Guide to a Greener Lawn

Spring has finally sprung and we at Iris Landscape Services are here to help you get the lawn of your dreams. We have an easy guide for you to follow called : Five Steps to a Greener Lawn you can download the easy to follow PDF of this blog.

Step 1 Aerate
Aerating is the act of punching out small holes in your lawn.This alleviates compaction, helps water and nutrients get down into roots and promotes proper drainage. You can aerate a lawn with many different tools that you may have at home(like a rake) however, for an average size lawn you will want to rent an aerator from your local tool rental shop like a home depot. They are easy to use and usually the shop in which you are renting from can show you how the model you are renting will work.

Step 2: Power Rake
Power raking removes moss, improves drainage and the light penetration prevents diseases while creating access for nutrients to get down into roots it also helps chop the cores that were aerated in step 1. A power rake much like a lawn mower, is easy to use and can also be rented from a local tool shop if you do not have one on hand.

Step 3: Lime your Lawn
Liming your lawn helps reduce the acidity of your lawn and promote a healthy PH level. Most gardeners find that pellet forms are easier to apply than powders to ensure full coverage. Your local garden centre can help you choose the right product for your climate. This step should be delayed if you are expecting a heavy rain within the week.

Step 4: Wait & Moss Control
Make sure you wait one week after liming your lawn and then you apply moss control. This is another easy to use product that can be found at your local garden centre.

Step 5: Apply seed and a starter fertilizer.
It is now finally the time to start seeding your lawn! At this time the nitrogen and phosphorus level should be high in order to promote overall growth. Once your lawn is prepared you can disperse the seeds and three weeks after your lawn starts to green, apply the fertilizer. All fertilizer labels have three bold numbers: The first number is the amount of nitrogen which promotes blade growth and the green colour of your lawn, the second number is the amount of phosphate and the third number is the amount of potash which provides drought tolerance, and disease resistance. The 20-5-10 ratio is ideal for a spring fertilizer.

And thats it, your lawn will be off to a strong start for the spring! Make sure to tag us in your green lawn photos on facebook and on instagram @irislandscapeservices !