Having a healthy lawn has many advantages. It can function as a playground or a picnic area and can even increase the value of your property. However, blemishes or abnormalities in the landscape can keep you from fully enjoying the area.
Fortunately, many lawn issues can be quickly be identified and fixed with the appropriate tools and knowledge. Listed below are some of the most common lawn issues and their recommended solutions:
1.Heavy Shade From Trees
In shaded locations, grass will not thrive. For such locations, moss makes a good replacement. The lawn and shade trees are typically the first things people plant in landscaping.
However, as time passes, shade-giving trees and sun-loving lawn grasses will become less compatible. If a lawn is lucky enough to remain green in shaded areas, this typically leads to weak grass that is unable to naturally fend off weeds and disease or resist significant wear and tear.
Solution:
It can be challenging to plant a garden at or near the base of a tree. Plants will need to cope with nutrient and moisture deficiency as well as root competition. There are lawn sprinklers to distribute water to far-reaching areas to alleviate such problems.
By judiciously pruning trees in your landscape, you can increase the amount of sunshine that reaches the turf. Lower branches and some inner branches may be cut to let more light reach the ground beneath.
2.Seasonal Swamp
A swampy lawn can be a source of worry. In addition to being unsightly and difficult to mow, stagnant water serves as a haven for mosquitoes and other disease-carrying insects. Additionally, inadequate drainage prevents you from using your lawn when it rains.
Solution:
For workable soils (except for clay) rain gardens are the way to go. Rain gardens are constructed to catch rainwater that flow off of surfaces like terraces and roofs. Instead of flowing into the storm sewer or pooling on your lawn, the water is slowly absorbed into the ground by the modified soil and water-loving plants.
It provides a better and more efficient method to utilize sprinkler systems and water resources. You can aerate your soil to promote drainage if it is compacted in a small area and has a propensity to retain water.
Another method is adding compost to the soil when tilling. Install a dry well to aid in draining your lawn if the layout of your lawn makes it difficult to direct excess water. A dry well serves as a storage facility for extra water runoff.
3.Non-Draining Soil
Normally, soil includes roughly 50% solid components and 50% pore space, which is supplied with both air and water.
The majority of the pore space is frequently filled with water in poorly drained soils, leaving insufficient room for air. Insufficient drainage can be seen on many landscaping sites, which causes this problem.
Solution:
Identify the type of soil on your lawn. Plants don’t fare well in clay soil because they don’t get enough oxygen. If your clay soil is heavy and sticky while wet and creates deep cracks when it’s dry in the summer, you may benefit from expanded shale. Shale that has been expanded will form holes in the ground that may hold both water and air.
4.Eroding Slope
Erosion is a natural process that damages the ground. Erosion can be identified when parts of your lawn appear to be gradually eroding. Lawn areas with steep slopes and no vegetation are especially susceptible to erosion.
Solution:
An excellent strategy to minimize erosion is to install smart water timers to remotely set and check the watering schedule for your lawn sprinklers. You can select alternative start times per day with individualized watering frequency and duration. These smart timers are convenient because you can control the system from your smartphone.
5.Dry Spots
This is a tricky one because it’s hard to recognize from the get-go. Dry spots are usually caused by compacted soil, often due to foot traffic, or improperly adjusted, clogged, or broken sprinklers.
Solution:
Improving the water penetration in compacted soils can be achieved by aerating yearly. Proper sprinkler system installation and knowing how to operate them will help you avoid problems later on. It is also important to evaluate regularly and make necessary adjustments.
6.Striped Lawn
The excessive use of fertilizers, or the lack thereof, can pose threats to the health of your lawn. The coverage of water and fertilizer on the entire lawn will not be uniformly spread, resulting in alternating streaks of yellowish or lighter hue between the healthy grasses.
Solution:
By removing thatch, or the layer of dead grass, you will create a healthier lawn that is better able to withstand problems such as brown stains, problems with broadleaf weeds, and water troubles.
Observe proper application of fertilizer as well and ensure equal coverage. Landscape irrigation is one of the best ways to avoid having dry or overly moist areas that cause irregularities in your gardens.
7.Lawn Disease
When neglected, the lawn is susceptible to many diseases. Dead spots, moulds, and brownish-yellow patches are likely to appear. Quickly expanding dead spots are caused by several difficult-to-diagnose lawn diseases.
Solution:
A lawn will typically stay free of illnesses as long as it is managed properly. However, occasionally an epidemic will happen after a prolonged period of heat and humidity.
Due to their frequent use and rigorous maintenance, sports fields and golf courses are more vulnerable to turf diseases. A homeowner will rarely need to apply fungicide to the grass as a preventative measure or even as a treatment.
Homeowners can look out for these problems even at night with the help of landscape lighting. By changing cultural practices, such as watering or fertilizing less frequently or at different times, the majority of lawn diseases can be avoided or treated.
You may see issues in your lawn before they become major landscape problems if you perform weekly examinations. Maintaining your grass’s health and ensuring that it is properly irrigated will allow you to reap the benefits of a lush, beautiful, and healthy lawn.
For installation of lawn sprinkler systems in Toronto, call on Augusta Green Sprinklers. We provide irrigation works and landscape lighting to beautify your property. Call us now at (416) 227-1666 for a free estimate.