Do you feel a bit embarrassed because your lawn is looking a little faded and rough around the edges compared to the lovely green lawns of your neighbors?
If so, you might feel confused about why you’re having trouble achieving that coveted green color.
A lot of homeowners take good care of their yard, and just can’t understand where they’ve fallen short.
It turns out that there are several potential reasons why your lawn is looking a bit lackluster.
If your lawn has failed to achieve the splendid shade of green you desire. Let’s go over some of them below:
There are numerous species of grass
The shade that you end up with will depend on the type that you choose.
You should be aware that there are many different varieties within each species. This means that even if you and your neighbor have the same species of grass, you might have different varieties.
And this might account for the color of your lawn not being quite up to standard (or at least the standard of the neighborhood)!
One option to address this is to install new sod, which will be consistent in shade and provide an intense green to your lot. Sod installation in McKinney, for instance, is growing in popularity.
Too Much (or too little) Fertilizer
What you do (or fail to do) with respect to fertilization can also affect lawn color.
It is the fertilization that you do in the autumn that impacts the color that the lawn will be in the spring.
If you want your lawn’s color to be the envy of the neighborhood in the spring, make sure that the grass gets enough nutrition at the end of the autumn season.
TIP: Choose a slow-release organic lawn fertilizer that contains a small amount of Iron (like Milorganite). This won’t burn your lawn, and the iron will give your grass a nice deep green color.
Not Mowing Frequently Enough
Something else to keep in mind when it comes to lawn color is the factor of seedhead.
Grass seedheads shows themselves with a feathery appearance at the top of the blades, which creates a lighter green shade and can even create the look of wheat plants.
If you find that your lawn is a lighter shade of the green you desire, it could be because of this. Mowing your lawn more regularly should help eliminate this problem and bring your lawn to a deeper and more pleasing color.
Inadequate Water
A dried-out lawn will have a dull and subdued color.
Keep this in mind especially in the heat of the summer when there can be less rainfall. Make sure to water your lawn especially carefully during this time, and cut your grass a little longer during the summer as well.
Watering is often a quick cure for your lawn color. Sometimes just the fact that your grass needs a drink can ruin the color of your grass. Brown patches could also be a sign of inadequate coverage and the need for irrigation system maintenance.
Water your lawn more intensely if you feel lack of water is the issue, but do so a little less frequently.
You need the water to soak into the soil and give your grass the opportunity for a lengthy drink to fully recover.
Nutrient-Depleted Soil
It’s possible that your soil isn’t a high enough quality.
If this is true, try adding extra nutrients, or even amending it by top-dressing your lawn with a thin layer of screened compost.
This will help to boost the greenness and beauty of your lawn, and it’s more natural than chemical fertilizers.
Make sure that you aerate either annually or twice a year if you see there is any thatch or compressed dirt.
Once you’ve done that, use garden compost to fill in the areas left empty, and overseed your lawn first if possible.
Damage from Pets
Are you letting your dog pee on the lawn?
This is a common (and big) mistake!
As you might have guessed, your pet’s urine will burn the grass and leave unsightly patches in an otherwise healthy lawn.
Work hard to train your dog not to pee on the lawn. If he does so anyway, wash the urine off the grass with water immediately. If you find it necessary to let your dog pee on the lawn sometimes when you cannot clean it off right away, direct him to a less visible area.
Your Lawn Needs Compost
If you’re not shredding your leaves to use as nutrition for your lawn, that could be another reason your lawn simply can’t compare with a neighbor who might be using this technique.
Good organic compost has the right mix of nitrogen and carbon, and if you mulch in blades of grass your lawn may be getting plenty of nitrogen, but the soil may not be getting enough carbon. Mulching your leaves each season can help with this.
Lots of people choose to remove all of their leaves each year. This is fine, but if you do then we encourage you to consider top-dressing with compost to add nutrients to the soil. Your lawn will love it.
To grind up your leaves, process them with a mulching lawn mower. Make sure to get them down to pieces around the size of a penny. Once you’ve done this, you can use your ground down leaves as lawn food (just don’t let them smother your grass).
Greener Grass, Guaranteed
Are you ready to hire a professional to help your lawn the envy of the neighborhood?
Contact us today for a free quote. We’d love to help you take back your weekend and make your neighbor jealous.
