In life, mistakes happen. And lawn care mistakes are no different. Various New England lawn mistakes can impact your lawn’s overall health and appearance.
We know that homeowners can get very frustrated if they think they (or their lawn care provider) did something wrong. That’s why we’ll also cover fixing lawn care errors.
Some of the common lawn care mistakes we see include:
- Mowing the Lawn Too Short
- Mowing with Dull Blades and Deflated Tires
- Failing to Pick up Leaves
- Fertilizing Improperly
- Improper Watering
While these are not the only lawn care errors that occur, these are common mistakes that you might have made yourself. Let’s talk about why they’re a problem and what you should do.
Common Lawn Mistakes in New England
We know that lawn care can be complicated, but we’ve got your back. We are sharing some of these common mistakes so that you can aim to avoid them…or at least know how to fix them.
Here are some of the most common lawn mistakes that we see on New England lawns.
#1: Mowing the Lawn Too Short
Mowing the lawn too short is a common lawn mistake that homeowners make.
When you cut the lawn too short, it puts a tremendous amount of stress on it. This is one of the common reasons why lawns turn yellow. People sometimes mistakenly assume it’s related to a lawn care product application error, but often it’s related to mowing.
The exact cut height of your lawn will depend on the grass type growing in your yard. Mow on the higher side and keep up with it frequently. It’s better to mow more often, making less invasive cuts.
The goal should be to mow no more than one-third of the height of the grass at a time. This can be challenging if you’ve fallen behind on mowing and the grass is really tall. But it’s better to catch up with several mows than to try and do it all at once.
#2: Mowing with Dull Blades and Deflated Tires
On the list of lawn care mistakes, mowing with dull blades and/or inflated tires also ranks high. That’s because people rarely make an effort to sharpen their mowing blades or check their tires. But this is another habit that puts a lot of stress on your lawn.
When the mower blades are dull, it “tears” or “rips” the grass blades. What you want is a nice crisp and level cut which can only be achieved with a sharp blade.
Similarly, you want to mow with fully inflated tires. When they are deflated, it can lead to ruts or an unlevel cut.
#3: Failing to Pick Up Leaves
Regarding New England lawn mistakes, failing to pick up leaves is a big one…considering we deal with so many fallen leaves in this region!
If you have a property that has a lot of trees, you don’t want to ignore leaf pick-up. While we know it can be back-breaking and frustrating work, it’s also an important fall lawn care task.
Raking leaves is obviously important for aesthetics but it also has an impact on your lawn’s health. Leaves that are left lying on the ground and not raked up can block your lawn’s access to sunlight, nutrients, and water.
If you’re paying for lawn care tasks like fertilization, weed control, or even aeration and overseeding, leaves can also interfere with these tasks. Leaves can block lawn care products from penetrating down to your turf’s root zone. Leaves can also prevent seeds from vital seed-to-soil contact that is needed for germination.
Leaves can also become an invitation for critters to take up residence in your yard. As the weather gets colder, rodents and other pests look for sources of shelter. You don’t want your yard’s fallen leaves to become their new home.
Finally, leaves left on the ground before snowfall can also create a problem with a lawn fungus called snow mold. The leaves create an incubation effect and snow mold can start to grow on your grass.
#4: Fertilizing Improperly
Fertilization is an important New England lawn care service. But when fertilization mistakes are made, it can be harmful to the lawn.
Under-fertilizing the lawn can lead to ineffective results. But even worse, applying too much fertilizer can actually lead to lawn burn. This is a lawn care mistake that may be challenging to recover from. If the grass is severely burned and dies, you may need to re-seed that area.
Proper application rates and timing are critical to your success. Keep in mind that your lawn is going to have different needs at different times of the year. Here in New England we have four distinct seasons. We have rainy springs, hot and humid summers, chilly autumns, and frigid winters. That’s going to impact the rate of application as well as what type of fertilizer is used.
#5: Improper Watering
Another common lawn care mistake has to do with watering the lawn. Both underwatering and overwatering the lawn can be problematic.
When your lawn doesn’t receive enough water it can experience drought stress. Established lawns typically require around one to two inches of water per week. In the springtime when it is rainy, Mother Nature might be supplying that. But during periods of drought, you may need to step up your watering efforts.
But people are often surprised that too much water isn’t a good thing either. If you apply too much water to your lawn you could actually drown the roots. Overwatering can also lead to problems with turf disease.
How to Fix Lawn Care Mistakes
Fixing lawn care errors ultimately hinges on what you’re dealing with. While some mistakes can be easily corrected (such as changing up your watering or mowing habits), if you’ve already done some damage, it’s possible that will have to be repaired.
If you’ve killed any areas of your lawn with a lawn care mistake, and you have a bare patch, you may need to overseed those areas to re-grow turf.
If you are unsure how to go about fixing lawn care errors, you might want to consult with a lawn care professional who can guide you toward next steps.
Choosing Lawn Care Services in in Southern New Hampshire, Maine, & Northeastern Massachusetts
Ultimately, choosing to work with a lawn care professional is an important way to avoid lawn care mistakes in the first place.
They can make sure that services they perform (like fertilization and weed control) are performed properly. And they can guide you toward making better decisions for your lawn with cultural recommendations for the services you’re handling (like watering and mowing).
Together, you can achieve lawn care success.
Lawns can be a lot of work, but you don’t have to do it on your own.
When you choose to partner with a lawn care professional, you can let go of the burdens and simply get back to enjoying your lawn.
Want to learn more about what makes us a great choice for your lawn care needs? At Seacoast Turf Care, we service towns such as Stratham and Exeter, NH, Amesbury and Newburyport, MA, and Kittery Point and York, ME, as well as the surrounding areas. Get lawn care pricing for your Southern NH, Southern Maine, or Northeastern Massachusetts property.
Image Source: lawn mower, raking fall leaves, puddle
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