Do It Yourself Lawn Care Rockville MD

You want to have a pretty, green, and lush lawn to appeal to everyone's eyes.  To get your lawn off to a good start, you should determine what nutrients your soil needs.  To do this, you will need to do a soil test.  This will also tell you if your soil's pH is off.

You should also till the earth to a depth of around four to six inches.  This will allows you to work fertilizers into your soil, as well as amendments, and pH-adjusting materials.  This also aerates the ground for you so that the grass's roots that you sow will take hold better.  After you have tilled the earth, you will want to take a rake to the soil and rake it well to remove any rocks and debris from the soil.  This will create a smooth, level planting surface for you to work with.

There are three ways that you can plant a new lawn to give you that landscaped look you are going for.  You can either sow seed, lay sod, or install sprigs.  No matter which one you choose, you will want to firm the soil after you have planted.  You do this by pushing a roller over the surface of the ground.  This aids in seed germination and ensures that the sod or sprigs will make good contact with the soil.

You should follow the recommendations on the seed package as to how much you should sow.  You can use a drop spreader to make sure that you get an even distribution over larger areas.  Sow half of the seed in one direction and the other half in right angles to the first direction.  You will want to mist the seeds lightly with water every day to make sure that they do not dry out.  Cover the newly sown lawn with a thin layer of hay to keep the moisture in and to protect the seeds from wind and birds.

Wait between six to eight weeks after planting before you apply your first application of fertilizer.  Unless the soil test you performed comes back that your soil has a certain nutrition deficiency, then you should use a complete granular fertilizer.  It is extremely important that you do not overfeed your lawn.  If you do, it will only stimulate the blade growth rather than the root growth.  It also will promote thatch buildup and will make your grass adicted to nitrogen so that it will require ever-increasing doses.

Every year you should aerate your lawn.  You can either do this with aeration shoes, like golf shoes, or an aerator.  If you find any bare spots once your lawn is fully grown, then you should patch them right away.  Maintenance on a beautiful lawn can be time consuming, but the end result will be more than worth the time and effort you put in to it.  You will enjoy the results for years to come and you will improve the value of your home all at the same time.

WARNING: Make sure that you use the proper safety equipment and clothing when dealing with any type of chemicals or fertilizer to prevent injuries.  Also make sure that you follow all directions on the packaging to ensure the best results and prevent injuries.