Improving Grass Growth

To maintain their lawn most people make sure they keep it watered and fertilized. However, when the lawn doesn’t look as nice as they would like, they begin to wonder why. So, beyond watering and fertilizing, what else should you do to maintain a healthy lawn? The regular removal of lawn debris will actually make a big difference.

Anything on top of the grass will make it difficult for the grass to grow properly. An example of this can be seen when items like small children's pools are placed on a lawn and left for some time. Eventually the grass underneath begins to look pretty anemic. In varying degrees, the more debris on the grass means the less growth there will be. Most of the debris on a lawn will come from trees or other features of a yard.

Depending on the type of tree, debris from trees can include branches, twigs, pine needles, and leaves. Branches and twigs are normally big enough to simply pick up and remove from the lawn. Pine needles are not as noticeable unless they are really thick, and can cause serious lawn problems. As with leaves, pine needles will require you to rake them for proper removal. Leaves aren’t only a problem in the fall and they can be knocked of the tree by rain or wind, and even by animals, such as squirrels and birds.

The most common lawn debris is from the grass itself. Unless you have a very good bagging mower you will get grass clippings on your lawn. These clippings do add nutrients back into the soil if they are broken down small enough and soon enough, but if the clipping pieces are too large, they will stunt the grass growth. The use of mulching mowers which break down the grass leaves into smaller pieces helps some, but you may still need to de-thatch your lawn often to remove this debris.