Lawn care is not just as simple as any four-step program. Your lawn is probably not the same as your neighbor’s. Weather, soil conditions, geographic location, budget, orientation to the sun, previous history, usage – there are numerous factors that could alter your lawn care program and no lawn should be treated the same as the next one. When the term lawn care is mentioned, it probably conjures the thought of watering, applying fertilizers, and mowing. However, it is important to note that there is more to lawn care than just that. When it comes to matters lawn care, it is important to take all measures to discourage an infestation, either by pests or weeds. With the right kind of care, it is possible to prevent certain weeds and pests from finding refuge and wreaking havoc on your lawn.
Are you prepared to roll up your sleeves and prevent your yard from an infestation? Here are some basic care procedures you need to be doing.
Rake Up All Leaves
After a long winter season, one of the most common sights for a homeowner is a yard littered with dead leaves. And while these leaves could be a good source of mulch for your yard, they could also mean a lot of trouble. On decaying, these plant leaves could be a good nutrient source for weeds. Also, dead plant leaves could also create good living conditions for pests like earthworms, ants, beetles, millipedes, and curbs. One of the easiest ways of preventing a weed or pest infestation is by raking up all the leaves in your yard. You could use a rake to sweep away all the dead leaves or use a suction mower to get rid of all the leaves in your yard. When left unswept, the moisture-ridden leaves could start decaying and turn into a good source of food for pests as well as weeds. The easiest way to prevent an infestation is to get rid of any plant material that could create a conducive living environment for the organisms.
Drain All Stagnant Water
When there is poor drainage in your yard or around any fountains in your home, the chances are that you will have multiple pools of standing water around your yard. And as we all know; stagnant water tends to attract numerous troublesome pests like mosquitoes and earthworms which prefer living in the humid soil. In fact, some mosquito species such as the Asian tiger mosquito can easily locate and identify makeshift breeding grounds and even lay their eggs on water sources as small as a container or bottle cap. Some weeds are also known to thrive in extremely damp conditions so stagnant water could be a source of great trouble to your lawn. Draining any stagnant water from your yard helps prevent an infestation from earthworms as well as water-loving weeds.
Trim the Weeds
Many homeowners can attest to the fact that very few things can be as annoying as an abundance of weeds on their lawn. What’s even more disappointing about weeds is that if they are not taken care of, they could easily provide pests with some easy access to your home. Weeds that grow too tall could be perfect breeding grounds for pests like spiders, curbs, beetles, and rodents like mice and moles. The presence of such creatures in your lawn could risk an invasion of your house. Besides being good breeding grounds, tall weeds could also conceal an infestation until it is too late. Weeds that border the foundation of your house should be regularly trimmed to eliminate this pest-friendly environment. Besides, the presence of vegetation next to your house could make it difficult for Mason Ohio pest control companies to track down termites which could use such areas as their primary entry points to your house. Get rid of those weeds and you might not have to worry about unwanted pests invading your lawn.
Clean Up the Debris
However obvious this may sound, the truth is that any kind of debris lying around your yard could become a good sheltering area for various pests like sow bugs, ticks, crickets, termites, and even some rodent species. A particular rodent species that could be a nuisance to your lawn is the mice. This rodent often tends to burrow beneath the various piles of debris for shelter from adverse weather conditions as well as predators. As such, you should ensure that there is no debris lying around your lawn. In addition, brush piles and firewood should be located far from the house. Moreover, it is always advisable that you do not place your firewood directly onto the soil since insect pests like termites and ants could nest beneath discarded debris and pieces of wood.
Lay Landscape Fabrics
If you’ve always struggled to maintain a lush, green lawn, you can attest to the fact that pest infestation is not the only major problem. Weeds could also be a problem with your lawn and their presence could mean a poorly looking lawn. The installation of landscape fabrics is one of the easiest ways of preventing weed infestation without the use of pesticides. Landscape fabrics are regarded as a hi-tech ally in your battle against weeds. While they do not always make a good choice, they could be a good starting point for a gardener who adores a thick, green lawn but hates the idea of weeding.
Use Garden Mulch
When you ask most people about the importance of garden mulch, they will probably tell you of its importance in providing nutrients to ground cover. However, if you are looking to go beyond providing essential plant nutrients, garden mulch could be a good way to prevent weed infestation. When applied to a lawn, garden mulch helps increase grass cover which in turn reduces the spaces where weed likes growing. More so, garden mulch helps choke weeds of sunlight thus making it difficult for them to thrive.
Whether you’re looking to prevent a weed or pest infestation on your lawn, the above tips can be a good starting point for you.
