Lawn tips to save you money
When it comes to managing a home lawn, there are certainly some homeowners that would like a nice lawn by doing less with less – less work with less cash. Here are five tips Michigan State University Extension suggests for maintaining a healthy lawn while doing less and saving some cash.
1. Play by the Rules
Follow the one-third rule of cutting only one-third of the top growth per mowing session. If you set your mower to a cutting height of 3 inches and follow the one-third rule, you would not need to mow until the turf reaches 4.5 inches in height. Mowing at a taller height is healthier for the turf and may reduce the number of mowings. Less mowing means less gas and more time for other projects and more green in your wallet.
2. Start Your Engines
Make sure your mower is ready for action with a yearly tune up. Oil change, spark plugs, and don’t forget the gas! It will help improve engine and mower efficiency. Invest a little in a mower tune up before the grass really starts growing and you could save time and money on repairs, or worse, having to replace the lawnmower.
3. Sharper performance
A simple way to improve mower efficiency, turfgrass appearance and health is to sharpen mower blades. Dull mower blades can fray and tear the leaf blades resulting in a poor aesthetic look and increased water loss. And could save you some gas and cash. Try to sharpen your blades twice a year for optimal cutting performance.
4. Recycle those Clippings
Use grass clippings to feed your lawn for free. Mulching blade mowers really do a great job of chopping up the turfgrass clippings, but even if you don’t have a mulching blade don’t let that stop you from returning clippings. Research has suggested that getting into the habit of recycling your clippings could reduce the requirement for nitrogen by up to 25%. That’s free fertilizer!
Clippings are about 80 percent water and don’t contribute to the thatch layer unless you’re leaving clippings in piles on the lawn. Don’t bag that grass. Spread the clippings evenly and watch your savings and lawn grow!
5. A Need for Feed
Fertilizing helps rejuvenate your lawn leaving it healthy, green and thick. Select a fertilizer with slow-release nitrogen to extend the length of feeding to the turf. Slow-release fertilizers will provide steady growth as opposed to fast release formulas that result in growth surges that cause you to increase mowing frequency. Buying slow-release fertilizers will not result in instant cash savings at the register – you’ll have to think more long term here. Slow-release fertilizers feed the turf over a longer period of time than fast release fertilizers, so one application will feed the turf longer than the cheaper fast release bag.
