Get a Great Lawn, Step by Step

It’s easy to spend a lot of money on grass and still not have the lawn of your dreams. But if you follow these steps, you’ll move closer to your goal and won’t spend a lot of money:

1. Have your mower professionally sharpened twice a year or whenever you have nicks in the blade. Sharpen when you see dry, stringy tops on grass mowed yesterday.
2. Mow in the morning or in the evening and mow back to three-inch high grass when blades reach 4.5 inches. Measure it. Three-inch grass will have a better root system and look thicker.
3. Water well about once a week. Less water is needed in very humid weather. Try not to walk on freshly watered grass. It compacts the soil.
4. Make spot repairs. Find a place in your yard to grow grass that can be cut out to fill bare spots.

Then, take up a few inches of grass on either side of damaged turf. Make sure the soil underneath is not compacted. The ground should be workable down to three inches.

Mix the soil with compost and water it.

Cut a patch of sod leaving no more than 3/4-inch of soil below the grass, and fit the new piece into place. If you are repairing a wider area, stagger the ends from row to row. Don’t kneel on the new sod. Then go over the area with a lawn roller.

Question: We are trying to find a grass for an area of our back yard that won’t require a lot of work to maintain. What do you recommend for a low maintenance grass?

Answer: 

There are several varieties of grass that require less work to maintain. The type you choose will depend on your climate and specifics of where you’ll plant. Your local lawn care professionals can help you pick the right grass for your situation.

The two most common types of grass occupying lawns in Edmonton and surrounding areas are Kentucky Bluegrass and Red Fescue.

Kentucky Bluegrass performs best in areas of high light and high fertility.  Because it is a tender type of grass, it requires more fertilization and water. Because it is a fast-growing grass, it develops a good root system which helps keep it healthy during drought.

Red Fescue grows better in low light and fertility areas. Because it is a cool-season grass, it thrives in shady areas with moist earth. Although it requires continued moisture to establish, once it is established it is very resistant to drought and wear.

In these types of grasses, the stems and leaves grow from a crown at the base near the soil. The leaves extend into a sheath and wrap around the stem, creating what we know as a “blade” of grass. Because the growth comes from the base, these grasses recover well from mowing.