When it comes to lawn care, it can feel like some people have a green thumb. They seem to have an intuitive grasp of plants and their care. You don’t have to be a master in landscape design in order to make your lawn look beautiful. You just need to know what and when to do certain things.

But you might feel a little differently. Maybe it seems like you have a black thumb, and weeds and pestilence are what you get instead of a verdant and healthy landscape. Don’t worry, because we’re here to help. Recently, we shared a few tips to help make the most of your lawn care duties, and today we’d like to share a few more.

Lawn Maintenance Tips for Your Alberta Property

You undoubtedly understand that watering your lawn regularly is critically important. But it’s just as important to remember not to overwater. The roots of the grass require oxygen to live, and they can drown. A good rule of thumb is to water 3-5 times per week when the dry season hits. If you’ve got stationary sprinkler heads, keep irrigation time to between 7-12 minutes. With rotating sprinkler heads, stick with 12-20 minutes. If you see pooling water or soil that’s obviously saturated, cut back on the water.
Fertilizing the lawn is a great habit to get into, and you should be doing it about 3-5 times during the year. Read the directions on the fertilizer bag and follow it closely, but you don’t want to apply too much, because it can actually “burn” the lawn. Also, when you do apply fertilizer, do it at a time of day when the temperature is below 26.7 degrees Celsius.
Aeration is a necessity when it comes to keeping your lawn healthy. During the process, plugs get removed from the soil which allows more oxygen to penetrate the root zone. It also allows microorganisms a way to get in and naturally dispose of unwanted thatch, as well as cutting down on compaction. Aeration should be done during the spring and fall months. Your landscaper can easily do it, or you can do it yourself by buying or renting an aerator.
We mentioned thatch earlier, and that’s a layer of dead grass that’s found between the grass foliage and the roots. You’ll know that you need thatching to happen if your lawn has a kind of spongy feel to it.
One of the most maddening problems with lawns are the appearance of bare patches where there was once grass. Overseeding the bare areas are a good solution, and you can use a mixture of ryegrass and fine fescue seeds. Another benefit of overseeding is that it stops the growth of harmful varieties of grass. This is best done in the fall and spring months.
Lots of homeowners have to deal with mole colonies setting up shop in their yards. These little rodents love to tunnel several inches below the surface of the grass, and this tunneling can create a wide variety of problems. If you’re willing to pay for it, many pest control companies can remove them. For a DIY solution, sprinkle used kitty litter around their holes and slightly inside. The smell can make moles think predators are close by, and they can potentially leave on their own.