Understanding your lawn’s soil chemistry is key for achieving a perfect outdoor green space, but reading a soil test report often leaves homeowners puzzled. This guide simplifies your soil test data by explaining each measurement and its importance, helping you compare your results against ideal ranges and fine-tune your lawn maintenance practices.
Latest LawnStarter Articles
10 No-Mow Grass Alternatives for Your Lawn
With no-mow grass alternatives like ground covers, wildflowers, and native plants, you can have a beautiful landscape without having to mow your lawn regularly. Xeriscaping, hardscaping, mulching, and moss, as well as ornamental, low-mow, and no-mow grasses, are also some of the best lawn alternatives today.
Signs of Drought Stress in Trees
The most common signs of drought stress in trees include wilting leaves, yellowing or browning foliage, leaf curling, premature leaf drop, and visible bark cracks. Early intervention through deep watering can prevent permanent damage.
Give Dad the Gift of Lawn Care – It’s Super Easy
Make weekends a bit easier for your dad. It’s super easy to give the gift of a great-looking lawn with LawnStarter.
13 Types of Ornamental Grass for Your Landscape
Choose the best types of ornamental grasses for your landscape based on your yard’s conditions:
• Northern seas oats and Japanese forest grass for shade
• Blue oat grass and Mexican feather grass for sunny, dry spots
• Switchgrass for privacy screens
Cool-season varieties emerge early in the spring, warm-season grasses have dramatic colors, while evergreen types like black mondo grass provide year-round structure.
How to Create a Pollinator Lawn
To successfully create a pollinator lawn, assess the area, choose how much of the site to convert, and select and install the right plants to attract bees and other beneficial insects to your yard.
How to Cut Back Ornamental Grasses
To cut back ornamental grasses, tie the bundle of grass with twine or rope; then use a hedge trimmer to cut the stems. Trim leftover jagged stalks with pruning shears to give the clump a neat shape. Dispose of the debris in the waste bin or add to your compost.
How to Care for Ornamental Grass
Here’s how to care for ornamental grasses to keep them gorgeous with minimum effort:
• Cut back and divide the grasses in the spring.
• Water and control weeds and pests during summer.
• Leave the plants alone in fall and winter unless you need to winterize them.
Read all about ornamental grass care exceptions, problems, and solutions in our guide.
How to Prevent Mushrooms in Your Yard
To prevent mushrooms in your yard, you can adjust your watering practices, mow at the correct height, dethatch, aerate, increase sunlight, and improve the drainage in your yard.
7 Benefits of Xeriscaping
Some of the benefits of xeriscaping your yard include water conservation, increased biodiversity, reduced water costs, less lawn maintenance, and an increase in property value.