for our special $24.95 rate.