Enjoying Your Lawn in All Seasons

All Nashvillians want a beautiful, lush lawn. But it can be hard to maintain between the hot summer days, incessant weeds, and the wind blowing your neighbor’s hot chicken take-out wrappers onto your grass. However, with a little planning and elbow grease, you too can have the feeling of delicate grass blades between your toes as you enjoy your landscape design.

FALL

Fall is the perfect time to start laying a good foundation for lawn growth. First off, make sure to fertilize your lawn. Fall can be a wetter time of the year here in Middle Tennessee, so make sure to buy fall fertilizer. This will provide high-quality nutrients that will strengthen roots and thwart weeds during the coming winter. You won’t need to mow as often, so set your mower height up, keeping the grass long. If you mow too close to the ground, you weaken your grass and make it easier for weeds to overpower your lawn. You can also consider putting seed down. There is still plenty of time for the seeds to set in before the winter months. Lastly, rake! Nothing will kill a beautiful lawn easier than a pile of wet leaves. And if you’re not in the raking mood, leave it to the professionals and hire a landscaping service. (We have a great one that we’d recommend!)

WINTER

Even if the temperatures stay around freezing, there a few things you can do to ensure your lawn is ready for spring. Make sure to keep leaves off your lawn. Try to stay off the grass as to not compact the soil any further. Here in Nashville, we don’t have to contend with snow very much, but if we get some accumulation that will stay around for a while, use the leaf blower to remove the snow. If snow is left on grass for days at a time, it traps moisture, which can lead to diseased roots.  

SPRING

Spring is when you will need to do the heavy lifting for your yard work. You need to fertilize your lawn. Rainwater and soil do not have enough nutrients to get that desirable, lush green color. Use a spring fertilizer and apply it in damp conditions. Before you put any seed down, use a pre-emergent herbicide, which will prevent weeds from germinating. This could be a weed-and-feed, combining two steps into one. Mowing your lawn actually stimulates growth, so mow as needed; just remember to set your mower high. It’s tempting to cut the grass as close to the ground as possible so you don’t have to mow as often, but you will kill the grass. A few weeks after you’ve put the herbicide on the lawn, you can seed. Don’t seed right after using the herbicide, because the weed and feed will kill the grass seed. You can hit the trouble spots or just seed everywhere; it just depends on what your lawn needs. Over-seeding is not something to worry about. Don’t forget to aerate, and if that’s not your favorite spring activity, consider calling a landscaping firm. The lawn professionals will use an aerator to put holes in your soil; these will allow nutrients and oxygen to get past the thatch and into the roots.

SUMMER

Hopefully, the fruits of your labor will be gloriously green during the summer months. Most summer days in Nashville are hot, humid, and end up with a pop up storm or two.  If this is the case, the only reason why you would need to fertilize is if your lawn is looking peaky. If it is a hot and dry summer, your lawn will need the extra nutrients. Mow as needed, and again, never cut the grass short. Unless you have spotty patches in your lawn, you shouldn’t need to seed. One of the biggest concerns in the summertime is making sure your grass stays hydrated. Just 15 minutes of using a sprinkler is the equivalent of 1 inch of rain, which should be sufficient if watered consistently. Landscaping firms can install a sprinkler system with a timer, so you can set it and forget it. 

Our lawns are an extension of our home. Building a fire pit or backyard seating area adds real estate value and increases your family’s enjoyment of your home. Nashville landscape design trends are geared toward drawing families outside, so it’s important to like what you see. It may seem like a lot of work, but it’s well worth the enjoyment you and your loved ones will have on your luscious lawn.