Ideal growing conditions are essential for successful lawn garden care and maintenance, because they generate healthy grass. And healthy grass overcomes weeds and resists droughts, pests, and diseases.

Healthy grass needs loamy soil and the right amount of water… two very crucial ingredients of effective lawn care and maintenance.

How to have the right soil conditions for healthy grass:

The ideal soil is a loamy combination of sand, silt, and clay because it absorbs water readily and stores it.

Here’s how to determine if your soil is the right consistency… Squeeze a handful of moist soil. If it doesn’t hold its shape when squeezed, then it has too much sand. If it sticks together and barely breaks apart (if at all) when touched, then it has too much clay. If it holds its shape until poked, and then crumbles, then celebrate… you have loamy soil! This is the absolute best soil consistency for a healthy lawn.

If your lawn garden has too much clay or too much sand, all is not lost. The treatment for either is actually the same:

• Aerate the entire lawn so amendments can reach the grass roots easily and quickly.
• Sprinkle amendments like organic compost or peat moss over the entire lawn surface. 

How to water correctly to maintain a healthy lawn:

Watering to a soil depth of 4″ to 6″ promotes a really healthy lawn root system. This equates to 1″ of water for a healthy lawn with loamy soil.
And one deep watering is much more effective than several light waterings. Lawns require about 1″ of water per week (if it rains, include it in the 1″), unless the weather is extremely hot and sunny.

Then you may need to apply 1″ (including any rainfall) of water every 3 to 4 days. Good news… when a lawn is healthy, it requires less water, even in droughts. Just follow these guidelines:

The tuna-can-tip for measuring that crucial 1″ of water… Place a rain gauge or an empty tuna or cat food can on the lawn while watering. Then, stop watering when the can has 1″ of water in it. This is an easy way to figure out how long to water to achieve that optimum 1″ standard (remember to include any rainfall received during that week).

The best time of day to water… Early morning is optimum because it gives the lawn ample time to breathe. Also, water when it is not windy so you can control where the water goes.

Combine these soil and watering tips with good lawn care and maintenance (such as seasonal aeration, scheduled applications of fertilizer, and mowing at the correct height), and you will always have a beautiful, healthy lawn.

And… the healthiest lawns for our family and pets comes from following an organic lawn care program.

And a healthy lawn will make your lawn care and maintenance chores much easier!

 

Susan Nelson Hopkins is a reformed gardener and lawn lover. She is resigned to the inescapable fact that we all must conserve water and do our part to protect the environment. But she has learned that this doesn’t preclude lovely, healthy gardens… and lawns. Her tip… less is more! Check out the rest of Susan’s Lawn Gardens. She is also webmaster of Susan’s Bird Gardens and several more gardening sites and blogs.