3 Simple Steps to Maintain Your Lawn This Summer
With more time spent at home, now is the perfect time to seize the everyday and tackle tasks around the home that you may not have had the time to in the past. From D.I.Y. fence and patio repair tips to how to create your own backyard oasis for your family, Canadian Tire and Yahoo Canada are proud to help Canadians get there by bringing you everything you need for the season.
A well maintained lawn of lush, green grass is a source of pride for any homeowner. While a yard full of thick, healthy grass can instantly boost your home’s curb appeal, it can also seem like an intimidating feat to achieve.
Sure, you can always leave it to the professionals — but if you prefer to do it yourself, turning your own lawn into an enviable space is a rewarding job that doesn’t involve as much work as you might think. And with more time spent at home, It’s a great time for you and your family to take on small jobs that you may not have had time for in the past — and that includes your lawn and outdoor space.
There’s no better time to prep your yard for the season and turn your backyard (or whatever space you may have) into a relaxing, fun place for you and your family to kick back and enjoy.
Luckily there are plenty of easy and affordable ways to revive and care for your lawn all summer long.
We’ve rounded up a step by step guide of the best ways to maintain your lawn all season long, as well as the products proven to help turn your lawn into the perfect backdrop for all of your favourite summer activities.
Step 1: Lay Down Soil and Fertilize
A healthy lawn starts with healthy soil. Canadian Tire’s exclusive Golfgreen Enriched Lawn Soil contains a blend of fertilizers that will help nourish your lawn for up to two months, thanks to its high nitrogen levels. Thicken or repair patchy lawns and get ready for beautiful, healthy grass.
To make for the perfect lawn, you’ll need to focus as much on the grass seed as the soil you’re laying down. Kick start grass growth with Golfgreen’s 1-Step Lawn Makeover Grass Seed, which helps to encourage longer roots and thicker blades of grass. This 3-in-1 mixture has nitrogen rich 9-0-0 fertilizer and inhibits future broadleaf weed germination.
Step 2: Hydrate
Watering your lawn is key to maintaining a lush, green yard. However, it can be difficult to gauge exactly how much moisture your yard needs without going overboard.
The average lawn typically requires about 1 to 1 ½ inches of water per week. Instead of watering your lawn each day, use a sprinkler, like the Yardworks Dry Seal Multi-Adjustable Oscillating Sprinkler, 2 to 3 times per week to deliver about ½ inch of water per soak.
Frequent watering will result in grass developing shorter roots whereas infrequent watering helps grass take deeper roots, resulting in a healthier, greener grass — experts say you should water every three or four days when it’s really hot, and can even stretch it to 10 days if you’ve been seeing rainy weather.”
If you don’t want to lug around a traditional hose, you can also tackle all of your lawn and garden watering needs with a durable watering wand, like this frost-proof one from Gardena, which is deal for watering and cleaning hard to reach areas in the garden and yard.
And even though it’s summer, investing in outdoor equipment that will hold up year round is always a great idea (plus, it’s Canada, so you never know when frost might sneak in!). This Frost Proof 4 Pattern Rear Trigger Nozzle from Gardena features technology baked into its plastic core that prevents freezing and cracking as the weather changes.
Step 3: Maintain
While mowing your lawn might seem foolproof, making small adjustments to the way you do it will ensure your grass stays looking its best all summer long.
One expert tip to keep in mind is to avoid cutting your grass too short. While you may be tempted to change the setting on your mower to a lower setting to avoid frequent cutting, it’s actually a counterproductive move.
And of course, you’ll want to make sure your lawn mower is functional and easy-to-use to make for a seamless mowing experience.
This 3-in-1 Brushless Lawn Mower from Yardworks features a 20” steel deck and 3-in-1 functionality that lets you mulch, bag and side discharge with ease. A single lever, 7-position height adjustments allows you to shape your lawn like a pro. And best part? This mower is part of the Yardworks 48V ecosystem, which utilizes same battery for multiple tools, including mowers, trimmers and chainsaws for added versatility.
Another thing you’ll want to be careful of is the time of day you’re mowing.
Frequent mowing during the sun’s off-peak hours (either morning or evening) where you remove approximately ⅓ of the length of your grass helps keep your lawn healthy.
Canadian Tire and Yahoo Canada are helping Canadians seize the everyday this summer, with tips, tricks and everything you need for the season. Click here for more!
